How to Write Short Emails

Keep your emails short and the instructions direct.

Writing a short email isn't difficult, but writing a succinct, effective email requires more skill. Every day your recipients receive dozens, if not hundreds, of emails on a variety of issues. A brief, yet comprehensive email determines whether the recipient follows up immediately or pushes your correspondence to the side. Shortening your email is like polishing an essay; you must present the information concisely and clearly without compromising necessary information.

Instructions

1. Utilize the subject box. If the subject of the email is the quarterly sales report for the sports division, write, "Quarterly Sales Report for Sports Division," not just "sales report" or "report." The more specific the information in your subject heading, the less information you'll need to write in the body of your email.

2. Address one topic per email. Limiting each email to one topic will keep the recipient's attention, reduce the visual clutter of a five-paragraph memo and make organizing replies easier for you. One topic per email also ensures that your recipients don't have to interrupt their work by reading through irrelevant correspondence.

3. Write short sentences with directive points so your recipients can understand the directions without reading the email closely. Provide clear, concise directions: "Please send me the contract estimates for the waiting room design immediately. The room must be complete by April 25th." Avoid circuitous, comma-heavy directions: "Because we're trying to have the waiting room design finished by the end of April, and it's now the end of February, I thought this would be a good time to hammer out the details of the contract estimates."

4. Edit ruthlessly before sending. Detecting wordiness is difficult while writing. Re-read your email before sending and remove any superfluous words, punctuation or thoughts. For example, instead of writing, "Let's plan on everyone meeting outside at the front entrance on Tuesday and then we can go on the sales visit," write, "Meet on Tuesday, outside the front entrance, before attending the sales visit."

Tips & Warnings

• Separate paragraphs with at least two lines for easier reading. Without proper spacing, even the most concise email appears long-winded and tedious.

• Number your points if appropriate to the email, such as a proposal or a step-by-step plan.

• Never shorten task-essential information. For example, don't try truncating the sentence, "The meeting next week is on Thursday at 10 a.m. in the West Conference room on Floor C." Succinct writing is only as good as the information it communicates.

References

• KLA Group: Actionable Emails Increase Sales
• Mind Tools: Writing Effective Email
• Emily Post: Email Etiquette Do's and Don'ts