Can I Fool You? 10 Business Writing Rules

For April Fools' Day, here is a list of 10 rules for effective business writing. Two of them are phony rules. Can I fool you? 

Rule 1. Always think of your reader while planning your message or document.

Rule 2. Limit your sentences to an average length of 20 words or less--less is better. 

Rule 3. Avoid writing paragraphs of just one sentence. Use a minimum of 2-3 sentences for good flow. 

Rule 4. In group emails, reply to all when you briefly thank an individual. 

Rule 5. When you write a bulleted list, structure your bullet points the same way (for example, all sentences or all clauses). 

Rule 6. Never use a comma before the word and. 

Rule 7. In thank-yous, be specific about what you are grateful for.  

Rule 8. Spell out acronyms and other abbreviations before you use the abbreviated form. 

Rule 9. Use all capital letters (CAPS LOCK) for messages when you need to grab your readers' attention. 

Rule 10. In email, always insert a subject on the subject line. 

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Which two are not rules of business writing? Did I fool you? I will share my answer in the comments later. 

LynnSyntax Training  

April 01, 2015 in Email, Teaching Business Writing, Writing Tips | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

March 28, 2015

How I Left Out Negative Feelings

This week I received a frustrating email. It was from a professional organization telling me that my proposal to present a program had been rejected.

Usually such messages carry no emotion for me. As part of doing business, they are as neutral as oatmeal. 

But this message did frustrate me: The organization had accepted the same proposal last summer. Since then, its representatives had exchanged several meaty phone calls and long strings of emails with me about choosing a day, time, place, and price for the program. Because the organization had volunteer turnover, I was introduced to a new contact twice, and both times I needed to explain the proposal. Then, this week, an email informed me that the organization's programming was going in a new direction that my proposal did not match. 

Aaargh! (I'm not sure of the spelling, but those letters communicate my feelings.) 

It was not a bad email. In fact, the email shone with politeness and professionalism. What irked me was the entire time-wasting experience.

Do you sometimes receive emails whose news exasperates you? 

I had to reply because the message needed acknowledgment. And I wanted to express my frustration about having my time wasted for months. 

But I decided to follow the advice I give business writing students all the time: I thought about my purpose in writing.

So: 

Was my purpose to lash out at the person who sent the email? No, that would be silly and immature. Besides, it was a well-written message. 

Was my purpose to express my frustration? No, what good would that do? 

Was my purpose to acknowledge the message? Yes.

Was my purpose to present myself as a professional? Yes.

Here's what I wrote, disguised slightly:

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your message. I regret not being able to present, especially since I received enthusiastic approvals of the program from the association last year. But if the program doesn’t match current programming, I agree that dropping it makes sense.

Best wishes for your continued success,

Lynn

You can see that I left out my frustration and touched only slightly on my disappointment. 

One of my friends doesn't see the benefit of leaving out the negative stuff. She would say, "If you feel that they treated you badly, why not tell them so? Don't they need to hear it?" But I always go back to the question, What is my purpose? If I want to complain, I can yell at my computer.

Do you think I communicated appropriately? What would you have done? How do you handle irritating news that arrives in your email inbox? Feel free to rant here--as long as you do it politely and professionally. (Smile.) 

For tips on relationship-building writing, get my book Business Writing With Heart: How to Build Great Work Relationships One Message at a Time. 

LynnSyntax Training  

March 28, 2015 in Courteous Writing, Email, Etiquette | Permalink | Comments (16) | TrackBack (0)

March 11, 2015

10 Questions to Flag Sensitive Situations

Sometimes you can recognize instantly that a message will lead to trouble. When you are angry or upset, you know better than to bang out a hostile email. But some sticky circumstances may not be obvious. Ask yourself these 10 questions to recognize potential problems. If you answer yes to any question, think twice or get advice before communicating in email. 

1. Could this be someone else’s news to share?In your excitement about good news, you may want to broadcast the information quickly. Maybe your company has won the contract, grant, or lawsuit. Maybe the amazing candidate has accepted the job offer. But before you email the news, ask yourself whether it is YOUR news or someone else’s to share. Sharing news that is not yours can deflate other people’s pride and excitement. It can even suggest that you were responsible for the accomplishment. On the job, don’t think of yourself as a newscaster, sharing updates whenever they happen. Let the good news come from those who own it.  

