EMAIL ADVICE

In the U.S., the average person spends ‘an average of 209 minutes checking their work email and 143
minutes checking their personal email each day.’ CNBC Sept 22 2019.

Poor emails have an effect on productivity, budgets and work-life balance. Email has an environmental
cost, too.

If you are sending poor emails you are wasting people’s time. You will not be read in the future.

DO NOT SEND AN EMAIL IF YOU:

1. need a quick response (under 48 hours)

2. want to discuss something that requires feedback and input from several people
3. are angry, sad or frustrated
4. discuss private or legally sensitive issues
5. have very bad news

Quick Response
You should try to respond to an email within 24 hours, even if it is just to say you received the email
and are finding answers. However, not everyone will.

Discussion Needing Lots of Input

Set up a meeting or conference call. This is quicker and less confusing than a long email trail of
questions and responses.

Anger, Sadness, Frustration

Write the email but do not send it. This will help you release stress, record what happened while fresh,
and straighten your thoughts. Read the email the next day. Tone anything questionable down. Ask a
trusted friend to give you feedback if you still wish to send something. Consider calling the person
instead of emailing him/her

Privacy or Legality
Your private life or feelings should be private- email can be easily sent to thousands and then millions.
If you think legal issues may arise, do not send or check with your legal department.

Bad News
Do not tell someone really bad news via email. Telling someone they are laid off via email is heartless.

GOOD EMAILS
 1. Have a specific, short subject line
2. Have one clear point
3. Be concise
4. Be careful with tone
5. Use bullets and titles
6. Proofread- it’s better to wait than to send an email with errors.
7. Use CC, BCC and Reply All wisely
8. Avoid attachments unless necessary

Specific, Short Subject Line

Do not have words like ‘Urgent, Must Read, Save money’ - it will look like spam. Be specific (dates,
times, names etc.). Here is the file you requested (what is it?) follow-up (what is this a follow up to?)
Important (what and why?). Do not have more than 6 words or 40 characters.

Clear Point
Long emails are unlikely to be read. If you make several points and your email is becoming long,
consider saving some points for another email. Stay on topic. Your first sentence should say exactly
why you are writing. Readers need to know what you want, why (if necessary), when and how.

Be careful with tone

Write the way you would speak if you gave a presentation in front of your boss or a client. Avoid
joking with people you do not know. Try to write as you would speak. This does not mean use slang or
be casual. It simply means speak directly and clearly. Conversational style seems more human and
natural as well as easier to understand. When in doubt, be more formal. Nobody will think you are a
rude if you a formal, but she or he might if you are too informal. Write ‘Dear’ and wse someone’s title
and last name if you are writing to someone for the first time and do not know her. ‘Hi/Hello’ is fine
with colleagues you know. When closing your email, ‘Yours sincerely’ will be the most formal. ‘Best
wishes/Regards/Warm regards’ are all fine in most situations. ‘Best’, ‘Cheers’ are fine with colleagues
you know.

Be concise
See our advice at https://centauresl.weebly.com/blog

Use bullets and titles

Dense text is off-putting- people are less likely to read your message. Write short paragraphs with only
one idea. Use italics, bold, bullets and headings. These
 clearly show relationships between ideas and importance
 allow readers to choose which sections they wish to read
Consider highlighting important dates and what you want the reader to do. Be careful not to highlight
too many words- this will lessen the effect.

Proofread
It is not reasonable to expect an instant response to email. You and others have different priorities for
tasks. An email with errors harms your reputation and the reputation of your company. The more time
you can put between your first draft and proofreading, the better your email will be. Check: grammar,
brevity( see Centaur’s advice on being concise above), names, subject line, clear point, formatting call
to action (what you want the reader to do and when).

Use CC, BCC and Reply All wisely

Do not waste people’s time by ‘replying all’. In addition, you will diminish your voice- might get the
reputation as someone who sends unnecessary emails, and you will not be read. Before cc’ing or
replying all, ask yourself ‘Does this person needs to know?’. If you cc somebody’s superior, it can be
seen as a public reprimand. Save this if you have no other alternative. Call the person first. Use BCC if
people do not know each other; this respects their email privacy. If you BCC too much, it will seem
sneaky.

Avoid attachments
Attachments take time to download, take space on computers and are often used to spread viruses.
Furthermore, why add extra steps? Your audience is reading your email- the more clicks the more
chances they do not continue. Instead, choose relevant information from the attachment and offer the
full document upon request.

Finally-

Respond within 24 hours- even if you do not have an answer- tell the person you are working on it

https://centauresl.weebly.com/
‘Language classes to fit your life’

Sources consulted:

https://www.noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca/en/blogue-blog/courriels-efficaces-email-skills-eng
https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-write-a-professional-email-1690524
Nordquist, Richard. "How to Write a Professional Email." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/how-to-write-a-professional-email-
1690524.
https://drexel.edu/goodwin/professional-studies-blog/overview/2018/October/12-tips-for-writing-effective-emails/
https://fleep.io/blog/how-to-write-a-professional-email/