Business email writing in the 21st century
No matter the company size, all business leaders search for creative ways to enhance corporate performance. Facts and figures help us understand that organizations – including maritime ones – receive a large amount of emails every day. In most cases this can lead to disorganization or inefficiency. In the worst-case scenario, employees reply without paying the attention needed on the standard structure of professional emails.
Therefore, being able to write professional emails is very important. These business email examples below will help you understand the email writing format!
Tip #1: Comply with the “One Thing Rule”
The less you include in your emails, the better. Before getting started, bear in mind that most people are busy! You are busy too! They don’t have time to guess what the sender wants; they’d like to be able to quickly read, understand and respond to the business emails.
Make each email you send about one thing only! Round up the main point of your business email in the opening sentence
Tip #2: Be concise and polite
It is of high importance to embed compliments and thanks when writing a professional email. As said before, you need to understand the receiver. What would you like to read if you were in his/her shoes? Probably, you would like to receive a compliment; something positive about your work or to be thanked for providing some help on an issue.
e.g. It was lovely to meet you at…., Thank you for reverting…, Thank you in advance for your time…
Tip #3: Watch your language
Although email is a less formal way of communicating than writing a letter, senders should stick to a standard email writing format especially when it comes to the language.
- Always keep language professional when writing business emails (g. Remaining at your disposal)
- Never use slang and colloquialisms, emoticons, and text message language (e.g. LOL/WAG1/WUUP2/LY)
Tip #4: Create readable content
Creating readable content takes work and an attention to detail:
- Use short and easy words; the more syllables your words have, the harder they are to read. (e.g. Don’t use a 4-syllable word if a 2-syllable word works just as well.)
- Keep your sentences short as well. Did you know that compound and convoluted sentences decrease readability?
- Use active rather than passive voice—unless there is a good reason not to. Active voice makes your writing more clear, concise, and lively.
Tip #5: Stick to a standard structure
- Include a meaningful heading in the subject line along with a brief outline of what the email body will include. (e.g. [REQ] Request (for a reference) [ACTION] Action (to be completed) [FYI] For your information)
- Address the reader in a professional manner. (e.g. Dear Mr./Mrs., To whom it may concern) provide him with a greeting and a compliment or pleasantry!
- Present the reason for your email at the body (eg. Further to our telephone communication before, I’m emailing to ask about…)
- Always use paragraphs
- Include a call to action (CTA) – eg. Could you write that up in the next week?
- Include a closing message and a signature
Tip #6: Add images
Effective visuals are extremely powerful when used correctly to power up your professional email and spark the interest in the receiver. Actually, studies have shown that our brains can process visuals 60,000x faster than text.
Tip #7: Make your professional email closing effective
Your professional email closing should have four things:
- Motivate the reader to action (CTA phrase)
- Identify the sender for future reference
- Leave the reader with a good final impression
- Provide the recipient with your contact information. Specifically, your signature should include:
- Your name
- Your job title
- A link to your website
Tip #8: Know the difference between “To” and “CC”
In business email writing, it is important to address who has action and who just needs to receive the information.
- Make clear who has the action adding his/her account in the “To:” field
- Always remember that “CC:” (carbon copy) and “BCC:” (blind carbon copy) are simply for their information
Tip #9: Send it for review!
Always check business emails before sending them! Delete any unnecessary words, sentences, and paragraphs. If necessary, ask a friend or colleague to proof read before you send the email.
e.g. Would it be possible to request this information from you?
Tip #10: Know when to follow up
There are four primary objectives for a follow up email:
- Need information
- Request a meeting
- Say thank you
- To catch up
Supposing that your follow up email is written using the above structure, when should we send it? Here are some suggested time frames for follow up emails based on various use cases:
- Within 24 Hours: “Thank you” follow up business email or after a meeting or conference.
- Within 48 Hours: After submitting an application.
- Within 1-2 Weeks: Follow up on a meeting request or after no response.
- Every 3 Months: To catch up with a connection.
You may also watch further tips for effective email design below
The story of emails
Emails first entered limited use in the 1960s and by the mid-1970s had taken the form now recognized as email. Actually, the history of modern Internet email services reaches back to the early ARPANET, with standards for encoding email messages published as early as 1973. It is very interesting that an email message sent in the early 1970s looks very similar to a basic email sent today. Emails had an important role in creating the Internet and the conversion from ARPANET to the Internet in the early 1980s produced the core of the current services. The term professional email introduced into the workplace in the early 90s, and today email has become the backbone of nearly everything we do in the professional world.
About Apostolos Belokas
Apostolos is a Maritime Safety, Quality & Environmental Expert, Consultant, Trainer and Project Manager with more than a 20-year background in shipping as Technical, Marine, Safety & Training Superintendent and Consultant. He entered the industry back in early 90’s as Engineering Superintendent with a leading ship manager operating a mixed fleet of bulk and oil/chemical tankers. He then shifted to regulatory compliance and QHSE as superintendent and later as a Consultant and Trainer. Apostolos has successfully completed a wide range of QHSE projects including 250+ management system projects (ISM/ISO 9001-14001-18001/TMSA/MLC), 500 vessel and office audits to various standards and he has trained more than 8,000 people in a wide variety of QHSE subjects. He has also presented and chaired to more than 40 conferences. He holds Mechanical Engineering Bachelor and Master’s specialising in Energy & Environment and Master’s Degree in Maritime Business and Business Administration (MBA), all of them awarded with distinction. Apostolos is the Managing Director of SQE MARINE, SQE ACADEMY and Managing Editor of SAFETY4SEA.
Over to You
What are your top tips for writing a professional email?