2. Do certain people need to learn this news before others? People who will be most affected by news should receive it first. For instance, if several internal candidates apply for a position, the applicants should learn which one of them got the job before everyone in the company finds out. If a team will move to another city, the people on the team need the information before the entire company requires it. Informing people in advance shows them respect, and it eliminates the embarrassment of their not knowing before others do. Avoid needless problems by thinking about your various audiences before sending one all-company message. 

3. Could including others on the Cc line hurt someone’s feelings, relationships, or reputation?It is easy to get in the habit of Ccing the team or replying to all to keep everyone informed. But everyone should NOT be informed when there is any chance that the information will embarrass or harm others. Tasks such as communicating constructive feedback, denying a request, disagreeing—even sending a straightforward reminder to someone who has missed a deadline—can create embarrassment and bad feelings when other people get a copy of the email. In these situations, do not Cc or reply to all. Communicate privately with the individual involved. 

4. Do I have feelings of discomfort about sending this message? Is there a small voice warning me not to do this?When you have any doubts about sending an email, listen to them. Doubts and feelings of discomfort are huge signs of likely insensitive communication. Maybe the solution is to wait, not communicate, or ask your manager or your human resources representative for help. It is better to delay communicating than to have to heal a strained relationship or apologize for a serious blunder. 

5. Might my manager, my human resources rep, or another professional have advice for me to consider?You may know that you need to communicate, and there is no small voice telling you not to. Yet other people may be able to help you express yourself more diplomatically or appropriately. When you suspect that your email will fall short and may damage relationships, seek advice from a trusted guide. The advice may be to call or meet in person rather than emailing. 

6. Would a face-to-face or phone conversation manage this situation more effectively? Sometimes email does not work because it is just crisp words on a screen, not the voice of a human being in conversation. Situations in which email may be insensitive are communicating bad news, denying a request, apologizing, and giving performance feedback. Email isn’t always wrong in these circumstances, but it can be. 

7. Could the timing of this communication be unfortunate for any reason? Sometimes a message is right but the timing is wrong. Maybe the timing affects one individual badly, or maybe a whole group will rebel if they receive such a message now. If an employee has just shared with you that his spouse is ill, for instance, he will not welcome a message saying overtime is required until the project is completed. If a team is preparing for a huge implementation, learning that the leader has given two weeks’ notice may cause an uproar. Such delicate situations don’t require that you hide the news but that you communicate it sensitively—maybe individually, maybe in a group meeting—and allow two-way communication. 

8. Is it possible that I do not have all the information to understand this situation?Assumptions and incomplete information damage workplace communication every day. You may think that someone is ignoring your email, when you are using an incorrect address. A delay may suggest to you that your boss has rejected your proposal, when she is really taking time to gain approval for it. Do not send email inspired by assumptions, or you risk creating a problem unnecessarily. 

9. Could this topic be inappropriate for a workplace communication? In most workplaces, religion, race, politics, sex, sexual orientation, and physical appearance are off-limits as topics. Words, cartoons, and other images on these topics will be hurtful to some people, which is the reason workplaces prohibit them. It is not acceptable to send a message on these topics to even one person because of the necessity of keeping the workplace safe and welcoming for everyone.

10. Could anything about this communication make my company look bad? Your unstated purpose in every communication is to present your organization as positively as possible. Imagine your email featured on a six o’clock evening news program. Would it make your company look like a good corporate citizen and employer? Or could it lead to scandal and embarrassment? If anything about the message might present the organization in a negative light, talk to your human resources and legal departments before moving forward. 

Do you have any questions to add to these? Have you learned any of these lessons the hard way?

(Note: This article was first published in our free monthly ezine, Better Writing at Work, as "How to Recognize Sensitive Situations." Subscribe.) 

To continue to build solid work relationships, get my award-winning book, "Business Writing With Heart: How to Build Great Work Relationships One Message at a Time." Learn more and download the first chapter. 

LynnSyntax Training

March 11, 2015 in Courteous Writing, Email, Etiquette, Writing Tips | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

February 10, 2015

10 Ways to Earn More Valentines

Where I live, bright red signs of Valentine's Day are everywhere--hearts, flowers, candies, cupids, and sugary cookies. You can buy a special valentine for almost anyone: sweetheart, lover, wife, husband, mother, someone like a mother, friend, child, sister, brother, grandpa, nana, teacher, boss, etc. 

