The Art of Effective

Email:
Professional vs.
Personal Email Basics
 Professional vs. Personal Email
✘ Professional email is sent to someone you work with
or you do not know very well.

✘ Personal email is sent to someone you have an

established relationship with. Some personal emails
can look more professional than others depending
on the type of relationship you have with the person.

✘ The trick is the judgement call you make as to what

type of email is appropriate.
 Personal Email
✘ Informal tone.
✘ Often has small talk in it or jokes.
✘ If there is business to discuss, it will
have some unnecessary details.
✘ Subject line is vague.
✘ Signature is less professional (such
as TTYL, love, catch you on the flip
side, later dude, peace, ect. )
✘ Use if you have a good or friendly
type of relationship with the person
you are sending the email too.
Professional Email
✘ Formal tone.
✘ Has a friendly, but formal greeting.
✘ Business is discussed, but only the
critical details.
✘ Subject line is specific.
✘ Signature line is professional (such as
sincerely, best wishes, thank you for
your time, ect.)
✘ Use if you don’t know the person very
well, they are your authority (such as a
teacher or boss), or you are trying to
get help from a company.
 Professional Email Format

1.) Subject Line : 6 - 10 words and it is specific. Identifies the project

name and/or describes the email topic.

2.) Greeting: Use the person’s name or title.

3.) Introduction: Usually offers a warm greeting or has a positive tone. It

tells the reader what the email is about.
 Professional Email Format Continued

4.) Body Text - Organized into short paragraphs of no more than 2 - 3

sentences. Can also have a numbered list that can be scanned for easy
comprehension.

5.) Conclusion - Summarized the text. Includes a call to action like, “Let
me know if you have any questions” or “Looking forward to your
response.”

6.) Signature - A sign off like “Sincerely” and your name and/or title.
Example
 Personal or
Professional?

You Decide!
 Personal or
Professional?
 Personal or
Professional?
 Personal or
Professional?
What Questions Do
You Have?