How to Write an Email in English: 18 Office-ready Email Writing

Tips (With Sample Emails)

If you’re wondering how to write an email in English, you’re definitely
not alone.
a. important Emails have been hugely important to the internet for decades.
MySpace came and went, Google overtook AskJeeves, Napster got shut
down…
But email is here to stay.
It’s still necessary to have an email address, and people send emails
almost every day.
That’s why being able to write a strong, clear email in English is a
really important skill. It can help you get a job, make friends, get into a
university and much more.
If it’s your first time writing an email in English, check out this guide
for beginners.
Then, continue reading this post for useful tips about email writing
and email culture (dos and don’ts).
You’ll get comfortable with the format of email writing in
English and you’ll see full samples of different types of
emails written in English.
Ready? Let’s start writing emails in English!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable
PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
How to Write an Email in English: 18 Office-ready Email
Writing Tips (With Sample Emails)

General Tips for How to Write an Email in English

1. Be sure an email is necessary
Like most of the email writing tips in this section, this may seem
obvious.But sometimes we forget obvious things.
a. the fastest, So ask yourself, “Is there a better or faster way to take care of this
clearest and situation?” Many people get dozens or even hundreds of emails a day,
most so be sure that email is the fastest, clearest and most efficient way to
efficient communicate in your situation.
way to
communica
te in your
situation.
c. Use separate 2. Use separate business and personal email addresses
business and
personal email
addresses
b. Be clear, brief 3. Be clear, brief and polite
and polite
a. Use short 5. Use short sentences
sentences
For example, if you’re writing to a coworker or a friend that you often
see, you can probably just talk to him or her in person. Or you could
also send a text message or call on the phone.
If you’ve decided that an email is the best option, then check the
following tips before you click “Send.”
This may not apply to everyone, but if you can do it, it can help you in
many ways.
Many jobs automatically give you an email address that you have to
use. If that’s the case, then the problem is solved. Use the business
email address for work and your personal email address for personal
emails.
If you have a business email address, it can make an email look more
professional. That’s good if you’re writing a formal email, but it might
not be as nice if you’re writing to a friend. So that’s why having two
can be useful.
Also, if you have separate accounts, it can help you balance your
personal and professional life.
Again, many people receive so many emails each day. If your email is
confusing, angry or really long, the recipient may not respond right
away.Eventually they may forget to answer or even just delete it.
So be sure to get to the point quickly, but not in a rude way.
Treat an email similarly to an essay, only much shorter, and you will
probably have good results. In an essay, you have to introduce the
topic, explain the different points and then conclude the topic.
Honestly, this is something I have difficulty doing myself. I’m not
(usually) rude in email, but I do have problems with the “brief” part. So
when I’m done writing an email, I check it and try to eliminate about
20% of the content, since it was probably unnecessary.
4. Don’t write emails when you’re angry
f. angry It can be very tempting to write a mean email when you’re frustrated or
angry at something. But it’s not worth it.
If you’re angry, wait until you’ve calmed down before writing your
email.It’s better to wait a day than to lose a job or destroy a friendship
because you said something stupid when you were angry.
Like #3, this is a problem that I have myself. I like to write long,
complicated sentences, but often those are very confusing for the
reader.That’s especially true if the reader is not a native English
speaker.
I teach English in Costa Rica, and in Spanish it seems to be more
 common to have really long sentences with many commas. That’s very
confusing, especially if you translate those ideas into English.
So here’s a tip: Write short sentences. It’s not bad style in English if
you write short, clear sentences. Some authors, like Ernest Hemingway,
are famous for doing it. (There’s even an online tool called Hemingway
Appthat can help you write more like him!)
If you’re very comfortable writing in English, you can use long, more
complicated sentences. But then again, if you’re very comfortable
writing in English, then you probably don’t need these email writing
tips!
If you want to be able to use longer sentences clearly and
correctly,FluentU is a great resource for seeing different ways English
sentences can be built.
FluentU takes real-world videos—like music videos, movie trailers,
news and inspiring talks—and turns them into language learning
experiences.
There are many different types of videos, as you can see here:

FluentU makes it easy to watch and understand native English videos

withinteractive captions. Tap or click on any word to see what it
means, learn how to use it, hear it pronounced and more.

For example, if you tap on the word “brought,” then you see this:

g. Active voice You can learn any video’s vocabulary with FluentU’s fun
quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re
learning.

a. speed The videos are organized by genre and level, so it’s super easy to find
the ones that work for you. FluentU also keeps track of your learning,
then suggests videos and examples perfect for you.
b. access Start using FluentU on the website or download the FluentU app from
theiTunes store or Google Play store.
i. forwarding 6. Avoid forwarding emails and replying to all
and reply
j. Edit Subject The “Forward” option on email is a blessing (a good thing) and a curse
(a bad thing). It can be good to quickly pass on important information
to a new person. However, it can also be annoying for the recipient if
it’s not used correctly. (The same thing is true about the “Reply All”
option.)
a. Retrieval If you need to forward an email, check carefully what information
you’re forwarding.
e. Confidentiality, In some cases, it may be personal, confidential or just plain excessive
access to PA, (unnecessary). If so, cut those parts out.
Also, some email programs filter out emails marked with “Fwd” at the
beginning of the subject line, and may even put them in the Spam filter
or refuse to deliver them.
And if you click on “Reply All,” look closely at all of the recipients
who will receive your email. Some people may not need to see your
message. It’s frustrating to receive emails about subjects that aren’t
relevant to you.
i. spell checker 7. Use a spell checker
k. grammar Most email programs have this option, so make sure you use it before
sending the email.
Or if your email program doesn’t offer English spell checking, you can
add an extension like Grammarly to your browser and use it anytime
you’re writing anything.
To get the most accurate version of Grammarly, you’ll need to make
sure you have Grammarly Premium, which highlights and offers
corrections for more advanced English issues,
l. signature, 8. Watch out for signatures
mob No.
Many people put “cool” or “funny” signatures at the bottom of
emails.They often include contact information, like email addresses or
phone numbers. That can be useful, but if your emails get forwarded
(see #5), that information may get to people you don’t know, or even
people you wouldn’t want to have that information.
Additionally, if you send multiple emails back and forth with another
person, it may include your signature every time, and the email chain
just gets longer and longer. So consider not including your signature in
some emails.
Or if you do want an email signature, try to keep it simple, without
including your personal information.
j. read again 9. Have a native speaker proofread your email, if possible
and send
If you know any native speakers or have friends who speak English
very well, you may want to ask them to review your email before you
send it.That’s especially true if it’s about something important.
If you’re taking an English class, you might even be able to ask your
teacher to review the email—just be sure to ask nicely and say
“please”!
10. Read your email personally before sending it
It might not always be possible to find a native speaker to check your
email. In those cases, it’s still useful to read your email yourself. It can
help your English, too.
Try to read the text of your email out loud. First of all, that will help
 you work on your pronunciation, which is always nice. Second, it can
help you see and hear mistakes in grammar.
It also helps you understand how your email “flows.” If it’s too long or
complicated to read out loud, then you should probably make it shorter
and clearer.
m. email ID 11. Double-check email addresses for all recipients
As I mentioned before, I live in Costa Rica. People here often have the
same last name as many other people. It’s basically like “Smith” or
“Johnson” in the U.S., but about 10 times worse.
I’ve even had multiple students at the same time who had the exact
same first and last names.
And I’ve mistakenly sent emails to people who had very similar names.
So just check those email addresses twice to be safe.
Tips for Writing Emails in English with a Strong Structure
After you’ve followed the general email writing tips in the previous
section, you need to actually write the email. So how do you do that?
There’s a specific structure and format of email writing in
English, shown in the following tips.
a. subject line 12. Use the subject line
It’s surprising how many people don’t do this. Be specific in your
subject line, as well.
For example, don’t just write “Question.” Instead, be more specific, like
“Question About Schedule for Friday’s Meeting.” That way, the
recipient will know immediately what your email is about, even before
opening it.
c. greeting, 13. Start with an appropriate greeting
salutaion
It’s most polite to begin with some type of greeting. If you know the
person well and it’s an informal email, you can just say “Hey [First
Name].”
You can also use “Hi [First Name]” or “Hello [First Name],” to be a
little less casual.
If you don’t know the name of the person (like if you’re writing
to customer service), you can use “To Whom It May Concern.”
Notice that after greetings, you should generally use a
comma. According to many sites like Business Writing, you should use
a comma after a greeting in personal emails and letters, and use a colon
after a greeting in business or formal emails/letters.
But in reality, a comma will probably always be fine if you can’t
remember the rule.
14. Pay attention to punctuation
Start each sentence with a capital letter. Be sure to put periods or other
appropriate punctuation at the end of each sentence.
 It’s a small detail, but it can really help to make a positive impression.
15. Consider where to put “small talk”
If you know the person you’re writing an email to, you might want to
include a bit of “small talk.” That could be something like asking about
the person’s family, a mutual friend or an activity that you have in
common.But where and how can you include this?
a. Link with Personally, I actually prefer to include this information after the
previous “business” part of an email. If I’m asking for a favor, I prefer to ask
reference first, and then to make small talk after.
Other people or cultures may prefer to have the small talk first, so you
may want to adjust it if you know the reader’s personality well.
16. Start with the end in mind
h. action point for As you write, focus on the purpose and the goal of your email. If you’re
the receipient asking a question, that should be the main focus of your email. If you
need a favor, then it should be very clear what favor you need and
exactly how the reader can help you.
Imagine you are the recipient: Would you understand immediately what
you needed to do in response to the email?
m. Formatign 17. Put spaces between paragraphs
If you don’t do this, you’ll end up with a giant block of text. Just hit the
“Return/Enter” key twice between paragraphs. It’s much easier to read
and less overwhelming.
z. Closing 18. Use an appropriate closing
You can find some examples below, but be sure that it’s a goodbye
that’s appropriate for the purpose of your email. In other words, don’t
sign an email with “Love, Ryan” if you’re writing to your boss.
Similarly, don’t sign it “Sincerely, Ryan Sitzman” if you’re writing to
your grandma to thank her for the birthday present she gave you. (And
definitely don’t sign your emails as “Ryan Sitzman” if that’s not your
name!And if it is your name, let me know. I’d like to start a Ryan
Sitzmans Club!)
Now, let’s put all of these tips into practice!
Sample of Common Types of Emails in English
One note before we continue this guide on how to write an email in
English: As I mentioned in the first section, if you’re writing a very
important email—for example, if you’re applying to a university or you
need to send condolences (express sympathy) after someone dies—then
you should definitely ask a native speaker to read your email and help
you.
a. Introduce Personal emails: Introducing yourself for the first time
your self
a. Chatting, Many people still write formal business emails, but these days there
whatsapp aren’t as many reasons to write personal emails. A lot of our
 communication is through online chatting, apps, texts or other
methods. But there are still some situations when an English student
might need to write a personal email in English.
General rules for personal emails in English:
 Politeness  Politeness: You don’t need to use formal language, but you do want to
appear polite and friendly. Because of that, if you make any requests,
be sure to make them polite.
Write me back Instead of saying “Write me back,” for example, try something like “If
you have a chance, I’d love to hear back from you,” or even “Please
write back when you have a chance.”
 Greetings  Greetings: For greetings, it’s common to use “Dear [First Name].”
  Closings: To say goodbye, use something like “Thanks,” “See you
Closings and Mob
No. soon!” or even a brief sentence like “I’m really looking forward to
meeting you in person.” Be sure to write/type your name, even if it will
be included in your signature.
 General tenor  Casualness: With these types of emails, you can probably include more
jokes or informal comments. However, still be careful about the tone of
your email, especially if you don’t know the recipient well.
Example of a personal email:
For this example, let’s imagine that you’re going to travel to the U.S.,
Canada or another English-speaking country. When you get there,
you’ll stay with a host family. So the organization has matched you
with a family and you need to introduce yourselves before you meet in
person.
Here’s what you might send:
Dear Smith Family,
Hello, my name is John. I received a confirmation letter from the
exchange organization today. It said I’ll be staying with you for two
months later this year. I wanted to introduce myself so you can know a
bit more about me.
I’m 18 years old. I like listening to rock music, playing basketball and
reading comic books. I will graduate from high school later this year,
and I hope to go to college next year.
I’ve never traveled outside of my country, so meeting you and visiting
your country will be an exciting, new experience for me!
I’d also like to know more about you, so if you have a chance, please
write back at this email address. If you have any questions for me, I’d
be happy to answer them.
Thanks again for agreeing to host me—I’m very excited to meet you in
person!
John
Semi-formal emails: Writing to request an appointment or
meeting
 This is a very common type of email, especially if you’re an English
student. You may need to write to your teacher to request a meeting
with him or her.
General rules for semi-formal emails in English:
 A. brief  Length: Again, keep it short. Especially when you’re trying to find a
time that works for many people, you may have to exchange a few
emails. So make them short and clear.
  Respect: Remember that you’re requesting a favor from the recipient,
so be respectful and not demanding.
  Greetings: Use formal or semi-formal greetings. You can still use
“Dear _____,” but instead of including the recipient’s first name, use
their title (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., Prof. etc.) and last name.
  Closings: Depending on the purpose, you can probably use a semi-
formal goodbye, such as “Thanks,” “Hope to hear from you soon” or
“Thanks in advance.” If it’s someone you have talked to before in
person, you can maybe use something less formal, like “Have a great
weekend.”
  Clarity: If you’re requesting a specific day, that day/date and time
should be very clear. Try to give multiple options. That way, if your top
choice doesn’t work, your recipient has other dates/times to choose
from.
Example of a semi-formal email:
Dear Professor Smith,
I really enjoyed your Introduction to Writing Course, and I was
interested in continuing by taking the Advanced Writing Course next
semester. I’d like to meet with you to ask a few questions about the
course, and also to get more information about the scholarship for
international students.
Would it be possible to meet with you at your office sometime next
week? I’m available during your regular office hours on Monday and
Wednesday (2-5 p.m.), but if you’re busy on those days, I could also
meet any time on Tuesday or on Friday afternoon. Please let me know
what day and time would work best for you.
Thanks very much for your time and help!
John Johnson
Formal emails: Writing about a problem with a product
I have to write emails like this pretty often, unfortunately. I say
“unfortunately” because it’s frustrating to have a problem with a
product.Dealing with a company’s customer service representatives can
be difficult at times. But a clear, polite email should help you resolve
your problems faster.
General rules for formal emails in English:
  Politeness: Once again, be very polite. Remember that if someone
 works in customer service, they probably receive many complaint
emails every day. So have some patience and compassion. The other
person is human, too.
Formality and  Formality: Avoid making jokes, using slang words or saying things
formal that seem informal.
 Linking reference Clarity: Be clear by including any relevant details.
  Requests: State the result or response that you want or expect.
This is also called “actionable” writing. For example, if your product
broke, you may want to request a replacement or a refund. So state
exactly what you are requesting.
  Greetings: For greetings, a common phrase is “To Whom It May
Concern,” since you probably won’t know the name of the person who
will be receiving the email. But if you do know the name, you can use
“Dear [Title] [Last Name],” like in the semi-formal email example.
If those seem too formal, you may want to try something like “Good
Morning/Afternoon/Evening.” It could make you seem friendly and
make the recipient more receptive to your complaint or questions.
  Closings: For goodbyes, a simple “Sincerely” is best. But if it’s a less
formal company or you’ve already interacted with them, you could also
say some kind of thanks.
  Samples: In addition to asking a native speaker to check your email,
it’s a good idea to search for templates or samples of the type of email
you’re writing. There are many different examples on the internet, and
you can probably find ones that will help guide you in your situation.
Example of a formal email:
To Whom It May Concern,
I recently bought a toaster from your company, but unfortunately it
appears that the heating element isn’t working correctly.
For reference, the model number is TOS-577, and I bought it on May 1,
2016 at the Toaster Emporium in New York City. I returned the toaster
to the store, but they said I should contact you because the model had
been an “open-box” discontinued model. Because of that, they weren’t
able to offer a refund or exchange.
I can understand the Toaster Emporium’s position, but the toaster
shouldn’t have broken so soon. It is still covered under your company’s
one-year warranty, so I would like to exchange the toaster for a
working model. If that isn’t possible I would like to receive a
refund. Please let me know what steps I need to take for this to happen.
Thanks very much for your help with this situation.
Sincerely,
John Johnson
 So, there you have it! If you keep these tips in mind while writing
emails in English, you can become an email expert.
If you would like more guidance for how to write an email in English
(or improving your English writing skills overall), go to Inklyo. This
website has instructional courses and books all about English writing,
and there are even special materials that can teach you how to write
emails better than ever before.