If you would like to earn more valentines at work--in other words, to be liked and appreciated more by coworkers and others--try these business writing tips:

1. When you send an email or a text, greet your reader by name, just as you would in person or on the phone. Use Hi, Hello, Good morning, or another greeting. Diving into the message without a greeting ignores the fact that your reader is human.

2. Take time to double-check the spelling of people’s names. Kathryn will not feel appreciated if your message calls her Catherine. At least once or twice each week, someone addresses me as Lynne rather than my name, Lynn. 

3. Use positive phrases such as glad to, happy to, and look forward to communicate warmth and helpfulness.

4. Use please and thank you even in routine messages. Begin most of your replies with a thank-you, for example, "Thank you for letting me know," "Thanks for reaching out," or "Thank you for asking." 

5. Keep yourself on a first-name basis with your reader. Include your first name at the end of an email—not just your signature block. Using your first name helps you come across as a person rather than a position. 

6. Avoid abrupt one- and two-word messages that confuse people and damage relationships. Curb any desire to go crazy with punctuation. Writing "Why??!!!!!" or "Why NOT?!!!!" boots you off the Nice list. 

7. Reply quickly whenever you can. Don’t leave coworkers, employees, and customers watching the clock and waiting for your message.

8. Take time to write thoughtful messages such as thank-yous, congratulations, sympathy notes, and positive feedback. If you invest in people with these messages, you'll be forgiven an occasional gaffe. 

9. Avoid replying to all or copying others on an email in which you blame the reader or even hint at a criticism. Public shaming can earn you a permanent bad reputation. 

10. Even though you want to warm up a relationship, avoid words like hon and sweetie, which are too sticky sweet for business messages. Instead, use the person's name--and spell it correctly. 

To celebrate Valentine's Day, we are offering $5 off Business Writing With Heart: How to Build Great Work Relationships One Message at a Time  through Friday, February 20. Just use the coupon code "heart" (no quotation marks) in the shopping cart.

The 436-page paperback version of Business Writing With Heart can be a thoughtful gift for someone you like (including yourself), with detailed advice on the challenging relationship side of writing. The e-book is available from Amazon around the world. (The coupon code applies only at Syntax Training, not Amazon.)  

Do you have relationship-building communication tips to share? I would love to read them. 

Happy Valentine's Day! 

LynnSyntax Training

 

February 10, 2015 in Courteous Writing, Email, Etiquette | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

January 28, 2015

What's Missing From This Reminder?

My husband, Michael, is planning to participate in an event on Saturday. Below is the entire content of the reminder email he received today. Can you identify what's missing?

Subject: Three More Days Until the Run! 

We hope you are getting excited about participating in Saturday's group run/walk! A few things to remember:

1. Please plan on arriving early to find parking.2. Bring a food donation for the University Food Bank (optional).3. We are meeting at the basketball courts (if you look to the east, you can see Starbucks).4. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us at (425) 610-XXXX.5. Please LIKE us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/XXXXXXX6. GO SEAHAWKS!

If you were sending this reminder to people who had registered for the event, what essential information would you also include? 

Proofreading is not just identifying errors. Sometimes it involves recognizing what isn't there. If you would like to increase your proofreading skills and confidence, take our Proofreading Like a Pro class online. Learn about our upcoming public classes.

LynnSyntax Training

January 28, 2015 in Email, Proofreading | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)

January 19, 2015

How Dog Training Differs From Emailing

Outside the supermarket the other day, I walked past a man who was trying to get his dog to sit. He said, "Sit. Sit. Sit. Sit, Rudy. Sit." Each word was followed by a short pause during which the man's dog, an American Staffordshire Terrier, did not sit.

I have learned not to butt in when my help has not been requested. But I wanted to tell the man that he was teaching his dog the command "Sit. Sit. Sit. Sit, Rudy. Sit." Dog owners should say a command just once, "Rudy, sit." If the dog does not sit, then the owner should put the dog in a sit

position. That way, the dog learns the command "Sit" rather than "Sit. Sit. Sit. Sit. Sit." 

Email readers are different from dogs. Readers of email need to receive the command--the request for action--repeatedly in order to pay attention to it and respond the right way. 

Take this example:

Subject: Agenda Items for Jan. 27 Planning Meeting: Please Submit by Jan. 21 [Sit.]

