Best Practices for Professional Emails

Writing and receiving emails has become a normal part of daily life, both in personal and business communication. Here are some important points to consider when writing an email.

We write formal emails when we want to be polite, or when we do not know the reader very well. A lot of work emails are formal.

We write informal emails when we want to be friendly, or when we know the reader well.

 Emails almost always use the same structure:

– Subject line

Keep it simple and to the point. Examples:

• Online meeting
• Event next week
• Brainstorming session

– Greeting or no greeting?

How you start your email depends on who you are writing to. In informal situations some people start with “Hi” or “Hello”, others with the first name of the recipient, or others with no name or greeting at all… however, if the email is formal, then it is always better to use the formal expressions for example “Dear…”.

– No greeting

Sometimes, you have to write quick emails to colleagues or friends. In these cases, using email is almost like using the telephone. Therefore, you don’t need to write any greeting or name, but just start the message.

– Reason for writing

Some expressions you can use are:

• I am writing because…
• This is just to let you know…
• Thank you for your email…

– Main point

Keep this part of the email clear and concise so as not to confuse the recipient. Remember, written communication relies on using precise language to avoid misunderstandings. 

“I look forward to hearing from you” this expression can be used in both formal and informal emails. There are a variety of closing phrases, such as “Cheers” or “Thanks” for informal emails. 

• Write simple, direct English.
• Avoid using emoticons and smileys in business emails, or too many exclamation marks.
• Remember to check your email before sending it.

Do you know more best practices to write professional emails in English? Share in the comments.

Best Practices for Professional Emails

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