Writing Emails
For the last decade and a half, email remains one of the quickest and easiest means of communication. Unfortunately, it is one of the most commonly abused ones as well. For some reason people think it is okay to write and behave whichever way they please, just because the correspondence is being done through a computer than on paper.
No particular rules apply if the email is being written to a friend. However, when writing an official email, there are certain etiquettes that should always be followed. Following are a few tips on email decorum that should be kept in mind when writing and sending business emails.
- Always write the subject before you start writing the email. Chances are, if you leave it for later, you will forget writing it. Never send a business email without a subject. It is considered very impolite and reflects very poorly on the sender. However, do remember that a subject should not usually be more than 6 words.
- Always give proper salutation, like ’Dear Sir’, ’Dear Madam’, or ’Dear Mr. Brown’, etc. If you are well acquainted with the person then you may use their first name, like ’Dear Jane’ or ’Dear Mark’, etc. However, avoid using causal greetings like ’Hi’ or ’Hello’ in official email.
- Open your email with sentences, like ’I hope you are well’, or ’Further to our phone conversation’, etc. Abruptly writing the main point in the opening sentence is considered rude.
Never write complete words, phrases or sentences in capital letters. In the language of the tech world, that means you are screaming or shouting. And you would never want to do that in a business email. If you want to emphasize something, then either use the bold option or enclose the word or phrase inside quotation marks.
Use simple and standard English. Use of informal abbreviation like LOL, ROFL, BRB, or OMG is strictly a big No, No.
Try to make your point as briefly as possible. However, if the subject matter requires you to elaborate, then divide the body of your email into paragraphs and lists to make it easier for the reader to understand.
- Be polite and use words, like ‘please’ and ’thank you to show courtesy. Arrogance will not help you win over clients.
- If you are attaching any documents, then mention doing so in your email. Do not leave things to chance or assume the reader will automatically detect the attachment. Many people just read emails and do not pay attention to attachments, unless specified.
- Make sure the font type in your email is a common one that is easily recognized and readable (like ’Times New Roman’, ’Arial’ or ’Calibri’, etc. in MS Word). The font size should be between 10 and 12 points and the colour of the font should be black.
- Never leave the reader hanging with an abrupt ending. Close your email with sentences, like ’I look forward to your response’ or ’I await your kind reply’, etc.
- Always sign off properly. Use words like ‘Sincerely’ or ’Best regards’ to end your email. An email that is not signed off properly appears impolite.
- Always add a signature block after signing off, which should contain your full name, designation, name of your company and its contact details (address, phone, email, fax, etc.).
- As with all types of writing, review and recheck your email before pressing the ’Send’ button. Make sure to run spellcheck and see that there are no errors. An email full of mistakes gives a very poor impression of the sender’s language and communication skills.
As a rule of courtesy, always be prompt with replying to your emails. if you are busy then at least acknowledge receipt of the emails that you have been sent and explain that you will reply shortly.
Following is an email that a toy store owner is writing to a toy manufacturer. A batch of the manufacturer’s toys has turned out to be faulty and the toy owner is requesting for its replacement.
