8 Email Etiquette Tips - How to Write Better Emails at Work
Harvard Business Review・7 minutes read
Understanding email etiquette is crucial for enhancing professional communication and making it clear and relevant, which can save colleagues time and improve their perception of your competence. Key practices include crafting specific subject lines with calls to action, maintaining focused email threads, clearly noting recipient changes, prioritizing the main message upfront, and using hyperlinks for a cleaner presentation.
Insights
- Understanding email etiquette not only boosts your professional image but also enhances communication efficiency by providing clear and relevant information, which saves time for both you and your colleagues.
- When writing emails, prioritize clarity by starting with the main point or request, and use specific subject lines that include a call to action and estimated completion time, ensuring recipients grasp the urgency and context immediately.
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Recent questions
What is email etiquette?
Email etiquette refers to the set of guidelines and best practices that govern how to communicate effectively and professionally via email. It encompasses various aspects, including the tone of the message, the structure of the email, and the clarity of the information presented. Adhering to email etiquette can significantly enhance one's professional image, making the sender appear more competent and respectful of the recipient's time. This includes crafting clear subject lines, maintaining organized threads, and being mindful of the recipients included in the conversation. Overall, good email etiquette fosters better communication and helps to convey messages more efficiently.
How to write a good email subject line?
A good email subject line should be concise yet informative, providing the recipient with a clear understanding of the email's content and urgency. To achieve this, it is beneficial to include a specific call to action along with an estimated time for completion. For example, a subject line like "5 minutes survey feedback for project X" not only indicates the task at hand but also sets expectations regarding the time commitment required. This approach helps recipients prioritize their emails and respond more effectively, ultimately leading to better communication and collaboration.
Why is it important to keep email threads organized?
Keeping email threads organized is crucial for maintaining clarity and context in ongoing discussions. By using a single email thread for each topic, senders can avoid cluttering recipients' inboxes with multiple messages about the same subject. This practice ensures that all participants have access to the same information, which is essential for effective communication. It also helps prevent misunderstandings and miscommunication, as everyone involved can easily refer back to previous messages within the same thread. Overall, organized email threads contribute to a more efficient and coherent exchange of information.
How to indicate changes in email recipients?
Indicating changes in email recipients is important for maintaining transparency and ensuring that all participants are aware of who is involved in the conversation. A simple and effective way to do this is by adding a note at the top of the email, using parentheses and italics to highlight any new additions or removals. For instance, a note like "(Added: John Doe; Removed: Jane Smith)" clearly communicates the changes to all recipients. This practice helps to keep everyone informed and engaged in the discussion, reducing the likelihood of confusion regarding who is included in the email chain.
What are hyperlinks in emails?
Hyperlinks in emails are clickable links that direct recipients to external websites or resources, enhancing the email's functionality and professionalism. Utilizing hyperlinks can make emails cleaner and more visually appealing, as they eliminate the need for long, cumbersome URLs. To create hyperlinks, users can use keyboard shortcuts such as Command K on Mac or Control K on Windows, allowing them to embed links seamlessly within the text. This not only improves the overall presentation of the email but also reduces the risk of errors in the URL, ensuring that recipients can easily access the intended content without confusion.
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Summary
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Mastering Email Etiquette for Professional Success
- Understanding email etiquette can enhance your professional image and communication skills, making you appear more competent to colleagues, while also saving them time by providing clear and relevant information in emails.
- When crafting email subject lines, include a specific call to action along with the estimated time required to complete it, such as "5 minutes survey feedback for project X," to give recipients clear context and urgency.
- Maintain a single email thread for each topic to avoid cluttering inboxes and ensure all recipients have access to the same information, which helps maintain context and clarity in ongoing discussions.
- Clearly indicate any changes in recipients by adding a note at the top of the email, using parentheses and italics to highlight who was added or removed, ensuring everyone is aware of the current participants in the conversation.
- Start emails with the main point or request before providing context, as this respects the recipient's time and allows them to quickly understand the purpose of the email, especially when communicating with senior colleagues.
- Utilize hyperlinks for external links in emails by using Command K on Mac or Control K on Windows to create cleaner, more professional-looking messages, while also reducing the risk of errors in the URL.
