Writing Effective E-Mails

- Some Tips

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Tip 1: Make the Subject Line clear and concise When someone scans through a new email, the only thing he/she initially reads is the subject line. This helps the recipient to decide whether to open, forward, file, or trash a message.

So make sure:-

The Subject clearly summarizes your e-mail’s intentions.

Keep it short - you never know how wide the text display on the person's email reader is - long subject lines will get truncated.

Don't ever send an email with an empty subject line.

Don't have the subject as "Hi" or "Hello there" unless the purpose of your email is to simply say hello.

If your reply is not relevant at all to the subject line, start a new If your reply is not relevant at all to the subject line, start a new thread with a fresh subject line which more accurately reflects the thread with a fresh subject line which more accurately reflects the e-mail’s actual contents. e-mail’s actual contents.

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Example of a Bad Subject Line :

Subject: Meeting

Hi Jim,

I just wanted to remind you about the meeting we have scheduled next week. Do let me know if you have any questions!

Best wishes,

Mark

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Example of a Good Subject Line :

Subject: Reminder of 10am Meeting Sched. 10/05 on PASS Process.

Hi Jim,

I just wanted to remind you about the meeting we have scheduled for Monday, October 5, at 10:00am. It's being held in conference room A, and we'll be discussing the new PASS Process.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch (x3024).

Best Wishes,

Mark

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Tip 2: Use an appropriate greeting

The first line of your email should be a greeting, followed by an empty line and then your message body.

If it is the first time you are emailing somebody, "Hi (name),“ or Dear (name) should be preferred.

Salutations are tricky, especially if you are crossing cultures. Frequently, titles are different for men and women, and you may not be able to tell which you are addressing.

The family name is first in some cultures and last in others.

Honorifics may vary based on status, age or region. Make sure you have got all this right before you proceed with the email.

E.g.: It is safer to use "Ms." instead of "Miss" or "Mrs." unless you know the preference of the woman in question.

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Tip 3: The Page Layout

Usually people find it hard to read words on a computer screen than on paper.  To make your email easy to read :- 

1. Use Shorter Paragraphs - Consider breaking up paragraphs to only a few sentences a piece. That way the readers can easily see new paragraphs as they end and begin. They don't have to scroll.

2. Use Less Words - Long sentences are not appropriate for most e-mail, especially business e-mail. Keep your sentences to a maximum of 12-15 words.

3. Keep it Short - A good rule of thumb is to keep everything on one "page" or one "screen." In most cases this means about 20-30 lines.

4. Provide blank lines between each paragraph.

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Tip 4: Formatting

Put all important details at the top of the email body (or even better, in the Subject line). Don't bury a key piece of information in a large paragraph and expect a busy person to extract it upon first reading. The larger the paragraph (and the more paragraphs there are), the more likely are the chances of the reader missing a particular point you are trying to make.

Keep the rest of the email short (8 sentences max.). After you've made your main point, the rest of the sentences in your email should provide additional supporting information.

Your goal is to have the person read your email and hopefully respond to it within a short time period, so keep your e-mail as short as possible to make it easier for your reader to comprehend.

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Tip 5: Keep the message focused and readable. Often recipients only read partway through a long message, hit "reply" as soon as they have something to contribute, and forget to keep reading. This is part of human nature.

If your e-mail contains multiple messages that are only loosely related, in order to avoid the risk that your reader will reply only to the first item that grabs his or her fancy, you could number your points to ensure they are all read.

The final sentence - Either provide something concrete to reply to or make it clear that a reply is not necessary.

E.g.: "Please let me know what appointment times work best for you." or "I look forward to seeing you tomorrow at 1pm in my office."

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Example depicting Multiple Messages – Not PreferredSubject: Revisions For Sales Report

Hi Jackie,

Thanks for sending in that report last week. I read through it yesterday and feel that you need more specific information regarding our sales figures in Chapter 2. I also felt that the tone could be a bit more formal. The report is going to be read by our Executive Team, and needs to reflect our professionalism.

Also, I wanted to let you know that I've scheduled a meeting with the PR department for this Friday, regarding the new ad campaign. It's at 11:00, and will be in the small conference room.

Please let me know if you can make that time.

Thanks!

Monica

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Multiple reasons to be sent as 2 emailsSubject: Revisions For Sales Report

Hi Jackie,

Thanks for sending in that report last week. I read through it yesterday and feel that you need more specific information regarding our sales figures in Chapter 2. I also felt that the tone could be a bit more formal. The report is going to be read by our Executive Team, and needs to reflect our professionalism.

Thanks for your hard work on this!

MonicaAND

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Email 2

Subject: Friday 10/9, 11am Meeting w/PR Dept

Hi Jackie,

I wanted to let you know that I've scheduled a meeting with the PR department for this Friday, 10/9, regarding the new ad campaign.

