Email Advice
This page offers guidelines for writing effective business emails. You will likely use email at work more than any other written communication, particularly within an organization, where managers often receive 100-200 emails a day. You also may use email for people outside your organization (including job searches), if you know someone’s address.
Writing principles we discuss in class apply as much to email as any form of written communication. Audience analysis, content, organization, writing style, tone—and grammar and punctuation—are as important in emails as in memos and letters. Your credibility as a business professional is judged by all of your communications, even short messages.
But differences between email and other forms of communication do exist:
To, Cc, Bcc: Enter names only. Use Bcc when you don’t want others to know this person will also receive the email.
Subject: Use something descriptive and attention-grabbing to help the reader prioritize: why should they read your email instead of hundreds others?
Date: Do not include; this is automatically generated by the email program.
Font: 10-point Arial is common for most emails; use the default of your email program for consistency with your co-workers.
Salutation: For formal emails, include the receiver’s name and a comma; you also may write "Dear______." For less formal emails, you may still include the receiver’s first name, or you may skip the salutation (particularly after a few emails to the same person about the same topic). You may use “Hi ______,” for very informal relationships (e.g., coworkers).
Closing: For more formal emails, you may use “Thank you,” or “Regards,” and then type your first and last name below. If your relationship is more personal, you may use “Best regards,” or simply “Best.” For informal emails, “Thanks,” is common for requests, or you may include just your first name, initials, or nothing.
Signatures: You may use this automatically generated option, but avoid fancy fonts and colors for business email. And skip the colorful stationery.
Skim-value: Skim-value is critical. Short, bulleted lists are typical in email, and main points should be right upfront.
Length: Emails are typically shorter than printed written documents. If an email is more than about 300 words, you may choose to include less important information as attachments.
Formality: Emails can be formal or informal. Typically, more formal emails are to people you don’t know well or those more senior to you in an organization.
Conversations: Initiating an email and responding to one require different approaches. When you initiate an email, be sure to provide enough context for the reader, just as you would in a memo or letter; consider using the four Ps in your introduction. While email is fast, we still need to consider—and clearly communicate—our purpose for writing. When responding, consider including parts of the original email, so the receiver knows what you’re responding to.
Tone: Use standard phrases that reflect your organization’s culture. See what other people use, for example, “I hope all is well,” “Please let me know if …” As with all communications, keep your audience in mind.
