How to write an email properly can vary from company to company, it is best to find out the tone of your company’s address (formal or informal). If you are addressing a customer or client there are 10 rules that always apply:
- Address the person by name in your greeting For example: “Dear John”
- Ease into the purpose of your email first by being polite and including a greeting such as; “I trust you are well” or “I hope you have had a good week so far”. It is impolite to jump straight into business in an email.
- Remember to keep things as brief and short as possible.
- Emails are often written in conversational tones which means there is room for misunderstandings. You must include facts, instructions or questions that are clear, friendly and to the point.
- If there are multiple points of information that you need to present, then do so in bullet points or multiple short paragraphs. This makes the email easier to read and understand.
- Stick to one topic per email. If you are needing to present various pieces of unrelated information to one person, rather send them separate emails for each topic so it is less confusing for the recipient.
- If the email is sensitive or can be misunderstood, always call the person first to clarify and then send the email after.
- The purpose of an email is to create a paper trail to ensure accountability. If you can call the person instead then do so. Do not allow emails to be the only form of communication between you and clients as this will not help you build a relationship
- If your email is long, include a short conclusion to allow the person to piece together all that you have said.
- Finally, finish your email with another polite greeting such as: “have a lovely day” or “if you need anything more please let me know”.
