You’re not alone.

Communicating well, especially in emails, is a fundamental career skill we all need but many struggle with.

But, you don’t need to keep struggling.

In this post, I’ll share my top 5 tips to write an effective professional email. You can apply one or all of them to improve every email you write.

And, you’ll learn how to serve your teammates by making a positive impact with every email you send.

My Top 5 tips to write a professional email

You’re looking for help so I’ll get right to the point. These are my top 5 tips to write a professional email.

You may be thinking that there’s a lot more that goes into writing an effective email than is covered in these five tips.

You’re right. I agree with you.

In fact, I’ve written much more on the topic of how to write a professional email. These top 5 tips are taken from a more comprehensive guide I created which includes a simple and complete start-to-finish process.

The guide will give you everything you need to create effective emails that get results.

So, if you’re the type who prefers to jump right into all the material, here’s what I recommend.

Get your copy of the free guide, How to Write a Professional Email

You can get your own copy of the full guide, How to Write a Professional Email: Make a positive impact with every email you send, right now.

No problem.

Just click this button and you’ll have an email in your inbox before you know it so you can download the guide immediately.

But, if you prefer to get your information a little at a time instead of all at once, I understand.

In fact, that’s why I wrote this post.

So, let’s get back to my Top 5 tips to write a professional email

Back to the Top 5 tips

With this post, I want you to have techniques you can apply immediately with the next email you write. You’ll get actions you can take before you download the guide.

And, don’t worry.

If you read these tips and decide you want to learn more, you can always download the free guide later.

So, let’s get to the first tip which focuses on how we think. In particular, this tip deals with our mindset about emails and how we write them.

1. Start with a mindset of service

We all know the importance of having the right mindset. It’s critical to our success in any endeavor.

And, I believe serving others is what leadership is all about.

This quote from John Maxwell captures the idea of servant leadership very well.

We can serve our teammates with every email we write

A mindset of serving others can be applied to everything we do as leaders. Including writing emails.

I consider starting with a mindset of service to be the most important tip I can offer to leaders who want to improve this ability to write an effective professional email.

This approach will positively impact everything else you do until you hit send. And, even after that. I go into important follow up actions in the full guide.

But, what does starting with a mindset of service look like when you write an email? Instead of me telling you my answer to that question, let me give you a few questions for you to consider so you can develop your own opinion.

Here are four questions to ask yourself before you write your next email.

Four questions to ask before you write an email.

As you think through your answers to these questions and the follow up questions they prompt, I’m confident your mindset will shift toward serving your team instead of just quickly shooting out an email without seriously considering your purpose or the consequences of the words you write.

The answers to the question above lead us to the second tip to use when you write a professional email: Determine what you are trying to say.

2. Determine what you are trying to say

You may be thinking that this isn’t much of a tip at all.

You’re about to write an email. Of course, you know what you want to say. Right?

Well, for me, I often think I know what I need to write. But, when I sit down and start to type out the words, I’m not so sure.

This may happen to you too.

If so, try asking yourself these three questions.

With these two tips, you’re well on your way to being ready to write an effective professional email.

You can stop there if you like. Doing just these few simple things will help you tremendously.

But, you have even more opportunity to improve with the remaining three tips which get a bit more tactical. They deal with best practices in writing mechanics and format.

I consider this third tip one of the most important because it covers what your email recipients see first, the subject line.

3. Create an effective subject line

Your teammates who receive the emails you send are going to see the subject line first. So, it’s critical to make the most of this element in every email you write.

As I said earlier, this tip gets into the mechanics of writing.

So, here are three practical guidelines I recommend you follow for the subject line of each professional email you write.

Example subject lines you can use to create your own.

To help you better visualize the three tips above, here are some example subject lines.

Feel free to copy one of them into the subject line of an email you’re writing now. Modify it to fit your style and situation to see what works for you.

The work you invested in applying the second tip really pays off when you implement this third tip.

Because you know precisely what you are trying to say in your email, you can communicate that message clearly and concisely in the subject line.

Similarly, the work required for the second step makes using this fourth tip much easier too.

4. Select your recipients thoughtfully

Since you followed tip 2, you are crystal clear on who you are seeking to serve with your email.

The clarity you created makes your job of selecting recipients quick and easy. And, if you apply this simple rule, it’s even easier.