Ryan Sitzman teaches English and sometimes German in Costa

Rica. He is passionate about learning, coffee, traveling, languages,
writing, photography, books and movies, but not necessarily in that
order. You can learn more or connect with him through his
website Sitzman ABC.
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable
PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
==-=
Tips for Writing Emails in English with a Strong Structure
1. A. Subject line 2. Use the subject line. It's surprising how many people don't do
this. ...
3. 4. Start with an appropriate greeting. ...
Punctuation 5. Pay attention to punctuation. ...
6. Font size 7. Consider where to put “small talk” ...
8. Colourful 9. Start with the end in mind. ...
10. Formating 11. Put spaces between paragraphs. ...
12. 13. Use an appropriate closing.
==-
How to write a perfect professional email in English in 5 steps
typing computer
English Lessons At your Fingertips
Not as formal as as For most of us, email is the most common form of business
a letter ... not communication so it’s important to get it right. Although emails
taken for granted usually aren’t as formal as letters, they still need to be professional to
present a good image of you and your company.

How to write a formal email

Follow these five simple steps to make sure your English emails are
perfectly professional.

Begin with a greeting

Thank the recipient
 State your purpose
Add your closing remarks
End with a closing
Download our free ebook: “Everyday English Vocabulary” – 38 pages
which points useful words and English phrases to help you have a
better understanding of what’s going on around you.
Begin with a greeting
Always open your email with a greeting, such as “Dear Lillian”. If your
relationship with the reader is formal, use their family name (eg. “Dear
Mrs. Price”). If the relationship is more casual, you can simply say, “Hi
Kelly”. If you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to,
use: “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam”.

Thank the recipient

If you are replying to a client’s inquiry, you should begin with a line of
thanks. For example, if someone has a question about your company,
you can say, “Thank you for contacting ABC Company”. If someone has
replied to one of your emails, be sure to say, “Thank you for your
prompt reply” or “Thanks for getting back to me”. Thanking the reader
puts him or her at ease, and it will make you appear more polite.

State your purpose

If you are starting the email communication, it may be impossible to
include a line of thanks. Instead, begin by stating your purpose. For
example, “I am writing to enquire about …” or “I am writing in
reference to …”.

Make your purpose clear early on in the email, and then move into the
main text of your email. Remember, people want to read emails
quickly, so keep your sentences short and clear. You’ll also need to pay
careful attention to grammar, spelling and punctuation so that you
present a professional image of yourself and your company.

business email

Add your closing remarks

Before you end your email, it’s polite to thank your reader one more
time and add some polite closing remarks. You might start with “Thank
you for your patience and cooperation” or “Thank you for your
consideration” and then follow up with, “If you have any questions or
concerns, don’t hesitate to let me know” and “I look forward to
hearing from you”.

End with a closing

With regards The last step is to include an appropriate closing with your name. “Best
Thanking you regards”, “Sincerely”, and “Thank you” are all professional. Avoid
 closings such as “Best wishes” or “Cheers” unless you are good friends
with the reader. Finally, before you hit the send button, review and
spell check your email one more time to make sure it’s truly perfect!

Aren’t you an EF English Live student yet? See the general and
business English course in action by requesting a one month for only
one dollar* trial. Find more information about essential professional
English tips here.

Start your English Learning Online with EF English Live. Sign up today
and get a free 14-day trial! Whatever your goals, our online English
course guarantees your success.

=-=
Email Tips: Top 10 Strategies for Writing Effective Email
Jerz > Writing > E-text > Email Tips
Follow these email etiquette tips in order to write more effective
email.

Self-explantory While Millennials typically prefer texting, the improvised, back-

and-forth pattern we expect of texting conversations differs
greatly from the pre-planned, more self-contained messages
most professionals expect in the workplace.

If you are planning an outing with friends, you expect multiple

rapid exchanges asking for clarification and providing corrections
on the fly. Since you are usually texting somebody you already
know well, about a shared interest, you don’t need to provide
much context.

Emoji icons But most professionals do not want to engage in a leisurely back-
and-forth in order to get their work done. They want to clear this
item from their inbox, perhaps by passing it to an assistant or
kicking it upstream, without having to ask the sender “I dunno,
what do you think?” or “What did you mean by that emoji?”

