7 Tips for Writing Emails at Work

Technology interferes with our ability to write professionally. Between short emails among co-workers, 140 character Tweets, and even shorter text messaging on our phones, many of us struggle to sit down and write a professional email while at work.

Here are a seven short tips to writing a great professional email:

1. Less is more. Few people will read a long email word for word. Your emails should be to the point and only cover two to three main ideas. If you have more than that to say, consider breaking up your message into multiple emails.

2. Think of grammar, punctuation, and spelling like manners. When writing to someone in a professorial setting, don’t show disrespect by lazily writing a message full of mistakes. You should also avoid casual web lingo (LOL and TTYL) unless you know the other person well and know he or she will understand what you mean!

3. Be human. One great thing that has transpired thanks to technology is our ability to write like human beings. The “Dear Sir and Madam” intro is now reserved for attorneys. We’re all professionals here, we don’t have to sound like text books. Avoid words and phrases such as “diligently,” “utilize,” or in “regards to previous correspondence.”

4. Ease up on the exclamation marks, different colored fonts, font styles, and caps lock. None of these things are necessary when typing. Use these features sparingly.

5. Don’t forget your call to action! Similar to marketing copy, you need to finish your professional email with a one-line statement that tells the recipient what to do next. For example, “Thanks for your help on this. Please let me know when you are available for a meeting next week.”

6. After you’ve written the email, go back and delete your first paragraph. After you write your professional email, read back through everything and see if that first paragraph is necessary. If not, just delete it. The same goes for unnecessary words and sentences. Since you only have a little bit of space to work with, delete everything that doesn’t move the email along.

7. Double check everything. Proofread the email, spell check the email, make sure you’ve attached all the necessary files.

The No. 2 Pen serves as a writing coach and provides a full suite of writing and communications services including email template writing and other online content. Contact us to learn more.

The No. 2 Pen is a full-service writing and communications company. Contact us to discuss your writing projects and editing needs.