Hello everyone,

By Wednesday, Jan. 21, please send me your agenda items for the Jan. 27 planning meeting. [Sit.]

If I receive your items by Jan. 21 [Sit], I will include them in the final agenda I send out on Jan. 22. 

I look forward to receiving your agenda items. [Sit.]

Gail 

Sit. Sit. Sit. Sit. If the email writer had said "Sit" only once--let's say in the first sentence--the reader would likely overlook the request while speeding through an email inbox. The specific request for action needs to appear in the subject AND in the first sentence AND typically in one other place in the message. 

Do you agree about this difference between dog training and email communicating? Feel free to extend the analogy. 

Lynn Syntax Training  

January 19, 2015 in Email, Teaching Business Writing, Writing Tips | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

December 18, 2014

Johns Hopkins' Apology: How It Fell Short

You may have read The Washington Post story about Johns Hopkins University sending early-acceptance emails to 294 students who had not been accepted. Here's the story in brief: 

Nine of the 294 students had already received deferrals to the regular admission process (not early acceptance), and 285 had already been denied admission. Unfortunately, a contractor company, ApplicationsOnline, used an incorrect email list and welcomed the 294 applicants with a joyful 144-word email whose subject was "Embrace the YES!" According to The Washington Post,  it began:

Dear ______, [with the student's first name]

Welcome to the Class of 2019! We can’t wait for you to get to campus.

Until then, as one of the newest members of the family, we hope you’ll show your Blue Jay pride. 

The acceptance email went on to talk about the cool communications in the student's future: 

You’re among the first with the right to use #JHU2019. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are waiting for you. (And so are we! We’ll be collecting your tweets, updates, and photos to share with the whole JHUniverse.)

Then, hours later, came the second rejection, with the subject "Apology for Email Error":

Dear ________, [with the student's first name]

Earlier today, you may have received an email from us with the subject line: Embrace the YES!

Please note that this email was sent in error.

The decision posted on the decision site reflects the accurate result of your Early Decision application.

We regret this technical mistake and any confusion it may have caused.

Sincerely,The Office of Undergraduate AdmissionsThe Johns Hopkins University

Is that 54-word apology sufficient? No, it's a mechanical, hasty message sent out quickly to correct an error.  

Having recently gone through the college application process with my daughter, I can imagine how some of the misinformed students may have felt: confused, guardedly excited, and eventually heartbroken--again. After all, this was their second rejection email from the prestigious JHU. 

In his excellent book On Apology, Dr. Aaron Lazare, retired dean of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, identifies four parts of an effective apology:

1. Acknowledging the offense 2. Explaining what happened3. Communicating feelings such as remorse, shame, humility, and sincerity4. Making or offering reparations 

The Johns Hopkins "apology" falls short in all four parts.

1. It barely acknowledges the offense. The sentence "Please note that this email was sent in error" does not accept blame for the erroneous email or acknowledge its potential harm. 

2. It does not explain what happened.

3. It falls short in communicating feelings. The words "apology" in the subject and "regret" in the email do not communicate sincerity or remorse. In contrast, David Phillips, vice provost for admissions and financial aid at Johns Hopkins, told The Washington Post:

We apologize to the students affected and to their families. Admissions decision days are stressful enough. We very much regret having added to the disappointment felt by a group of very capable and hardworking students, especially ones who were so committed to the idea of attending Johns Hopkins that they applied early decision.

That kind of language should have been in the apology--not a perfunctory "We regret this technical mistake." The mistake was much more than technical in its possible hurtfulness. 

Also, the apology should have come from Mr. Phillips or another person in charge of the admissions process--not from the faceless Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

4. It makes no reparations. Granted, real reparations would be difficult if not impossible to make. But a sincere, complete, contrite apology would have gone a long way in repairing the relationship.

According to The Washington Post's reporting, other colleges have made similar mistakes in welcoming students who were then barred from admission: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Fordham, Vassar, and University of California at Davis. Perhaps universities (and their contractors) ought to follow Santa Claus's behavior of "Making a list, checking it twice" before sending out emails broadcasting acceptance. 

And when they make a mistake, college admissions departments (or their contractors) should put more thought and heart into their apologies to students and their families.

Read more on writing effective apologies in the chapter "Write Apologies to Mend Fences and Support Relationships" in my book, Business Writing With Heart.

How do you feel about the Johns Hopkins incident?

