How can you write better emails to encourage collaboration and feedback?

1 Know your purpose and audience

Before you start writing, ask yourself: What is the main goal of your email? Who are you writing to and what do they need to know? How do you want them to respond or act? Having a clear purpose and audience will help you tailor your tone, language, and content to suit the situation and avoid confusion or misunderstanding. For example, if you are writing to a colleague to request feedback on a project, you might use a friendly and respectful tone, explain the context and scope of the feedback, and provide a specific deadline and format for their response.

2 Write a clear and catchy subject line

The subject line is the first thing your recipient sees and decides whether to open your email or not. Therefore, you want to make it clear, catchy, and relevant to your purpose and message. Avoid vague or generic subject lines that might get ignored or deleted, such as "Hi" or "Update". Instead, use keywords and phrases that summarize the main point or action of your email, such as "Feedback request for XYZ project" or "Invitation to join ABC team meeting". You can also use questions, numbers, or urgency words to spark curiosity and attention, such as "How can we improve our customer satisfaction?" or "3 ways to boost your productivity".

3 Use a simple and logical structure

A well-structured email will help your recipient follow your ideas and arguments, and respond accordingly. A simple and logical structure for most emails consists of three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. In the introduction, you should greet your recipient, introduce yourself if necessary, and state the purpose of your email. In the body, you should provide the main information, details, or arguments that support your purpose, using paragraphs, headings, or bullet points to organize your points. In the conclusion, you should summarize your main message, thank your recipient, and include a call to action or a request for feedback.

4 Keep it short and simple

Writing emails can be a challenge, especially when it comes to keeping them short and simple. Long and complex emails can be overwhelming or confusing for the recipient, decreasing the chances of getting a response. To ensure your emails are short and simple, use plain language that your recipient will understand. Keep sentences and paragraphs short, and use active voice and action verbs to keep your message strong. Furthermore, make sure to use punctuation, capitalization, and spelling correctly to maintain your credibility and professionalism.

5 Be polite and positive

The tone of your email can have a great effect on how your recipient perceives your message and how they collaborate with you. Consequently, it is important to be polite and positive in your emails, demonstrating respect, appreciation, and enthusiasm for your recipient and work. To achieve this, you should begin with an appropriate salutation such as "Dear" or "Hello" and end with a closing like "Sincerely" or "Best regards". Additionally, use modal verbs such as "could", "would", or "might" to express requests, suggestions, or possibilities instead of commands, demands, or assumptions. Furthermore, using positive words and phrases like "please", "thank you", "well done", or "I appreciate" to express gratitude, praise, or encouragement is better than criticism, complaints, or blame. Finally, using emoticons, emojis, or exclamation marks sparingly and appropriately can convey emotions, humor, or emphasis instead of sarcasm, anger, or exaggeration.

6 Proofread and follow up

The final step of writing better emails is to proofread and follow up. Proofreading your email before sending it will help you catch and correct any errors, typos, or inconsistencies that might affect your message or impression. You can use tools like Grammarly or Hemingway to check your grammar, spelling, and readability. You can also read your email aloud or ask a colleague to review it for clarity and tone. Following up your email will help you ensure that your recipient has received and read your email, and that they have responded or acted on your request or feedback. You can use tools like Boomerang or Mailtrack to track your email delivery and open rates. You can also send a gentle reminder or a thank you note after a reasonable period of time.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?