A simple rule to use when selecting recipients for your email

Here’s the rule.

The benefit the person receives may come in many different forms such as an assignment to complete a task or awareness of topic. But, somehow the email will help your teammate do their job.

That’s pretty simple, and maybe a little obvious. But, take a look at your inbox and see how many of your coworkers are following that rule.

I expect not enough of them.

But, when you follow this rule, you teammates will know you’re looking out for them when they review the emails in their inbox.

And, they will appreciate your decision.

Your choice of recipients is another opportunity to serve

Most of us receive far too many emails we don’t need to get. They clutter our inboxes and our minds. And, they waste our mental energy and our precious time.

You can serve your teammates by being thoughtful when selecting the recipients of each email you write and send.

I am convinced we can all positively impact our organizations and our teammates through the emails we write and send. Choosing to not send an email to a teammate who doesn’t need it is a perfect example of applying a mindset of service.

Use the address fields strategically

Once you decide who should receive your email, you can serve those teammates further by using the address fields strategically.

Here are some guidelines to follow as you add recipients to your email. These apply to nearly every field and industry and all types organizations.

Many of my colleagues first read emails that include them in the To field. Later, when and if they have time, they read those they are copied on.

Your coworkers likely follow this same pattern. So, keep this in mind as you strategically choose who goes in which address field.

You’ve selected your recipients and only those who need to read your email will receive it. Those teammates are the people you have the opportunity to serve through your email.

And, you have the opportunity for yourself too.

The email you write can distinguish you as leader when you apply this last tip.

5. Get to the point. Immediately.

Being able to communicate well is a fundamental career skill every leader needs to hone and master. Communicating clearly and concisely is critical in all forms of verbal and written content. This includes the emails you write.

Just like you, your teammates who get your emails don’t want to spend extra time trying to figure out what you’re trying to say.

Because you followed tip 2 and took the time to get clear on your message, you know what you want to say. Now you just need to write it down in the email body.

And, before you start typing, you should consider how they are going to be reading your email.

Use a layout that makes reading easy for your recipients

I’m sure you’ve heard of The Golden Rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated.

Tip 5 is an application of that wise advice. Write your emails in way you would like others to use when they write emails to you.

Following these three guidelines will produce an email format you and your recipients will appreciate.

Use the Pyramid Principle to structure your message

You may remember the Pyramid Principle from my post, How To Deliver Results With Your Business Email. Do This First. There I cover the benefits of using structured communication in more detail.

This image may look familiar.

The graphic captures the essence of tip 5.

When writing an email, make your most important point first then add detail only as needed.

This last tip seems simple but it takes practice. Keep at it and try to use structured communication with every email you write.

Your teammates will notice and see a difference compared to most emails they receive.

Lead well by applying these 5 tips to every email you write.

There’s so much more that goes into writing effective professional emails. But, these five tips give you a good place to start.

Just by applying these five tips you will demonstrate to your teammates you are committed to helping them be successful in delivering the results the organization needs.

Learn more with a free guide – How to Write a Professional Email

If you read this far and found these five tips helpful, you might also like the free guide, How to Write a Professional Email: Make a positive impact with every email you send.

This guide includes many more tips and a complete start-to-finish process for creating effective emails that get results.

It’s completely free and I would love for you to have a copy.

I hope these tips and the free guide equip you to lead well and increase your positive influence in your organization.

Let’s lead with kindness and confidence.

Greg

Discussion Questions

• What tips for writing an effective, professional email would you add to this Top 5 list?

• What tip in this post was most useful for you?

If you found this post helpful, please use the social media buttons below to share it with others. And, remember to share your thoughts in the comments section so we can learn together.

About the Author – Learn more about Greg

Click here to download the free guide.

How to Write a Professional Email: Make a positive impact with every email you send.

The post Top 5 Tips To Write A Professional Email appeared first on Greg Harrod.

Immediately.

This advice may seem obvious, but in my experience, it’s rare.

Do you want to help your teammates deliver the results your organization needs?

Start by applying these simple techniques to communicate clearly and concisely in every email you write.

No time to waste

Your team is busy. They have important things to do and no time to waste. The same is true for you.

That’s my assumption at least, based on my experience and the experience of nearly every colleague I speak with.

Your team is likely no different. They don’t have time to spend reading poorly written emails.

They have work to do. Results to deliver for the organization.