Originally written by Jessica Bauer in 2000; expanded and maintained

 by Dennis G. Jerz
1. Write a 2. Write a meaningful subject line.
meaningfu
l subject
line.
3. Keep the 4. Keep the message focused.
message
focused.
5. Avoid 6. Avoid attachments.
attachmen
ts.
7. Identify 8. Identify yourself clearly.
yourself
clearly.
9. Be kind. 10. Be kind. Don’t flame.
Don’t
flame.
11. Proofread. 12. Proofread.
13. Don’t 14. Don’t assume privacy.
assume
privacy.
15. Distinguis 16. Distinguish between formal and informal situations.
h between
formal and
informal si
tuations.
17. Respond 18. Respond Promptly.
Promptly.
19. Show 20. Show Respect and Restraint.
Respect
and
Restraint.
1. Write a meaningful subject line.
Before you hit “send,” take a moment to write a subject line that
accurately describes the content, giving your reader a concrete
reason to open your message. A vague or blank subject line is a
missed opportunity to inform or persuade your reader.
 Remember — your message is not the only one in your
recipient’s mailbox. A clear subject line will help a busy
professional to decide that your email is worthwhile.
Subject Line
Subject: [Blank]

A blank subject line suggests that your name in the “From” line is all your recipient
should need in order to make you message a top priority. That could come across as
arrogant, or at the very least, thoughtless. A well-chosen subject line is an important
opportunity to inform and persuade your reader.

Subject: “Important! Read Immediately!!“

Rather than brashly announcing that the secret contents of your mystery message are
inexplicably important…

Subject: “All Cars in the Lower Lot Will Be Towed in 1 Hour.”

…write a functional subject line that actually conveys the important idea.

Subject: “Quick question.“

If the question is quick, why not just ask it in the subject line? This subject line is
hardly useful.

Subject: “Follow-up about Friday“

Fractionally better — provided that the recipient remembers why a follow-up was
necessary.

Subject: “That file you requested.“

Many email users get scads of virus-laden spam with vague titles like this. The more
specific you are, the more likely your recipient’s spam-blocker will let your message
through.

Subject: “10 confirmed for Friday… will we need a larger room?“

Upon reading this revised, informative subject line, the recipient immediately starts
thinking about the size of the room, not about whether it will be worth it to open the
email.

2. Keep the message focused.

Why are you writing? Are you responding to a request?
Apologizing for an error on your part? Asking for the recipient to
 take some action for you?

  Purpose: Any textbook on business and professional writing

will include examples of complaint and adjustment
letters, proposal letters, progress reports, application letters, and
so forth.
  Directness: You probably don’t need to open with “Dear Ms.
Jones,” engage in personal chit-chat, and close with “Yours
Truly.” (If you really want to be that formal, send a letter on
paper instead.)
Organisation  Organization: Readers will often get partway through a
complex message, hit “reply” as soon as they have something to
contribute, and forget to read the rest. That’s human nature.
Use of Table  Number your points in more complex message. (Start with
a clear statement of how many parts there are to your
message.)
 Split unrelated points into separate, purposeful emails.
  If you send all your employees a message that only
relates to some of them, a lot of people will waste time
reading the whole thing, in order to determine whether
any part of it applies to them.
  Other people will give up as soon as they find any detail
that does not apply to them. (Again, this is human
nature.)
  Politeness: Please and thank-you are still important, but
wordiness wastes your reader’s time (which is rude).
Indirect and wasteful: “Dearest Arnold: I would be very much
obliged if, at your earliest convenience, you could send me the curren
password for the website. I look forward to your response. Have a ni
day! Yours Truly, Philomena.”

Blunt to the point of rudeness: “Need the password for the website

If you get a message like this, you might assume the sender trusts you and real
needs your help; however, if you send a message like this, you might appear
needy and panicky. Is that how you want to come across? Think about it.

Urgent, yet polite: “Site is down, but I can’t troubleshoot without th

new password. Do you know it?”

To help your reader focus on your message: keep your text

readable.
All Caps, Bold,  Proofread, especially when your message asks your recipient to
Underline, Italics do work for you. All-caps comes across as shouting, and no-
caps makes you look like a lazy teenager. Regardless of your
 intention, people will respond accordingly.
SMS language  If you are in middle school, a gushing statement “thx 4 ur
If you are in help 2day ur gr8!″ may make a busy professional smile —
middle school, a or shudder.
gushing statement
“thx 4 ur help 2day
ur gr8!″ may make
a busy professional
smile — or
shudder.
Abbreviations  Often, the sweetness of the gesture won’t be enough. u want
LOL ur prof r ur boss 2 think u cant spl? LOL ;-)
  Write short paragraphs, separated by blank lines. Most people
find unbroken blocks of text boring, or even intimidating. Take
the time to format your message for the ease of your reader.
Fancy type face  Avoid fancy typefaces. Don’t depend upon bold font or large
size to add nuances. Your recipient’s email reader may not have
all the features that yours does. In a pinch, use asterisks to show
*emphasis*.
Avoid 3. Avoid attachments.
attachments.
Rather than forcing you reader to download an attachment and
open it in a separate program, you will probably get faster results
if you just copy-paste the most important part of the document
into the body of your message.

To: All 1000 Employees

From: Eager Edgar
Subject: A helpful book everyone should read
——–
Hello, everyone. I’ve attached a PDF that I think you’ll all find very useful.
This is the third time I sent it the file — the version I sent yesterday had a typ
on page 207, so I’ve sent the whole thing again. Since some of you noted tha
the large file size makes it a bit awkward, I’ve also attached each chapter as
separate document. Let me know what you think!Attachments:
 Big Honking File.pdf (356MB)
 BHF Cover.pdf (25MB)
 BHF Chapter 1.pdf (35MB)
 [… ]

Okay, raise your hands… how many of us would delete the above message
immediately, without looking at *any* of those attachments?

To: Bessie Professional

From: Morris Ponsybil
 Subject: Email tips — a subject for an office workshop?
—-
Bessie, I came across some tips on streamlining professional communication
Has anyone volunteered to present at the office workshop next month? Let m
know if you’d like me to run a little seminar (20 minutes?) on using email
effectively. Below, I’ll paste the table of contents. I’ll send you the whole
thing as a PDF if you want it.Table of Contents
1. Write a meaningful subject line.
2. Keep the message focused and readable.
3. Avoid attachments.
4. […]

Recognize that attachments

 consume bandwidth (do you want your recipient to ignore your

request so as to avoid paying for a mobile download?)
  can carry viruses
  don’t always translate correctly for people who read their email
on portable devices.
  may require your recipient to have certain software installed
(such as Microsoft Publisher or Apple’s Pages)
Identify yourse 4. Identify yourself clearly.
lf clearly.
Attn: Mark If you telephoned someone outside your closest circle, someone
who probably wouldn’t recognize your voice, you would probably
say something like “Hello, Ms. Wordsworth, this is Sally Griffin.”
A formal “Dear Ms. Wordsworth” salutation is not necessary for
routine workplace communication.

When we send text messages to our friends, we expect a lot of

back-and-forth. But professionals who use email don’t enjoy
getting a cryptic message from an email address they don’t
recognize.

While a routine email does not require a formal salutation such

as “Dear Ms. Wordsworth,” ask yourself whether the person you
are writing knows you well enough to recognize your email
address.

To: Professor Blinderson

From: FuZzYkItTy2000@hotmail.com
Subject: [Blank]Yo goin 2 miss class whats the homework

Professor Blinderson will probably reply, “Please let me know your name and which
class you’re in, so that I can respond meaningfully. I don’t recognize the address
FuZzYkItTy2000@hotmail.com.”
 To: Professor Blinderson
From: m.ponsybil@gmail.com
Subject: EL227 Absence, Oct 10Hello, Prof. Blinderson. This is Morris
Ponsybil, from EL227 section 2.This morning, I just found out that the curlin
team has advanced to the playoffs, so I’m going to be out of town on the
10th.According to the syllabus, it looks like I will miss a paper workshop an
the discussion of Chapter 10. May I email you my Chapter 10 discussion
questions before I leave town? And could I come to your office hour at 2pm
on the 12th, in order to discuss the paper? I’ve asked Cheryl Jones to take
notes for me.Thank you very much. I’ll see you in class tomorrow.

If you are asking the other person to do you a favor, providing the right information
will give him or her a good reason to decide in your favor. In this case, Morris
Ponsybil shows his professor he cares enough about the class to propose a solution to
the problem his absence will cause.

When contacting someone cold, be polite and brief. If you are

asking for a stranger to do something for you for free, be
prepared to hear nothing in response.

Mob No. Even if you already have a connection with the person you are
contacting, a little context is helpful. Every fall, I get emails from
“bad_boy2315@yahoo.com” or “FuZzYkItTy2000@hotmail.com”
who ask a question about “class” and don’t sign their real names.

If you are following up on a face-to-face contact, you might

appear too timid if you assume your recipient doesn’t remember
you; but you can drop casual hints to jog their memory: “I
enjoyed talking with you about usability testing in the elevator the
other day.”

While formal phrases such as “Dear Professor Sneedlewood”

and “Sincerely Yours,” are unnecessary in email, when
contacting someone outside your own organization, you should
write a signature line that includes your full name and at least a
link to a blog or online profile page (something that does not
require your recipient to log in first).

5. Be kind. Don’t flame.

Think before you click “Send.”

If you find yourself writing in anger, save a draft, go get a cup of

coffee, and imagine that tomorrow morning someone has taped
your email outside your door. Would your associates and friends
be shocked by your language or attitude?

Or would they be impressed by how you kept your cool, how you
ignored the bait when your correspondent stooped to personal
attacks, and how you carefully explained your position (or
admitted your error, or asked for a reconsideration, etc.)>

Will you have to work with this person for several months? Do
you want a copy of your bitter screed to surface years from now,
when you want a letter of recommendation?

@!$% &*@!! &(*!

Go ahead… write it, revise it, liven it up with traditional Lebanese curses, print it out,
throw darts on it, and scribble on it with crayon. Do whatever you need in order to get
out of your system. Just don’t hit “Send” while you’re still angry.

From: Clair Haddad

To: Ann O. Ying
Subject: Re: Ongoing Problems with ProjectI’m not sure how to respond,
since last week you told Sue that you didn’t need any extra training, so I
cancelled Wednesday’s workshop. I can CC Sue in on this thread if you like
since she’s the one who will have to approve the budget if we reschedule
it. Meanwhile, I can loan you my copies of the manual, or we can look into
shifting the work to someone else. Let me know what you’d like me to do
next.—Original Message –
From: Ann O. Ying
I tried all morning to get in touch with you. Couldn’t you find a few minutes
in between meetings to check your messages? I’m having a rough time on th
project, and I’m sorry if this is last-minute, but I’ve never done this before an
I think the least you could do is take some time to explain it again.

