Writing a good email is really necessary, not only when you are on the job hunt, but also when you bag the job and are all settled in the company. Your email etiquettes say a lot about you and it would be best to follow certain workplace tips to not just write a good email but also proofread it.
Get your contact’s name right.
We often get annoyed when people misspell our name. However, despite all the annoyance most people forget to extend the same courtesy to other people. As such, it is not much of a surprise that so many people misspell their contact’s first or last name.
Getting your contact’s name right is one of the most basic etiquettes but stand foremost on our list of workplace tips. So, if you are uncertain about your contact’s name, then do some research. Look them up on google or social media channels, and if you are still unsure, then proceed with a simple “Hi” or “Hello”.
Keeping an eye on the tone
Everything that sounds nice or fine in your head does not come out the same on the paper.You may sometimes sound too cold or terse without even realising it. The trick to not come across as cold is to make use of some empathy and apply it to your emails.
Before hitting the “send” button, imagine how will you feel on receiving such an email. How you will read it and if it contains anything that might be termed hostile or negative.
Aim to be understood
It is not necessary that you and the recipient should have the same information regarding things or that you should perceive or understand things in a similar manner. So, make yourself clear before going ahead with the email. Make sure that the recipient has all the necessary details and will be able to understand whatever it is that you have to say. Read and reread your email and make sure it says everything you want to say without missing out on any information.
Check for clarity.
Don’t make unclear references. Make sure that the language is smooth and crisp and conveys the meaning. Don’t go for words like “they” or “it”. Don’t stuff your email with pronouns as it can mar the beauty of whatever you are saying. Replace the pronouns with something more concrete and precise.
Make sure what you’ve written reads smoothly and conveys your precise meaning. Look for unclear pronoun references.
Scan your emails for words like it or they and then make sure your text conveys what those words refer to. If not, rewrite to replace those pronouns with something concrete.
Make sure that the words you use are simple, direct, give the meaning and are not too elaborate. Simpler emails have significantly higher response rates. Complex sentences, though they might sound interesting, are more challenging to read and won’t catch the eye of the person rushing through the mails.
Avoid wordiness
Filler words and phrases just increase the wordiness of the email and don’t really contribute to making it look nicer or increase the response rate to it. One of the simplest methods of avoiding wordiness would be to get rid of adverbs. Instead of saying ran swiftly use dashed or sprinted.
Similarly, instead of very hungry, say starving or ravenous. Metaphor, simile or other figures of speech make your email too wordy. If there is ever a possibility of cutting a word out, do it. Go Edward Scissorhands on your email and talk to the point.
These workplace tips will not only help you draft perfect work email but also aide you as you move ahead in the job search and email important people.