And, with every email you send, you can help your teammates do what they really need to be doing. You can make them more efficient and effective with their time.

Here’s how.

Start with the subject

The best place to start when writing a business email to drive results is the subject.

Why the subject?

The subject is the second thing the reader sees

Whether your teammate gets your email on their phone or on a computer, they will most likely see your name first and then the subject line.

Email programs are configured by default to show the user the most important information first.

The designers who create these tools know email readers want the answer to this question.

Who is sending me a message and what do they want?

Again, that seems obvious.

But, how many emails do you receive with a subject that communicates basically no useful information.

Too many people fail to use this valuable component of an email message. They waste or misuse the subject line of their emails.

Don’t let his happen to you.

State your purpose in the subject line

You are sending an email to someone because you want to achieve a particular result. That is why you are investing your time to write the message.

You are writing for a purpose.

So, put the purpose of the email in the subject line.

Ask yourself this question.

“What am I trying to achieve with the words I am writing?”

Or, to say it a different way,

“Why am I writing this email?”

That answer should be included in the subject line.

Do you want someone to do something? Does someone need to know information you have?

When you’ve answered these questions, you’ll be ready to enter meaningful content in the subject line.

But, there are some things to keep in mind.

Subject line structure

It’s important to state your purpose in the subject line if you want your business email to deliver results.

But, the reality is the subject line doesn’t allow enough room for all the information you need to communicate.

Here are some tips you can use to make the most of the limited space.

5 tips for effective subject lines

1. Summarize your purpose

The entire purpose of your email will probably not fit in the subject line. All the action items from a meeting, for instance, don’t belong there. A summary like “Action Items from 2/2 Team Meeting”, however, is useful for your readers.

2. Call attention to your purpose within the subject

Using parentheses or brackets around your email’s purpose will draw your reader’s attention to what they need to know.

3. Keep the subject length short but still effective

The length of the subject line is really up to you.

Strive to keep it as short as possible while still effectively communicating your message.

Here’s a good guideline.

Use no more than 9 words or 60 characters in the subject line.

4. Consider your reader’s email tools and preferences

Think about what might work the best for the people getting your emails.

Are they generally reading your emails on their computers or their mobile devices? What length of subject works best for you?

Your coworkers probably have similar preferences if you’re using the same email tools and settings.

5. Avoid acronyms

FYI, I recommend avoiding acronyms in general. And, this applies to email subject lines too.

I’ve spent way too much time trying to decipher an acronym from a well-intentioned coworker who was actually trying to save me time.

It didn’t work.

Unless all the recipients of your email are completely familiar with an acronym, don’t use it.

This will save your teammates time and mental energy.

So, what do these 5 tips look like in real life? Let’s take a look at a few examples.

Effective subject line examples

Once you’ve created a subject to drive results through the business email you’re writing, next focus on the body of the email.

As you’ve done in the subject line, you should get to the point quickly. But not too quickly.

Don’t skip the greeting

To get results with your business email, it is important to communicate your message immediately. But you don’t want to be abrupt.

There is actually something more important than getting results with your email. Actually, someone not something.

The person reading your email is more valuable than the message you are communicating to them.

Here’s a phrase I try to live by.

“People are more important than projects.”

So, before you immediately jump to the work part of your email, greet the person (or people) you are writing to.

After all, you wouldn’t barge into someone’s office and immediately tell them to do something without saying hello would you?

The same applies for email.

In my post, “3 Simple Tips For Polite And Effective Email” I explain how you can care for the recipients of your email through the greeting. It sets the tone for the rest of your message.

And, without a proper greeting, your email may inadvertently deenergize your teammate and cause them to not want to do what you need them to do. And, an email like that won’t deliver the results you’re after.

So, apply the lessons from that post to craft an effective greeting. Then, immediately after that greeting, get right to your reason for sending the email.

Begin with what’s most important

When writing emails to get results, this is a critical point to remember.

Begin your email message with what is essential for the reader to know.

The bottom line doesn’t go at the bottom

Sure, your readers will benefit from background information and explanations of the content. But, what do they absolutely need to know?

In other words, what’s the bottom line?

And, ironically, the bottom line shouldn’t go at the bottom of your email.

The bottom line should be at the beginning of your email message.

And, if you are into acronyms, you’ve got a couple of good options to remember this important point.

