You just sent your boss a love email on a Monday morning. What do you think would happen?

Awkwardness, embarrassment, severe damage to your professional reputation, and, in a worst-case scenario, losing your job, right?

These and more are also consequences of sending a poorly crafted professional email. 

Emails became popular in the 1990s and have since formed a critical part of communication, especially in the professional world. Sadly, many individuals still struggle to write professional emails. 

If you need help writing professional emails or want to improve, the hacks you need are here.

DOs in a professional email

Have a clear-cut subject line

We all receive tonnes of emails daily, and a clear-cut subject line can help distinguish your email in your recipient’s most likely overloaded inbox. The email subject is a crucial part of your email. It determines if your recipient will read your email, so you must ensure it is readable at first glance and carries the essence of your message.

For example, if you are sending a business proposal to your client via email, your subject line should read something like “[Task/Project name] – Proposal Attached.”

Use professional email salutation

Words like hey, hiya, and so on are inappropriate for a professional email. Replace such with words like Hi and Hello, followed by the recipient’s name and a comma. An example is “Hello Jane,” 

In addition, do not abbreviate names in your work emails, whether you are writing to a colleague or a multimillion-dollar client of your company.

Do a proper introduction when necessary

It would be best to introduce yourself properly when writing an email to a new client or prospect. If you are writing on behalf of your company, an initial professional email should contain an introduction of yourself where you would mention your name and role in the organisation.

Be concise

Keep your emails as short and straight to the point as possible. As you probably already know, humans have a short attention span, so if the first two lines in your email are not brief and relatable enough, your reader could close the email without reading to the end.

If a long email is necessary, pay extra attention to the first two lines in the message to ascertain that they are good enough to retain your recipient’s attention.

Bonus Tip:

Before sending your emails, you must check to confirm your attachments, if any, proofread your message, and double-check the address. You can also use tools like Grammarly to ensure your tenses and constructions are in order.

Don’ts in a professional email

Don’t type in block letters

Typing capital or block letters in an email is equivalent to shouting in a real-life conversation. Therefore, please resist the urge to do it. Better ways to emphasise a point are by writing in bold or using short, direct sentences.

Don’t omit the closing salutation

In emails, this includes expressions like ‘Best Regards, Regards, Kind Regards,’ and many others. Always end your professional emails with one of these as a form of courtesy, and at the end, include your signature.

Your email signature should typically contain your first and last name, role in the company, contact information, and address.

Don’t make assumptions about a previous email

A professional email should be able to stand alone, even if it is a response to a chain of emails. Include all necessary details about the subject matter of your email. It may be difficult for your reader to pick up the flow of conversation with your most recent email, especially if they receive several others after yours.

Bonus Tip:

No matter how excited you are, use only a few exclamations in an email.

Conclusion

Email is a communication tool, and even though one can only partially equate it to a one-on-one real conversation, the tips for writing professional emails shared in this article will guide you into writing one of the best workplace emails out there.

Side note: If you DO want to send a love email to your boss on a Monday morning, our creative writers will help you put together the perfect work of fiction. Just send us an email, and we’ll make magic together.