If your recipient has just lambasted you with an angry message, rather than reply with
point-by-point rebuttal, you can always respond with a brief note like this, which
1. casually invokes the name of someone the angry correspondent is likely to
respect (in order to diffuse any personal antagonism that may otherwise have
developed) and
2. refocuses the conversation on solutions (in this conversation, Ann has already
dug herself into a hole, and Clair has nothing to gain by joining her there)

6. Proofread.
If you are asking someone else to do work for you, take the time
to make your message look professional.
While your spell checker won’t catch every mistake, at the very
least it will catch a few typos. If you are sending a message that
will be read by someone higher up on the chain of command (a
superior or professor, 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”. Show a draft to a close associate, in order
to see whether it actually makes sense.
 7. Don’t assume privacy.
A good motto: praise in public, and criticize in private. Don’t send
anything over email that you wouldn’t want posted — with your
name attached — in the break room.
Email is not secure. Just as random pedestrians could reach into
a physical mailbox and intercept envelopes, a curious hacker, a
malicious criminal, and your IT department can probably
read any and all email messages in your work account.
If you stretch the truth in an email (downplaying a problem,
leaving out an important detail, etc.), you’re creating a written
record that your recipient can (and will) use to determine whether

  you are uninformed about the truth

  you are informed but deliberately misrepresenting the truth
  your confused and conflicting emails mean you aren’t a reliable
source for determining the truth
8. Distinguish between formal and informal situations.
smilies When you are writing to a friend or a close colleague, it is OK to
use “smilies” :-) , abbreviations (IIRC for “if I recall correctly”, LOL
for “laughing out loud,” etc.) and nonstandard punctuation and
spelling (like that found in instant messaging or chat rooms).

linguistic These linguistic shortcuts are generally signs of friendly intimacy,

shortcuts like sharing cold pizza with a family friend. If you tried to share
that same cold pizza with a first date, or a visiting dignitary, you
would give off the impression that you did not really care about
the meeting. By the same token, don’t use informal language
when your reader expects a more formal approach.

Gather the facts, Always know the situation, and write accordingly.
first

Reply 9. Respond Promptly.

peomptly
If you want to appear professional and courteous, make yourself
available to your online correspondents. Even if your reply is,
“Sorry, I’m too busy to help you now,” at least your
correspondent won’t be waiting in vain for your reply.

10. Show Respect and Restraint

Many a flame war has been started by someone who hit “reply
all” instead of “reply.”

While most people know that email is not private, it is good form
to ask the sender before forwarding a personal message. If
someone emails you a request, it is perfectly acceptable to
 forward the request to a person who can help — but forwarding a
message in order to ridicule the sender is tacky.

bcc Use BCC instead of CC when sending sensitive information to

large groups. (For example, a professor sending a bulk message
to students who are in danger of failing, or an employer telling
unsuccessful applicants that a position is no longer open.) The
name of everyone in the CC list goes out with the message, but
the names of people on the BCC list (“blind carbon copy”) are
hidden. Put your own name in the “To” box if your mail editor
doesn’t like the blank space.

Be tolerant of other people’s etiquette blunders. If you think

you’ve been insulted, quote the line back to your sender and add
a neutral comment such as, “I’m not sure how to interpret this…
could you elaborate?”
Too fast Sometimes Email is Too Fast!
Xxxx 23.8.19 A colleague once asked me for help, and then almost
1854pm immediately sent a follow-up informing me she had solved the
problem on her own.

But before reading her second message, I replied at length to the

first. Once I learned that there was no need for any reply, I
worried that my response would seem pompous, so I followed up
with a quick apology:

“Should have paid closer attention to my email.”

What I meant to say was “[I] should have looked more carefully
at my[list of incoming] email [before replying],” but I could tell
from my colleague’s terse reply that she had interpreted it as if I
was criticizing her.
If I hadn’t responded so quickly to the first message, I would
have saved myself the time I spent writing a long answer to an
obsolete question. If I hadn’t responded so quickly to the second
message, I might not have alienated the person I had been so
eager to help. –DGJ

References & Further Reading

  Alsop, Stewart. “My Rules of Polite Digital

Communication.” Fortune. 142.2 (10 July 2000): p 76. Online.
Academic Search Elite. 9 October 2000.
  Cronin, Jennifer. “Netiquette, schmetiquette.” Des Moines
 Business Record 16.24 (12 June 2000): p 11. Online.
MasterFILE Premier. 9 October 2000.
  “Email Etiquette.” I Will Follow Services. 1997.
<http://www.iwillfollow.com/emailetiquette.html>. 9 October
2000.
  Nucifora, Alf. “Use etiquette when messaging via
email.” Memphis Business Journal 21.51 (14 April 2000): p23.
Online. MasterFILE Premier. 9 October 2000.
  Thorton, Sam. “Rules and Regulations: Email Etiquette.” 29
April 1998. <http://www.lse.ac.uk/Depts/ITS/rules/email.htm>.
9 October
2000.
==-=

Email Writing: How To Craft Effective Emails

For International Teams

Written by David Fallarme

@davelocity

HubSpot also recommends upgrading your email signature using our free Email Signature
Generator.

Get Started Here

Are you a non-native English speaker who needs to regularly write
emails to your international colleagues?
It can be a challenge to write effective, conversational emails when
English isn't your first language, but this article will provide some
helpful tips to help you improve the overall quality of your emails and
sound more like a native English speaker.
Create a new, on-brand email signature in just a few clicks. Get started here. (It's
free.)

Being a non-native English speaker doesn't mean you need to be

limited by fear and insecurity every single time you hit the "send"
button. Once you’ve applied these simple strategies to your writing,
you should be able to confidently send emails to anyone (even those
from native English-speaking countries like the US.)

Email Writing Tips for International Teams

Most people won’t tell you this, but crafting a good email begins even
before you put down a single word. Writing a good email starts with
your mindset.
When you're in the correct frame of mind, you'll be able to write
effective emails that communicate and persuade.
Sounds logical … but how do you enter the “correct frame of mind”?
You internalize a few important email writing rules that you should
apply to every single email you write. The best part is -- these rules
can also be applied to any form of communication, not just email.
Email Writing Rule #1: Imagine Receiving The Email You’re Writing

Have you ever received an email that it was so incoherent you

couldn’t even finish reading it, let alone even consider replying? Or
included a completely irrelevant proposition?

Ahrefs is an SEO tool, yet they received an email from a fishing

company
One of the biggest problems when it comes to email writing is the
lack of empathy for the recipient. Before even writing an email, most
people won't even consider whether their email will be well-received
by the other party.
If you want your email taken seriously, you need to be able to
empathize with your recipient before you even start writing. Think
about the person you’re sending an email to:
 Why are you emailing this person?
 What does the person you’re emailing want?
 Is this the right person to contact, considering what I’m
trying to achieve?
Of course, if you’re already close to this person, then these questions
are not as necessary. You can probably dash off a quick email, and
still get a reply.
But, if you’re sending an email to someone new, or unfamiliar, then
take some time to reflect on these questions. Your answers will help
you write a more thoughtful, coherent email.
Email Writing Rule #2: Write Like You Talk

If you’re not a native English speaker, it’s normal to feel like you
should be more formal when it comes to your email writing.
However, this results in emails that are too formal, and come off as
awkward or stiff. For example:
Native English speakers write more informally -- their writing sounds
like one person talking to another.
Here is a quick grammar tip that will always help you sound more
native: Write in an active voice and avoid the passive voice.
An “active voice” shows that a subject is performing the verb’s
action, e.g.: “Marilyn mailed the letter.”
In contrast, the “passive voice” shows that the verb is acted upon by
the subject, e.g.: “The letter was mailed by Marilyn.”
Instead of writing “your feedback would be much appreciated”, try
saying “I would appreciate your feedback.” Instead of writing “your
request has been received”, try saying “I received your request.”
Notice how writing in an active voice sounds more human.
How To Write An Effective Email
1. The Subject Line

The subject line is usually the first thing someone reads before they
decide to open your email. This also means that the subject line holds
the key to whether your email is opened, ignored, or deleted.
Unfortunately, non-native English speakers don't always know what
to write in the subject line.
Take a look at this example:

This particular subject line (real-life example by the way) is vague,

indirect and does not hint to me at all what the content of the email
will be about.
The result? *Delete*.
Subject lines are especially important if you’re reaching out to
someone for the first time. The recipient doesn’t know who you are,
and can only judge you from your subject line.
Even if you’re sending emails internally at your company, it still pays
to write a great subject line so your recipient has an idea of what to
expect. Like any busy person, your teammates receives a ton of email
every day, and would certainly appreciate the extra effort of a
descriptive subject line.
So, how do you write a good subject line?
Be clear, direct and describe the content of your email. Don’t be
afraid to take up the whole subject line. Go ahead and tell them what
to expect.
As you can see, there’s no need to resort to sneaky tricks or clickbait
titles just to induce an open. Remember - you don’t want people to be
tricked into reading your email, you actually want them to read it and
take some kind of action.
You want to associate positive feelings with your email, not anger and
disappointment.

Here are some good examples of subject lines:

 I’m going to be in Town next Tues - are you available?
 Introduction to Kevin Bacon
 FAQ -- will you take you 2 minutes -- need answer today
 Susan suggested I reach out to you
2. Start with an appropriate greeting.

