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A colleague has just sent you an email relating to a meeting you're having in one hour's time. The email is supposed to contain key information that you need to present, as part of the business case for an important project.

But there's a problem: the email is so badly written that you can't find the data you need. There are misspellings and incomplete sentences, and the paragraphs are so long and confusing that it takes you three times longer than it should to find the information you want. As a result, you're under-prepared for the meeting, and it doesn't go as well as you want it to.

Have you ever faced a situation similar to this? In today's information overload world, it's vital to communicate clearly, concisely and effectively. People don't have time to read book-length emails, and they don't have the patience to scour badly-constructed emails for "buried" points.

The better your writing skills are, the better the impression you'll make on the people around you - including your boss, your colleagues, and your clients. You never know how far these good impressions will take you!

In this article and in the video, below, we'll look at how you can improve your writing skills and avoid common mistakes.

Click here to view a transcript of this video.

Audience and Format

The first step to writing clearly is choosing the appropriate format. Do you need to send an informal email? Write a detailed report? Create advertising copy? Or write a formal letter?

The format, as well as your audience, will define your "writing voice" - that is, how formal or relaxed the tone should be. For instance, if you write an email to a prospective client, should it have the same tone as an email to a friend?

Definitely not.

Start by identifying who will read your message. Is it targeted at senior managers, the entire human resources team, or a small group of engineers? With everything you write, your readers, or recipients, should define your tone as well as aspects of the content.

Composition and Style

Once you know what you're writing, and for who you're writing, you actually have to start writing.

A blank, white computer screen is often intimidating. And it's easy to get stuck because you don't know how to start. Try these tips for composing and styling your document:

Start with your audience - Remember, your readers may know nothing about what you're telling them. What do they need to know first?

Create an outline - This is especially helpful if you're writing a longer document such as a report, presentation, or speech. Outlines help you identify which steps to take in which order, and they help you break the task up into manageable pieces of information.

Use AIDA - If you're writing something that must inspire action in the reader, follow the Attention-Interest-Desire-Action (AIDA) formula. These four steps can help guide you through the writing process.

Try some empathy - For instance, if you're writing a sales letter for prospective clients, why should they care about your product or sales pitch? What's the benefit for them? Remember your audience's needs at all times.

Use the Rhetorical Triangle - If you're trying to persuade someone to do something, make sure that you communicate why people should listen to you, pitch your message in a way that engages your audience, and present information rationally and coherently. Our article on the Rhetorical Triangle can help you make your case in the most effective way.

Identify your main theme - If you're having trouble defining the main theme of your message, pretend that you have 15 seconds to explain your position. What do you say? This is likely to be your main theme.

Use simple language - Unless you're writing a scholarly article, it's usually best to use simple, direct language. Don't use long words just to impress people.

Structure

Your document should be as "reader friendly" as possible. Use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and numbering whenever possible to break up the text.

After all, what's easier to read - a page full of long paragraphs, or a page that's broken up into short paragraphs, with section headings and bullet points? A document that's easy to scan will get read more often than a document with long, dense paragraphs of text.

Headers should grab the reader's attention. Using questions is often a good idea, especially in advertising copy or reports, because questions help keep the reader engaged and curious.

In emails and proposals, use short, factual headings and subheadings, like the ones in this article.

Adding graphs and charts is also a smart way to break up your text. These visual aids not only keep the reader's eye engaged, but they can communicate important information much more quickly than text.

Grammatical Errors

You probably don't need us to tell you that errors in your document will make you look unprofessional. It's essential to learn grammar properly, and to avoid common mistakes that your spell checker won't find.

Here are some examples of commonly misused words:

Affect/Effect

"Affect" is a verb meaning to influence. (Example: the economic forecast will affect our projected income.)

"Effect" is a noun meaning the result or outcome. (Example: what is the effect of the proposal?)

Then/Than

"Then" is typically an adverb indicating a sequence in time. (Example: we went to dinner, then we saw a movie.)

"Than" is a conjunction used for comparison. (Example: the dinner was more expensive than the movie.)

Your/You're

"Your" is a possessive. (Example: is that your file?)

"You're" is a contraction of "you are." (Example: you're the new manager.)

