TO WRITE OR NOT TO WRITE
Before you set out to write an email, take a moment to think about whether it’s the most appropriate way to communicate your message. Wouldn’t it be quicker and more efficient to make a phone call instead? Are you just avoiding making the call, because you lack confidence when it comes to speaking in English? If this should be the case, here’s an article for you with lots of useful tips on how to improve your communication skills and boost your confidence:
Once you’ve decided that it’s OK to send an email, make sure you consider the following points:
STYLE
Keep it simple! This is not academic writing and your boss is not likely to have plenty of time to spend on deciphering your compound-complex sentences and over-sophisticated vocabulary. Use short, clear sentences.
Levels of formality may vary from workplace to workplace. Some bosses are on a first-name basis with their employees, while others might expect you to use formal language in your correspondence. If you need help with deciding what’s considered formal and what’s not, check out this post:
Read more:
Formal and Informal Email Phrases Starting with Greetings, Finishing with Closing Phrases!
RELEVANT DETAILS AND READER-FRIENDLY LAYOUT
Again, it’s about not wasting your boss’s time. Stick to the point and don’t include irrelevant details in your email. You can make small talk with your boss at the next office party or when you meet in the canteen.
Use bullet points and highlighters to make the email more visual. It will make it easier to read. Keep your paragraphs short and make sure they’re sequenced logically.
Read more:
7 Simple Examples of Business Email Writing in English
SUBJECT LINE AND SUMMARY
As with every email, it’s very important that you indicate what your email is about in the subject line. This will help your boss prioritize his or her incoming messages.
If your email is long, you may summarize the main points in the first paragraph.
Read more:
18 Powerful Websites to Improve Your Writing Skills in English
PROOFREAD
If you get a chance, ask a colleague or a teacher to check your email for mistakes. If you can’t do that, make sure you read it carefully before you hit the send button and run it through spell check.
Read more:
Best English Grammar and Spelling Checkers Online
SAMPLES
To get the hang of business correspondence, read sample emails in your free time. This website offers you lots of free samples:
I hope you find my tips useful. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions or need help with something!
HERE IS A SAMPLE EMAIL TO SENIOR MANAGEMENT:
Subject: Special Request for Attendance to Quarterly Meeting
Dear Chairman Robinson,
I am writing on behalf of the Product Development Team, and would like to request that you make a special appearance to our next quarterly team meeting.
The past few months have been tremendously successful; we not only reached but also surpassed our goals by a long way, and most of this is due to the input and guidance you kindly gave to us. To show our appreciation, we have prepared a presentation in your honour.
My team showed a lot of dedication and nonpareil workmanship during this period, for which we also have a few awards of recognition to hand out and would be extremely grateful if you could do the honour of presenting these.
I completely understand that you are particularly busy at this time of the year, hence the date for this meeting has not been finalised yet. If you could please notify me of the dates that you are available within the next month, I will endeavour to find common availability with our team.
If you have any questions regarding this request, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. I await your response with anticipation.
Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Robert Fray
Team Leader
