7 Simple Steps to Improve Business Email Writing Skills in English

Here are some general tips I’d like to share with you:

1. Subject Line

Always have a subject line that summarises briefly and clearly the contents of the message. for example, Re: Summary of Our Meeting with ABC Suppliers

2. Short and Simple Sentences

Use short and easy sentences. Long sentences can often be difficult to read and understand. The most common mistake that I see my students making is to translate directly from their own language. This can often lead to confusing sentences. I always tell my students to use the KISS Test – Keep It Short and Simple

3. Think of who your reader is going to be

Is it a colleague, a client or your boss? Should the email be informal or formal? Most Business Emails these days have a neutral tone. Note the difference between Informal and Formal:

Informal – <em>Thanks for the email of 15 February</em>
Formal – <em>Thank you for your email received 15 February</em>

Informal – <em>Sorry, I can’t make it.</em>
Formal – <em>I am afraid I will not be able to attend</em>

Informal – <em>Could you…?</em>
Formal – <em>I was wondering if you could….?</em>

 

Some emails to colleagues can be informal if they are friends. This is the style that is closest to speech, so there are often everyday words and conversational expressions that can be used. For instance, <em>‘Don’t forget’</em>, <em>‘Catch you later’</em>, <em>‘Cheers’</em>.

The reader will also accept bad grammar in informal emails.

However, if the email is going to a client or senior colleague, bad grammar and an over-friendly style will not be acceptable.

 

4. Be very careful of capital letters, punctuation, spelling and basic grammar

While these can be tolerated in informal emails, they are very important in business emails as they are an important part of the image you create. Give yourself time to edit what you’ve written before you push that Send button. In today’s busy world, it’s very easy to send out many emails without checking them so make a conscious effort to edit.

5. Think about how direct or indirect you want to be

In some cultures it is common practice to be very direct in email correspondence. However, this can cause a problem if you’re writing to someone in another country and in a language that is not yours. They might find your directness rude and sometimes offensive.

Consider these:

Direct – <em>I need this in half an hour.
</em>Indirect and polite – <em>Would it be possible to have this in half an hour?</em>

Direct – <em>There will be a delay</em>
Indirect – <em>I’m afraid there will be a slight delay.</em>

Direct – <em>It’s a bad idea</em>
Indirect – <em>To be honest, I’m not sure it would be a good idea.</em>

By adjusting your tone, you are more likely to get a more positive response from your reader.

6. Be positive!

Look at these words: <em>helpful, good question, agreed, together, useful, I’d be delighted, mutual, opportunity.</em>

Now look at these: <em>busy, crisis, failure, forget it, I can’t, it’s impossible, waste, hard</em>

The words you use show your attitude to life so choose your words wisely.

7. Get feedback

Try and get some feedback on the emails that you write in real life. This could be from your English Teacher or someone you know whose English is better than yours.

Study the English in the emails you receive. If it is a well-written email, look carefully at some of the language used. Start your own phrase book and build a bank of phrases from the ones you receive and think would be useful in the future.

(Shanthi Cumaraswamy Streat)