Pick an acronym – BLUF or BLOT

Both of these acronyms are easy to remember and reinforce the importance of starting with the purpose of your email.

BLUF and BLOT are simple reminders to put the most important information first. Then, add details to support your request and give context in the rest of the email body.

This communication approach is taught, along with the BLUF acronym, in the United States military. The U.S. Air Force communications handbook, The Tongue and Quill, is a valuable resource if you’d like to learn more. And, it’s free.

Whether you like BLUF or BLOT, the approach is the same. Both are built on the Minto Pyramid Principle.

Pyramid Principle communication

Barbara Minto created this well-known and highly effective framework for writing and presenting ideas. It applies to emails and all types of communication.

This image from an interesting article in which Minto explains the origin of the Pyramid Principle captures the concept well.

Since this concept was published in the 1980’s, communicators in all types of industries, in organizations of all sizes have followed this approach.

It’s effective when communicating in any way including email.

The point of the Pyramid Principle is to get to the point. At the very beginning.

Getting to the point in your business email will get results

Getting to the point immediately in your emails will help your teammates be clear on what you are asking of them.

They will know exactly why you are sending them an email. And, they will know this by reading only the subject line and the initial section of the body.

Those who read your emails written using these tips will avoid wasting time trying to figure out what they need to do or how they need to respond.

They can invest their energy into doing meaningful work and delivering results.

Of course there is much more to creating an effective business email. But, writing an meaningful subject line and then delivering the critical information at the very beginning is a great way to start.

Your emails that follow these guidelines demonstrate you are a leader who can communicate well.

Every email you write is an opportunity to lead

Email may not seem like a powerful leadership tool, but it is.

And, everyone can send an email, not just leaders in a formal position of authority.

Anyone can lead using email

Do you want to have a positive impact on your team and your organization, but aren’t sure how to make a difference because you aren’t a formal leader?

Start by making a commitment to write high quality emails.

Invest thought and time to serve your teammates with every email you send.

Serve your teammates with the emails you send them

Writing emails that have useful subject lines and get to the point quickly without being abrupt equip your teammates to be successful.

A thoughtful greeting between the subject and the “bottom line” message shows you care about the recipient as a person and you want to encourage and energize them with every word you use.

By applying these simple tips, you can care for your team with each email you send and drive the results your organization needs.

Your email will help your team use their time efficiently and effectively through clear, concise communication. And that’s good leadership.

I encourage you to take your email writing seriously. Invest time to perfect this powerful tool in your career toolbox.

Don’t miss the opportunity to lead with kindness and confidence with every email you write.

Let’s lead with kindness and confidence.

Greg

P.S. – If you like these email tips, you’ll want a copy of the free guide, How to Write a Professional Email.

Discussion Questions

• What techniques do you use to create effective subject lines?

• How do you apply the Pyramid Principle in communicating with your team?

I’m interested to know how you put these techniques into practice in the emails you write. Please share your experiences in the comments section so we can learn together.

About the Author – Learn more about Greg

Click here to download the free guide.

How to Write a Professional Email: Make a positive impact with every email you send.

The post How To Deliver Results With Your Business Email. Do This First. appeared first on Greg Harrod.

And, if polite doesn’t seem important when it comes to writing emails, let me tell you a story that I hope changes your mind.

Mark’s story

This is a true story about a friend I’ll call Mark.

Mark is a fantastic worker. He is highly talented and always eager to help others. Mark likes helping people in general and he especially likes supporting his teammates.

People continually recognize Mark’s outstanding work and they go to him for guidance and support.

Most of the time, when they want help, Mark’s teammates send him an email.

And, those emails. They can be a problem.

Tone is important

In a private conversation Mark confided in me. He told me the emails he was getting from his coworkers were a bit discouraging.

It wasn’t the content of the email that was dragging him down. It was the way they were worded. The tone the senders used.

And, the discouragement started with the greeting.

Mark admitted it might just be him. Maybe no one else felt this way.

But to him, when he opened an email and the very first word was just his name, “Mark”, it felt cold and harsh.

And, often, the discouragement from the email got worse as he kept reading.

It wasn’t just the greeting that bummed Mark out.

There was more that bothered him.

Command language

Even after Mark got past the abrupt start of the emails, he was still faced with language that made it more difficult for him to do what was being requested of him.

Well, actually, that was the problem.

