How To Write Emails Effectively

How to write emails effectively – a western perspective

Vietnamese learners of English may find it difficult to understand what a Western person is expecting to see in a business email because of cultural differences.

Writing effectively means:

your manager, colleagues & clients respect what you write;

people respond & action your emails;

you get what you want.

It is important to be an effective writer because it will greatly influence your career.

Think about emails types you may write:

Dear:

Boss – I would like a salary increase or promotion;
Supplier – our company requires a cost reduction;
Employer – I want the job you offer;
Partners – we need money to start the business;
Supplier – quality problems & we require compensation;
Customer – please buy our product.

All of these emails relate to either time or money and thus it is important to be an effective writer.

Do need to be the best English student to be an Effective Writer?

The answer should be absolutely not. Effective writing means having your message heard and has little to do with your level of English, Vietnamese or any other language. You must develop & use effective writing skills.

What makes a person an effective writer?

We are all bombarded with written messages from the moment we wake up. Messages on our phones, emails, advertising, websites – it is everywhere. Our brains process thousands of pieces of written text every day.

How then do we get the attention of another person with our own written words?

The answer is we have to learn to write effectively.

Writing an effective email means getting the reader’s attention, making it easy for your reader to read and then helping them make a decision.

An effective writer:

engages the reader in the first sentence;

makes it easy for the reader to read;

tells the reader what to do.

What does this mean? It means the pen becomes mightier than the sword.

An email structure

We are all aware of the basic physical layout of a document. It is important to understand the purpose for each section.

A simple email structure:

Introduction – engage the reader with a clear WIFM (What’s-In-it-For-Me);

Body – further state the benefits and/or justify your position to the reader with simple short sentences. Lead the reader to the last sentence;

Close– tell the reader what to do.

Using this layout and these six writing rules and your message will be more effective.

What should an email look like?

Dear [name]

Thank you for your email (used only if it is a return email).

Introduction – engage the reader;
Body – justify your position;
Close – tell the reader what to do.

Thank you for your time.

Regards/Kind regards

Consider these two examples:

The Introduction

In a business environment, starting with the salutation ‘Dear’ is respectful and easy. Always use it.

In response to an email sent to you, include as the first sentence ‘Thank you for your email.’

Never ever, ever, ever ….

start an email “I am writing ….”. The person knows you are writing – they are reading it. So do not waste their time asking them to read these words.

The email body – justify your position

Always be a part of the solution – not the problem. In the above example, do not write:

I need time off;
My mum is sick;
Please understand;
Can I please take time off.

The function of the email close is vital

This is where you tell the reader what to do. We are all so busy with numerous emails and we are subconsciously grateful when we do not have to spend time trying to figure out what the next step is.

Never ever, ever, ever ….

end an email “I am looking forward to hearing from you”. Tell the reader what to do – people are busy.

Always end with ‘Thank you for your time’. This is important – their time is important.

A note on cultural differences. The Vietnamese people are a very polite people. As a consequence a common emphasised element to their writing style tends to be the over polite conclusion in an email, compared to the western culture.

If you have never met the person, using ‘kind regards’ or ‘warmest regards’ is probably inappropriate. Simple ‘regards’ until you have learned more about the person. You cannot have warm regards for someone you have never met and thus it is over-polite and can sound insincere;

‘our company appreciates your business and we look forward to being of further service to you in the future.’ This almost sounds condescending and the reader will not believe it. Additionally you are asking the reader to spend their time reading something that adds nothing of value.

A better final sentence is to tell the reader what to do and then thank them for their time.

Keep it simple

Writing an effective email means making it easy for your reader to read and then helping them make a decision.

Unless you get the reader’s attention with a quick first glance of an email it will metaphorically go straight into the rubbish bin. It will not be read further and definitely not be actioned.

Utilising this email structure will assist you write more effectively.

Introduction – engage the reader with a clear WIFM (What’s in it for me);

Body – further state the benefits and/or justify your position to the reader with simple short sentences. Lead the reader to the last sentence;

Close – tell the reader what to do.

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