7 Tips on how to improve your Email writing skills
Most of us in the Business world use emails as the main, and in some cases the only, means of written communication.
For many students studying Business English, practising their Email Writing Skills is an important part of their course.
While most of us are happy to write informal emails to friends that might have grammatical mistakes in them, the same is not true when writing to colleagues and clients with whom we want to make a good impression. Or where we need to be a bit more careful or more diplomatic than usual.
So, how can you ensure that your email writing skills are up to standard? Here are some 7 general tips I’d like to share with you:
1. Subject Line: Always have a subject line that summarises briefly and clearly the contents of the message. for example, Re: Summary of Our Meeting with ABC Suppliers
2. Short and Simple Sentences - use short and easy sentences. Long sentences can often be difficult to read and understand. The most common mistake that I see my students making is to translate directly from their own language. This can often lead to confusing sentences. I always tell my students to use the KISS Test - Keep It Short and Simple
3. Think of who your reader is going to be. Is it a colleague, a client or your boss? Should the email be informal or formal? Most Business Emails these days have a neutral tone. Note the difference between Informal and Formal:
Informal - Thanks for the email of 15 February
Formal - Thank you for your email received 15 February
Informal - Sorry, I can’t make it.
Formal - I am afraid I will not be able to attend
Informal - Could you…?
Formal - I was wondering if you could….?
Some emails to colleagues can be informal if they are friends. This is the style that is closest to speech, so there are often everyday words and conversational expressions that can be used.
For instance, ‘Don’t forget’, 'Catch you later’, 'Cheers’.
The reader will also accept bad grammar in informal emails. However, if the email is going to a client or senior colleague, bad grammar and an over-friendly style will not be acceptable.
4. Be very careful of capital letters, punctuation, spelling and basic grammar - while these can be tolerated in informal emails, they are very important in business emails as they are an important part of the image you create. Give yourself time to edit what you’ve written before you push that Send button. In today’s busy world, it’s very easy to send out many emails without checking them so make a conscious effort to edit.
5. Think about how direct or indirect you want to be - In some cultures it is common practice to be very direct in email correspondence. However, this can cause a problem if you’re writing to someone in another country and in a language that is not yours. They might find your directness rude and sometimes offensive.
Consider these:
Direct - I need this in half an hour.
Indirect and polite - Could I have this in half an hour?
Direct - There will be a delay
Indirect - I’m afraid there will be a slight delay.
Direct - It’s a bad idea
Indirect - To be honest, I’m not sure it would be a good idea.
By adjusting your tone, you are more likely to get a more positive response from your reader.
6. Be positive!
Look at these words: helpful, good question, agreed, together, useful, I’d be delighted, mutual, opportunity.
Now look at these: busy, crisis, failure, forget it, I can’t, it’s impossible, waste, hard
The words you use show your attitude to life so choose your words wisely.
7. Get Feedback
Try and get some feedback on the emails that you write in real life. This could be from your English Teacher or someone you know whose English is better than yours.
Study the English in the emails you receive. If it is a well-written email, look carefully at some of the language used. Start your own phrase book and build a bank of phrases from the ones you receive and think would be useful in the future.
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Shanthi Streat
Graduated in Politics and International Studies from the University of Southampton, UK in 1989. After 20 years in the world of Finance in such varied fields as life assurance, stockbroking, fund management, and wealth management, she decided to re-train as an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Trainer. She studied for the CELTA at International House, London in 2009 and has since been a freelance English Trainer both offline and online.
