Traditionally, when we want to send important letters as regards business dealings and transactions, we send them through a snail mail. However, as technology is constantly on update, our messages can immediately and can right away be received by our intended recipients. This is among the benefits of computers that we enjoyed today. A lot of people would prefer to write an email business letter as it is convenient and can be done with just some clicks. But what exactly is business email writing and how do you create one?
In this article, we provide you tips for writing business email in the most simple and comprehensive way. Check them out in the next sections.
It is inevitable that writing and receiving email have become part of daily life, both in private and business correspondence. When you are writing an email to your family or friends, you may be as casual as you want in your tone. However, that is not the case when you write one to your client or even your boss. You have to comply with some business email etiquette rules that everyone is required to follow.
Confused on how to start your business email? We will surely help you get through to it. Below are some helpful tips for writing a business email that you must read when you want to have a presentable business email.
It is without a doubt that the subject line is the first thing a recipient reads. It is the most crucial part because the decision of whether or not to open an email depends highly on how the subject line looks. The recipient would always check on the subject line first before proceeding to read the whole thing in order to have a glimpse on what the email is all about. So, you have to make sure the subject line is simple and specific yet catchy. Use the appropriate keywords that briefly summarize the content of your message.
In starting your email writing, the first thing that must be read by your recipient after the subject line is the salutation or the greetings. There are a lot of greetings that you can start your email with depending on your relationship with your recipient, but the most standard and common ones are as follows:
In the first four examples, you have to know the contact name as your recipient; however, if you cannot really obtain the name of your recipient or you are unsure as to whom you are sending the email, you must address it “to whom it may concern.” There are times when you really need to know the name of your recipient. In that case, do not hesitate to call and ask for the person’s name. There are also some people who use informal salutations, such as “Good morning” or “Hi.” This depends on how formal your relationships are with your recipient.
If you are writing in response to the email response from the certain person, you must thank him or her by writing “thank you for your prompt reply” or other similar sentences. This is important so that you will start your email on a positive note, creating a good first impression of you. This will also lighten up and set the mood of the reader. It is not always that a reader is in a good mood, so it is better to set the mood first before proceeding to the main message.
You must clearly define your purpose in writing at the very beginning of the email no matter how complex your email appears to be by writing “I am contacting you as regards or with regards to or regarding” or “I am writing to you in reference to.” It will help the reader understand the purpose of your email. Some people do not want the hassle of reading long boring mails, so save their time and mood by creating and writing a concise one. You have to make sure that you write the complete information and that it is written concisely that can easily understood by the reader.
Since most business people have no time to read all the emails they receive, being clear and precise in your email writing is very important. You must be specific about the purpose of your email as this will save them time and will be much appreciated. It is also a great idea to have several paragraphs in the body of your email, based on the topics you raise. You can also use bullet points as it is easier to read them. Either way, present your business email in a manner that the can be easily read and immediately understood by your recipient. This will surely help them save their precious time and your time as well since you need not write long paragraphs anymore.
With regard to the writing tone of your email, your manner of speaking depends on who you are talking to. It typically comes naturally and is based on your relationship with your recipient. However, you must maintain that tone through your whole email for consistency.
Below are some examples demonstrating different tones in writing an email:
Informal: Can you…?
Formal: I was wondering if you could…
Informal: My apologies. I can’t meet you for I’m busy on that day.
Formal: I am afraid I will not be available to make it that day.
It is never easy to deliver a bad news. However, there are really instances that you have to especially when working in a business environment.
In order to do this, you must first give the reader neutral or positive information first. After, you can move to the negative part, explaining what caused it and why it is important or essential. The concluding part of the message should provide an optimistic note or a potential solution to the problem. You must not conceal or minimize the scope of the problem, but leave the reader with the impression that you are taking action to fix it.
Before you end your email, thank the recipient again by saying “Thank you for your consideration.” Furthermore, you may also write “If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask and contact me” or “I look forward to hearing from you.” This will tell the person that it is absolutely okay to ask questions if they have confusions and further inquiries in mind.
In closing your email, you must close it in the same manner and tone as you open it. There are a lot of ways to do so, and it solely depends on the formality of your relationship with the recipient, similar to what has been previously discussed.
Here are few examples of closing that you can use for formal (the first four examples) and less formal (the last three examples on the list) letters:
Before sending your email, it is very important to read it again and check carefully before hitting the send button. See if there are any typographical errors, grammatical errors, punctuation errors, or inappropriate word usage. You may also ask someone to do the proofreading for you.
The above are some basic tips for writing a business email, and with those, you can surely create your own one now. There might seem to have lots of rules to follows, but you can surely get used to them with constant practice and application of those tips.
It is true that everybody can instantly write a business email, but not everyone knows how to do it in a tone specific and personal to the recipient. In writing a business email, you must always check your tone in writing and maintain professionalism. Other tips for business writing include the following: take time for your subject line, start your email with proper greetings, give thanks, be clear and precise, save everyone’s precious time, be consistent in your writing tone, always avoid the negative, repeat your thank-yous, close your email well, and lastly, don’t forget to check and recheck.
The above tips can surely make a difference in the way business email. It will somehow improve and enhance your writing into something presentable and more professional. If in case you still have a hard in starting to create your own business email, you can always refer to the examples presented above.
