Almost all modern businesses use email as a vehicle for the relatively seamless transmission of information across teams, geographies, and functions. The one caveat is that its value depends on the user’s ability to communicate productively through the computer screen. Knowing how to write effective emails is a powerful skill in the corporate environment. It’s particularly advantageous for people who are in the beginning phases or steepest upward trajectory of their career.
Everyone emails, but not everyone does it well. Why does this matter? Because people in the corporate world, especially those who manage teams, are typically juggling multiple tasks at once. They won’t have the time or energy to parse through a complicated online message, which often leads to unnecessary follow up communication. We all can control our ability to email in a way that will simplify information, convey ideas, and keep people on the same page.
All good emails have a few things in common. Regardless of your function or industry, here are some general tips to follow that will help you craft more effective emails:
Focus on both brevity AND clarity.
Less is usually more. There are exceptions, but it’s easier for long-winded emails to get lost in the shuffle. Not only will shorter emails generally read better, but they will also less intimidating to the reader. Optics play a role in how quickly and effectively someone is able to understand written (or typed) words.
Next time you find yourself composing an email that feels too lengthy, look again at the message you’re trying to convey. Are you providing too much background information? Maybe some of your ideas or questions belong in a separate email. Can you eliminate any unnecessary words? For example, many people say “in order to” when they can just use the word “to.” Don’t use fancy verbiage if it only serves as fluff. Concise, by definition, means free from elaboration. Every word should serve a purpose.
At the risk of sounding contradictory, you never want to sacrifice clarity for brevity. It’s not good enough to keep things short and sweet. Short emails can still be confusing. Effective emails simplify things for the reader. You want to make sure that there is a logical flow to your points and questions so that your reader will understand what they need to do once they’ve finished reading. People who do this well are able to take multiple ideas, synthesize them, and then present them in their most digestible form.
Don’t be overly emotive.
It’s tempting to use emojis or extra exclamation marks to emphasize emotions, but it’s usually not the best idea in the corporate setting unless you have a close, more personal relationship with your reader. Know your audience. You don’t want to be misperceived as immature. You can use email to voice opinions, express emotions, and showcase your personality all while maintaining your sense of professionalism and sophistication.
“Cc” the right people.
Use email to cut out the middle man. You don’t want your reader to have to forward your message to 5 other people to get something accomplished. Before you compose your email, think about who would benefit from what you’re about to say. Don’t include people for no reason, but do make sure you copy anyone who needs to be on the same page as you. If you do need to include multiple people, make it clear who you’re talking to and what you need from them.
Know when to email vs. speak in person.
Some things are better said in person. We typically email to convey information, ask a question, or both. If you need to ask or convey too many questions or main points, then it might be more efficient to discuss your thoughts face-to-face or over the phone. Brainstorming, for example, should usually be done in person because it’s iterative and fueled by a significant amount of back and forth. If your gut is telling you that you should be talking to someone instead of emailing them, trust it. Confusing or multilayered emails will typically be followed up with a call anyway.
Here are two examples of effective emails:
EFFECTIVE EMAIL #1: ASKING A QUESTION
Context: Mike and Dana are peers. Mike is responsible for evaluating research tools for his firm and he’s asking Dana for advice based on her prior experience.
Subject line: Research Tool Question
Have you used Pitchbook as a tool for market research and analysis? Given your experience building out the research function at your prior company, I thought you might have some insight.
I recently did a demo with them and they showed me how they market map industries. I thought it was an interesting way to quickly do industry research for a client.
Let me know your thoughts. I really appreciate your help!
EFFECTIVE EMAIL #2: CONVEYING INFORMATION AND ASKING FOR FEEDBACK
Context: Jamie reports to Sara. As a research project for a client, Sara asked Jamie to map out all Chief Executive Officers of NYC-based technology companies that are between $500M-$1B in revenue. Jamie tracked the research on an Excel document and is explaining it via email.
Subject line: NYC CEO Research Mapping — for (CLIENT NAME)
Attached is an excel sheet that I created to track CEOs at NYC-based tech companies that are between $500M-$1B in revenue. The sheet is broken down into two different tabs:
- Tab 1 — CEOs at companies greater than $1B in revenue.
- Tab 2 — CEOs at companies that are between $500M-$1B. Note that I included a few companies that are less than $500M in revenue because they are high-growth and well-known tech companies in NYC.
Let me know what you think and if you have companies to add to the list. Thank you!
Why are these effective emails? Let’s look at the structure:
Good subject line.
The subject line should be a succinct, simple, and specific summary of your email. This will make it both easy to read and highly searchable. The goal is for your reader to be able to locate your email days, weeks, or months after you’ve sent it based on the subject line.
Start with a quick greeting.
It’s usually best to keep your initial greeting brief. A simple “Hi (person’s name)” will usually do. Sometimes it’s fine to include 1–2 more introductory sentences here, but use your best judgement. If you know your reader has a shorter attention span, it might be better to cut right to the chase. Generally speaking, you want to get to the point of your email relatively quickly.
Introduce your question or main point quickly.
It’s important to state your main point or ask your question as quickly as you can, ideally immediately after your greeting. This way, you can ensure that the rest of your email will be read in the right context. You don’t want your reader to have to search for what it is that you’re trying to say.
Try to limit your email to 1–3 main points or questions. Otherwise, it’s more likely that your message will be too convoluted. As we said earlier, if you have additional things to say, it might be better to just have a conversation in person.
Provide adequate background information.
More likely than not, you’ll need to explain to your reader why you’re asking a certain question or making a specific point. This is where you’ll provide any necessary background information to supplement your main idea or inquiry. Be discerning and only include information that is truly relevant and will help your reader provide a response. Any fluff will just make things cloudy and overly complicated. Consider using bullets or shorter paragraphs to make your message more readable. The goal is to make the content as digestible as possible.
End with action item(s) reminder and gratitude.
Even though you’ve asked your question or stated your main point earlier in the email, it can be helpful to end with exactly what you need from the reader. It will help remind them what they need to do to respond properly.
After you’ve wrapped up any final action items, you’ll want to end with some form of gratitude. Email is similar to other forms of communication in the corporate setting in that doing it effectively requires equal parts EQ and IQ. Sometimes, it’s how you’re saying something, not what you’re saying that will get you over the finish line. Most people are more willing to help those who are grateful. Simply saying “thank you” or “I appreciate your help” at the end of your email will make a big difference. Not only is it polite, but it also makes it more likely that your reader will respond in a thoughtful and helpful way.
Use these tips and think about ways you can write more effective emails at work. And if you feel like you benefited from this post, share it with a friend!
Originally published at https://www.kimandroy.com on May 3, 2020.