To kick off the email, you should begin with an appropriate greeting.
There are two components to the greeting: the salutation and the
opening sentence.
Most non-native English speakers, probably out of fear of offending
someone, tend to stick to just one salutation -- Dear [X]. No matter
the context, non-native English speakers will use Dear [X] over and
over again.
The appropriate salutation actually depends on the situation. If you’re
writing a formal email to a bank or government institution, it would
be better to start off with Dear [X].
If you’re sending an email to someone you know, or work in a casual
environment, then it is perfectly fine to go with a Hi [name].
To help you out, here is a list of salutations you can open with in your
emails:
 Dear [First Name]
 Dear Mr./Ms. [Last Name]
 [Name]
 Good morning/afternoon
 Hi
 Hey
 Hey/Hi there
Once you’ve gotten the salutation out of the way, it is time for an
appropriate opening sentence. While the subject line determines
whether your email is opened, your opening sentence determines
whether your email is read till the end.
The best way to do this correctly is to research the person you’re
writing to. Find out what your recipient is interested in. Look around
their social media profiles (e.g Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.), and if they
publish, read some of their blog posts.
Do a Google search on their name, and see if anything interesting
comes up. Visit their company’s website, read their About Us page,
and find out what they are working on or interested in collaborating
on.
With this information, you can write an opening sentence that builds
rapport. Show that you understand them, what they need, and how
you can help them.
With this, you can also show that you’re different -- that you’re
interested in them, are willing to go the extra mile to find out more.
Showing that you understand their challenges helps build trust.
Of course, this is not necessary if you’re emailing a colleague or
someone you know, but it is still important to establish some kind of
context so that they know what’s happening.
3. Keep your message short and concise.
According to Statista, we send and receive roughly 269 billion emails
a day.
If we average out across everyone in the developed world (~4 billion
people), every single person would receive about 68 emails/day!
This alarming statistic make one thing very clear: we spend a lot of
time reading emails.
To write an email that is opened, read and acted upon is not easy. You
have to put in the work upfront to ensure that the email is
professional, empathetic, and easy to read.
You have to respect your readers’ time. While you may feel like you
need to tell them everything in one email, don’t. No one is eagerly
awaiting a three-page essay arriving in their inbox. Here's one I
received recently:
Ugh.
Instead, keep the email short, concise and to the point. Stick to
essential and specific information.
Think about it this way: what’s the ONE thing you want to achieve
after the person sees your email?
Make sure the email is written in such a way where it achieves the
end result you want.
When you need to include a lot of information in an email, it's
probably better to suggest a phone call or a meeting instead.
Pro-Tip: Use this free meeting tool to schedule your meetings faster
and avoid back-and-forth emails.
4. Use standard fonts.

If you’re using a non-English keyboard, your fonts may not show up

properly on the other person’s device.
If you’re trying to look like a native speaker, use standard fonts. Some
fonts for languages have their own “English font”, which are a dead
giveaway that the person writing is a non-native speaker:
To prevent all kinds of tech issues from coming up, stick to what is
safe. Use web-safe email fonts like:
 Arial
 Courier
 Georgia
 Helvetica
 Lucida Sans
 Tahoma
 Times New Roman
 Trebuchet MS
 Verdana
In fact, this is the exact list Gmail gives:
This will ensure that your recipient will receive your message in a
normal font no matter what devices or operating system they are
using.
5. Writing your closing.

Once you’re done with the content of your email, it’s time to close it
off.
You don’t have to make it fancy -- just keep your closing simple and
straightforward.
So, nothing like this:

Instead, stick to the safe, proven closing lines -- and you should be
good.
You can choose from some of the most common closing lines below:
 Yours sincerely
 Yours truly
 Yours
 Sincerely
 Best regards
 Best
 Warm regards
 Warm wishes
 Kind regards
 Kind wishes
 Thank you
 Thanks
If you’re really looking for something out-of-the-ordinary and fancy,
then take a look at this list of email sign-offs that you can try.
6. Schedule your emails.
Because you’re writing an international email, time zones matter.
Due to the influx of emails one receives, an email you sent early in
the morning could be buried at the bottom of his inbox by the time
your recipient checks it. This may also mean that all your hard work
spent crafting the email would be wasted.
Instead, set yourself up for success.
Remember Rule #1? Put yourself in their shoes.
When would they be most receptive? When would their inbox be
“emptier”?
It might be during lunch. It might be Sunday evening when they are
preparing for the week ahead. It might even be Friday -- they're
probably in a good mood because the weekend is coming.
Then, use our free email scheduling tool to ensure that your emails are
sent at the right time to the recipient’s inbox.
7. Do a final spelling and grammar check.

Don’t fail at the last mile.

Don’t spend all your time crafting a perfect message, only to be
ignored by the recipient because it’s riddled with spelling and
grammar errors.
After you’ve finished drafting your email, copy and paste it into
Microsoft Word or Google Docs to give it a quick grammar, phrasing,
and spelling check. Alternatively, you can also use checkers
like Grammarly to automate the process while you’re drafting.

Do a quick read-aloud to make sure that you’re not writing clunkily,

or sound like a robot. You need your email copy to sound human.
Remember -- help the reader focus on the message, not on your
spelling errors.
Want more? Learn how to send the right email to the right person and
provide maximum value with this free email marketing lesson.
Originally published Jul 13, 2018 7:00:00 AM, updated August 14 2019

How to write a perfect business Email:

Business emails are a pillar of modern communication. On any given day, the
average office worker receives over 80 emails.

That’s a lot of communication.

While we send a lot of emails, many of them are not effective. Everyone’s inbox
holds those difficult to read or process emails, hanging around because the
recipient is unclear on how to reply or act. Don’t let that happen to your business
emails. Etiquette, style, and format are essential to writing emails that get results.

This article will highlight best practices and walk you through an effective
business email, step-by-step. By integrating these methods into your email
preparation, you will write better emails and improve overall communication.

Four Key Questions:

There are four questions that you must consider as you begin to draft a business
email:

1. Who is My Audience?
In all business writing, the audience is the top consideration. Who you are writing
for will determine how you write your email. The reader will determine the tone,
formality, and content of the communication.

Your email’s reader may be your colleague, client, or supervisor. Each reader will
have a different background, project knowledge, and priorities. You can use
project acronyms with a colleague who has the same deep project knowledge as
you do. Those same acronyms will be confusing to an executive who needs an
update for budget forecasting.

With your audience at the forefront, you will always write a more effective email.

The audience includes all the people included in the sender fields. This includes
the To:, CC:. and BCC: fields but main focus should be on those in the To field.
Writing for the audience also means using these fields correctly.

The ‘To:’ field is for the direct audience who needs to reply or take action from
the email content. The ‘CC:’ field is for readers who need to receive the email
conversation for reference or clarity, but do not need to take action nor reply. The
‘BCC:’ field is for the audience who only needs to see the initial email and none of
the later chain of replies.

Incorrect usage of the sender fields is a common business email mistake. It

occurs when the audience and their roles are not thoughtfully considered.

Use the Bcc field very judiciously. Often it's best to forward an email separately,
with a brief statement on why you're sending this information.

2. What is the Purpose?

An email must have a purpose. And it must have only one purpose.

This email practice is called the ‘one thing rule’.

 Each email should cover only one specific item, task, or request. Covering
multiple actions in one email can cause confusion and inefficiency. One email
should not include both client report revision notes and a scheduling question for
the quarterly meeting. This scenario calls for two separate emails.

By limiting emails to one thing, the email is easier for the recipient to understand,
process and act upon. This clarity increases understanding and productivity.

In practice, we sometimes have to ask for several pieces of information related to

the same topic. In this case, use a numbersed list to clarify for your reader that
the request has components. This will help your reader respond easily and
ensure you receive all the specifics you need.

I need you to review these three items before we release the sketch to the
production team:

1. Content
2. Design
3. Color choice

3. Is This Email Necessary?

There is a tendency to over-communicate by email. While email is efficient and
provides an electronic paper-trail, not all communication should occur over email.

Ask yourself: “Is this email really necessary?” Perhaps a quick phone call or a
ping on the company messenger is more appropriate. If you’re expecting a lot of
back-and-forth on the topic, a short conversation can eliminate a lengthy email
chain.

Choose the right channel to send information. Email is great, but it's one channel.

4. Is Email Appropriate?
Email can be used in many scenarios but is not always appropriate.
If you are delivering bad news, do so in person or buffer the email thoughtfully.
An email is impersonal and is difficult to convey empathy or compassion. If you
must write a business apology email follow these rules.

Sensitive information sent by email runs the risk of being accidentally shared.
There are plenty of cases of email mishaps, ranging from funny to serious.
Whether the information is personal contact or personal opinion, consider
whether it’s appropriate for an email. If you wouldn’t want it accidentally shared,
be very thoughtful about how it is sent in the first place.

If you are unsure if an email is appropriate, ask yourself if you'd be comfortable

with that email being projected in a meeting. Attending the meeting are your
boss, all your future bosses, and your mother. If it passes this test, then send it. If
not, there is likely something that is not appropriate.

Email Style
Business emails have a very specific style. They are professional but brief. They
should be written to be skimmed, but with enough information to allow a complete
response.

If you like this article you may be interested in our online email writing course.

Tone
Finding the correct tone can be the biggest headache in drafting an email. The
tone changes based on your audience. It can range to formal to friendly but is
always professional and should always be matched to your audience.

Wordy politeness can often be overlooked in efforts to be brief in emails.

However, please and thank you should be included anytime it is appropriate.

Avoid ALL CAPS because it SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE YELLING (and could route
your email to the spam folder). If you wouldn’t shout the statement in person,
don’t shout it in an email. Instead, use italics, underlining or boldto emphasize
important points.

Example: Vacation requests must be submitted at least two weeks in advance.

Notice the harsh tone if the bold text is swapped for caps: Vacation requests
must be submitted AT LEAST TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE.
One exception: Do use all caps in email headings when writing to any
organization that strips html formatting from email. The military, military
academies, and some financial institutions with strict security protocols often strip
html formatting.

Headings are very helpful to readers. They allow a reader to skim and find
information easily. They're a business writer's best weapon against information
overload.

Avoid excessive use of punctuation or emojis. Exclamation points should be used

sparingly! Emojis continue to have a larger role in digital communication and
several style guides have approved their judicious use in business writing. I
follow the rule of only using them after the other party has sent one. They should
never be used in formal business emails.

Format
Emails are meant to be skimmed, so they should have plenty of white-space to
assist the reader. Use shorter paragraphs, lists and bullet points to streamline the
information. And, use headings to break up concepts and allow a reader to skim.

In addition, awkward formatting copied from other documents or emails can be

distracting. To have seamless formatting for your email, strip the text formatting
of the new content by using your email client’s Remove or Formatting function.

Here are the most common formatting features and how to use them.

Font: The font is the typeface that you should choose for your email. It is best to
choose a sans serif (a typeface without decorative strokes at the end) as they are
more modern and simple and easy to read onscreen. They are also easier to
read at a small size. Gmail uses Sans Serif as the default. You could also use
Arial, Helvetica, Tahoma, Terbuchet MS, or Verdana.

Text Size: You should try to keep your email in the normal size. This is between
10–12pt.
Bold: You can use bold for headings and to emphasise important text. Bold text
catches the eye of readers as they scan the email.

Italics: Italics are a softer way to draw attention to an area of text. They are used
to bring emphasis to an area of a sentence. They do not make words stand out
when the user is scanning a page the way bold text does. Italics should also be
used for titles of full works.

Underline: Underlined text can easily be confused for a link. When writing an
email, it's best not to use underlined text to draw attention to an area of an email.
It is better to use bold or italics.

