Email is the preferred communication tool for most of us. E-mail is fabulous because you don't need to be available at the same time as your interlocutor to communicate. This allows us to move forward on ongoing issues when our colleagues are unavailable or on the other side of the world.
However, most of us are drowning in an endless list of emails. According to a report published in 2016, the average business user receives and sends more than 100 emails per day.
In addition, emails are too easily misunderstood. A recent Sendmail study found that 64% of people sent or received an email that caused anger or unintentional confusion.
Due to the volume of emails we send and receive, and because emails are often misinterpreted, it is important to write them in a clear and concise manner.
How to correctly write a professional e-mail
Writing short and to the point emails will reduce the time spent managing emails and make you more productive. By keeping your emails short, you'll likely spend less time on emails and more time on other tasks. That said, writing clearly is a skill. Like all skills, you will need to work on its development.
In the beginning, it may take you as long to write short emails as it does to write long emails. However, even if this is the case, you will help your colleagues, clients or employees to be more productive, because you will add less clutter to their inbox, which will help them respond to you more quickly.
By writing clearly, you'll be known as someone who knows what they want and gets things done. Both are good for your career prospects.
So what does it take to write clear, concise and professional e-mails?
Identify your goal
Clear e-mails always have a clear purpose.
Every time you sit down to write an email, take a few seconds to ask yourself, “Why am I sending this? What do I expect from the recipient?
If you can not answer these questions, you should not send email. Writing e-mails without knowing what you need is wasting your time and that of your recipient. If you do not know exactly what you want, it will be hard for you to express yourself clearly and concisely.
Use the "One thing at a time" rule
Emails are no substitute for meetings. With business meetings, the more agenda items you work on, the more productive the meeting.
With emails, the opposite is true. The less you include different topics in your emails, the more things will be intelligible to your interlocutor.
That's why it's a good idea to practice the "one thing at a time" rule. Make sure every email you send is about one thing. If you need to communicate about another project, write another email.
It's also a good time to ask yourself, "Is this email really necessary?" Again, only absolutely necessary e-mails testify to the respect of the person to whom you send e-mails.
Practice of empathy
Empathy is the ability to see the world through the eyes of others. When you do this, you understand their thoughts and feelings.
When writing emails, think about your words from the reader's point of view. With everything you write, ask yourself:
- How could I interpret this sentence if I received it?
- Does it include ambiguous terms to specify?
This is a simple, yet effective adjustment to the way you should write. Thinking about the people who will read you will transform the way they respond to you.
Here is an empathic way to look at the world to help you get started. Most people :
- Are busy. They don't have time to guess what you want, and they would like to be able to read your email and respond to it quickly.
- Enjoy a compliment. If you can say something positive about them or their work, do it. Your words will not be wasted.
- Like to be thanked. If the recipient helped you in any way, remember to thank them. You should do this even when it's their job to help you.
Abbreviate presentations
When you first email someone, you need to tell the recipient who you are. You can usually do it in one sentence. For example: “It was nice meeting you at [Event X]. »
One way to shorten introductions is to write them as if you were meeting face to face. You wouldn't want to get into a five-minute monologue when meeting someone in person. So don't do it in email.
You do not know if an introduction is necessary. Perhaps you have already contacted the recipient, but you do not know if she will remember you. You can leave your credentials in your electronic signature.
This avoids misunderstandings. Reintroducing yourself to someone who already knows you comes across as rude. If she's not sure if she knows you, you can just let her check your signature.
Limit yourself to five sentences
In every email you write, you must use enough sentences to say what you need, no more. A useful practice is to limit yourself to five sentences.
Less than five sentences are often brutal and rude, more than five sentences waste time.
There will be times when it will be impossible to keep an email containing five sentences. But in most cases, five sentences are enough.
Adopt the discipline of the five sentences and you will find yourself writing emails faster. You will also get more answers.
Use short words
In 1946, George Orwell advised writers never to use a long word where a short will do.
This advice is even more relevant today, especially when writing emails.
Short words show respect for your reader. By using short words, you made your message easy to understand.
The same is true of short sentences and paragraphs. Avoid writing large blocks of text if you want your message to be clear and easy to understand.
Use the active voice
The active voice is easier to read. It also encourages action and responsibility. Indeed, in the active voice, the sentences focus on the person who acts. In the passive voice, the sentences focus on the object on which one acts. In the passive voice, it may sound like things are happening on their own. Actively, things only happen when people act.
Stick to a standard structure
What is the key to keeping your emails short? Use a standard structure. This is a template that you can follow for every email you write.
In addition to keeping your emails short, following a standard structure also helps you write quickly.
Over time, you will develop a structure that will work for you. Here is a simple structure to get you started:
- Salutation
- A compliment
- The reason for your email
- A call to action
- A closing message (Closing)
- Signature
Let's look at each of these in depth.
- This is the first line of the email. “Hello, [First Name]” is a typical greeting.
- When you're emailing someone for the first time, a compliment is a great start. A well-written compliment can also serve as an introduction. For instance :
“I enjoyed your presentation on [subject] on [date]. »
“I found your blog on [topic] really helpful. »
“It was a pleasure to meet you at [event]. »
- The reason for your email. In this section, you say, "I'm going to email to ask about..." or "I was wondering if you could help with..." Sometimes you'll need two sentences to explain your reasons for writing.
- A call to action. Once you have explained the reason for your email, do not assume that the recipient will know what to do. Provide specific instructions. For example :
"Could you send me those files by Thursday?" »
"Could you write this in the next two weeks?" "
“Please write Yann about it, and let me know when you've done it. »
By structuring your request in the form of a question, the recipient is invited to respond. Alternatively, you can also use: "let me know when you did this" or "let me know if this is ok for you." "
- Adjustable velcro closure. Before sending your email, be sure to include a closing message. This serves the dual purpose of reiterating your call to action and making the recipient feel good.
Examples of good closing lines:
“Thanks for all of your help with this. "
“I can't wait to hear what you think. »
“Let me know if you have any questions. "
- To finish thinking of adding your signature preceded by a message of greetings.
It could be "Yours truly", "Sincerely", "Have a nice day" or "Thank you".