Note: Also watch out for other common homophones (words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings) - such as their/they're/there, to/too/two, and so on.

Its/It's

"Its" is a possessive. (Example: is that its motor?)

"It's" is a contraction of "It is." (Example: it's often that heavy.) (Yes, it is this way around!)

Company's/Companies (and Other Possessives Versus Plurals)

"Company's" indicates possession. (Example: the company's trucks hadn't been maintained properly.)

"Companies" is plural. (Example: the companies in this industry are suffering.)

To learn more about commonly misused words, misused apostrophes, and other grammatical errors, take our Bite-Sized Training session on Written Communication.

Tip:

Some of your readers - arguably an increasing number - won't be perfect at spelling and grammar. They may not notice if you make these errors. But don't use this as an excuse: there will usually be people, senior managers in particular, who will notice!

Because of this, everything you write should be of a quality that every reader will find acceptable.

Proofing

The enemy of good proofreading is speed. Many people rush through their documents, but this is how you miss mistakes. Follow these guidelines to check what you've written:

Proof your headers and subheaders - People often skip these and focus on the text alone. Just because headers are big and bold doesn't mean they're error free!

Read the document out loud - This forces you to go more slowly meaning that you're more likely to catch mistakes.

Use your finger to follow text as you read - This is another trick that helps you slow down.

Start at the end of your document - Proofread one sentence at a time, working your way from the end to the beginning. This helps you focus on errors, not on content.

Key Points

More than ever, it's important to know how to communicate your point quickly and professionally. Many people spend a lot of time writing and reading, so the better you are at this form of communication, the more successful you're likely to be.

Identify your audience before you start creating your document. And if you feel that there's too much information to include, create an outline to help organize your thoughts. Learning grammatical and stylistic techniques will also help you write more clearly, and be sure to proof the final document. Like most things, the more you write, the better you're going to be!

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Writing Skills: Getting Your Written Message Across Clearly

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A colleague has just sent you an email relating to a meeting you're having in one hour's time. The email is supposed to contain key information that you need to present, as part of the business case for an important project. But there's a problem: the email is so badly written that you can't find the data you need.

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Business emails are a pillar of modern communication. On any given day, the average office worker receives over 80 emails.

That's a lot of communication.

While we send a lot of emails, many of them are not effective. Everyone's inbox holds those difficult to read or process emails, hanging around because the recipient is unclear on how to reply or act. Don't let that happen to your business emails. Etiquette, style, and format are essential to writing emails that get results.

This article will highlight best practices and walk you through an effective business email, step-by-step. By integrating these methods into your email preparation, you will write better emails and improve overall communication.

Four key questions:

There are four questions that you must consider as you begin to draft a business email:

1. Who is my audience?

In all business writing, the audience is the top consideration. Who you are writing for will determine how you write your email. The reader will determine the tone, formality, and content of the communication.

Your email's reader maybe your colleague, client, or supervisor. Each reader will have a different background, project knowledge, and priorities. You can use project acronyms with a colleague who has the same deep project knowledge as you do. Those same acronyms will be confusing to an executive who needs an update for budget forecasting.

With your audience at the forefront, you will always write a more effective email.

The audience includes all the people included in the sender fields. This includes the To:, CC:. and BCC: fields but main focus should be on those in the To field. Writing for the audience also means using these fields correctly.

The 'To:' field is for the direct audience who needs to reply or take action from the email content. The 'CC:' field is for readers who need to receive the email conversation for reference or clarity, but do not need to take action nor reply. The 'BCC:' field is for the audience who only needs to see the initial email and none of the later chain of replies.

Incorrect usage of the sender fields is a common business email mistake. It occurs when the audience and their roles are not thoughtfully considered.

Use the Bcc field very judiciously. Often it's best to forward an email separately, with a brief statement on why you're sending this information.

2. What is the purpose?

An email must have a purpose. And, it must have only one purpose.

This email practice is called the 'one thing rule.'

Each email should cover only one specific item, task, or request.

Covering multiple actions in one email can cause confusion and inefficiency. One email should not include both client report revision notes and a scheduling question for the quarterly meeting. This scenario calls for two separate emails.

By limiting emails to one thing, the email is easier for the recipient to understand, process, and act upon. This clarity increases understanding and productivity.

