HOW TO WRITE A PROFESSIONAL EMAIL

Emails are part of every professional’s life. Be it just to follow the achievement of a project, invite someone to a meeting, ask for information, give information, or just welcome a new colleague, tens of emails are sent and received in a day. Everybody thinks they know how to write an email, in theory, because in practice many tend to fall into the same usual traps., this article intends to help you with today. The struggle can be even tougher when you are not fluent in a new language yet. Confusions with your own native culture can turn the writing of an email into a real headache. 

If mistake are rarely noticed in the workplace when you’re constantly exchanging with your colleagues, they can negatively affect your communication with a business partner, especially from a different culture. Some signs, unfortunately sometimes forgotten, or modified, do have an important meaning in particular in order to show the right respect or convey the right attitude. Nothing could be worse than upsetting a potential partner or client simply because they were sensitive to the wrong terms you used. The higher position your interlocutor is the more he will pay attention to details. 

The situations in which emails are the first way to start communicating with someone, you most likely did not even see from afar once, are quite common. This is why it is very important to know how to write a proper professional email, and put all the chances on your side. 

The format 

Those are the rules that most people don’t necessarily check before sending their very first email because generally they are set up by default. If not or if you were talking to your friends and was a little extravagant in your colors and typographies last time this is what you must check on your setting before starting to write any formal email:

• The email address: send the email always from your professional account which means that it only contains your real name, without numbers if possible. Surname or nickname look unprofessional and can end up in the spam at best. 
• The font: in a formal email you want to appear serious, so despite the several choices offered by your email service, it’s better to stick to a neutral font like Times New Roman or Arial. Make your message easily readable with a size 12. Avoid using special styles like italic, highlight or bold unless you want to legitimately insist on a word knowing that using the caps will make you look angry. 
• The subject: it must be short and precise, mainly based on keywords that cover the main topic only. An absent, unclear, or too long subject may suggest that your email is not important and will most likely be overlooked by the reader, who receive many emails all day long. 

The content 

This is where you detail the reasons you’re emailing your correspondent. To make it perfectly professional there are 5 rules to follow:

1. Greet respectfully

Depending on the culture you are from, the use of “Dear” to address a stranger is usually not recommended, unless it is in English formal correspondence. In the English culture, respect and relationship are shown in the name of the reader, not in the “Dear” which is used as well in personal letters as in a formal email. The difference lies in the use of “Mr/Ms” or not, and of course, it must be used at work. For example, you can start like this “Dear Mr/Ms. Smith” or another option more neutral “Dear Alex Smith”. 

2. Introduce the topic

The first line of your message must set the context for your recipient so that he can quickly know what it is about and understand your following points. It must be concise to show that you have a clear idea of what you want to discuss and you are considerate of the time of your recipient. There is nothing worse than to keep your busy reader wondering. The introduction can be done in different ways depending on if it’s a first email or part of a longer conversation.

• For an ongoing conversation over the phone or via email, you will start your email generally by thanking your reader for the information given in the last exchange “thank you for these precisions…” or rebound on the topic you’ve discussed “Following our last phone conversation here you…” 
• For a first email, you will introduce yourself then the reason for your message “I’m a local reporter and I’m writing to inquire about your research on…”. Do not be afraid to be overpolite for the first contact. You will never be blamed for it. 

3. Keep it as short as possible

Professionals are well-known to be busy, very busy, so if your email is too long they will most likely skim read so probably overlook some important points. 

While writing en email there are two questions you must answer: which outcome are you expecting or purpose your email is serving? and how could your recipient be useful?. 

If a topic requires a long discussion it may be preferable to talk directly over the phone or face to face. In this case, it’s better to use your email to set a meeting. 

4.End with a closing line

The closing line set the tone for the next step. It aims to make clear what is expected now that the exchange has been made. It can encourage the correspondent to take action “Please look over the document attached and let me know your questions” or confirm a decision “I look forward to the meeting Tuesday at 11 a.m” or smoothly wind down the conversation “your explanations have been really helpful, I look forward to being in touch”.

5. Sign off appropriately

The way you end your email is the last impression you will give to your reader. Many people tend to get more casual after a few exchanges and it is a mistake that can gripe some readers. You must neither be too personal “kind feelings”, nor too distracted “VR (very respectfully)” nor too creative “Excited to tackle this challenge with you, we got this!”. The key is to stay neutral, respectful and serious like you have been all along with the usual “ Thanks again, Appreciatively, Best regards, Respectfully”

Before sending 

We are all humans and therefore mistakes happen. Luckily, there is a way to avoid them which is called “double-checking”. If your email has errors that could have been corrected with a simple double-checking you can be sure it will be noticed. It will then give the worse impression of you, your implication, and seriousness. This is why, before clicking on “send” it’s very important to focus on a few points: 

• Include, count, and check the name and content of the files attached you have necessarily mentioned in your message. Avoid heavy files as much as possible and choose widely compatible file types. 
• Proofread at the very least once your message from the subject to the files to verify that your content is clear and free from any grammar or spelling mistakes. The best way to do so is to read out loud and even to someone because four eyes are better than two.
• Be careful that your message does not contain any sensitive information about you, the company, or anyone. Despite the numerous security checks, firewalls and applications it is nowadays better to be over careful with those pieces of information. 

If you follow those rules your English emails can not go wrong and your professionalism could not be denied. Emails are a safer option in most cases but often a direct conversation is more efficient to make decisions. However, it is always a good thing to write down what has been said for confirmation. 

In your professional emails, do you follow all these rules?