Write Business
Email
Since more and more companies have gone online, it is much more common to receive a business letter via email than through good old-fashioned snail mail. Conduct your business professionally by utilizing proper business email techniques.
Instructions
1. Use a detailed subject line. Business executives often complain that email with subject lines that are vague or empty land in their junk mail folder. Avoid getting ignored by including a straightforward but thorough subject.
2. Say hello. Business email has become so informal that some people do not even begin with a salutation. Avoid this habit. Properly address the person you are writing and use a colon, rather than a comma. For example, "Dear Mr. Smith:" is a correct business opening. You can switch to a comma once back-and-forth correspondence is established.
3. Summarize. Skip the life story and get to the point. Business email should be short and concise. You can tell your coworker about your son's birthday party in the break room, not in the report you are emailing to her.
4. Choose a closing line and stick with it. If you prefer to end business email with "Thank You," then end with this always. Some people prefer "Sincerely" or "Best" or "Very Truly Yours." If you are consistent with your closing, people will associate that line with your emails and feel as though they know you better as a business partner.
5. Build a well-informed, but controlled signature. Business email signatures should include your full name (never just your initials), your title, your company and any pertinent information that an associate might need in order to get in touch with you. Resist the urge to make a signature 10 lines long. Extra long signatures are seen as indulgent in the business world.
