This is especially important if your email is going out to multiple people. Write emails in a quiet room and put away your phone and other distractions. Try to refrain from multitasking as you write your emails.
Try to avoid anything too stuffy, like “Dear Robert. ” It seems a little impersonal.
Try to get to the point quickly, and avoid writing a ton of pleasantries. People tend to read emails in short bursts. If you add too much information, chances are, some of it will get lost. Keep your emails brief, but try to avoid blunt sentences or one-word answers. Those can seem a little rude, especially over a computer screen.
“I need that monthly progress report in my inbox by Monday evening. ” “If you could get that team feedback form to me by the end of the week, that would be great. ”
Use words like “also,” “next,” and “lastly” to start off your paragraphs.
This also helps keep your emails out of the spam folder.
In a professional setting, it’s very important to spell someone’s name correctly. Take a minute to double check that you have it right before you send it off to avoid any awkwardness in the future.
Never use all caps in your emails! Writing a sentence in caps lock is usually seen as yelling at someone through a computer screen. Instead of something like, “Submit your changes by tomorrow morning. ” try something like, “Since the deadline is tomorrow afternoon, I’ll need your changes by tomorrow morning. Let me know if that timeline works for you. ”
If you still feel the need to craft an angry reply, wait for 24 hours before sending it. Then, revisit your reply after a day to see if you still want to send it or not.
For instance, someone might write, “I need that report by tonight. ” At first glance, this seems a little cold and unemotional. However, it’s not necessarily rude, it’s just factual and brief.