The people who were asking Mark for help weren’t requesting. They were commanding.

And, that was hard for Mark. Not because Mark doesn’t like being told what to do by those in authority. Mark isn’t that type of person. These commands made it more challenging for Mark to provide support to those who sent the email, because he didn’t report to them.

This wasn’t Mark’s manager who was telling him what to do. These were Mark’s peers and colleagues.

So, what did Mark do when he received these emails with a cold, abrupt greeting that transitioned quickly to demands for support?

Mark did what they asked. Because that was part of his job.

That’s the kind of person Mark is.

But, it did impact him. And not in a positive way.

Mark is not a complainer

Before you view Mark as a person who lets himself be bullied through rude and harsh emails, let me clarify.

Technically, there really wasn’t any thing wrong with the language Mark’s teammates were using to communicate. They were professional and to the point.

And, Mark wasn’t griping.

Mark isn’t a complainer. He isn’t one who is easily offended. In fact, I consider Mark to be an Ideal Team Player to borrow Patrick Lencioni’s term. (Click here for more Ideal Team Player resources.)

He is gracious and kind and serves others with compassion.

Mark took responsibility and ownership for how he was feeling when he read these emails. He acknowledged that maybe his interpretation of the greeting was his issue based on his culture and previous experience.

Or, perhaps he was just being too sensitive.

That’s why Mark was confiding in me.

He was concerned that his morale and his productivity were being negatively affected by these emails. And, Mark didn’t want that.

As we discussed his situation, including his reaction to the emails he received, Mark gave me some valuable insight. Insight that I have strived to implement in every email I’ve written since Mark shared his experience with me.

Mark helped me and now I want to help you with these easy tips to use in every email you write so they are more polite and effective.

3 Simple Tips For Polite And Effective Email

Mark’s conversation with me gave me tremendous insight into just how impactful each email we send to a team member can be. I’ve summarized what Mark shared with me in three simple tips.

You can easily apply each of these immediately. They are easy and they can make a big difference in the attitudes of your teammates.

1. Start with a polite greeting

I’ve got to admit, Mark got my attention with this one.

It honestly never occurred to me that someone might respond differently to a professional email that started with a more friendly greeting than one that just started with the person’s name.

Throughout my career, I’ve sent thousands of emails to individual coworkers and the greeting was the person’s name and a comma. “Mark,” “Serena,” “Angie,”. Name. Comma. That’s it.

I had no idea that this was perceived as abrupt and cold by some.

Until Mark told me how it made him feel. And, I’m sure he’s not the only one.

So now I sprinkle in a variety of introductions. Here are a few examples you might want to try.

Pick what works for you and your situation

Some of these might be a good fit for your personal style. Others may not.

Personally I wouldn’t use all of these examples. Especially that last one.

Your culture and organizational norms should influence your choice of greetings. This is an excellent opportunity to apply a Diversity and Inclusion mindset and consider the perspective of the recipient of your email.

Be willing to experiment

There may be some greetings on this list that may not seem professional enough for you. I would encourage you to consider if “professional” might be interpreted as rigid, stuffy, and overly formal by some on your team.

Perhaps you could experiment with using some of the greetings that make you a little uncomfortable and get feedback from teammates you trust.

You may find your use of less formal greetings introduces an increased level of humanity to your communication and sparks greater engagement from some of your teammates.

After my conversation with Mark, I’ve used several greetings that didn’t feel comfortable to me. I’ve experimented and tried different approaches.

I’m doing my best to apply my own advice I gave in the post, “The Most Important Thing To Get Right With Emails.”

It’s not easy to remember that I should be seeking to serve others, not myself, with each email I send. But, I’m trying.

By making each email more polite and effective, I am doing what I can to better support my team.

What about the punctuation?

And, just curious.

How many of you were bothered by the assortment of punctuations I included in the example greetings?

Until I wrote this post, I struggled to know how to properly punctuate an email greeting. As I did my research for this post, I found this helpful article, “Email Salutations: Formal or Informal? Comma or Colon?” by Kathleen Watson.

Here’s what she wrote.

That little gem of knowledge is going to save me a few seconds with each email I write. I no longer have to hesitate when I start typing an email. And, I love saving time.

So, with this first tip and the bonus punctuation guidance, you’re all set to make every email you write even more polite and, therefore, more effective.

Next, we need to consider the language we use when requesting support from a teammate.