Text Color: You should avoid using multiple text colors in an email as it draws
the eye in to multiple locations and looks unprofessional. It is likely that your
email program makes your hyperlinks blue.

Alignment: Business writing uses text that is fully aligned left. Academic writing
indents the first sentence of a paragraph five spaces. In business email, you will
never need to indent the start of a paragraph.

Users scan pages in a F-shapped pattern. By changing the alignment it makes it

more difficult for the reader to skim.
Numbers: Using a numbered list can help organize content where the sequence
is important. For example if you were describing steps you would want to use a
numbered list.

Bullet Points: Bullet points are a great way to create white space on your page
and draw attention to related items. Bullet points work best for unordered lists.

Indent More: In business emails you should not indent the first sentence of a
new paragraph. A line break represents the start of a new paragraph. The indent
more button allows you to add an indent to text. This is useful on rare occasions
when you want to indicate that some information is a subset of what preceeded it.
It creates a visual indication that the indented information is less important.

Indent Less: This allows you to move your content to the left

Quote Text: If you are referring to quoted text you should use the quote text
function. It provides a slight indent to your content and a grey vertical line to the
left. This shows readers that you are quoting text.
Remove Formatting: If you are pasting text into your email it is vital you use the
remove formatting function. Otherwise you will paste the text styles and it will be
obvious to your reader that you copy and pasted that text. To use this function
select the text you want to remove formatting. Then click the remove formatting
button.

Email Overview
Let's dissect each section of a business email to highlight best practices for you
to implement in your writing.

Subject Line
The subject line is the mini-summary of your email. It provides the biggest
opportunity to ensure your email gets read. The goal of a subject line is to get
your reader to open the email without tricking them. It is also the place where
mistakes are most commonly made.

Think of it as your email’s headline. It should be a 3- to 8-word overview of the

content.

Subject lines that are too brief or too lengthy cause confusion. If it makes the
email seem difficult or confusing to reply to, the recipient may not open it
immediately or at all.

Bad Examples:

‘Important!’

‘For Your Review’

‘Questions About Expansion Performance Target Report Deadline Extension

Request” For Client Meeting’

Good Examples:

‘Your BookShop Order Delivery Dec 2’

‘Client Report Revisions: Please Review by 4 PM’

‘Expansion Report Extension Requested until Friday’

Email clients will also review the subject line for signs of spam. This is especially
important for sales teams who may be cold-emailing clients. Certain terms
are flags for spam algorithms and may be filtered to a Junk folder. Avoid using
words such as ‘Sales’, ‘Please read’ or ‘Profits’, or having one-word subjects.

Also make sure you are replying to the correct thread. Do not use an old email
thread for a new topic.

Greeting
Your greeting should be professional and concise. It is always preferable to
address the recipient using their name, but it may not always be possible.

Good afternoon,

Greetings,

Dear Ms. Jones:

Hi Jeff, (salutation format)

Hi, Jeff. (sentence format)

Brief Pleasantry
If you’re emailing someone for the first time, your opening line could be a short
pleasantry connecting you and the recipient. One sentence should be enough.
Indicate how you connected. This reminder will give the reader context for the
following information.

“It was great to meet you at last night’s networking event.”

If you’ve received something from the recipient, offer your thanks. It could be a
thank you for an offer of assistance, for an interesting piece of content they
shared or even for simply reading the email.

“Thank you for sharing your article on management strategies. The findings are
valuable.’

‘I appreciate you taking the time to help me with this project.’

If you want to keep it general, warm well-wishes will do.

‘I hope you’re well!’

Omit a pleasant greeting if you’ve recently or frequently communicated with each
other.

Be very careful of overspinning pleasantries at the start of the email. The purpose
of your email should be the overt start. Remember the acronmy B.L.O.T —
bottom line on top. What do you want your reader to know or do? That's the most
important opening.

Purpose
As previously noted, each email should address just one thing, one purpose. This
task, request or information should be presented clearly and directly after the
pleasantry. This is the B.L.O.T— bottom line on top.

Be concise and direct. Don’t hide your request or it can easily be overlooked or
ignored.

‘Please provide your feedback on the budget.’

‘Can you participate in the project kick-off meeting next Thursday?

‘Did you have any revisions to the final report?’

Remember the acronym B.L.O.T. — Bottom Line On Top

Additional Information
Some business emails may require additional information for the reader. It could
be clarification on the task, a link to resources or examples, or other helpful
information. This information should be included thoughtfully. Only directly
relevant content should be added.

Call to Action
Near the end of the email, include a specific call to action. The email is being sent
to accomplish one task. The call to action should leave no confusion as to your
request. Do not assume the reader understands the desired result from prior
information. Emails can easily be misinterpreted if there is any grey area.

This statement should include the specific action and the timeline. If you are
sending the email to multiple people, clarify task responsibility by directly naming
the intended person.
Clarification of tasks and expectations allows for the recipient to respond more
effectively.

Bad examples: “Can you take care of this?”

“Let me know what you think.”

Good examples: “Sarah: can you forward the survey to all staff by Friday at
noon, please?”

“I’d appreciate your feedback on the draft agenda. If you have any edits, please
send them by tomorrow, Tuesday, at 10 AM.”

If you would like a confirmation, you can phrase the call to action as a question. If
the call to action is a notification that does not necessarily require a reply, you
can structure the call to action as a statement.

Closing Message
The closing message simply indicates that the email is complete. While it is not a
requirement in modern email writing, a brief, polite phrase will nicely round out
your email.

‘Thank you for your time,’

‘I look forward to your response,’

‘Kind regards,’

Sign-off & Signature

The end of the email includes a sign-off of your name. The phrasing should
match the formality of the email.

Most formal: Dr. John Smith

Dr. Smith

John Smith

Least formal and most common: John

Your email signature is a type of electronic business card that is appended to
your email. It should include the most important context and contact details for
your reader. This is the place to help your reader with relevant contact or
contextual information, not brag or insert philosophical quotes. Images and logos
can be useful, but be aware of the sizing and how they will appear on mobile
devices.

Attachments and Links

Any referenced attachments or links must be included in the email. Either name
the file so that it is clearly identified or include the document title in parenthesis
immediately after you mention it in the email.

Don’t make the reader go hunting for the information they need.

If an attachment was sent to the recipient previously, attach it again anyway. This
way, they can easily access the information rather than searching through their
inbox. Of course, double-check that the file is attached and correct. Forgetting to
include an attachment requires an unnecessary (and embarrassing!) reply
requesting it, which can delay the work.

Links can be directing the reader either to websites or to intranet directories.

These hyperlinks can be lengthy and distracting in email text. Instead, integrate
the hyperlink into the existing sentence.

Bad example: You may find this resource useful in preparing the
report: http://www.instructionalsolutions.com/blog/technical-writing-engineers

Good example: You may find this technical writing resource useful in preparing
the report.

You should also test the link to ensure that it opens the correct site.

Review
Once your email is composed, do not click send. Yet.

Take a moment to review your email. Check for grammatical or spelling errors
(Grammarly has a helpful free tool). Typos suggest carelessness and can even
convey incorrect information.
Double-check dates, times, names, links, attachments and other specific details.

Triple-check that the correct recipients are in the sender fields.

Our Favorite (Free) Email Hacks

Undo Send
Have you ever clicked send and then gasped in horror? Perhaps it’s an ‘I didn’t
mean to send it to that Brad!’ situation. Or it may be the less embarrassing but
still annoying ‘I meant to include Brad on that email!’ scenario.

Thankfully, some email clients have found a solution to this potential

embarrassment with the addition of ‘Undo Send’.
In Gmail, you can enable this function in Settings. You can choose from a 5 to 30
second cancellation period.

In OutLook, you can recall an unread email sent to a recipient with an Exchange
account in the same organization. This feature does not work will in practice
because if it has been read by anyone, it cannot be recalled. In this case, simply
forward the email with an error and state your apology and clarification.

Canned Responses in Gmail

Do you send the same email over and over again? Save time by using Canned
Responses in Gmail.

This function allows you to save standard emails. When you would like to send
the standard reply, simply select your preferred prepared template in the
Compose window. You can also set Canned responses to send automatically to
inbound email with specific details.

Filters and Folders

Is your inbox overwhelming? Thoughtful use of filters and folders can help reduce
email stress.

You can label and even color-code emails from specific people or even whole
domains. These labels will allow the emails to be easily archived once read.

You can set up filters to automatically mark as read or archive low priority
reference emails, like a delivery tracking update.

A short investment in setup time will provide long-term time savings.

Schedule Emails with Boomerang

Are you working late, but want your email to arrive in your client’s inbox first thing
tomorrow morning?

You can schedule emails to send at a specified time in the future using
the Boomerang add-on.

Caution: If you are sending information to recipients who report to you, don't send
late evening emails because it can create an expectation of 24/7 work across
your team. Schedule the emails to send at the start of normal work hours.

Keyboard shortcuts
Drafting an effective business email takes time. However, you can save time by
using keyboard shortcuts. Save clicks while selecting emails, marking unread,
adding a hyperlink and more. Check out the shortcuts for Gmailand Outlook.

Track email opens

If you’ve ever sent the email: ‘I’m just checking to see if you got this.’, then you
should be using email tracking.

There are a wide range of email add-ons and applications that will track if your
email is opened by the recipient.

Conclusion

The volume of email we receive and send can sometimes diminish our motivation
to write an effective business email. Consider the four key questions when
preparing an email. Write it in a way that is concise yet clearly conveys the
information and request to the reader.

Your reader, and their inbox, will appreciate it.

Topics: Business Email Writing

About The Author

Mary Cullen
Mary founded Instructional Solutions in 1998, and is an internationally recognized
business writing trainer and executive writing coach with two decad... read more

11 Comments
Peter Giblett
11/20/2017, 9:01:21 PM

I have received some dreadful emails sent by highly intelligent, indeed brilliant,
people over the years. It is not that they can't write , they simply forget the basic
rules of communication in that moment. A timely reminder.

Reply to Peter Giblett

TWAZAMPORA ALEX
12/1/2017, 5:49:06 PM

thank you for the great work work you are doing allover the world.

Reply to TWAZAMPORA ALEX

tonye ethofe
8/14/2018, 3:58:25 PM

Great work! Currently working on developing my workplace terminologies in

memo communication and I will need some help on that. Thanks.

Reply to tonye ethofe

MOHD FASIH
11/3/2018, 8:33:06 AM

We want to learn best email writing for growth of our business.