In practice, we sometimes have to ask for several pieces of information related to the same topic. In this case, use a numbered list to clarify for your reader that the request has components. This will help your reader respond easily and ensure you receive all the specifics you need.
I need you to review these three items before we release the sketch to the production team:

1. Content

2. Design

3. Color choice

3. Is this email necessary?

There is a tendency to over-communicate by email. While email is efficient and provides an electronic paper trail, not all communication should occur over email.

Ask yourself: "Is this email really necessary?" Perhaps a quick phone call or a ping on the company messenger is more appropriate. If you're expecting a lot of back-and-forth on the topic, a short conversation can eliminate a lengthy email chain.

Choose the right channel to send information. Email is great, but it's one channel.

4. Is email appropriate?

Email can be used in many scenarios but is not always appropriate.

If you are delivering bad news, do so in person or buffer the email thoughtfully. An email is impersonal and is difficult to convey empathy or compassion. If you must write a business apology email follow these rules.

Sensitive information sent by email runs the risk of being accidentally shared. There are plenty of cases of email mishaps, ranging from funny to serious. Whether the information is personal contact or personal opinion, consider whether it's appropriate for an email. If you wouldn't want it accidentally shared, be very thoughtful about how it is sent in the first place.

If you are unsure if an email is appropriate, ask yourself if you'd be comfortable with that email being projected in a meeting. Attending the meeting are your boss, all your future bosses, and your mother. If it passes this test, then send it. If not, there is likely something that is not appropriate.

5. Email style

Business emails have a very specific style. They are professional but brief. They should be written to be skimmed, but with enough information to allow a complete response.

If you like this article you may be interested in our email writing course, one of the online business writing courses we offer for individuals and groups.

Business Email Tone

Finding the correct tone can be the biggest headache in drafting an email. The tone changes based on your audience. It can range from formal to friendly but is always professional and should always be matched to your audience.

Wordy politeness can often be overlooked in efforts to be brief in emails. However, " please" and " thank you" should be included anytime it is appropriate.

Avoid ALL CAPS because it SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE YELLING.

Also, writing in all caps could route your email to the spam folder). If you wouldn't shout the statement in person, don't shout it in an email. Instead, use italics, underlining, or bold to emphasize important points.

Example:
Vacation requests must be submitted at least two weeks in advance.

Notice the harsh tone if the bold text is swapped for caps:
Vacation requests must be submitted AT LEAST TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE.

One exception: Do use all caps in email headings when writing to any organization that strips html formatting from email. The military, military academies, and some financial institutions with strict security protocols often strip HTML formatting.

Headings are very helpful to readers. They allow a reader to skim and find information easily. They're a business writer's best weapon against information overload.

Avoid excessive use of punctuation or emojis. Exclamation points should be used sparingly! Emojis continue to have a larger role in digital communication and several style guides have approved their judicious use in business writing. I follow the rule of only using them after the other party has sent one. They should never be used in formal business emails.

Business Email Format

Emails are meant to be skimmed, so they should have plenty of white space to assist the reader. Use shorter paragraphs, lists, and bullet points to streamline the information. And, use headings to break up concepts and allow a reader to skim.

In addition, awkward formatting copied from other documents or emails can be distracting. To have seamless formatting for your email, strip the text formatting of the new content by using your email client's Remove or Formatting function.

Here are the most common formatting features and how to use them:

Italics: Italics are a softer way to draw attention to an area of text. They are used to bring emphasis to an area of a sentence. They do not make words stand out when the user is scanning a page the way bold text does. Italics should also be used for titles of full works.

Alignment: Business writing uses text that is fully aligned left. Academic writing indents the first sentence of a paragraph five spaces. In a business email, you will never need to indent the start of a paragraph.

Users scan pages in a F-shaped pattern. By changing the alignment it makes it more difficult for the reader to skim.

Bullet points: Bullet points are a great way to create white space on your page and draw attention to related items. Bullet points work best for unordered lists.

Indent more: In business emails, you should not indent the first sentence of a new paragraph. A line break represents the start of a new paragraph. The indent more button allows you to add an indent to text.

This is useful on rare occasions when you want to indicate that some information is a subset of what preceded it. It creates a visual indication that the indented information is less important.

