Writing Emails for Clarity and Relationships
Are emails still something we use much? In the increasingly sophisticated world of digitisation, social media platforms, instant messaging tools and advanced devices are giving us more and more options for business writing skills.
In fact, email usage at work is on the rise. The convenience of sending messages to customers and colleagues, and reading and responding when you have the chance (in theory at least!) means that email is not going away anytime soon.
According to Radicati in 2019 almost 250 billion emails are sent and received every day. Of that number, just under 130 billion (52%) are business emails and most importantly that number is growing.
Of all the essential business writing skills, email is one of the most important. We manage teams, plan projects and cut deals by email, so it’s vital that we communicate effectively and consider the impact our words have on our relationships with others.
Below are some essential tips to help increase our productivity when writing emails;
How to Structure Emails
- Give Background: Before you launch into your main message, ensure your reader is prepared by concisely explaining the context. This will make your email clearer and give you a better chance of gaining a response. For example, in an email establishing a process for partnership you might begin your email:
In a scoping meeting, we began working on a set of consistency guidelines for collaboration between the two companies.
- KISS (Keep It Short and Simple): After you have written your email, review it and cut content down so it is shorter and simpler. Between 2014 and 2018 the average office worker received about 90 emails a day. For senior executives, longhand emails are a drain on time. Essential then to be brief and to the point:
- bullet points are easier on the eye than a long paragraph and help your reader process information
- separate paragraphs for separate ideas
- include white space
- emphasise key points
- ensure your message fits on one screen and does not require scrolling
- include deadlines
How to Build Relationships over Email
With the changes in working practices, such as increasing levels of remote work and global teams, you might never see the people you work with. But you can still build rapport and strengthen your relationships with them:
- Include greetings & farewells
- Focus on how to support (not how to be supported)
- Maintain a positive or neutral tone (email is easy to interpret negatively)
- Maintain professionalism (avoid attacks)
- Only CC when necessary
- Give the benefit of the doubt
How to Handle Issues or Disagreement
When the situation is serious, communication is becoming tense or rude, or the topic is complicated and may lead to many questions it may be better to talk in person, by telephone, or use a platform your counterpart prefers. If your options are limited to email:
- avoid exaggerating problems
- be descriptive and logical when explaining the problem
- focus on the issue, rather than the person
- focus on solving the problem together
- avoid blaming others
- assume the other person is doing their best and they have reasons
Conclusion
If email is an important channel for your work with others, the tips above will improve the clarity of your emails and the impact your communication has on others.