5 Ways to Make Your Emails Stand Out at Work

For many of us, email is the primary method of communication in our job and our inboxes are inundated with messages throughout the day.

It is likely that you send important emails each day but how do you make your message stand out and ensure that it is read, understood, and responded to in a way that allows you to do your job effectively?

Implement the following five practices to put your best email forward.

Personalize your email. Yes, it’s polite to start your email with “Hi Bill” or “Dear Susan”. Plunging straight into a request can come across as rude: “Send over that sales report by the end of the day” might be brief and to the point but it also can appear impersonal and rude.

Avoid the emoji. You might love emoji’s on Facebook or when you text but ignore them when it comes to your professional emails, especially when communicating with your boss, a senior executive, or a customer (unless you work at an emoji factory 😃). 

   

Be brief and specific. Keep your emails to the point and be brief. There is no need to go on about your weekend, or your aunt’s new rash. Stay focused and, if possible, provide a deadline if you are requesting some action: “Dear Susan, I’ve attached a spreadsheet with our sales projections for the 3rd quarter but I’m missing some information about Product XYZ. Can you look over the spreadsheet and fill in the missing information by 3:00 PM, tomorrow?” 

  

Don’t respond when angry or frustrated. If you’re dealing with a particularly stressful situation or a difficult personality, take some time to compose yourself before composing the email. Rattling off a quick, terse, and angry response is a good way to make a difficult situation worse. A good rule is to wait 24 hours, if possible, to respond when angry.

Be grateful and positive. Be sure to thank your colleague or customer when they reply with the information you’ve requested and make every effort to keep your messages positive when possible.

Dear Susan, I’ve attached a spreadsheet with our sales projections for the 3^rd quarter but I’m missing some information about Product XYZ. Can you look over the spreadsheet and fill in the missing information by 3:00 PM, tomorrow?

Thank you for your attention to this.

Have a good day,

Jim