Parts of a great business email

Let's dissect each section of a business email to highlight best practices for you to implement in your writing.

Subject line

The subject line is the mini-summary of your email. It provides the biggest opportunity to ensure your email gets read. The goal of a subject line is to get your reader to open the email without tricking them. It is also the place where mistakes are most commonly made.

Think of it as your email's headline. It should be a 3- to 8-word overview of the content. It should be direct and natural but relevant and accurate.

Subject lines that are too brief or too lengthy cause confusion. If it makes the email seem difficult or confusing to reply to, the recipient may not open it immediately or at all.

Bad examples:
Important!

For Your Review

Questions About Expansion Performance Target Report Deadline Extension Request For Client Meeting

Good examples:
Your BookShop Order Delivery Dec 2

Client Report Revisions: Please Review by 4 PM

Expansion Report Extension Requested until Friday

Email clients will also review the subject line for signs of spam. This is especially important for sales teams who may be cold-emailing clients. Certain terms are flags for spam algorithms and may be filtered to a Junk folder. Avoid using words such as Sale, Please read, or Profits, or having one-word subjects.

Optimizing your subject line is an important

Also, make sure you are replying to the correct thread. Do not use an old email thread for a new topic.

Greeting

Your greeting should be professional and concise. It is always preferable to address the recipient using their name, but it may not always be possible.

Good afternoon,

Greetings,

Dear Ms. Jones:

Hi Jeff, (salutation format)

Hi, Jeff. (sentence format)

Brief pleasantry

If you're emailing someone for the first time, your opening line could be a short pleasantry connecting you and the recipient. One sentence should be enough. Indicate how you connected. This reminder will give the reader context for the following information.

It was great to meet you at last night's networking event.

If you've received something from the recipient, offer your thanks. It could be a thank you for an offer of assistance, for an interesting piece of content they shared, or even for simply reading the email.

Thank you for sharing your article on management strategies. The findings are valuable. I appreciate you taking the time to help me with this project.

If you want to keep it general, warm well-wishes will do.

I hope you're well!

Omit a pleasant greeting if you've recently or frequently communicate with each other.

Be very careful of over-spinning pleasantries at the start of the email. The purpose of your email should be the overt start. Remember the acronym B.L.O.T. - bottom line on top. What do you want your reader to know or do? That's the most important opening.

Purpose

As previously noted, each email should address just one thing, one purpose. This task, request, or information should be presented clearly and directly after the pleasantry. This is the B.L.O.T.- bottom line on top.

Be concise and direct. Don't hide your request or it can easily be overlooked or ignored.

Please provide your feedback on the budget. Can you participate in the project kick-off meeting next Thursday? Did you have any revisions to the final report?

Additional information

Some business emails may require additional information for the reader. It could be clarification on the task, a link to resources or examples, or other helpful information. This information should be included thoughtfully. Only directly relevant content should be added.

Call to action (CTA)

Near the end of the email, include a specific call to action. The email is being sent to accomplish one task. The call to action should leave no confusion as to your request. Do not assume the reader understands the desired result from prior information. Emails can easily be misinterpreted if there is any grey area.

This statement should include the specific action and the timeline. If you are sending the email to multiple people, clarify task responsibility by directly naming the intended person.

Clarification of tasks and expectations allows for the recipient to respond more effectively.

Bad examples:
Can you take care of this?
Let me know what you think.
Good examples:
Sarah: can you forward the survey to all staff by Friday at noon, please?
I'd appreciate your feedback on the draft agenda. If you have any edits, please send them by tomorrow, Tuesday, at 10 AM.

If you would like a confirmation, you can phrase the call to action as a question. If the call to action is a notification that does not necessarily require a reply, you can structure the call to action as a statement.

Closing message

The closing message simply indicates that the email is complete. While it is not a requirement in modern email writing, a brief, polite phrase will nicely round out your email.

Thank you for your time, I look forward to your response, Kind regards,

Sign-off & signature

The end of the email includes a sign-off of your name. The phrasing should match the formality of the email.

