Email is essential for work. Whether you send messages from your phone or your laptop, they serve as a vital means of communication between colleagues and from colleagues to clients. However, there is always the possibility of miscommunication so here are a few sure-fire ways to write an email that will always get your point across and the job done.
Have a specific decision in mind
More often than not, you’re sending an email because you want to recipient to make some sort of decision. Therefore, before you even start writing ask this question: what’s the exact decision I want the recipient to make? Don’t be vague; concise clarity is key.
Start by writing your conclusion
This is where the statement of your decision will live, it builds of the content of your email. Don’t waste time developing and explaining your idea. Tell the recipient the reason for the email immediately.
Bolster each argument with evidence
Don’t let your email turn into one big opinion; provide facts to back up your argument.
Repeat your conclusion as a “call to action.”
At the end of the email, restate the conclusion in a way that guides the recipient in the direction they should take. If all goes well, the recipient will agree with your conclusion, and whatever you need from them next is communicated in the most simple, specific way possible.
Stick a benefit in the subject line
Treat your subject line like the title to your college senior thesis: 1) make it interesting, 2) imply your conclusion.
Also, capture some sort of benefit in the title—how their decision in your favor will do good things for them.