How to Make a Professional Email – A Short Guide

Whatever the context, there’s no room for mistakes. Your emails represent you and your organization. So it’s important to learn how to make a professional email without any errors or ambiguities.

A Few Words on Style

In any business correspondence, it can be difficult to hit the right tone.

As your goal is to create a connection, you don't want to come across as stiff and formal. An impersonal email is easy to forget or ignore. But being overly familiar is a bad idea too. Avoid any breaches of etiquette, especially if you’re writing to a superior or a client.

But politeness isn’t your only concern. Clarity is crucial in workplace emails. You should make sure to structure your emails well and use unambiguous language. There’s no place for rambling anecdotes or other digressions.

You should do all you can to make it easy for your recipient to respond. Make your expectations clear and all the relevant information easy to read.

How to Make a Professional Email Address

The sender’s email address makes a strong impression on the recipient. When creating an address, take the following into consideration:

• Your email address should be based on your name. You can use initials or the name that you answer to, instead of your full first name. If your name is common, a middle initial or middle name can be helpful.
• Email addresses shouldn’t contain any numbers. It’s also better to leave out honorifics. All your titles and your position in the company should go into the signature instead.
• You want to make it clear you’re speaking from an official position, so use your company’s domain name whenever possible. If you’re a freelancer, invest in a personal domain name instead.

Now, let’s move on to the structure of the email.

Think of an Eye-Catching Subject Line

It’s very important to not leave the subject line blank. If your email arrives without one, it may get marked as unimportant or even get sent straight to spam.

Your subject line should grab the recipient’s attention, preferably by conveying information. Use the most important piece of news in your email or briefly summarize the content.

The subject line shouldn’t be longer than 10 words. It also doesn’t need to contain a greeting, as those go in the body of your email. In most business contexts, you don’t need to use exclamation marks in the subject line, and you should steer away from questions, too. Capitalize the first letter of each word like a header.

Start the Email with a Greeting

The right greeting is important, as it sets the tone for the rest of your email. Here are a few things you should keep in mind.

1. If you’re not sure about the recipient’s name, you can use a generic greeting such as “Hello”. Don’t rely on guesswork or risk misspelling the name.
2. When you do know the name of your recipient, opt for “Hi [first name]” or “Dear [name]”.
3. You can use titles, such as Ms. Smith or Dr. Miller, but again you have to be sure you’re using the right ones.
4. Some emails are addressed to groups or teams. In this case, you can use greetings like “Hi Everyone” or “Dear Project Managers”.

Use a Transition Before the Main Talking Point

Very briefly, you should give your email some context by using an opening line. This might mean introducing yourself to the recipient or reminding them where you met. If you have a referral from someone, this is the right place to mention it.

Writing a personable email can be a great way to maintain your business connections. Inquire after the recipient’s work and their wellbeing. It’s best to be specific here – for example, you can reference a presentation they gave recently.

The Main Point

Now it’s time to state the reason why you’re writing the email. Remember that the person reading your email has limited time and attention. This means that it’s best to write short paragraphs.

Show that you’ve done your research. When possible, it’s good to reference the recipient’s main goals and interests. If you’re making an offer, focus on the benefits your recipient can get out of it.

It’s absolutely crucial to only use up-to-date and accurate data. If there is a lot of information to cover, consider using file attachments.

Sign-Off

At the end of your email, you should use an appropriate sign-off. This depends on the content of your email, as well as the level of formality you’re aiming for. Here are a few options suitable for most situations:

• Thank you,
• Best wishes,
• Yours sincerely,
• Kind regards,
• Hoping to hear from you soon,

Your signature comes after, which needs to include your full name and position in your organization.

Conclusion

If you’re wondering how to make a professional email, there are many templates you can use. But all of them follow the same basic formula, which is outlined above. If you’re in doubt about the tone, it’s better to play it safe and choose more formal phrasing.