2. Ask don’t tell

In general, I consider an approach of asking to be more effective than telling any time I would like someone to do a task for me.

Let’s be honest. Right or wrong, no one really likes to be told what to do.

We’re all more likely to do something for someone if they ask us.

And, the reality is only those who are in a formal position of authority over us have the power to tell us what to do.

So, it is important we remember to ask, not tell, others what we would like them to help us with when we send an email request.

Mark told me that a simple change of the language of a request for support to actually be a request and not a command would have made a world of difference to him.

Did Mark still fulfill the request / command? Did he do the work that needed to be done?

Yes.

But, was Mark as productive as he could have been?

No. He was investing mental energy trying to have the right attitude while doing the work.

He was burning calories that could have been invested doing the task with more creativity in less time.

A simple change of the phrase would have made a big difference to Mark.

Consider this simple example.

The “tell” approach

Mark,

I need this done by tomorrow afternoon.

It’s clear, concise, and straight to the point. But, it’s a command not a request.

Here’s another approach.

The “ask” approach

Hi, Mark.

Could you do this by tomorrow afternoon?

This request is actually a request. Like it should be in most cases.

Back to punctuation

A simple check you can apply when you’re emailing someone a request for help is to look at the punctuation you use.

If the sentence you write in your email to request support ends with a period, it’s not a request. It’s a command.

And, an email commanding your teammate to do something is not very polite and won’t be very effective.

Make sure you end your requests for support with a question mark if it’s really a request.

And, unless you have formal authority over the recipient of your email, your request for support should be just that. A request.

So, remember.

Use a question mark when emailing a teammate to ask them for support.

Ask even when you don’t have to

I suggest that even when you do have formal authority over a person, it is still better to ask not tell.

Here’s why.

First, requests are better received than commands as I noted earlier. But, more importantly, you give the person who reports to you the opportunity to have a conversation with you so you are better informed of the ramifications of them fulfilling your request.

Asking creates an opportunity for dialogue and learning

Let’s go back to the simple example from earlier. You might send Mark this request for assistance.

The ask

Hi, Mark.

Could you do this by tomorrow afternoon?

Here are some possible replies you might receive to this request.

The replies

Hi, Greg.

I can definitely do that by tomorrow afternoon, but I’ll need to miss the team meeting tomorrow morning.

Is that okay?

Hello, Greg.

I think I can do that by tomorrow afternoon but it will likely require a couple of hours of overtime.

Is this worth the added cost or would finishing it the next morning be acceptable?

Hello, Greg.

Tomorrow afternoon will work if I delay the Thompkins project work slightly.

Is that the right priority?

Each of these replies helps you to be better informed and understand the consequences of Mark fulfilling your request.

A command instead of a request would have prevented you from receiving valuable input in each of these scenarios.

Many people, like Mark, might not feel the freedom to respond to a command with anything other than a confirmation they will do what you told them to do.

And, often doing exactly what you told them to do is not a good thing.

A command may not get you what you need

By sending a command in an email, you might get the results you asked for, but not what you and your team really need.

You have talented, smart people on your team. Asking, instead of telling, them to do something provides them the freedom to share what they know with you.

No leader knows everything. We all need to invite our teammates to make us and our organizations better.

There are exceptions, but when it comes to requesting support in an email, I almost always recommend following the “Ask. Don’t Tell.” approach.

Now for the final tip. It’s one we all know. And, all need to be reminded of occasionally.

3. Use please and thank you

We’ve all been taught this since we were little kids. And, it applies to everyone at every age in every situation.

We should always be polite.

It’s good to say “please”. And, “thank you”.

Being polite brings benefits

Not only is saying please and thank you the right thing to do if we want to be kind confident leaders, but it also produces better results.

Consider this simple request to Mark from earlier.

Good

Hi, Mark.

Could you do this by tomorrow afternoon?

This request is not completely rude, but it’s not exactly polite either.

For Mark, it wasn’t positive or even neutral. It was a negative. The request was better than a command, but it was still deenergizing. Demotivating.

Mark told me that a simple please and thank you would have made all the difference to him. And, Mark is not alone.

For most people, something like this is a big improvement.

Better

Hi, Mark.

Could you please do this by tomorrow afternoon?

Thank you.

3 words can make a big difference

The addition of three words, “please” and “thank you”, would have completely changed Mark’s perspective.