LynnSyntax Training

December 18, 2014 in Courteous Writing, Email, Etiquette | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

November 13, 2014

Shift in Thoughts? Change Paragraphs.

Several times a day I receive an email that lists reporters' requests for sources. It's called the HARO, Help a Reporter Out. Business owners like me receive the HARO to find ways to get publicity. 

At the start of each HARO email is a paragraph promoting a product or service. I rarely read the promo because it's one huge paragraph. I avoid the intimidating block of text and move on to the short chunks of text beneath it. 

Below is one of this week's HARO opening paragraphs, a 186-word wall. How would you break it into shorter chunks of text? Here's an easy rule to follow: Shift in thoughts? Change paragraphs. 

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Are you looking for a new strategy to earn publicity for your product or client? The team at PTPA Media are your people! From influencer programs to the top trending Twitter parties, they have a community of over 100,000 families who are just waiting to hear about your product or service! Over the past year they were featured on The Steve Harvey Show, Ricki Lake, HLN, Marie Osmond, and EXTRA! Do you have a product that you would love to get in front of moms? Now is the time to get it tested by PTPA! Their awards program is the most recognized across North America! Even better? PTPA Media has over 1,000 bloggers in their network who write for them. These guys have the credibility and the connections. HARO members, submit your application form before December 31 and you'll receive a $200 discount on premium submissions using the coupon code "____." Go to http://bit.ly/NJpkb6 to set up your profile, or click here (http://ptpamedia.uberflip.com/t/151114) to download their media kit. Get going! It's not often you come across a company that can do this much for your brand!

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Did you notice the powerful writing? The writer grabs our attention, keeps us interested, and offers steps for us to take. He or she comes on strong, positive, and focused--the coach before the big game.  

How did you or would you break up the block to make it more accessible, less imposing? Compare your paragraph breaks with mine below. 

 

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Are you looking for a new strategy to earn publicity for your product or client? The team at PTPA Media are your people! From influencer programs to the top trending Twitter parties, they have a community of over 100,000 families who are just waiting to hear about your product or service! Over the past year they were featured on The Steve Harvey Show, Ricki Lake, HLN, Marie Osmond, and EXTRA!

Do you have a product that you would love to get in front of moms? Now is the time to get it tested by PTPA! Their awards program is the most recognized across North America! Even better? PTPA Media has over 1,000 bloggers in their network who write for them. These guys have the credibility and the connections.

HARO members, submit your application form before December 31 and you'll receive a $200 discount on premium submissions using the coupon code "____." Go to http://bit.ly/NJpkb6 to set up your profile, or click here (http://ptpamedia.uberflip.com/t/151114) to download their media kit.

Get going! It's not often you come across a company that can do this much for your brand!

********************

You want your audience to pay attention to your writing, so don't build walls of text that turn readers away. Shift in topics? Change paragraphs. 

Was your revised version the same as mine? Feel free to share your suggestions.

If you want to continue to tune up your writing, take my online Writer's Tune-Up for Peak Performance on Dec. 4 and 5. 

LynnSyntax Training

November 13, 2014 in Email, Teaching Business Writing, Writing Tips | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

October 15, 2014

What Is a Salutation? It's Not a Close!

People often write to me asking for help with salutations. But when I read their questions, I find that they deal with "Best regards" or "Sincerely yours." Those are complimentary closes.

Let's look at the differences. 

A salutation is a greeting we use at the beginning of an email, a letter, or a note. Even a text or an online comment can begin with a salutation.

In a letter, salutations nearly always begin with "Dear":

Dear Rosalie, (We use a comma after the greeting in a personal letter in the U.S. and Canada. In other countries the punctuation is often omitted.)

Dear Dr. Gomez: (We use a colon after the greeting in a business letter in the U.S. and Canada. Other countries often leave it out.)

Salutations in emails can begin with "Dear" if the message is formal. Otherwise, they are more likely to be one of these:

Hi Jeff,

Hello Professor,

Hello to all,

Greetings, everybody!

A comma normally sets off an individual's name in direct address (for example, "Thank you, Margo"), but most people leave it out these days in greetings. (I am trying hard to let go of that comma, but I still write things like "Hello, John.")

A complimentary close or closing is a polite ending to a message. In letters, these are common closes:

Best regards, (We use the comma in the U.S. and Canada; other countries may leave it out.)

