Tips for Effective Email Writing

In today's age of information , email has become the dominant form of the communication. Being able to write a polished, professional email is now a critical skill whether in college or the workplace or for freshers applying for first job. 

So, Let us see some top and unique important tips while writing effective emails.

Informal vs. Formal

Understand difference between type of email you are writing and then format it accordingly.
Informal emails are email written to friends and family where accuracy and grammar (spelling and punctuation) are not that important but what you want to convey to receiver is important else it can cause confusion.

Formal emails are written to a professor, colleague, boss, etc and must always be professional.

Example:

Dear Professor xyz,

I was unable to attend class today due to a doctor’s appointment. When you have a moment, could please let me know what I missed and what homework I need to have completed for Friday?

Thank you,
FirstName LastName

Stick to standard structure

Any effective Email must have below five parts:

• Heading 
• Greeting / Salutation
• The body
• Closing
• signature

Email subject 

Email subject line should tell “what the email is about” to the receiver.

It’s important that the purpose of your email is clear from the start. Writing no subject line at all isn’t acceptable in business communication. Vague one word titles like “report” don’t work, either. And avoid using old subject lines or threads to introduce new email. This just adds to the confusion.

Is this email necessary?

Let’s face it, sometimes it’s better to just pick up the phone or have a quick face-to-face meeting. Writing an effective email can sometimes take more time than having a brief conversation. You may even find yourself avoiding personal contact (never a good habit in the workplace). Sometimes it’s just better to call, or meet in person.

Keeping track of an email thread

Some projects require a lot of back and forth among numerous people. Before you know it, your inbox has 27 messages with the title:
“Re:Re:Re:Re:Appendix Info for ITI Health Report”.

A good subject line will often contain some or all of the following, especially if the email is intended for a number of people on an ongoing project that spans your organization and others:

• the project or company name or acronym,
• the specific issue being addressed,
• some reference to time or project status,
• your company or personal name.

Here’s how that might look:

“Appendix Info for ITI Health Report/ final draft / Elaine / Aug. 21 / 08”

However, that kind of detail isn’t necessary if the email thread will be short and between a limited number of people. In order to keep track of the thread, it’s important to preserve the main title.

Keep it brief

Email messages are most effective for brief communication. Reports and more involved communications are best attached as separate documents. Most readers will groan at an email note that fills their screen and beyond.

Keep it simple

Introducing more than one or two ideas in an email can lead to confusion. It can make it difficult for users to reply accurately and thoroughly, which may result in important points or questions not being properly addressed. Keep your email concise and to the point. Chances are good that the reply you receive will be just as concise.

Stay on topic

Just as you want to limit the number of ideas in your email, you should not mix topics, projects or anything else in your messages. If you want to talk about different topic which is not relevant to your current email subject then it's better to create new Email thread with relevant email Subject.

Triple-check your tone

Email isn’t the place to work out your stand up routine. Nor is it a place to pull rank. What may sound funny or authoritative to you (because it’s your voice) may sound offensive or unnecessarily blunt to someone else. Make sure you strike a good balance between brevity and friendliness.

Keep it confidential

Email is a very public form of communication. Remember that anything you write can be very easily copied to hundreds of people. Don’t write anything that will reflect badly on you or others. Personnel discussions have no place in email.

Think twice before you hit “Send.” 

Some email discussions can get complicated or testy. Conflict is better addressed in a different forum. Never send email when emotions are running high. Count to a thousand or go for lunch first.

Be cautious before doing “Reply All” 

Does everyone in the email loop really need to receive your reply? Or is it more appropriate to reply just to the sender? “Reply All” can be a quick way to clog inboxes with meaningless and unnecessary mail. Always use “Reply All” with caution and restraint.

Don’t harass with your handheld device

Many of us now carry email around with us on our mobile phones. This often results in being on call 24 hours a day, every day, even on weekends. Apart from never being free from the demands of work, this also leads to many more challenges. Messages typed with our thumbs often contain errors and can end up becoming quite terse. You might include a tagline such as ‘Sent from my Blackberry’, thinking that your recipient may be more forgiving of mistakes or brusqueness. But think again. This may not always work.

Thank You for what ?

If you have been courteous throughout your message there should be no need to finish every email with ‘Thank you’ or, worse still, ‘Thank you and Regards’. Thank you for what? Thank you for reading my message? Think of something more proactive to close with.

Example:
Thanks for your help.
Thanks for your patience.
Thanks for your understanding.
Thank you for your support.

Consider your Reader when you write email

Empathy is an important quality to remember in all business dealings. This is particularly so when writing email messages. When checking through your message before sending, always put yourself in your reader’s position. Imagine how they will feel as they read your message. This can often make all the difference.

You’ve written your message as the writer. Now take off your head and put on the head of the reader. Imagine how the reader will feel as they read your message. Ask yourself:

1. Is your message clear and concise?
2. Is there anything that could be misinterpreted?
3. Will anything create confusion or misunderstanding?
4. Have you beaten about the bush instead of getting to the point?
5. Does your email convey a good impression?
6. Is your message written in an appropriate tone?

Use Lists and Bullets if required

Bulleted and numbered lists are great for many reasons. They help you to:

• Organise your thoughts and points.
• Focus your reader’s attention on key points.
• Condense detailed or complicated topics.
• Simplify the skimming process for busy readers.
• Enhance visual appeal.

Check out the list above. How does it look ? Did I prove my point correctly ?

Know the difference between "To" and "CC"

In business email writing, it is important to address who has action and who just needs to receive the information.

Make clear who has the action adding his/her account in the "To:" field

Always remember that "CC:" (carbon copy) and “BCC:” (blind carbon copy) are simply for their information

Some quick pointers before you leave

• Do NOT use contractions. For example: don’t, haven’t, I’m, isn’t.

• Do NOT write in all capital letters.

• Use formal vocabulary and sentence structure. Do NOT use slang.

• Proofread the email at least twice and get a second opinion if possible

• It is completely OK to give a one word reply to an email.

• Always use full sentences.

Example: instead of writing “Will be there at 5” , always write “I will be present at the meeting at 5:00 PM today.”

• Call to action - If you wish to receive an action from the receiver of the email, you can ask for it. You can mention it towards the end of the email.

Example: “I look forward to your response.”  OR  “Please reply to the email latest by XX (date).”

• Get yourself a proper corporate email ID. You may still have that “cool” email ID you made as a young teenager, but that does not mean you can use it to send emails to your boss or mentor. If you do not have a company or university ID, make a new one which does not have any quirky spellings or embarrassing words.

• Spelling of names: Pay closer attention to proper names. Misspelling names of people, places, or organisations can make you look sloppy and inattentive.

• Attachments: Always double-check on attachments. Do not mention an attachment in your email and then forget to send it.

By following these simple tips you can effectively communicate all your information, ideas or thoughts to your email receiver or group of receivers.