How to write great emails? - Questers

How to write great emails?

Writing emails is not rocket science but is often a boring and tedious task, especially for tech people who often prefer focusing on more code-oriented assignments. To help you improve your emails and smooth the writing process, we came up with a few simple steps to follow. Read below.

Start with the subject line

The subject line is a very important element of the email as it is one of the first things the receivers read. It casts light on the topic of your email and may indicate whether it is important and requires a quick response or is something not very urgent.

Make the subject line short and clear. Here are a few examples “[Project name] progress”, “Access request for…”, Meeting recap”, etc.

Structure your email

A well-structured email is easy to read and comprehend especially if it is long and contains complicated pieces of information. Following this simple structure, you could significantly improve your emails:

  • Salutation. Begin your email by addressing the receiver with “Hi/ Hello [Receiver’s name]”.
  • Short intro. Use one sentence to explain the main purpose of your email.
  • Main message. This is the more detailed part of the email which has to contain the main information. If needed, divide it into several paragraphs or bullet points and highlight the important parts to make it even easier to read.
  • Action point. After the main message, make sure you state whether you are expecting something from the receiver’s side, or the action point is with you.
  • Closing phrase and signature. At the end of your email add a closing phrase – “Best/ Kind regards” and a signature with your name and contact details.

Use a proper tone of voice

Keep in mind who’s the receiver of your email. If it is a team mate or your direct team lead, you may use more casual tone, while with executive-level managers, you need to pay more attention to your words.

If you are in communication with a client, it is advisable to use more formal expressions but still, keep the friendly voice and make sure you let them know you are there to help them.

Check for typos

When the body of your email is finalized, be sure to double-check the text for typos. Besides making a bad impression, sometimes they may completely change the meaning of your email.

Double-check the receiver’s email

Before clicking “Send”, make sure the receivers of your email are the correct ones. It is a very unpleasant situation to send the email to the wrong person, especially if you are dealing with confidential information.

Voila! Your email is ready to be sent.

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