The art of impeccable email writing

Be it in the professional font or personal, non-verbal communication skills are important for accurate self-expression without letting go of the nuances and protocols of the platform being used.

E-mail has retained its significance in the fast-paced sphere of communication, education, business, marketing, advertising, art and creativity, for it is an easily accessible and low-cost tool.

Here are five common tips to remember for writing clear and effective e-mails:

Writing a Concise Subject Line:

Skipping on a focused and relevant subject line somewhat derails the entire purpose of writing. It is the subject line that conveys the central message and hooks readers’ attention. The subject line should indicate the topic of the e-mail. If the e-mail spans several topics or discussions, the subject line should change accordingly. It should be kept descriptive and relevant to the message written.

Customise the Greeting:

Might sound trivial in the giant scheme of things to accomplish, but a personalised short greeting creates a positive impression on the reader and encourages them to read further on. Digging into the names and credentials prior to composing an e-mail comes in handy in this case. You could directly refer to them by their last names instead of merely mentioning designations or something vague – “Hey folks!” The need to edit the greeting and curate a personal message not merely establish a certain degree of intimacy but credibility as well.

Assimilating Too Much Info:

You want to make the message informative but populated with too many details as it essentially affects the structure and flow. Besides, too much info would only confuse the reader(s). Prioritise info and integrate sequentially. You may want to skip information not immediately relevant or requires elaboration. In this way, you keep the content crisp and precise compelling the reader to read and respond in time.

Using Incomprehensible Language:

Some of us may have the urge to write using bombastic words for an impressive e-mail but it inadvertently ends up affecting the quality and comprehensibility. Ambiguity, in many cases, leads to misinterpretation before sabotaging communication. It might require extra explanation on your part—a waste of resources, really.

Copying and Pasting Info:

Copy-pasting affects credibility. For both personal and professional e-mails, it is always advised to write in fewer and simpler words but using your language. With copy-pasted material, the content might be classified as plagiarised or the recipient might feel let down by the sheer contrast in the tone and language or perhaps by the impersonality of it all.