6 Tips on Writing Better Professional Emails

The average employee receives 121 business emails and sends 40 professional emails every day.

Let that sink in. That’s over 100 new emails to go through, every single day. As a professional, you’re probably all too aware of the flood of emails that reach your inbox. How many of those do you actually read, all the way through? Unfortunately, the same approach you take to all those emails is the same approach others take to the 40 professional emails you send out.

There’s a better way to write professional emails. Make sure every email you send is worth the time it takes to write (and read) it. Here’s how to write emails that sound professional – and get read.

1. Mix up your opening lines.

Do all your emails start with a variation of “Happy Monday!” or “Hope you’re doing well”? Email greetings tend to be cliche – and therefore easy to dismiss. These opening lines tend to have the same impact as when you hear the word “synergy” or “deep dive” in real life. No one talks like this in real life, so it’s time to stop talking like this in your professional emails. Try an alternative like “I’m reaching out about…” or a question.

2. Don’t waste the recipient’s time.

If you’ve ever used a time tracker, you have likely been surprised at how many hours are spent reading and responding to emails. The best professional emails keep it short, sweet, and easy to respond to. Structure your email in a ways that makes it easy for the recipient to reply immediately, rather than save it for later. Emailing 101 has probably taught you that specificity is the the best policy. Truly, be as specific as possible: instead of requests like “would love feedback,” try “tell me how to better address x, y, z.” Try to frame your question or ask in terms that can be addressed in a few words or sentences.

Likewise, cut out qualifiers (“I’m sorry, I just think that this…” or “I’m no expert but…”). These phrases undermine your entire email and communicate lack of confidence in your convictions. They also lengthen your email unnecessarily. Some experts argue that your emails should be no longer than five sentences. If you’re looking for other phrases to cut, try getting rid of the obvious filler: “don’t hesitate to contact me” and “attached please find” are obvious statements you don’t need.

3. Cold emailing? Make it personal.

Sending a cold email? Professionalism is imperative if you want to make a good first impression. In this case, take the extra time to personalize each email; recruiters and potential employers can tell when you’re copying and pasting. Don’t be shy of name-dropping if you have a common connection, but if not, do some research on the company. For example, if you’re cold emailing a recruiter, focus on what you can specifically do for that company, rather than why this would be a great opportunity for you.

4. Skip emojis, exclamation points, etc.

Millennials love emojis. One report found that from 2015 - 2016, the use of emojis in emails increased by 775%. GIFs in emails are also on the rise. Unfortunately, emojis are not as beloved by non-millennials, aka recruiting managers, new bosses, and potential clients.

There’s a time and place for emojis and other visuals, and professional emails are not it. If you’re trying sound like a qualified individual, skip the smilies. Likewise, use a tool like Grammarly or WhiteSmoke to proof your emails before you send them. If you’re worried about making an error, send the email to yourself before you send it to your client or colleague. That way, you can see exactly what it will look like on receipt (and read it with fresh eyes).

5. Think how you would feel if this went public.

Probably the best filter of all professional emails is the public filter. While crafting your email, imagine how you would feel if for some reason this email was released to the masses. There are many, many horror stories of emails getting sent “reply all” by accident or landing in the wrong person’s inbox by mistake. Before hitting send, read it while thinking, is this how you want to portray yourself to the world? While you’re at it, make sure you have the right people CC-ed. Not everyone needs to be copied on every email!

6. Make it easy to read.

For anyone with a background in SEO, this tip will feel familiar. The same principles that the internet bots use to rank content during your search also hold true for emailing. Professionals are busy, and busy people tend to skim emails. Think outside normal paragraphs to make skimming easier for those reading your emails. Include bold, bullets, or numbers to highlight the things to which you want people to pay attention. Keep links professional by using hyperlinks, rather than copy and pasting URLs.