Regards,

Sincerely,

Best wishes,

A complimentary close is not a must in email, but it warms up the end of the message. People usually end an email with a complimentary close if they open it with a greeting. Examples:

Regards, 

All the best,

Cheers,

Thanks, 

As a traditionalist, I like to use "Thanks" sincerely in a sentence ending with a period. Example: "Thanks again for helping me finish this project." But "Thanks" alone has become a popular close. 

Maybe the expression "greetings and salutations" has led people to believe that the greeting starts a message and the salutation ends it. But that just isn't so. 

Do you have questions about salutations or closes? Just type your search phrase in the box at top right. I have covered salutations for married couples, doctors, etc., along with complimentary closes for all kinds of situations. 

LynnSyntax Training

P.S. For ways to build relationships in business messages, get my book Business Writing With Heart: How to Build Great Work Relationships One Message at a Time. It covers salutations, closes, and a whole lot more.

October 15, 2014 in Courteous Writing, Email, Etiquette | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

October 10, 2014

Stop These Creeping Commas!

In the last 10 days, I have repeatedly seen examples of a crazy comma use. Each one appeared at the end of an email. All these examples are real and wrong:

Thank you for your request,

I'll see you then,

Thank you for your time and patience in this matter,

Let me know if you have any questions, 

Please write if you have any questions, 

Thank you again, 

These are sentences! Sentences end with a period (full stop)--not a comma.

I attribute this creeping comma on the widespread use of "Thanks" as a complimentary close in emails. People have been following "Thanks" with a comma. I don't recommend a comma after "Thanks" (I use a period), but its use is too popular to argue with. (In truth, I always offer specific thanks, as in "Thank you for your help" or "Thank you again for your order.")

Despite the use of "Thanks" followed by a comma as a complimentary close, can we please stop using commas after closing sentences? 

Are you with me on this one? 

LynnSyntax Training  

P.S. Better Business Writing and Writing Tune-Up for Peak Performance are excellent public writing classes for learning what you are doing well--and wrong--in your business writing. 

Email is the communication tool of choice for most of us. Email's great because you don't have to be available at the same time as your conversation partner to communicate. It allows us to keep projects moving when our co-workers are unavailable or on the other side of the world.

There's one problem: most of us are drowning in emails. The average person using email for business receives and sends over 100 emails a day, according to a report published by the Radicati Group.

On top of that, emails are all too easily misunderstood. A recent study by Sendmail found that 64% of people have sent or received an email that caused unintended anger or confusion.

Because of the volume of emails we send and receive, and because emails are often misinterpreted, it's important to write emails clearly and concisely.

Writing emails that are short and to-the-point will reduce the time you spend on email and make you more productive. By keeping your emails short, you'll likely spend less time on email and more time on other work. That said, writing clearly is a skill. Like all skills, you'll have to work at it. To begin with, it may take you just as long to write short emails as it took you to write long emails. However, even if this is the case, you'll help your co-workers, clients, or employees be more productive because you'll be adding less clutter to their inboxes, making it easier for them to respond to you.

By writing clearly, you'll become known as someone who knows what he or she wants and who gets things done. Both of these are good for your career prospects.

So what does it take to write clear, concise, and professional emails?

Know Your Purpose

Clear emails always have a clear purpose.

Whenever you sit down to write an email, take a few seconds to ask yourself: "Why am I sending this? What do I need from the recipient?"

If you can't answer these questions, then you shouldn't be sending an email. Writing emails without knowing what you need wastes your time and the recipient's time and means you'll struggle to express yourself clearly and concisely.

This is also a good time to ask yourself: "Is this email really necessary?" Again, only sending emails that are absolutely necessary shows respect for the person you're emailing.

Use the "One Thing" Rule

Emails are not the same as business meetings. With business meetings, the more agenda items you work through, the more productive the meeting.

With emails, the opposite is true. The less you include in your emails, the better.

That's why it's a good idea to practice the "one thing" rule. Make each email you send about one thing only. If you need to communicate about another project, write another email.

Practice Empathy

Empathy is the ability to see the world through the eyes of other people. When you do this, you understand their thoughts and feelings.

When you write emails, think about your words from the reader's point of view. With everything you write, ask yourself:

How would I interpret this sentence, as someone reading it? How would this make me feel if I received it?

This is a simple tweak to the way you write. Yet thinking of other people will transform the way they respond to you.