Reply to MOHD FASIH

Sam Taylor
11/5/2018, 11:56:17 PM

Hi Mohd,
We offer an online email writing course that may be a great fit for your team.
Take a look!
Thanks,
Sam

Reply to Sam Taylor

Lauren Smith
11/12/2018, 10:58:10 AM

I am a user of a Guides for Customer Service and i love it.

Reply to Lauren Smith

Writer
11/20/2018, 3:59:19 PM

Thank you for your recommendations. Now business writing plays a very
important role in the business society. Many people enter into a partnership or
transaction using a business letter. It is important to understand how it should be
written so that it does not appear in the trash.
Working with business clients of the same company, I realized that the right letter
template can increase your sales or just success in the market!:)
Good luck

Reply to Writer

Diana Dupre
3/13/2019, 11:59:42 PM

I use Mail Chimp for my email blasts which tracks opens, bounces, and others.
Just don't feel my email is effective enough to generate more traffic to my
website. Also I want to be able to have a "get my foot in the door" email to
potential clients & businesses - I paint "Practical Mini Works of Art".....
wineglasses! Thank you!

Reply to Diana Dupre

Tech simian
5/9/2019, 4:51:06 PM

This article really cleared my idea about email witting, good stuff is various
examples covered most of the queries which i face personally while writing
emails. Thanks keep it up.

Reply to Tech simian

Mohammad Hamed MADAAR

5/19/2019, 1:09:22 PM
Thanks for your recommendation, I read it it was useful for all person that want to
write a professional email,
Thanks,

Reply to Mohammad Hamed MADAAR

Gina Parker
6/26/2019, 6:25:32 AM

What a great read! I currently work in administration and can honestly say this
has taught me a thing or two regarding my business emails.

https://www.instructionalsolutions.com/blog/business-email

Closing or signature:

Best,

Cordially yours,

Fond regards,

In appreciation,
In sympathy,

Kind regards,
Kind thanks,
Kind wishes,

Many thanks,

Regards,
Respectfully,
Respectfully yours,

Sincerely,
Sincerely yours,

Thanks,
Thank you,
Thank you for your assistance in this matter,
Thank you for your consideration,
Thank you for your recommendation,
Thank you for your time,

Warm regards,
Warm wishes,
Warmly,

With appreciation,
With deepest sympathy,
With gratitude,
With sincere thanks,
With sympathy,

Your help is greatly appreciated,

Yours cordially,
Yours faithfully,
Yours sincerely,
Yours truly,
Letter Closings to Avoid

There are certain closings that you want to avoid in any business
letter. Most of these are simply too informal. Some examples of
closings to avoid are listed below:

Always,
Cheers,
Love,
Take care,
XOXO,

Some closings (such as “Love” and “XOXO”) imply a level of

closeness that is not appropriate for a business letter. Rule of
thumb: if you would use the closing in a note to a close friend, it’s
probably not suitable for business correspondence.
Capitalization

Capitalize the first word of your closing. If your closing is more than
one word, capitalize the first word and use lowercase for the other
words.
==-=

Typed Signature
Email Address
Phone
LinkedIn URL (if you have a profile)

=-0=

The format of an email message is not the same as a written letter.

For example, in a business letter, you include your name and
contact information at the top of the letter. You do not include this
information at the top of an email. Instead, it goes in your email
signature.

==-==

Don’t get too carried away and be wary of including too many links
in your email signature. Just link to the most important information.
Before you add every possible URL where you appear online,
consider where you'd most like people to click.

For example, if your LinkedIn profile encapsulates your career

history best, use that. If your Twitter feed showcases career-related
skills (e.g., marketing abilities), a link there may be more
meaningful. But you don’t need both.

Also important is leaving things out that don’t belong in an email

signature when you’re sending emails related to your job search,
such as inspirational quotes in their signatures. While adding cute
inspirational quotes are fine for personal emails, it’s just not
professional enough for a work-related email.

==--

FirstName LastName
Marketing Director, ABC Company
Street
City, State Zip Code
Email Address
Phone

Sample Email Signature With LinkedIn

FirstName LastName
Email Address
Phone
LinkedIn URL

Sample Email Signature With Twitter

FirstName LastName
Email Address
Phone
LinkedIn URL
Twitter Account

==-0=
How to Set Up Your Email Signature

Each email server has different steps you must take to set up your
email signature. Typically, you can click “Settings” on your email
account, and find a tab that tells you how and where to add a
signature.

Once you add a signature, this should automatically be added to all

of your outgoing messages. This means you do not actually have to
write in the signature every time you send an email — it will
automatically be added to the end of your email.

--=

Close your letter with one meaningful

sentence
 Whether you’re lining up a meeting, sending in a resume, or querying
a potential resource, you want your letter to end in a way that leaves
clear where you stand. Some examples:

 I look forward to meeting you at the seminar on Tuesday, July 11.

 Thanks for your consideration; please let me know if you have any
questions.

 My deadline is Friday, so I hope to get your perspective on this matter

soon.

 Your guidance has been invaluable, and I hope to work with you
again soon.

You might want the person you’re contacting to immediately do

something, like mark their calendar, start crafting an urgent response,
or add you to the list of people they know to count on in the future.
Occasionally, you may just want them to feel appreciated. Whatever
that action is, make it clear in your final sentence.

How not to sign off a formal letter

Just as it was very important in sixth grade to not accidentally address

your English teacher as “Mom,” it is crucial to not sign off your
business letter with “love.” Or “fondly.”
Pause for a moment and imagine the recipient of your formal
correspondence sitting at a mahogany desk, masterfully opening your
envelope with an old-timey letter opener (who even has those
anymore?) and reading in rapt attention until your ending, where you
signed: “passionately.” What a delicious nightmare!

In this vein, you don’t want to be too casual when closing a letter. If
you’re writing a friend, you can get away with an informal “-xo” or
“ciao,” but with new work contacts, you’ll want to dial down your
effusion to “warm regards,” “cheers,” or “Happy Friday.”

10 best letter closings for ending of a formal

business letter

As a writer, you may revel in finding new ways to get your point
across—to avoid communicating formulaically. But ending a letter is
not an ideal venue for tinkering with language or otherwise
reinventing the wheel. Just as such correspondence often begins with
the tried-and-true salutation “Dear Person’s Name,” you should be
comfortable using a variety of closing salutations. Take a look at
some of the best business letter closings you will come across.

1 Yours truly
Like a navy blue jacket or a beige appliance, “yours truly” doesn’t
stand out, and that’s good. The message here is “I think we can safely
agree how I sign off isn’t the part of this letter that matters.”

2 Sincerely

Another sturdy option: literally, “I mean it.” Again, the purpose of

these sign-offs is to unobtrusively get out of the way, and “sincerely”
does the job.

3 Thanks again

If you’ve already said “thanks” once, why not say it again? Just be
careful not to step on your closing sentence, if that also pertains to
gratitude: you don’t want to botch the finale with an unwieldy “thanks
again again.”

4 Appreciatively

This one can help you avoid overusing the word “thanks.” It also
sounds less clunky than “gratefully.”

5 Respectfully

This one is tinged with deference, so make sure it suits the occasion.
For instance, if you’re writing your landlord to enumerate a series of
egregious failures and abuses and your closing sentence is
“Unfortunately, if these deficiencies are not soon remedied, my next
step may be legal action,” then ending with “respectfully” is
awkward.

6 Faithfully

If “respectfully” is a little deferential, this one is a cut above. Again,

make sure it’s right for the occasion. If you picture someone reading it
and cringing, you have other options.

6 Regards

Like “sincerely” and “best,” this one is dependable and restrained, but
it comes with a variety of optional accessories. Consider tricking it
out with a gentle adjective, like so:

7 Best regards

If you’re concerned that “regards” alone may seem too stiff or

pointedly neutral, go ahead and attach “best”—it’s like adding a polite
smile.

8 Warm regards

“Warm regards” is one of a few sign-offs you can experiment with

involving warmth. While a word like “warmly” assumes too much
intimacy for initial correspondence, this route may prove handy once
you’re more acquainted: warm wishes.

9 Kind regards
A final variation on the theme of “regards,” this classy number strikes
a balance between formality and closeness. If you don’t want to be
too friendly but are worried about seeming stuffy or standoffish, “kind
regards” is a solid bet.

10 Best

Some see “best” as flippant and hurried. Best what, anyway? Best
wishes? Still, others argue it’s your best default option. Judge for
yourself.

Once you’re in the habit of sending and receiving important emails

and know how to end a business letter, you’ll develop an instinct for
when such letter sign offs make sense and when they’re gauche.

Yours sincerely,

Grammarly

==-=\

What about disclaimer?

--=-=

57 Ways To Sign Off On An

Email
Susan AdamsForbes Staff
 Education

I’m a senior editor in charge of Forbes’ education coverage.

One day last fall, my colleague Miguel Moralesreceived an email

with a sign-off that was so strange, it has stuck in his mind for
the last year. It came from Melissa Geisler, who works in digital
sports programming and production at Yahoo YHOO +0% .
Below Geisler’s title and above her cell phone number was this
mystifying quote: “The Bird is equal to or greater than the
Word,” attributed to someone named, simply, “scientist.”

With this and other strange sign-offs in mind, Miguel suggested

I tackle the subject of how best to conclude an email. I polled
colleagues, friends and four people I’d consider experts,
including Cynthia Lett, 55, a business etiquette consultant in
Silver Spring, MD. Below is their combined wisdom and some
commentary of my own. I offer four rules and a long list of
potential sign-offs.

Gallery: The 10 Happiest And Unhappiest Jobs

21 images

View gallery

But first, Geisler’s quote. She says it came from an episode of

the animated cable TV show Family Guy, about a song from the
1960s. “That was me trying to have a little fun,” she says,
adding that she has since changed her signature to add Yahoo’s
new logo, and abandoning the quote, which she hoped
recipients enjoyed while it lasted. Much as I respect Geisler’s
attempt at levity, I think it’s a mistake to leave people guessing
about what you want to say.

Here are my four rules for signing off on emails:

1. Don’t include quotes.

2. Avoid oversized corporate logos. Sometimes we have

no choice about this, because our companies insist we include
these things, but if they are too big, they draw the eye away
from the message.

3. Include your title and contact info, but keep it

short. In most business emails, you’re doing the person a favor
by sharing your vital information. But make it minimal. Mine
just says, “Susan Adams, Senior Editor, Forbes 212-206-5571.”
A short link to your website is fine but avoid a laundry list of
links promoting your projects and publications.