It's at 11:00am, and will be in the small conference room. Please let me know if you can make that time.

Thanks!

Monica

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Specify the Response You Want

Bad Example

From: reliablelandscapes@domain.com

Subject: Proposal

Lynn,

Did you get my proposal last week? I haven't heard back and wanted to make sure.

Can you please call me so we can discuss?

Thanks!

Peter

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Good Example

Subject: Checking On Reliable Landscapes Proposal

Dear Lynn,

I just wanted to check that you have received the landscaping proposal I emailed to you last week. I haven't heard back and wanted to make sure it went through.

Can you please call me by Thursday so we can discuss? This is when our discount offer expires, and I want to make sure you don't miss it!

The quickest way to contact me is by cell phone.

Thanks!

Peter Schuell, OwnerReliable Landscaping, Inc.555.135.4598 (office)555.135.2929 (cell)

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Tip 6: Use Appropriate Language1. Do not use:-

(a) Smilies. E.g.: :-), :-( etc.(b) Abbreviations. E.g.: IIRC for "if I recall correctly", BTW for “by the way”, LOL for "laughing out loud," etc.(c) Non-standard spellings (like that found in instant messaging or chat rooms). E.g.: gimme (give me), tht (that), dificlt (difficult), vil (will), etc.These linguistic shortcuts are generally signs of friendly intimacy so are not considered appropriate for business e-mails.

2. All-caps means shouting. Regardless of your intentions, people will interpret this as your being aggressive.

3. Use active instead of passive. Try to use the active voice of a verb wherever possible. For instance, 'We will take care of your request today', sounds better than 'Your request will be taken care of today'.

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Tip 7: Proof-read

If you are sending a message that will be read by a client, or someone higher up on the chain of command (a superior or a manager, for instance), or if you're about to mass-mail dozens or thousands of people, take an extra minute or two before you hit "send".

Poor spelling and grammar show a lack of attention to detail and sends the wrong message about yourself and how you do business.

By reading your e-mail over before you send it you can catch and correct all sorts of mistakes before they get to the recipient and possibly create a bad impression or put you and/or your company in hot water.

Spell checker won't catch every mistake, at the very least it will catch a few typos.

If you are asking someone else to do work for you, take the time to make your message look professional.

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Tip 8: Use the "To:" and "Cc:" fields appropriately Usually it is implied that if you have included someone in the "To:" field, then he/she is an intended recipient and should reply if required.

If someone is in the "Cc:" field, then the email is merely an FYI ('for your information') for him/her, and he/she is not expected to reply.

If you want a particular person to reply to a specific part of your email, make that clear (e.g., "Sarah, could you forward me last week's budget?"), or if you want everyone to reply, you can say something like "I would appreciate everyone's feedback about my ideas."

When an email has more than one recipient, there is the danger of nobody replying because everyone thinks that someone else has already replied. That is why "Reply to All" might be a good idea to show that you have already replied so that somebody else does not later duplicate the information you have just provided.

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Lets summarize:-

DO’s :- Write an informative subject line.

Be courteous.

Put the key point of your message up front.

Be brief.

Make it easy for the reader to reply yes or no or give a short answer.

End well with an appropriate next step.

Wait and check before pressing 'send' – Proof-read.

Make yourself look good online because your email can be forwarded to anyone or everyone else in the company or anywhere.

Respond promptly.

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Lets summarize:-

DON’T s :- Don't leave the Subject Line blank.

Don't use all capital letters.

Don't use emoticons or abbreviations.

Don't send without checking for mistakes.

Don’t assume that people have time to read your entire message.

Don’t think that an e-mail is good for everything.

Don’t write an e-mail when you are rushed.

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Exercise :

Situation :

Your monthly mobile bill was of Rs.1870 for the billing cycle 14th Jan-14th Feb and while performing the online transaction Rs.2000 was deducted from your account number.

Task :

Write an email to the concerned service provider and ask for a refund or adjustment of the extra amount paid in the next billing cycle.

The email must stage the following :

To :

CC:

BCC:

Subject :

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Exercise 2 :

Situation :

You had appeared for an interview for the post of Business Development Executive at Genpact, Hyderabad.

Task :

Send a Thank you note via an email to the Company Official who had interviewed you on the same day for the post of Business Development Executive.

The email must stage the following :

To :

CC:

BCC:

Subject :

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Exercise 3:

Situation :

It was already informed to the participants that the meeting would be conducted on 15th Mar’2013 at 4.30pm in the Firangi Pani Conference Hall, Hotel Park. Because of some reasons the Venue has been changed to Aryabhatta Hall, Hotel Marriot.

Task:

Write a mail to the participants stating the change in venue.

To :

CC:

BCC:

Subject :

THANK YOU