Does this post on my blog seem off-topic to you? I assure you that it is not, both because I am talking about online content (Do you think that email is not the emblem of digital communication?!) and because knowing how to write a professional work email is essential, in every job. and sector.
Email: online communication
I'm becoming more and more aware of how important it is to be able to choose the right words, the right tone, the right mood, and the right linguistic nuances when writing an email. I am certainly not referring to those pedantic, hyper-formal linguistic styles that give so much the idea of "form" but little "substance."
Email is a really effective, fast and simple communication tool between people but, being online, therefore assuming a barrier (which can be a smartphone, PC or tablet), it does not allow both who writes and who receives , convey tones and intentions, which often cause unnecessary misunderstandings.
Don't expect stratospheric advice (I certainly haven't discovered hot water!), but, more than anything, I'd like to share a few points, simple but never trivial, to always keep in mind when writing a work email.
10 Tips for Writing an Effective Business Email
1. Start writing your email by greeting your interlocutor (the degree of formality or informality depends on the relationship you have with him and/or his job) and, if necessary, thanking him by an e-mail.
Example 1: "Hello Daniela, thank you for your kind email."
Example 2: "Hello Daniela, thank you for your previous email, clear and complete with all the information."
Example 3: "Dear Daniela, Thank you for your email."
2. Make sure you choose the “right” words - One term instead of another can significantly change the meaning of a sentence or intention you want to express.
-> If you have to confirm something, opt for the verb "confirm" and not "communicate."
Example 1: "I wanted to confirm my availability to..." and not write "I wanted to communicate my availability to...". All this may seem trivial, but it is not at all, a verb, an adjective, a noun have their own communicative power, capable of differentiating it from all the others.
-> Use synonyms.
Instead of always writing “say,” choose between “communicate,” “affirm,” “support,” etc.
3. Moderate your use of the term “urgent” .
When is something really urgent? This word is often abused, inserting in the email almost as if it had become a routine, the concept of urgency, but be careful, because doing so can cause a feeling of unnecessary anxiety and frustration towards our collaborator / client. / Couple. To avoid everything always being urgent (it wouldn't be very credible and unprofessional either, wouldn't it?!), organize your communications on time: if you know that an activity is especially important to you, communicate it by e-mail to your interlocutor a few days in advance and possibly send a reminder a few days later.
Remember: Urgency often arises from a lack of profitable personal organization.
4. Take care of the punctuation .
Precisely because email is not vocal, therefore it does not transmit accents and tone of the language, it is essential to help yourself with punctuation to convey the correct communicative intention. Use commas, periods wisely, and use exclamation and question marks sparingly.
If you insert a lot of question marks at the end of a question, over email, it can seem like you are almost mocking your interlocutor, even if in reality your intention was only to understand whether they had correctly understood your message. .
Example 1: “I wanted to continue the business this way. “Everything clear?????????????????????” This question can be interpreted as: “Is everything clear or do I still have to explain everything to you again? You understand? «. Choose a much softer tone, such as:
Example 2: “I wanted to continue the business this way. what do you think about it? It's good for you? «.
5. Be clear and exhaustive, providing all the information to your interlocutor .
By doing so, you will both avoid further clarification emails, which will waste time.
6. Always say thank you at the end of the email .
Sometimes I receive requests to perform tasks without the final "thank you" and do you know what I think? Well, “thank you” is never denied to anyone, especially if I ask someone to do something!
Example 1: “Then I would ask you to create the editorial plan for the next month. Thanks thanks! / Thanks a lot!" etc.
7. Close the email by creating empathy .
A very simple “See you soon!”, “Have a nice day!”, “Good job!” They can represent linguistic bridges between indifference and an empathetic attitude.
8. Remember to CC all the people who were already present in previous conversations .
If a certain number of people have been copied, there will be a reason: they too need to be up to date on advances in communication.
9. Never forget the email subject .
It is the first form of presentation: the subject of the email must be brief, immediately understandable and immediately refer to the heart of the topic. It is a kind of preview of what the interlocutor will read in the body of the email.
10. Send emails sparingly .
Absolutely avoid bombarding your interlocutor with emails.
-> Try to provide all the information in a single email
-> Don't send a reminder email to ask if you have received your email or when you will reply after a few hours or 1 day since you sent your email. Give your interlocutor adequate time to respond: we are all very busy and every email deserves an adequate response time.
