You’ve just landed a new job and you were asked by your boss to send an important email. It is crucial to write emails clearly and concisely to make it effective, reliable and well-understood by everyone. It should cross the borders of multitude races, levels of language and walks of life. Writing effective emails at the workplace will guarantee success, especially when you are working in a large organization with a huge list of employees and superiors.
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty part of email writing and I hope you find the following tips helpful in writing effective emails at the workplace.
Know your purpose
What are your main objectives and reasons for sending an email? Try your best to highlight the important points of your message, it is informed, educated or elicit a reply from the other party. Be straightforward and mention your intention instantly at the beginning of the email. Apply the inverted pyramid style of writing where important matters are mentioned first then least towards the end.
Ask yourself if sending an email is necessary, is the message worth of your time or the recipient’s attention. If you can’t define the purpose of your email, then there is no need to send anything.
Letting the purpose easily understandable by the reader is a sure-fire way of having your email read up to the last word.
A Good Format
A well-structured email body can answer the questions “What”, “So What” and “Now What”. “What” meaning “subject or the definition of the topic”, so what “the benefits” and now what “the call to action” reply to the message.
A good example could be written as:
What: New Health Insurance Coverage
So What: “Wide & Instant Coverage for you and dependents etc..
Now What: “Submission of documents mentioning dependents”
Having your email formatted in this manner improves the flow and cohesiveness of your writing. By clearly illustrating the topic, the compelling reason and the expected action from the reader, you’ll be assured that the message is sent the way it should be meant to be.
Short and Sweet Email Subject
Appealing to the senses of the reader is also a sure-fire way to elicit a response. A short and catchy email subject line with the right keyword may generate interest from people. If you are struggling to keep it short, think about words that matter less and eliminate them in the subject.
Instead of saying “Your medical cards delivered on Tuesday, the 25th of May” you may use ” “Our Medical Cards Delivery”. You’ve noticed the word “your” in the subject line, inserting pronouns in the first-person point of view creates an impression of concern and seriousness in your writing.
Use the “One Thing” rule
A good introduction can be a make or break of your email message. With the advent of and hustles of social media, it is really hard to compete with people’s attention. Get your facts straight and stick to a single subject as much as possible. Less is more.
Make them feel involved or part of the decision making. Mention names, thank them in advance or at least offer them benefits
There you have it, some easy to follow tips which you can apply in your next email writing. Always remember, the interest of the receiver always comes first.
Complete your email writing task with purpose and gusto and I’m sure your colleague or your boss will appreciate it greatly.
OFW in Dubai 