Writing Emails – The Do’s and Don’ts

Writing an email is not as easy as you think. There are many things to consider before you can press ‘send’.

Learn to write the perfect email by following these tips.

The Do’s

1. Have a Header.

I am sure you want the recipient to have a clue when they see the email in the inbox. Otherwise, your email might be in the risk of getting deleted since there is no appropriate header.

2. Use the BCC to send to more than one recipient.

This is to make sure that any replies to the email will be sent to you (only you).

3. Proofread before you hit ‘send’.

This is very important. Imagine getting an email from a self-claimed professional writer who can’t even spell correctly. The truth is sometimes, the built-in spellchecker can be a pain in the butt. Don’t rely too much on spellchecker. Instead, rely on your reading. Proofread.

4. Keep it simple and professional.

There is no reason to add smiley especially if you are writing an email for job application. Watch your language as well. Abbreviations are not recommended because not everyone can understand them.

5. Straight to the point.

Why you need to talk about something irrelevant when you can just mention the reason you send the email straight away from the beginning? Avoid using too much words to explain your intention. No one likes to read long emails and certainly no one has too much time for emails.

6. Remember to sign your name at the end.

I am sure if you are writing a letter, you would have signed your name. It is the same in emails, even though you can’t practically sign the emails, you need to put in your name so that the recipients know it is you. Don’t expect everyone to remember your email address (especially if you have an email such as lovely_lady@yahoo.com).

The Don’ts

1. Don’t set fancy formatting.

It is best to just use the default format. There is no need to set different fonts and colours as these will only confuse the reader and to be honest, fancy formatting is childish.

2. Don’t send attachments without permission.

If you need to send attachments, always ask first. It doesn’t hurt to ask but it is hurt if your attachments caused virus infection to the recipient.

3. Don’t use ALL CAPS.

This problem is less prevalent than it used to be, but there are occasional newcomers to the Internet who don’t understand that typing in all uppercase comes across as shouting in an e-mail message.

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Still having problems writing the perfect email?

Check these out:

4 Tips For Writing Better Emails

Email: The Manual: Everything You Should Know About Email Etiquette, Policies and Legal Liability Before You Hit Send

E-Mail: A Write It Well Guide–How to Write and Manage E-Mail in the Workplace