How to Write an Email?

Almost 66% have said that checking emails or voicemails are the first things they do in the morning. This clearly indicates the concern for well-composed emails. Electronic mail (email) is the most basic and essential mode of communication. They are fast, cheap, accessible, and easily replicated. Emails can greatly benefit businesses as they can be used to exchange important matters, summarise meetings, deliver actionable messages, and can also be used to ask or provide essential information. Being the most frequent form of business communication, it’s important to get it absolutely right. Although emails usually aren’t as formal as letters, they still need to be professional to present a good profile of you and your company. Let’s take a look at the various steps involved in how to write an Email.

Did you know? A survey by Sendmail found out that 64% of emails caused unintended anger or perplexity among employees due to lack of replies, vague messages, or excessive emails.

Types of Emails

To understand the steps for how to write an email, let’s first go through the types of email.

• Formal Email: (to colleagues and senior management) A formal email is used when conducting business with a new associate or executive, sending a professional inquiry, or corresponding about a job.
• Informal Email: (to friends and family) An informal email is written to any relatives, family, or friends. There are no particular rules for informal email writing. Since it is more of a personal email, people can use any language of his or her choice depending on whom the email is being sent to.

Also Check out: Message Writing for composing professional messages!

Sample for a Formal Email

The following is a unique sample that can increase your understanding of how to write an email.

Also Read: Advertisement Writing

How to Write an Informal Email?

The format for an informal email is generally the same as a formal email. However, since it is often directed or addressed to a family member, friend, or colleague. In an informal email, you can use casual words like “Hey”, “What’s up?”, “Chill”, etc.

When it comes to the body of an informal email we can write as much or as little as we want. For example, “Here’s the schedule you asked for”, “Here’s the video, hope you enjoy it!”, “The meeting is at 5:00 pm. See you there!” In an informal email, don’t worry too much about the closing! You can use these friendly sign-offs: “See you later, “Take care”, “See you soon”, etc.

It is important to understand that informal emails are created by your simple and unfiltered expressions as compared to formal emails which are altered. Be casual, exhibit concern, and use your own format.

Sample for Informal Email

The following is a sample for an informal email.

An email has become the main form of communication in business. It’s the reason why, despite the fact that you get work emails sent to your phone, many companies still send physical mail.

Issue one:

Subject lines should be compelling, but don’t over exaggerate. This is a big mistake I see being made by almost every company out there. I also see this with my friends and family members who own small businesses.

Issue two:

If someone doesn’t respond to your email, it is not because they are ignoring you or don’t care about you. It might be because:

1) They haven’t gotten around to reading it yet (we all do this)

2) They don’t have time at the moment and will get back to you later

3) They are too busy working on something that is more urgent

4) There is no urgency to answer your email right away (for example, if it’s an informational question).

5) They feel like replying back isn’t worth their time (in other words, they don’t feel the need to explain to you why they didn’t respond). Issue three: Don’t be afraid to cc people who should be involved in the conversation. 

When emailing a potential client, remember that you have only a few seconds to catch their attention. Use a compelling subject line. Inject your personality into the email, but be accurate with the details of your message.

Useful tips to improve your emails and increase your response rate

• Personalize your message
• Be concise and clear
• Include the right information
• Set an appointment or meeting time
• Avoid overuse of exclamation points or emoticons!
• Format for easy reading
• Send at the right time of day/week
• Proofread before sending

Guidelines to Follow While Writing an Email

Here are some guidelines to increase your click rate for Emails and Emailers:

Use a Compelling Subject Line

The first step to getting your point across in an email is to get your recipient to open it. To do this, use a title that will grab the reader’s attention and make him want to continue reading. If you’re sending a follow-up email, mention the previous correspondence in the subject line so readers know you’re not wasting their time and are aware of the context of your email.

Use clarity over conciseness. Many people think that using as few words as possible in an email is more professional. While it may be true that shorter emails look more professional than those that ramble on and on, nothing says unprofessional like missing information or typos.

Be Concise and Direct

Make sure you have all of the facts before writing anything down, especially if you’re responding to negative feedback or criticism. Avoid emotional language such as “you always” or “you never.” Stick to the facts and avoid making any assumptions about what was.

Use a consistent email sign-off

The last thing you want is to come across as unprofessional in your emails to clients, prospects, and colleagues. Sending an email with typos and grammatical errors, or that fails to use a professional tone, can have disastrous results.

We hope that you are familiar with the key elements of how to write an email. Emails are without a doubt an essential mode of communication that can impress or disappoint the reader. Since there are a number of ways to write the perfect email, you should be mindful of who is going to read and compose it for effective communication. For more such blogs on creative writing, check out space at Leverage Edu!