Every organisation relies on communication. To avoid misconceptions, information should be conveyed between management and team members as soon as possible. Thanks to the evolution of technology, several tools for corporate communication, including email, are now available.
Business email is a quick and effective way to interact with clients, prospective customers, employees, and management. According to a study by the International Data Corporation (IDC), workers spend 28 percent of their work week reading and answering email, but that doesn’t mean everyone uses it effectively.
Emails are also used to directly address clients and potential customers; you would not want to leave them confused or disappointed after reading through an email you sent. Learning the proper business email etiquette will help you convey your professional image and leave the right impression on your clients.
Here are some of the basics of proper business email that you can keep in mind:
- Make use of a clear subject line.
The subject line is the first thing the receiver sees before opening the email and so you need to make sure it is brief, to the point and summarizes the content of the email.
If the subject line is vague and imprecise in any way, the recipient may choose not to prioritize or open it, and please do not even think of leaving it blank.
- Address the recipient appropriately.
Make use of the right salutations and title depending on the relationship with the recipient. Do not assume that you can address new contacts by their first names or shorten them.
“Hey Axara” could work for your co-workers. Use conventional and professional titles and last names like Mr., Mrs., Dr., Ms. etc. for clients and external parties.
- Be clear and maintain a professional tone.
If you’re referring to a meeting or a previous conversation, make sure to be specific about the event you’re referring to. Specify and provide details to assist in explaining and ensuring that the recipient understands completely.
Business emails should have a professional tone that uses clear and appropriate language rather than abbreviations and colloquialisms. Also, avoid including non-shareable details and confidential information.
- Use punctuation and avoid all caps.
It’s so much easier to read an email when you use proper punctuation. Commas, apostrophes, question marks, and quotation marks all help in the formation of complete sentences and the clear communication of ideas.
Exclamation points should be used sparingly, and you really should avoid using all caps except for acronyms, no matter how tempting it is. Make better use of your words to get the message across.
- Respond promptly and thoroughly to all concerns.
Acknowledge all emails in a timely manner. Quick responses may be required to move forward with an action. Within 24 hours, and preferably the same working day, is the best possible time. If it is complicated, send an email confirming receipt and informing the recipient that you will contact them. Don’t just ignore emails outright.
To avoid an unnecessary back-and-forth that can become exhausting, make sure to address all concerns and questions when responding.
- Proofread and double-check everything.
Do not be in a hurry to hit the “Send” button. Read through your email to make sure that there are no spelling or grammatical errors. Did you add the attachment you wanted to? Is the email address correct? Were the right people copied in the email?
The last thing you want to do is to accidentally add someone who should not be there or send out an email with all manner of errors in it to a colleague and most certainly not a client.
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- Use a professional sign-off and add an email signature.
Create a corporate email signature that could include your full name, title, company name, company website, and phone number, and other vital contact information. Add the signature automatically at the end of each email.
Email signoffs are always defined by your relationship with the recipient and the content of your email. It is important to get the signoffs right. Signoffs can be slightly casual for co-workers and very professional for external parties.
- Understand that structure is important.
A professional email must include a subject line, greeting, body, signature, and sign-off. Do not skip anyone.
Since most people do not read emails verbatim, keep your paragraphs brief and use blank lines between them to make them easier to comprehend. Begin each paragraph by emphasising the most crucial facts and to maintain the outline, number your points or separate them with blank lines.
These are some of the many helpful tips to employ when writing business emails. Learning the right business email etiquettes will help you create warm connections and build a reputation for being helpful and dependable. There is more to learn, and perhaps a second part of this article might be created.