Seven ways to write effective emails

Jessica Sedlar explores the most effective strategies for writing work emails  

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Aspire

How did you learn to write business emails? By getting on and writing them you will have found your own style. This could have been influenced, perhaps, by your personality, your role models or your company culture.

We all face pressures at work and if we’re not paying conscious attention to what we write, our emails can often end up confusing, overly long or purposeless. To check you are writing effective emails you should ask yourself these questions before hitting send:

• Is your email creating the impression of you that you want?
• Is it likely to achieve the outcome you need?
• Is it minimising the gap between the message you need to send and how the message is likely to be received?

Seven handy tips

What is your intention and your desired outcome?

Have this in mind as you write. Decide on the main points you want to communicate in your email – no more than five but, ideally, just three! Also check with yourself whether it should actually be a ‘phone call or a meeting instead.

Who do you need to copy in, and why? 

Who needs to be included in your email and how will it land with the recipient?

Be brief, succinct and clear

Use short sentences and bullet points to help with this. Remember, your email is just one in a queue and it won’t have people’s undivided attention, as you might have face-to-face, so make it as easy as possible for others to understand your intention.

Are you emotionally charged when writing?

How easily can you see other people’s point of view? If you cannot at the time of sending the email, take some time out and come back to it later when you can see the situation more objectively. Understanding someone else’s point of view is the quickest way to build trust, confidence and, ultimately, get them to see where you are coming from.

Consciously choose your tone and language

How collaborative or directive do you want to be? Choose the appropriate language to reflect this. Are you citing opinion or fact? Be clear with yourself and your recipient when you are using each. Is the tone positive? We’ve all heard of radiators who emit warmth and drains who suck energy away – which do you want to be known as?

Emphasise what you need people to do

How do you want people to think, feel or act as a result of the email? Give your email, and its recipient, a clear purpose.

Read it through completely before sending

Make sure you read it at least once to make sure your intention is clear and there are no mistakes.