Here's an empathetic way of looking at the world to help you get started. Most people:

Are busy. They don't have time to guess what you want, and they'd like to be able to read and respond to your email quickly.

Appreciate a compliment. If you can say something positive about them or their work, do so. Your words won't be wasted.

Like to be thanked. If the recipient has helped you in any way, remember to say thank you. You should do this even when it's their job to help you.

In a moment, we'll look at how you can embed compliments and a thanks into the structure of every email you send.

Keep Introductions Brief

When you're emailing someone for the first time, you need to let the recipient know who you are. You can usually do this in one sentence. For example: "It was great to meet you at [X event]."

One way of keeping introductions brief is to write them like you're meeting face-to-face. You wouldn't go off into a five-minute monologue when meeting someone in person. So don't do it in email.

Not sure whether an introduction is needed? Maybe you've contacted the recipient before, but you're not sure if she'll remember you. You can leave your credentials in your email signature. This is ideal because:

It keeps the main email body as short as possible.

It avoids misunderstandings. Re-introducing yourself to someone who already knows you comes across as rude. If she's not sure whether she knows you, then you can just let her check out your signature.

Talking of signatures, make sure you've set one up. It's a shorthand way of sharing information that you should include in every email. But putting this information in your signature, you keep the body of your emails short.

Your signature should include:

Your name. Your job title. A link to your website.

Optionally, you can include links to your social media accounts, and a one-sentence elevator pitch on how you help people.

Limit Yourself to Five Sentences

In every email you write, you should use enough sentences to say what you need and no more. A helpful practice here is limiting yourself to five sentences.

Entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki explains:

Less than five sentences is often abrupt and rude, more than five sentences wastes time.

There will be times when it's impossible to keep an email to five sentences. But in most cases, five sentences are sufficient.

Embrace the five sentences discipline, and you'll find yourself writing emails more quickly. You'll also get more replies.

Not sure writing an email in five sentences is possible? Then read on...

Stick to a Standard Structure

What's the key to keeping your emails short? Using a standard structure. This is a template that you follow for every email you write.

As well as keeping your emails short, following a standard structure also helps you to write fast.

Over time, you'll develop a structure that works for you. Here's a simple structure to get you started:

greeting

a compliment or pleasantry the reason for your email a call to action a closing message signature

Let's look at each of these in depth.

Greeting. This is the first line of the email. "Hi, [First Name]" is a typical greeting.

Compliment or Pleasantry. When you're emailing someone for the first time, then a compliment makes an excellent opener. A well-written compliment can also serve as an introduction. For example:

"I enjoyed your presentation about [topic] on [date]." "I found your blog post on [topic] really helpful." "It was good to meet you at [event]."

If you're writing to someone you know, then use a pleasantry instead. A pleasantry is typically a variation on "I hope you're well." Alternatively, you can say thank you for something they've helped you with or for information they sent in a previous email.

As Vinay Patankar of the Abstract Living blog explains:

You should ALWAYS follow with a pleasantry after your greeting. EVERYTIME without fail. Ingrain this into your fingers so that you naturally spit it out with each email you write. There is no reason ever why your email shouldn’t have a pleasantry... You will never have anything to lose by adding in a pleasantry, you will make people more inclined to read the rest of your email, you will soften criticism, and will hit the positive emotions of a few. Most will simply ignore it, but for two seconds of your time, it's definitely worth it.

The reason for your email. In this section you say, "I'm emailing to ask about..." or "I wondered if you could help with..." You'll sometimes need two sentences to explain your reasons for writing.

A call to action. After you've explained your reason for emailing, don't assume the recipient will know what to do. Provide specific instructions. For example:

"Could you send me those files by Thursday?" "Could you write that up in the next two weeks?" "Please write to James about this, and let me know when you've done so."

Structuring your request as a question encourages the recipient to reply. Alternatively, you can use the line "let me know when you've done that" or "let me know if that's okay with you."

Closing. Before you sign off your email, be sure to include a closing line. This has the dual purpose of re-iterating your call to action, and of making the recipient feel good.

Examples of good closing lines include:

"Thank you for all your help with this." "Does that sound good?" "I'm looking forward to hearing what you think." "Let me know if you have any questions."

Sign-off. This could be "Best Wishes," "Kind Regards," "All the Best," or "Thanks." You should always follow your sign-off with your name.