This slight change of tone would have made the email much more polite and, therefore, more effective.

I expect this is true for our teammates we email to seek their assistance too. It’s true for me.

How about you?

Are you more motivated and energized to say yes when others ask you to do something and include “please”?

I believe this is true in emails as much as it is in person.

And, when someone says “thank you” after you’ve done something for them, are you more likely to want to help them another time?

I know I am.

It is amazing how much impact these three little words can have.

This tip is easy to apply. But, it’s also easy to forget.

So, I’m sharing it with you because Mark helped me remember just how important it is to be polite with every email we write.

Try these tips to support the Marks on your team

So, what do you think?

Are these tips you want to start using in your emails? Or, is it not worth the time to think about being more polite and courteous?

If you don’t think it’s important, I want you to take a moment to consider if you have a “Mark” on your team.

Is there someone who is a high-level performer and doesn’t complain?

What if you could help your Mark be even more productivity just by being a bit more thoughtful with the words you use in your emails to him?

Wouldn’t that be worth it?

And, along with increasing his productivity, you’ll also boost his morale and attitude with each polite and effective email he gets from you. That’s a very good return on your investment.

Now imagine if you have not one but two Marks on your team. Or maybe even a dozen.

The positive impact you could have on your organization just by being polite and courteous as you write your emails is massive.

I encourage you to give it a try starting today. Put these simple tips into action and see what leading with kindness and confidence in this way might do for your team and your organization.

Let’s lead with kindness and confidence.

Greg

P.S. – If you like these email tips, you’ll want a copy of the free guide, How to Write a Professional Email.

Discussion Questions

• What do you think of Mark’s story? Was he being too sensitive or was his insight valuable to you?

• How do you create polite and effective email? What works for you?

I’m interested to learn even more ways we can positively impact people in our organizations through polite and effective email. Please share your best tips in the comments section so we can all improve.

About the Author – Learn more about Greg

Click here to download the free guide.

How to Write a Professional Email: Make a positive impact with every email you send.

The post 3 Simple Tips For Polite And Effective Email appeared first on Greg Harrod.

Why would I do that on a blog dedicated to training leaders to lead with kindness and confidence? Let me explain.

Email is a major part of our lives. Let’s get it right.

If I asked you to list the top 10 things that annoy you and your team, I’m confident you would include something about email on the list. People send and receive an astonishing number of emails each day.

With each email we send, we have the opportunity to build people up. To make their day easier and more productive. That’s kindness in action.

But there’s a problem, emails that make us more productive are not the norm. In fact, most emails do exactly the opposite.

Our teams waste precious time wading through and deciphering confusing text. We have cluttered inboxes and full servers. Our frustration with each other grows with every bad email we get.

So, what can we do?

We need to control what we can control, the emails we write. In those emails, we need to focus first on just one thing, the most important thing.

The most important thing to get right with emails

What is this most important one thing? It’s this.

We must be clear about who we are seeking to serve with each email we send.

Or stated another way, “Who are we writing for?”

I recommend you should write for those who will receive your emails. Seems obvious, right? But it’s not always that case.

Decide who you’re writing for and be honest

Notice I said writing “for” not writing “to“.

“To” determines the recipients of your email, those who will have it show up in their inboxes. That’s not what I’m talking about.

I’m talking about deciding if you’re actually writing for them, the people who will get your email or for someone else.

Writing for you? Fine. Just don’t copy anyone else.

Based on my personal experience in writing and reading a staggering number of emails throughout my career, there is a good chance that you may be writing to others but for yourself.

Here are some tell-tale signs you might be writing for yourself instead of your readers.

• You use a format you like even though people regularly tell you it’s hard to read on their phones.
• All of your emails include all the details because you don’t want to forget them but the recipients only need a summary.
• You know you should include bullet items for the key points, but you don’t have time. They’ll figure out.

If you’re writing for yourself, I’m not judging. In fact, that list was super easy for me to make because I’ve done every one of those things. And more.

So, if you are intentionally writing for your own benefit, more power to you. Write in a way that is best for your intended reader: You.

But, please don’t copy anyone else on your emails. You aren’t writing the email for them so why would you send the email to them?

Don’t clutter their inbox.

I’m confident you actually want to write for others

But I suspect you don’t actually want to be writing for yourself.

