Whether you’re just getting started with your professional career, or you’re running your own business, you might need a boost in your business email writing skills. Written business communication, especially email, is the most prominent form of communication today. It’s also a great opportunity for you to show your professionalism and credibility. But what if you have weak business email writing skills?
Don’t worry, because we’ve got you covered. We’ve put together the ultimate guide to help you improve your business email writing and leave a great impression on the recipients.
- Set a Single Goal
When you’re writing an email for a business, you always have to assume that a recipient is a busy person who doesn’t like wasting their time. Therefore, your emails need to have a single focus that is clear from the beginning. That means you need to:
- set a single goal or message
- focus on making it clear
- don’t wander away from it
For example, your goal could be to offer a partnership idea or a discount on your latest product. Whatever it is, get straight to the point and don’t beat around the bush.
- Organize Your Email Structure
The structure of your email needs to work for you, not against you. Imagine opening a business email that is one huge chunk of text that you’re expected to read. Who would be interested in this? If you organize the structure of your email properly, you’ll make the recipient more interested in at least scanning it for specific information. Make sure to always divide your email using:
- subtitles
- short paragraphs
- bullet points and lists
Certain email clients and tools can help you handle this more easily. You want the recipient to scan your email and immediately know what the content is about. This will help them become interested and keep reading for more details.
- Personalize
Even though you’re writing a business email, you should still consider personalizing it to establish a connection with your reader. You don’t want the recipient to feel like it’s just another generic email you’re sending to hundreds of addresses. Consider personalizing:
- writing the name of the recipient
- including the name of their business, its location, or any other fact
- showing you’ve done your homework and are writing specifically for them
Always show the recipient that the email is written specifically for them, and it deserves their full attention.
- Be Concise
A business email is no place for long narratives or poetic descriptions. You want to go straight to the point. When you’re writing a business email, here’s what to keep in mind:
- go straight to the point
- provide facts, data, or valuable information
- avoid long introductions
- avoid long descriptions or anything redundant
- keep it short
A short but information-packed email will leave a great impression on the recipient. Plus, they’ll be more likely to read the whole thing if it’s shorter.
- Watch the Level of Formality
Business email writing is typically seen as something formal and official. After all, you’re writing to a potential business partner, customer, or associate. However, you don’t want to overdo it with formality. Before you start writing the email, ask yourself the following question:
- Who’s going to read this email?
- Do I know this person? Have we ever spoken or met before?
- How formal should this email be?
- Am I allowed a bit of friendliness in my tone?
People don’t like it when you write overly formal emails, since they might send a message of coldness and distance. But you also don’t want to be too friendly and informal. If you think you need help with this, you can find tutors who provide paper writing help as well. They’ll help you fine-tune your style to find the perfect balance, keeping in mind every new email deserves a revision of the tone and formality you’ll be using.
- Use the Subject Line
The subject line of your business email is such an important component. Yet so many people disregard it and don’t pay much attention to writing it properly. However, people who receive tons of emails every day, won’t bother opening an email if the subject line is:
- missing
- irrelevant
- vague
- uninteresting
You need to use your subject line to hint at what the content of the email is and why it’s important for this person to read your email. You have to be creative and write something that will make them open it. Never underestimate the power of a great subject line.
- Proofread & Edit
A typo, lack of punctuation, or illogical structure of the email can ruin your credibility. You don’t want to let all that effort you’ve put into writing the email go to waste, just because you didn’t edit or proofread. You need to make sure that you proofread every email before sending and remove typos and check for spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes. Read it several times if necessary until you’re happy with the result. If you need help with this, GetGoodGrade can help you polish your writing.
Final Thoughts
Business email writing is one of the key and crucial skills you’ll need to work on if you want to achieve your business goals and earn credibility. Hopefully the 7 tips we’ve shared above will help you write better business emails from now on. Study them and start applying them regularly.