Use Short Words, Sentences, and Paragraphs

Back in 1946, George Orwell advised writers to:

Never use a long word where a short one will do.

This advice is even more relevant today, especially when writing emails.

Short words show respect for your reader. By using short words, you've done the hard work of making your message easy to understand.

The same is true of short sentences and paragraphs. Avoid writing big blocks of text if you want your email to be clear and easily understood. This leads to another of George Orwell's rules for writing, which can help you keep your sentences as short as possible:

If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

Once you've followed your standard email structure, trim every sentence down to be as short as it can be.

Use the Active Voice

George Orwell again:

Never use the passive where you can use the active.

In writing, there are two kinds of voices, active and passive.

Here's a sentence in the active voice:

I throw the ball.

And here's the same sentence in the passive voice:

The ball is thrown [by me].

The active voice is easier to read. It also encourages action and responsibility. That's because in the active voice, sentences focus on the person taking action. In the passive voice, sentences focus on the object that's being acted upon. In the passive voice, it can appear that things happen by themselves. In the active voice, things only happen when people take action.

Proofread Your Email

The French philosopher Blaise Pascal once said:

If I had more time, I would have written you a shorter letter.

In other words, writing short emails can be harder work than writing long emails.

Part of the hard work of writing short emails is careful proofreading. Read your email aloud to yourself, checking for spelling and grammar mistakes. Ask yourself:

Is my request clear? Could there be any misunderstandings? How would this sound if I were the recipient?

Delete any unnecessary words, sentences, and paragraphs as you proofread.

Remember, You're Not Fifteen Anymore

If you want to show your personality in your email, let this shine subtly through your writing style. Don't use emoticons, chat abbreviations (such as LOL), or colorful fonts and backgrounds. While these might have been integral to your emails during your teenage years, they are rarely appropriate in a professional context.

The only time it is appropriate to use emoticons or chat abbreviations is when you're mirroring the email language of the person you're writing to.

Write Like You Speak

Email is a less formal way of communicating than writing a letter or even making a phone call. Writing as you speak makes you come across as personable and friendly. It also helps you to keep your emails short. After all, few of us speak in extended paragraphs.

Additionally, make sure your emails reflect who you are in the real world. If you wouldn't say something to a person's face, don't say it in an email. And remember to mind your manners. "Please" and "Thank you" go a long way.

How to Write a Perfect Professional Email in English

Although emails are often seen as less formal than printed business letters, in the business world you cannot afford to let your language appear to be informal. Email may be faster and more efficient, but your client or business partner will not easily forgive correspondence that is too casual. Not to fear! Read on to discover simple secrets that will add a high level of professionalism to your English emails.

Begin with a greeting

It's important to always open your email with a greeting, such as "Dear Lillian,". Depending on the formality of your relationship, you may want to use their family name as opposed to their given name, i.e. "Dear Mrs. Price,". If the relationship is more casual, you can simply say, "Hi Kelly," If you’re contacting a company, not an individual, you may write "To Whom It May Concern:"

Thank the recipient

If you are replying to a client's inquiry, you should begin with a line of thanks. For example, if someone has a question about your company, you can say, "Thank you for contacting ABC Company." If someone has replied to one of your emails, be sure to say, "Thank you for your prompt reply." or "Thanks for getting back to me." If you can find any way to thank the reader, then do. It will put him or her at ease, and it will make you appear more courteous.

State your purpose

If, however, you are initiating the email communication, it may be impossible to include a line of thanks. Instead, begin by stating your purpose. For example, "I am writing to enquire about …" or "I am writing in reference to …" It's important to make your purpose clear early on in the email, and then move into the main text of your email. Remember to pay careful attention to grammar, spelling and punctuation, and to avoid run-on sentences by keeping your sentences short and clear.

Closing remarks

Before you end your email, it's polite to thank your reader one more time as well as add some courteous closing remarks. You might start with "Thank you for your patience and cooperation."

or "Thank you for your consideration." and then follow up with, "If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to let me know." and "I look forward to hearing from you."

End with a closing

The last step is to include an appropriate closing with your name. "Best regards," "Sincerely," and "Thank you," are all professional. It's a good idea to avoid closings such as "Best wishes," or "Cheers," as these are best used in casual, personal emails. Finally, before you hit the send button, review and spell check your email one more time to make sure it's truly perfect!

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