You are reading this blog because you want to learn to lead with kindness and confidence. You care about your teammates. Filling their inboxes with emails written for you but sent to them is not intentional.

The problem is writing for ourselves is easy and natural. So, we have to always keep asking ourselves this critical question.

Am I writing for my readers or myself?

This gives us the mindset that will drive every aspect of our emails.

Asking “Who we are writing for?” affects every aspect of our emails

Focusing our minds on writing for our readers and not ourselves is the crucial first step. It impacts everything about the emails we send.

We apply this mindset by investing the time to thoughtfully consider each section of the email and make intentional decisions.

For instance,

• Does the subject line convey enough information for the reader to know if and when they need to open the full email?
• Are the appropriate people included on the email? Are they in the “To” field if they need to take action? Should anyone be removed?
• Is the body of the email easy to read on a mobile device? Have you checked by sending a copy to your phone and previewing it?
• If you’ve asked someone to call you, does your signature include your phone number so they don’t have to look up your number?

Won’t this take a lot of time? Is it really worth it?

First. Yes. It will take time. But not a lot. And less as you practice.

Is it worth it?

Serving your teammates and helping them do their work more productively is almost always worth the time you invest.

Regarding investing time in email, making it easier for your reader to open your email, read it, and take the action you are asking them to take is absolutely worth the time you invest.

After all, you aren’t sending the email so it sits unopened in someone’s inbox. Or, to have it read but not understood.

Beyond these practical outcomes, your emails can have an even more important impact on your team environment.

Avoid the negative impacts on your teammates with every email you send

We’ve all received emails from people who clearly aren’t writing for us. You know the one. The email that you see pop in your inbox then start to read but your mind is immediately filled with questions like these.

• Do I need to open this email?
• Why am I even copied on this?
• What is this person trying to say?
• What is the point? I’ll have to read this later when I have more time to dig through all the text.

Even opening the email is a drag. And, we dread going back to read it later. So we usually don’t.

Think about what that does to your attitude and your productivity. It usually wrecks them both.

By seeking to serve and care for others with every email you send, you can avoid dragging your teammates down.

By writing for them, you can boost their productivity and their attitude.

Create emails that have a positive impact on your teammates instead

While every email you send has the potential to negatively impact your teammates, each message you send can also build them up.

Of course, kind words and positive comments included in the email text have that effect. But writing for the benefit of the recipient, positively impacts them in other ways. Just like poorly-written emails drag us down, well-written emails build us up.

When we get an email that produces these type of responses, we are more productive. We’re energized not drained.

• I can tell from the subject that I don’t need to read this until later.
• My action item and deadline is obvious to me just by scanning the text on my phone.
• I invested less than a minute to quickly read the email and I clearly understand the point.

We all want to receive emails like this.

Set the example with your emails. Others will follow.

You don’t write any of the emails you receive, but you do write every one you send.

You are 100% in control of 100% of the emails you create and send.

That’s great news because it means you have the opportunity to have a positive impact on every person you email.

Want to make a positive impact on your team? Start with your emails.

Once you start, others will follow. Especially if you tell them what you are doing and why you are doing it. Model and train your teammates on how to care for others through the emails they send and the benefit will come back to you.

Will everyone put in the effort to write for others and not just to them? No.

But even if only one person follows the pattern you set, you’ll still have a few more positive, energizing emails in your inbox. And, that’s good for you.

What an opportunity we have with every email we send

I truly believe having this mindset is the most important thing to get right with our emails.

We must be clear about who you are seeking to serve with each email we send.

We have to honestly answer the question, “Who are we writing for?”.

If our answer is we are writing for those who receive our emails and not for ourselves, we have an amazing opportunity to do great things.

We can care for our teammates and lead them with kindness and confidence using something we already do countless times every day.

So what do you say?

Are you committed to writing for your teammates through the emails you send to them?

I am and I hope you are too.

Let’s lead with kindness and confidence.

Greg

Discussion Questions

• Do you agree that writing for others is the most important thing to get right with our emails? What might be more important?

• What are some other important aspects of writing good emails?

Please share your answers to these questions in the comments section. I’m interested in learning more from you.

About the Author – Learn more about Greg

Click here to download the free guide.

How to Write a Professional Email: Make a positive impact with every email you send.

The post The Most Important Thing To Get Right With Emails appeared first on Greg Harrod.