Email Etiquettes for Entrepreneurs

For an entrepreneur, email is the one of the most effective channels to be connected with the people who matters. It can be used for various purposes, not limited to relationship management with shareholders, customers and investors.

Writing an email to someone is like having a conversation with that person. It should be meaningful and follow basics of an effective communication such as:

1. Subject line: Agenda
2. Greetings
3. Mail body: Interaction
4. Mail closings: Call-to-action

1: Start with a strong subject line

• It should instantly capture the interest of your audience.
• The best subject lines have elements of curiosity and personalization such as the recipient’s name.
• A vague subject line such as ‘hello’ or no subject appears like spam.
• A complicated subject line is not recommended. It should be specific & brief. 

2: Welcome greeting

Start your email with right salutation & greetings. Decide who your audience is and how formal the email should be.

• For friends & relatives: Hi [First name], Hey, Greetings, etc.
• For potential customers, investors: Dear / Good morning [First name]
• Too formal: “Mr. Ashutosh Burnwal”. Best: “Hi Ashutosh”.  

3: An informative body:

This is where you ask for what you want, or show your email’s purpose. Few guidelines for email body:

1. Try to include exact phrase or name – in the very first sentence to make your email beginning about them and not about you. This makes a big difference. This email personalization grabs more interest and encourages readers to reply and engage.
2. Explain your intent. If your email is about your startup introduction, clearly explain the reason why this introduction is important. Make your intention clear at the beginning.
3. Using overly-formal language generally won’t improve your chances of getting a response back from your email.
4. Offer something in your introduction email: Via introduction emails, we want something from the other person, say a business opportunity, investment, introduction or suggestions. But before you ask something from them, be sure to either compliment them or offer something of value that he or she might find interesting. It could just be a link to something useful. May be offer an introduction to someone else.
5. Do not include too much information in your introduction email. Keep it short, sweet and direct, should be written in regular language, i.e. easy to read and understand.
6. Sufficient communication and avoid writing too much details.
7. Few words, that you should include are “Please”, “Thank you”, “You/your”, “Appreciate”, “Kindly”, “Can you”, “Based on my experience”, etc.

4: A sincere closing:

1. Always finish your mail with a closing. This gives more clarification on what you meant in your email and tells them the next step.
2. Use a strong call-to-action before wrapping up your introduction email. It bridges the gap between this interaction and the next one.
3. If you’re asking for a phone call, include your number. If scheduling a time to meet, include either a phone number or a link to an online booking system for them to schedule a meeting time.
4. After making your “ask” or call-to-action, end the email. Say “thanks” and let it go. Let the last meaningful line that they read be your call-to-action.
5. The best email closing lines are “Regards”, “Best”, “Thanks”, “Sincerely”.
6. “Thx”, “Ttyl” (talk to you later) or any acronym, abbreviation, or another form of shorthand text is not acceptable in a formal business email.

Emails that an entrepreneur needs to work upon:

1. Introduction email about your startup that needs to be shared with new connected people via Linkedin, webinar, conferences or in person.
2. Monthly report emails to shareholders, advisors, mentors and well wishers (Read article about creating support system).
3. A monthly email newsletter for prospect customers sharing knowledge & value to setup a business pipeline.
4. Startup progress reports (monthly/quarterly) or any big achievements to maintaining relationship with interested investors.

Suggestions:

1. Work on your email etiquettes, starting with your friends and family. It’s a skill you’ll need in this digital world (specially in pandemic/post pandemic time).
2. Use proper spelling & grammar. Always reread your emails before sending it.
3. Use email signature with complete contact details (email, mobile, address, website link).
4. If you don’t receive response to your email, then follow up after a few days. Write one follow-up email – may be two, max. If you still don’t get a response, then probably it is not right time. Move on.

Bonus: Click here for examples, templates & theories to draft professional emails.