Tips & Techniques on How to Write a Business Email

The rise of the Internet has significantly changed how people communicate in business. According to Ferris Research, the average business user sends more than 600 emails per day, and the number of business email users in North America had increased to almost 145 million in 2010. The formal business letter is often replaced with a quick email–an exchange often taken lightly in the business world. Many think because of the speed and informality associated with emails they can get away with poor grammar and punctuation. But the quality of business emails reflects your image as a businessperson and that of your company.

Subject Line

The subject line should be brief, relevant and attention grabbing. With the high volume of emails passing through cyberspace, the ones with no subject line can easily get lost in an inbox. You don’t want your message to look like spam, so include a clear, brief subject line like “Job Interview” or “Luncheon at The Arches” to avoid confusion, and avoid symbols like exclamation points and dollar signs.

Address Recipient

Despite how informal emails have gotten in most settings, business emails should never be too casual to include a greeting to your recipient. Include a “Hello, Mr. Jones…” or “Dear Benson and Associates…” Tones are difficult to decipher in written messages, so omitting a greeting might come off as rude.

Use Business Letter Tone and Structure

When writing a business email, pretend you are writing a business letter. Your tone should be professional and your thoughts delivered in a well-written, concise manner. State the purpose of the email in the first sentence, then use the body to further explain and clear up any potential confusion. Briefly restate the first sentence at the end of the email, include a farewell and your name. Keep in mind that it’s better in business to be too formal than too casual. Lean toward a professional business letter when writing business emails.

Be Concise

Businesspeople do not have time to sift through mindless banter in emails. Make sure you get right to the point–state your point early, use active voice in your sentences, and as soon as you effectively communicate the point, wrap it up. Instead of saying, “The marketing campaign, which will launch in November, was planned by our affiliates…”, use active voice and say, “Our affiliates planned the marketing campaign that launches in November.”

Proofread

As established earlier, business emails should be treated like business letters, not casual emails to a friend. Proofread your messages before you send them out. Check for grammar, punctuation, conciseness, structure and clarity. Revise as needed.