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WRITING EFFECTIVE BUSINESS EMAILS

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WHY EMAIL ETIQUETTE IS IMPORTANT

• Emails don’t have facial expressions, so they can easily be misinterpreted• By using proper email etiquette, you convey a professional image to the reader• Emails that are exactly to the point are more effective than poorly worded ones

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DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF AN EMAIL

• Recipients – To, CC, BCC• Subject Line• Salutation• Message Text• Attachments• Email Signature

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RECIPIENTS

• Limit the email to only who those who need to know• To field should contain those recipients you directly intend the message to be,

usually you expect a reply or acknowledgement from them• CC field is used for two purposes:• To inform the management about the work you are doing• When emailing someone for the first time, putting the reference in cc is a good

practice• BCC is when you do not want the recipient(s) to know whom else this email has

been sent to. Eg: Asking employees to fill in personal information sheet

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RECIPIENTS – POINTS TO BE NOTED

• Check all addresses with CTRL+K• Do not use Reply All option unless necessary• Use BCC to protect Email addresses unless everyone knows each other. This is a

common reason why internal email addresses get leaked to spammers.

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SUBJECT LINE

• It is the headline of the email – Relate to a newspaper• Grab Attention• Should be a one-liner summarizing the entire message• Refrain from using long subject lines• Use RE: and FW: appropriately• Using Reg. and Ref: when needed• Use Action Reqd: FYA: when you require action from recipient(s)• Use FYI: when no action is intended from the recipient(s)• Use Outlook’s Important feature when required, but don’t overuse• Use Confidential: when sending sensitive information• Capitalization very important, Do not send “status update for xyz project”, send

“Status update for XYZ Project”

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SALUTATION

• Salutations are must, replying without salutations is considered rude, unless within the team

• Avoid using Mr./Dr. unless they are old school people who demand it• Best way of addressing is Hi <Name>, or Dear <Name>,• Do not misspell names, very important!

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ATTACHMENTS

• Understand mailbox limits – Do not attach files more than 10MB, use a Cloud Link – Eg: Google Drive, Dropbox

• Zip files when attachments are more, say 10• Always attach files first and then compose, this helps you avoid “Oops, I missed to

attach the file in my earlier email”• Mention in the message text that you have attached the file(s) with the email,

otherwise recipients might tend to overlook the attachments

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MESSAGE TEXT – GENERAL TIPS

• Clearly keep in mind to whom the email is being sent before you start writing. Eg: Technical tone when writing a mail to tech support

• Try to keep the email short and crisp – Not more than one screen length• Return emails within the same time you would normally return phone calls• Check for punctuation, spelling and grammar• Never use CAPS – it is considered to be flaming• Use a uniform font that has a professional look – Calibri size 11• Use a positive tone, “When you complete the report” sounds better than “If you

complete the report”• Avoid negative words – useless, worthless, etc.,

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MESSAGE TEXT – GENERAL TIPS

• Avoid ambiguous text, which can be misunderstood• No flaming – no capitals, no red font• Identify yourself clearly when sending email first time to new recipient• Quote selectively when replying to long messages• Proofread• Break mail into paragraphs and use active voice• Use inverted pyramid • Use text editor like notepad when copy pasting from the internet to remove unwanted formatting

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MESSAGE TEXT – GENERAL TIPS

• If you want a response from the reader, please write this in the first paragraph itself, as most of them might not read beyond that

• Use bullet numbers when you give instructions, or identify points Eg: Client Checklist, Steps to fix the problem, etc.,

• Capitalize abbreviations and be gender neutral(Do not write “Is user clicks, he will be taken to the next page”, write “If user clicks, he/she will be taken to the next page)

• Use formal and informal when necessaryInformal – Thanks for emailing me on 15th FebruaryFormal – Thank you for your email dated 15th FebruaryInformal – Sorry, I can’t make it.Formal – I am afraid I will not be able to attendInformal – Can you…?Formal – I was wondering if you could….?

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EMAIL SIGNATURE

• Use a short signature for replies and forwards and a long signature for new mails• Maintain same text size and font style• Make sure images if present are displayed properly• Name, Title, Organization, Email ID, Website, Official Phone, Company Social IDs

need to be mentioned in long signature• Name, Organization, Contact Number, Website in short signature• Use copyright text and anti-virus disclaimer in long signature

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EMAIL MANAGEMENT

• Keep Emails Confidential – Frequently Change Passwords• Organize Emails into Folders• Keep copies of sent mail• Delete unwanted emails then and there• Set Out-Of-Office when on leave• Acknowledge emails when you need more time for replying• Write anticipatory emails – Supply full information to the recipient and reduce

extended email threads

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MEETINGS

• Mark attendees as Required and Optional• Write meeting agenda clearly• Write meeting instructions clearly, Eg: No mobile phones/Mobiles in silent mode• Send minutes without fail, assign minutes person before starting• Provide meeting location and time clearly, extra care when using global time

zones, voice conference and video conference links should be shared• Send meeting cancellations and updates at the earliest• Accept Meeting Invites for Courtesy

THANK YOU!