Most formal:
Dr. John Smith

Dr. Smith

John Smith

Least formal and most common:
John

Your email signature is a type of electronic business card that is appended to your email. It should include the most important context and contact details for your reader. This is the place to help your reader with relevant contact or contextual information, not brag or insert philosophical quotes. Images and logos can be useful, but be aware of the sizing and how they will appear on mobile devices.

Attachments and links

Any referenced attachments or links must be included in the email. Either name the file so that it is clearly identified or include the document title in parenthesis immediately after you mention it in the email.

Don't make the reader go hunting for the information they need.

If an attachment was sent to the recipient previously, attach it again anyway. This way, they can easily access the information rather than searching through their inbox. Of course, double-check that the file is attached and correct. Forgetting to include an attachment requires an unnecessary (and embarrassing!) reply requesting it, which can delay the work.

Links can be directing the reader either to websites or to intranet directories. These hyperlinks can be lengthy and distracting in the email text. Instead, integrate the hyperlink into the existing sentence.

Bad example:
You may find this resource useful in preparing the report: http://www.instructionalsolutions.com/blog/technical-writing-engineers

Good example:
You may find this technical writing resource useful in preparing the report.

You should also test the link to ensure that it opens the correct site.

Review

Once your email is composed, do not click send. Yet.

Take a moment to review your email. Check for grammatical or spelling errors ( Grammarly has a helpful free tool). Typos suggest carelessness and can even convey incorrect information.

Double-check dates, times, names, links, attachments, and other specific details.

Triple-check that the correct recipients are in the sender fields.

Our favorite business email hacks

Undo send

Have you ever clicked send and then gasped in horror? Perhaps it's an 'I didn't mean to send it to that Brad!' situation. Or, it may be the less embarrassing but still annoying 'I meant to include Brad on that email!' scenario.

Thankfully, some email clients have found a solution to this potential embarrassment with the addition of 'Undo Send'.

In Gmail, you can enable this function in Settings. You can choose from a 5 to 30 second cancellation period.

In Outlook, you can recall an unread email sent to a recipient with an Exchange account in the same organization. This feature does not work well in practice because if it has been read by anyone, it cannot be recalled. In this case, simply forward the email with an error and state your apology and clarification.

Canned responses in Gmail

Do you send the same email over and over again? Save time by using Canned Responses in Gmail.

This function allows you to save standard emails. When you would like to send the standard reply, simply select your preferred prepared template in the Compose window. You can also set Canned responses to send automatically to inbound email with specific details.

Filters and folders

Is your inbox overwhelming? Thoughtful use of filters and folders can help reduce email stress.

You can label and even color-code emails from specific people or even whole domains. These labels will allow the emails to be easily archived once read.

You can set up filters to automatically mark as read or archive low priority reference emails, like a delivery tracking update.

A short investment in setup time will provide long-term time savings.

How to schedule an email in Gmail?

Click the blue dropdown arrow to the right side of the regular send email. Then click "schedule send" you will then have the option to choose a suggested time in the next few days or choose your own time and date.

Are you working late, but want your email to arrive in your client's inbox first thing tomorrow morning?

We used to suggest using Boomerang to schedule emails but now you can do it right within Gmail. If you click the little arrow to the right of the send button you can specify when the email will send.

Scheduled emails will appear in a new folder called "scheduled" right under the "sent" folder. From there you can cancel the send at any time before the email sends.

Caution: If you are sending information to recipients who report to you, don't send late evening emails because it can create an expectation of 24/7 work across your team. Schedule the emails to send at the start of normal work hours.

Keyboard shortcuts

Drafting an effective business email takes time. However, you can save time by using keyboard shortcuts. Save clicks while selecting emails, marking unread, adding a hyperlink, and more. Check out the shortcuts for Gmail and Outlook.

Conclusion

The volume of emails we receive and send can sometimes diminish our motivation to write an effective business email. Consider the four key questions when preparing an email. Write it in a way that is concise yet clearly conveys the information and request to the reader.

Your reader (and their inbox) will appreciate it.

If you want to dive deeper into your business writing, check out our Email Writing Course.

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This guide will show you how to identify your audience, write a subject line, and use the correct tone, voice, and formatting when writing business emails.

