Email has become by far the most popular means of both internal and external communication in business. It's faster than writing and sending a business letter, and it's cheaper than a phone call. There are some similarities and differences between email messages and business letters. In both, the writing should be clear and concise. The spelling, grammar, and punctuation should be good enough so that the writing is understandable and professional. However, there are some key differences between emails and business letters. Keep in mind the following tips when writing email messages: Write an informative subject line.
People may receive a hundred or more email messages every day. The subject line may be the most important factor in determining whether your email gets read right away or not. A brief subject line that specifically identifies the key topic is best, such as "Action Items from October 24 Sales Meeting." Avoid general or generic subject lines such as "Greetings" or "Meeting Summary." Keep it short.
You should express only one main idea per message. State your purpose at the beginning of the message. Paragraphs should be no longer than two or three sentences. If possible, the recipient should be able to see the entire message in the view window. If you need to include detailed information, consider sending it as an attachment. Include sufficient context.
Short messages are best, but if they are too short, the context may be unclear. Have you ever received an email reply that simply said "OK"--and you had forgotten what your question was? Include the original message at the bottom of your reply. Here is an example: From: Hiroshi Tanaka
To: bjsmith@afs.com
Sent: May 18, 2010 5:32 p.m.
Cc: Joe Klein
Subject: RE: Z56 Samples for JVS
No problem. ----Original Message---- From: Bill Smith [mailto:bjsmith@afs.com]
To: hiroshi_tanaka@afs.co.jp
Sent: May 18, 2010 5:15 p.m.
Cc: Joe Klein
Subject: Z56 Samples for JVS Hiroshi, After talking with you on the phone yesterday, I talked with Joe. There's a slight change of plans. Can you include four samples in the shipment instead of the two that we discussed? Let me know if there's a problem.
Thanks,
Bill
If the message thread (the group of related messages) becomes too long, however, it's a good idea to include contextual reminders in the current message. That way, the recipient does not have to read through the entire thread to remember the main topic of the email discussion. Be conversational but professional.
Email is a fast communication medium. There is often a rapid, back-and-forth exchange of messages, almost like a conversation. The writing style tends to be more conversational than in business letters. For example, people often begin an original email by writing "Hiroshi," or "Hi, Hiroshi," rather than the more formal "Dear Hiroshi: ..." In subsequent replies, especially in internal email, the salutation may be omitted entirely. For external email messages, it's probably a good idea to include a brief salutation and signature even in subsequent replies. Reply promptly.
Because email is so much faster than regular mail, people usually expect to receive an answer within 24 hours--even sooner in the case of internal emails. If someone has made a difficult request and it will take you some time to provide an answer, it's a good idea to send a short reply acknowledging that you received the message. Specify when you will respond to the request. This way, the other person won't wonder if the message got lost. The sender will also know that you are not ignoring the email. Don't write anything confidential in an email message.
From the standpoint of technology, it's easy to forward an email to people for whom it was not intended. When you receive an email, you should not forward it without the author's permission. The reality, however, is that many people do. When writing email, you should always assume that people other than the original recipient might read your message. Check your message before sending it.
It doesn't have to be perfect, but a message with too many spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors will be difficult to understand. Even if it is understandable, it will not project a professional image if it has mistakes. Although most people tend to write emails and send them off quickly, it will really be worth a few extra moments to read over your message before sending it. Copyright © 2008-2010 GlobalEnglish Magazine. | 
