This field is for people that the message directly affects. If you are expecting someone to do something in reaction to your email, they should be in the To field. It’s a good idea to include all of the people in your To field in the opening line of your email. This way, you engage everyone in the conversation from the start and inform everyone of who else is involved in the conversation. If you have included more than four people in the To field, address the group as a whole by starting your email with something like, “Hi Team, or “Good Morning All,” The To field can be used for as many addresses as you’d like. Remember, everyone who is directly involved and needs to take action should be included in the To field.
When Cc-ing multiple associates, each recipient will have access to the list of email Cc’s.
Use the Bcc field to send an email to multiple associates who don’t know each other. This protects the privacy of each recipient by keeping the list of recipients visible only to the sender and not to each recipient. Use the Bcc field when sending an e-mail to hundreds of people. Your contacts will be able to see anyone who the email was sent to in the To or Cc fields but not in the Bcc field. [4] X Research source
Only when your comments are important to the entire group would you use the “Reply to All” field. Be careful when choosing to reply to all recipients on the email. You should avoid flooding other people’s inboxes with irrelevant information whenever possible. [5] X Research source
“Leadership Meeting Update” “Issue Regarding Lunch Breaks” “Meeting Overview for March 12th”
Your greeting A pleasantry Your purpose A call to action A closing message Your signature
If your relationship is very casual, you can even say, “Hi Gabe”. In most cases, it’s perfectly fine to open with a simple “Dear Marie. ” If the nature of your correspondence calls for something a little more formal, it’s safest to use the recipient’s name alone as the greeting to keep things short and sweet. [8] X Research source If you don’t know the name of the recipient, you can use: “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam”. If you are composing an email to a group of recipients who you have included in the To field and require a response from, greet them as a group (if the number of recipients is four or greater) or include each of their names in the greeting. If you are sending an email with Cc’s, simply address the group as a whole if you have a great number of recipients, otherwise include each recipient’s name in the greeting. If you are sending an email with BCC’s, address the group as a whole by opening with something like, “Hi all”. If you are emailing someone for the first time, keep introductions brief and let them know who you are in one sentence. For example: “It was great to meet you at [X event]. " If you are not sure if an introduction is necessary and you’ve contacted the recipient before, but you’re not sure if they remember you, you can leave your credentials in your email signature. Keep in mind that, even though email can be a casual form of communication, when used in a business situation, it should always follow the format of a formal written letter.
Pique your recipient’s interest by highlighting a common connection or shared experience (“We met at the annual Women as Leaders conference in Toronto last year”). [10] X Research source It’s alright to skip the introduction if you’re already acquainted with the person you’re writing.
Beginning an email by expressing your appreciation also demonstrates respect, which can keep the message from coming across as cold or impersonal.
“I am writing to inquire about …” “I am writing in reference to …” “Please take the time to look over these changes and offer me your feedback. . . "
“Thank you for getting back to me. . . " “Thank you for your attention on this matter. . . " “Thank you for contacting Ocean Safari Scuba. . . " Thanking the reader is a great way to remain polite, professional, and on good terms with your recipient.
Try communicating everything you need to in just five sentences. Say everything you need to say, and no more. Sometimes it will be impossible to limit your email to just five sentences. Don’t worry if you need to include more information. In the body of your email, include all relevant information and anything you may require from your recipients.
“Could you send me those files by Thursday?” “Could you write that up in the next two weeks?” “Please write to Thomas about this, and let me know when you’ve done so. " Structuring your request as a question encourages a reply. You can say, “Let me know when you have done that. "
Offering a definite time frame in which you’d like to hear back (“it would be ideal if we could have these documents organized before the meeting on Thursday”) may ensure a swifter response. Try to reply to important emails within 24 hours. [14] X Research source
“Thank you for your patience and cooperation” “Thank you for your consideration” “If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to let me know” “I look forward to hearing from you” End your email with a proper closing before your name, like “Best regards” or “Sincerely”. Avoid casual closings like “Cheers” unless you are good friends with the reader, as these types of closings are less professional.
Your name. Your job title. A link to your website. Links to social media accounts (optional). Necessary contact information.
To save yourself some trouble, save your custom signature in whatever email platform you use so that it will be displayed automatically in future messages. [16] X Research source Providing links to your social media accounts will give unfamiliar contacts a more complete picture of you. [17] X Research source Don’t bog down your signature with unnecessary details, quotes or graphics. [18] X Research source
Once you’ve written your email, read it back to yourself to determine whether you’ve captured the right tone. Though it should go without saying, refrain from using any type of slang or profanity. While humor is often a valuable quality in the workplace, work-related emails are usually not the right vehicle for it. [19] X Research source
Try an introductory sentence like “I’m writing to inform you that your membership has expired and needs to be renewed in person before you can continue receiving member benefits. " You can then follow up with whatever pertinent details the recipient needs in order to take action. Most people tend to scan emails rather than reading each and every word. The nearer your main objective is to the beginning, the more likely your recipient is to pick up on it. [21] X Research source
Observe the “five sentence rule”—messages shorter than five sentences may come off as brisk or rude, whereas anything longer than five sentences puts you in danger of losing your reader’s attention. [23] X Research source If for some reason you have to include a large amount of information, do it as a separate attachment.
Experienced communicators refer to this as a “call to action,” and it’s a good way to ensure that your dialogue maintains a distinct sense of purpose. [25] X Research source A call to action in a professional email might say something like “it’s important that you memorize the security clearance number provided with this email” or “please update your summer availability by the end of the month. ”
Multiple topics or requests should be reserved for multiple emails.
Use your email platform’s spell-checker feature to avoid accidental oversights. You can also take this time to make any last minute changes to the formatting that you think may make your email easier to digest. [28] X Research source
Use short sentences, words, and paragraphs. This helps make the email quick and easy to read and understand. If it’s possible to cut a word out, cut it out. Trim your sentences down to as short as possible.
Is my email clear? Could my email be misunderstood? How would it sound if I were the recipient?
The only time it is appropriate to use emoticons or chat abbreviations is when you’re mirroring the email language of the person you’re writing to. Write like you speak. This can help you keep your email short, friendly, and personable. Don’t say anything in an email that you wouldn’t say to your recipient in person.
