How to Compose a Professional Email

Professional email should be just that - professional.

Email offers such a quick and convenient method of communication, we often write in colloquial style. Although conversations between friends can certainly adopt a casual tone, professional email needs to be formal. When communicating with potential clients, employers or customers, your email may serve as the sole representation of yourself or your business. To ensure a positive impression, you should observe some simple guidelines.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Address the email directly to the person. Avoid entering a long series of email addresses on the "To" or "CC" line, which gives the impression of an impersonal, bulk-email. If you need to keep third-parties in the loop, enter the email addresses in the "BCC" link, which conceals the addresses.

2. Enter a short, meaningful description in the "Subject" line. Leaving it blank or adding generic text is unprofessional. This description should give the reader a quick summary of the email. As an example, "Meeting confirmed for 3 pm" gives the recipient plenty of information in a short description. You may elaborate on the details in the body of the email.

3. Add a formal salutation, such as "Dear Mr. Smith." Avoid being too familiar, such as starting the email with "Hey Bob."

4. Identify yourself, if the recipient will not immediately recognize you by your name and email address. Don't make the recipient scroll down to read your signature before continuing the email. For example, write "This is John Smith from the Widget Company, Inc. You contacted us via our online feedback tool about model #1234..."

5. Use proper punctuation, grammar, capitalization and spelling. Place spaces between paragraphs for easier readability. Avoid using all caps, colloquial acronyms, such as "lol" or "imho," and excessively long paragraphs. Keep the information as concise as possible.

6. Include a signature, with appropriate contact information and business association. You may end the email with:

   John Smith, CEO

   Widget Company, Inc.

   123 Widget Lane

   Any Town, NY 10001

   [phone] (office)

   [phone] (mobile)

7. Proofread the email before sending it. Make certain there are no misspellings, grammatical errors or incorrect information.

Tips & Warnings

• If this email is in reply to a customer's email, respond promptly. It is unprofessional to make someone wait a week before receiving a reply.

References

• Jerz's Literacy Weblog; Writing Effective E-Mail - Top 10 Tips; Dennis G. Jerz and Jessica Bauer; March 2011