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Writing skills

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Writing Skills: Getting Your Message Across Clearly

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No matter what your job, you will need to correspond professionally with your boss, colleagues, and/or your employees. Sometimes this will involve sending a physical letter. Other times it will only require a quick email.

Tips for Writing Employee Letters and Emails

Decide the right method. When deciding whether to send a physical letter or an email, think carefully about the situation. If time is of the essence (for example, if you have a family emergency and need to take the day off), email is likely the best choice. If time is not as important, and you want to be official, you might send a formal business letter.

Send it to the right people. Think about who needs to receive your message. If you are quitting your job or firing someone, you might need to send the message not only to the specific person, but also to someone in human resources. If you are sending a goodbye email to your coworkers, consider sending individual messages to each person.

Be professional. Even if you are sending a quick message, make sure your tone is always polite and professional. Avoid unprofessional language (such as slang or abbreviations), emojis, and distracting fonts and formats. When the content of the message is business-related, use a businesslike tone.

Include an appropriate greeting and closing. Whether sending an email or letter, include a professional greeting that includes the person's name. Also include a closing and a polite signature. If it is an email, include an email signature with your contact information. If it is a written letter, include a handwritten signature.

Keep it brief. Keep your message as short as possible. You might include a brief introduction, such as, "I hope your day is going well." Then, quickly dive into your reason for writing. Include only the essential information.

The message should be no longer than a brief paragraph or two (especially if it is an email).

If you keep it short, the recipient will be more likely to read it.

Edit, edit, edit. Always thoroughly proofread your message for spelling and grammar errors before sending it. Professional emails should always be clear and easy to read.

Work-Related Letter and Email Samples

For a Job Well Done

It's always a great feeling to deliver good news or congratulate colleagues on their successes. And, unlike in-person best wishes, a colleague can save a letter or email to look at later. With emails of appreciation, you can even copy managers and other colleagues to spread the good news. Here are a few examples to help you get the wording just right.

...And Not So Well Done

If you have to deliver bad news, whether to a job applicant or an existing employee, these sample letters will help.

When it comes to writing letters with bad news: don't bury the message. Put the essential information (e.g., Unfortunately, you did not get this job. or Due to a downturn in orders, we are reducing all employees' salaries by 10 percent.) in the first paragraph or even the first sentence of the letter. Be direct and to-the-point in your wording. Recipients should be able to quickly absorb the news.

For the Job Applicant

If you're applying for a new job, these examples should help you draft a well-worded request for a reference, an interview, and more. This list also includes ways to respond when a company makes you an offer.

Job Promotion or Transfer

Here's help for when you're trying to snag a new position within the company you work for, whether you want to get promoted or transfer to a different position or location.

Welcoming a New or Returning Employee

Whether you're making an initial job offer or welcoming an employee back from an extended leave, here are some samples of what you might say. This kind of letter can really help set the tone for new (or returning) employees, as well as making the transition into the workplace a smooth one.

I Need a Change

What do you want? More money? A permanent position? You'll find the words in these sample letters.

Work From Home Requests

When you're requesting to work from home on a regular or temporary basis, you need to convey exactly what you want, along with how this change can actually benefit the company. These examples show you how.

When You've Missed Work

Here are a few ways you can explain why you didn't make it into the office, whether due to a sick day, emergency, or just sleeping through the alarm clock.

When You're Leaving Your Job

These examples have you covered, from turning in your resignation to saying goodbye to your co-workers.

Remember: No matter how you feel about the company you're leaving, be gracious and polite in your goodbye message.

When Your Employee Is Leaving

Here's how to officially accept a resignation as well as write a reference for a former employee or colleague. We also show you how to verify that a current or former employee was employed by your company.

Emails and Letters for Difficult Situations

These examples should help when finding the right words is especially difficult.

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No matter what your job, you will need to correspond professionally with your boss, colleagues, and/or your employees. Sometimes this will involve sending a physical letter. Other times it will only require a quick email. Decide the right method. When deciding whether to send a physical letter or an email, think carefully about the situation.

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English writing skills for a variety of purposes, including essays, formal and informal letter writing, resumes, business documents, plus lesson plans for teachers to use in the classroom.

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English writing skills for a variety of purposes, including essays, formal and informal letter writing, resumes, business documents, plus lesson plans for teachers to use in the classroom.