Two Business Emails reply

How to Write a Business E-mail

© 2013 Laureate Education, Inc. 1

E-mail is a handy form of communication to your business associates as well as your friends, but writing an e-mail to your boss or a colleague at work is not the same as e- mailing a friend. There are a few practices that will help you get your message across in your professional life. Take a look at the following items and incorporate them into your business e-mails.

• The subject should be professional, brief, relevant, and attention grabbing. If you have an ongoing dialogue with someone, be sure to change the subject line as appropriate.

• Start the e-mail with a greeting. • Use short and concise sentences. • Clearly and explicitly state the purpose of your e-mail in the first sentence.

Use the body to provide information or request action. Do not bury your information or request 3 or 4 paragraphs into the e-mail. Remember that your goal is to give information to your reader that is easy to find and understand. Consider using a numbered list or bullet points so your reader can quickly find information.

• If you are responding to an e-mail, make sure that you address all questions or points in the e-mail you received in a professional manner.

• Use proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, and paragraphs. • Proofread the e-mail before sending and remove anything that is not

absolutely necessary. People get many e-mails each day and do not want to spend a lot of time finding out what the e-mail is about. If you are expecting a response, be sure to state your expectations clearly. If your request is time- sensitive, indicate your deadline clearly. If you do not get a response, follow up in a polite way to inquire and confirm your e-mail was received and ask if you can be of further assistance.

• Include a telephone number with your signature so the person can call you if necessary.

• Always (and it bears repeating) watch your tone. Be respectful and courteous. Remember that you never know what mood your recipient may be in (or how many other e-mails he or she is dealing with) when he or she receives your e- mail, and it may not read the way you intend, so be very careful that your emotions have not influenced your choice of words or tone. If you are concerned about that, save your message and come back to it later to reread it for tone. It is sometimes helpful to read the e-mail out load and try to hear it as if you were the recipient.