4. Do include some kind of sign-off. Mark Hurst, 40,

author of Bit Literacy: Productivity in the Age of Information
and E-mail Overload, says the function of a sign-off is to signal
the end of a message, so the recipient knows it didn’t get short-
circuited. “To me the sign-off is not so much style as function in
the service of clearly communicating your message,” he says.

Win At Work: An eBook From Forbes

Land a great job, handle your boss and get ahead today.

Etiquette consultant Lett advocates a more formal approach. “I

don’t believe emails are conversations,” she says. “They’re
letters.” I disagree. Emails are their own form of
communication and they’re evolving fast. Farhad Manjoo,
35, Wall Street Journal technology columnist and until
recently, the voice behind a Slate podcast, “Manners for the
Digital Age,” puts it well: “An email is both a letter and an
instant message,” he observes.

All of that said, here is a list of common and not-so-common

email sign-offs, with commentary and notes from the experts.
Best – This is the most ubiquitous; it’s totally safe. I
recommend it highly and so do the experts.

My Best – A little stilted. Etiquette consultant Lett likes it.

My best to you – Lett also likes this one. I think it’s old-
fashioned.

All Best – Harmless.

All the best – This works too.

Best Wishes –Seems too much like a greeting card but it’s not
bad.

Bests – I know people who like this but I find it fussy. Why do
you need the extra “s?”

Best Regards – More formal than the ubiquitous “Best.” I use

this when I want a note of formality.

Regards – Fine, anodyne, helpfully brief. I use this.

Rgds – I used to use this but stopped, because it’s trying too
hard to be abbreviated. Why not type three more letters? OK if
you’re sending it from your phone.

Warm Regards – I like this for a personal email to someone

you don’t know very well, or a business email that is meant as a
thank-you.

Warmest Regards – As good as Warm Regards, with a touch

of added heat.

Warmest – I use this often for personal emails, especially if

I’m close to someone but not in regular touch.

Warmly – This is a nice riff on the “warm” theme that can

safely be used among colleagues.
Take care – In the right instances, especially for personal
emails, this works.

Thanks - Lett says this is a no-no. “This is not a closing. It’s a

thank-you,” she insists. I disagree. Forbes Leadership editor
Fred Allen uses it regularly and I think it’s an appropriate,
warm thing to say. I use it too.

Thanks so much – I also like this and use it, especially when
someone—a colleague, a source, someone with whom I have a
business relationship—has put time and effort into a task or
email.

Thanks! – This rubs me the wrong way because I used to have

a boss who ended every email this way. She was usually asking
me to perform a task and it made her sign-off seem more like a
stern order, with a forced note of appreciation, than a genuine
expression of gratitude. But in the right context, it can be fine.

Thank you – More formal than “Thanks.” I use this

sometimes.

Thank you! – This doesn’t have the same grating quality as

“Thanks!” The added “you” softens it.

Many thanks – I use this a lot, when I genuinely appreciate

the effort the recipient has undertaken.

Thanks for your consideration – A tad stilted with a note

of servility, this can work in the business context, though it’s
almost asking for a rejection. Steer clear of this when writing a
note related to seeking employment.

Thx – I predict this will gain in popularity as our emails

become more like texts. Lett would not approve.

Hope this helps – I like this in an email where you are trying
to help the recipient.

Looking forward – I use this too. I think it’s gracious and

warm, and shows you are eager to meet with the recipient.

Rushing – This works when you really are rushing. It

expresses humility and regard for the recipient.

In haste – Also good when you don’t have time to proofread.

Be well – Some people find this grating. Not appropriate for a

business email.

Peace – Retro, this sign-off wears its politics on its sleeve. It

doesn’t bother me but others might recoil.

Yours Truly – I don’t like this. It makes me feel like I’m ten
years old and getting a note from a pen pal in Sweden.

Yours – Same problem as above.

Very Truly Yours – Lett likes this for business emails but I
find it stilted and it has the pen pal problem.

Sincerely – Lett also likes this but to me, it signals that the
writer is stuck in the past. Maybe OK for some formal business
correspondence, like from the lawyer handling your dead
mother’s estate.

Sincerely Yours – Same problem as “Sincerely,” but hokier.

Lett likes this for business correspondence. I don’t.

Cheers! – I wonder how prevalent this is in the UK. I’ve only

seen it from Americans who are trying for a British affectation. I
know it shouldn’t grate on me but it does. I also don’t like
people telling me to cheer up.

Ciao – Pretentious for an English-speaker, though I can see

using it in a personal, playful email.

-Your name – Terse but just fine in many circumstances.

Probably not a good idea for an initial email.

-Initial – Good if you know the recipient and even fine in a

business context if it’s someone with whom you correspond
frequently.

Love – This seems too informal, like over-sharing in the

business context, but Farhad Manjoo points out that for some
people, hugging is common, even at business meetings. For
them, this sign-off may work.

XOXO – I’ve heard of this being used in business emails but I

don’t think it’s a good idea.

Lots of love – I would only use this in a personal email. The

“lots of” makes it even more inappropriately effusive than the
simple, clean “Love.”

Hugs – It’s hard to imagine this in a business email but it’s

great when you’re writing to your granny.

Smiley face - Emoticons are increasingly accepted, though

some people find them grating. I wouldn’t sign off this way
unless I were writing to my kid.

;-) – I’ve gotten emails from colleagues with these symbols and
I find they brighten my day.

[:-) – I’m a sucker for variations on the smiley face made with
punctuation marks, though I suspect most people don’t like
them.
High five from down low – A colleague shared this awful
sign-off which is regularly used by a publicist who handles tech
clients. An attempt to sound cool, which fails.

Take it easy bro – Richie Frieman, 34, author of the new

book Reply All…And Other Ways to Tank Your Career, says he
regularly gets this from a web designer in Santa Cruz, CA.
Though it might turn some people off, I would be fine receiving
an email with this sign-off, knowing the sender lives in an
informal milieu.

See you around – Lett would cringe but this seems fine to
me.

Have a wonderful bountiful lustful day – Tim Ferguson,

editor of Forbes Asia, regularly gets this sign-off from Joan
Koh, a travel writer in southeast Asia. It’s weird and off-putting.

Sent from my iPhone – This may be the most ubiquitous

sign-off. It used to bother me but I realize that it explains
brevity and typos. I’ve erased it from my iPhone signature
because I don’t like to freight my emails with extra words, and
in many instances I don’t want the recipient to know I’m not at
my desk. But maybe I should restore it. The same goes for
automated message on other devices.

Typos courtesy of my iPhone – Slightly clever but it’s

gotten old. Better to use the automated message.

Sent from a prehistoric stone tablet – I laughed the first

time I read it but then the joke wore thin.

Pardon my monkey thumbs – Same problem here.

Please consider the environment before printing this

e-mail. – A preachy relic of the past. Who doesn’t know that
printing uses paper?

vCards – I think these are a great idea. At least they work well
on my Dell desktop when I want to load a contact into Outlook.
This email is off the record unless otherwise
indicated – My colleague Jeff Bercovici, who covers media,
says he gets this email from friends who are inviting him to
birthday parties or other engagements and he finds it extremely
annoying. I’m wondering what kind of paranoid people put this
in their signatures.

Lengthy disclaimers – We’ve all seen these and ignored

them, though I understand that many companies require them.
Forbes’ in-house legal counsel, Kai Falkenberg, says she knows
of no cases that have relied on legal disclaimers, though she
says they might serve as persuasive evidence in a trade secrets
case where a party was attempting to keep information
confidential.

What do you think of my list? What weird, funny, offensive or

elegant sign-offs have I missed?

=-=

Opening and closing lines

Opening lines: Why do we need an opening line in a
business letter or formal email?
- to make reference to previous correspondence
- to say how you found the recipient's name/address
- to say why you are writing to the recipient.

10 Good Opening Lines:

With reference to your letter of 8 June, I ...

I am writing to enquire about ...

After having seen your advertisement in ... , I would like ...

 After having received your address from ... , I ...

I received your address from ... and would like ...

We/I recently wrote to you about ...

Thank you for your letter of 8 May.

Thank you for your letter regarding ...

Thank you for your letter/e-mail about ...

In reply to your letter of 8 May, ...

Closing lines: Why do we need a closing line in a business

letter or email?

- to make a reference to a future event

- to repeat an apology
- to offer help

10 Good Closing Lines:

If you require any further information, feel free to contact me.

I look forward to your reply.

I look forward to hearing from you.

I look forward to seeing you.

Please advise as necessary.

 We look forward to a successful working relationship in the
future.

Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate

to contact me.

Once again, I apologise for any inconvenience.

We hope that we may continue to rely on your valued custom.

I would appreciate your immediate attention to this matter.

When the recipient's name is unknown to you:

Dear Sir ... Yours faithfully

Dear Madam ... Yours faithfully

Dear Sir or Madam ... Yours faithfully

When you know the recipient's name:

Dear Mr Hanson ... Yours sincerely

Dear Mrs Hanson ... Yours sincerely

Dear Miss Hanson ... Yours sincerely

Dear Ms Hanson ... Yours sincerely

When addressing a good friend or colleague:

Dear Jack ... Best wishes/Best regards
Addressing whole departments:
Dear Sirs ... Yours faithfully

==-=

Emails that closed with a variation of thank you got significantly

more responses than emails ending with other popular closings.
Email Closing Response Rate

thanks in advance 65.7%

thanks 63.0%
thank you 57.9%
cheers 54.4%
kind regards 53.9%
regards 53.5%
best regards 52.9%
best 51.2%
Baseline
47.5%
(all emails in sample)

=-=

Don't Forget the Template

As you probably noticed, the good example above used a
signature template. There's a good reason for that. Templates
are a great way to add an extra degree of professionalism to
your business email.
 Here are some reasons to use pro email signature templates:

1. Saves Time. With a signature template, you don't have to

create your own professional looking electronic signature.
All you need to do is modify the template to include your
own information.
2. Saves Money. Using a professional email signature
template means you don't have to pay a designer to
create a brand-new template for your email signatures.
3. Professional. Since email signature templates are
created by design professionals, the template you use will
follow design conventions and appear professional.
4. Proven. You can see the number of downloads and
ratings to determine how well a particular email signature
template has worked for others.

Browse through numerous professional email signature

templates at Envato's GraphicRiver marketplace. For a closer
look at some of the best and most popular email signature
templates, review these articles:

E M AI L

==-=
Attaching and enclosing documents

I attach ... .

I enclose ... .

Please find enclosed … .

--=
Attn Martin Stones for the attention of (= to be read by) Martin Stones

=-=