How to Write a Professional Email in 2024

Introduction

When you write a professional email, it reflects both professionally and personally on who you are. It doesn’t matter if you’re sending an email to a potential employer, a colleague, or someone outside of your company; you need every email to be flawless.

There are several ways to make your email less compelling than it could be. You’d delete more than half of the emails in your spam folder right now if you looked through it.

So you just get one glance. You only need a single glimpse to grab your reader’s attention and persuade them to do what you want. The best writers could easily fail in such a crucial situation.

It’s all about finding a balance between silly clickbait emails like “Open This To Discover Some Random Useless Thing” and a one that will be deleted without being read.

Before writing a professional email, it’s important to consider a number of factors. You’ll be able to send the perfect professional email every time if you follow these 7 simple steps.

7 Simple Easy Steps To Write A Professional Email

Step 1. A Simple Subject Line

A proper subject line is required for every well-written business email. Since you’re not utilizing your email to make a pitch in most situations, you don’t need to come up with a creative or eye-catching subject line.

Make your subject line as clear as possible about what you’re asking or seeking for. The subject line of your email should clearly state what the email is about.

This is particularly useful in the workplace for determining an email’s importance and scanning through an inbox. If the email is urgent or must be responded to by a specific deadline, this should also be stated in the subject line.

A simple “Thank You” subject line would work if the email is thanking someone for their time. For example, if you’re writing to a company to enquire about a job opening, the subject line may be “Recent Indeed Posting: Marketing Coordinator Position.”

The aim of a subject line is to properly express the purpose of your email.

Step 2. Salutation

A proper greeting is always included in a professional email. A greeting is easy to overlook – especially in this day and age when texts and emails are so quickly sent – but it is an important part of any business email.

It is not necessary for a salutation to be too complicated. It might be as easy as:

• Dear [Name],
• Hi [Name],
• Greetings [Name],
• Hello [Name],
• Hello Everyone,
• Hi All,

In a professional email, there are a few common greetings you should avoid. Slang, excessively “friendly” or “stiff” language should never be used. The following are some instances of greetings to avoid:

• [Misspelled name]
• Hey!
• To Whom it May Concern
• Dear Sir or Madam

Which greeting is most appropriate depends on your relationship with the person to whom you’re sending the email. It will also suggest what your professional email’s first line should be:

• I hope you are well.
• I hope you are having a nice week so far.
• It is nice to be introduced.

Step 3. Purpose of Your Email

People don’t like to read long emails or filter through large volumes of text to figure out what you’re trying to say. At the opening of your email, state what your purpose is.

Give the reader a clear picture of what the email is about by expanding on what your subject line says. There are a few different ways to write your email’s subject:

• I am writing in reference to [subject]
• I am writing to inquire about [subject]
• I am writing to inform you that [subject]

You don’t want your subject to come across as abrupt, but you do want it to be clear. The first step in establishing a good conversation and dialogue with the other person is to state your purpose.

Step 4. Body of the Mail

Don’t put too much text in front of your reader. Understand that your reader is unlikely to have the time to read a lengthy email. Respect their time; if your email’s body is overly long, they may skim it or not read it at all.

Keep your emails brief and concise, and avoid using slang. Break content into two- to three-sentence paragraphs, or use bullet points where required, to make reading your emails easier.

If the issue you’re writing about requires a lengthier email, it would be best to discuss it in person. Instead of trying to explain everything in one long email, utilize your email to schedule a meeting.

Step 5. Closing Statement

You don’t want to finish your email with a phrase that is average. You should finish with a statement that explains what will happen next.

Either try to lead your reader in a certain direction or let the discussion flow naturally to a conclusion. Here are a few effective ways to wrap up an email:

• I look forward to speaking with you more.
• Please have a look at the documents attached and let me know what you think.

Allow the end of your email to serve as a guide for where the conversation should go next. In most situations, an email will not be the end of a communication, but rather the start.

Step 6. Signing Off

Keep it simple and pleasant when signing off on a professional email. It’s ideal to keep your signing off text short and simple, just like the rest of your email.

Here are some of the most effective ways to end an email:

• Thank you,
• Thanks again,
• Best,
• Best Wishes,
• Kind Regards,
• Sincerely,
• All the best,

Now that you’ve composed your email, there is one more important step you need to complete before sending it.

Step 7. Proofread

Despite the limited information of an email, a mistake stands out like nothing else. So, regardless of how many techniques you use, if your CTA button says “Buy Not,” you’re giving mixed signals. 

Start with spelling mistakes, then move on to punctuation, grammatical fixes, and formatting for style.

When proofreading, consider not only the grammar but also the look of your email.

• Stick to traditional fonts like Times New Roman, which are simple to read and easy on the eyes.
• It’s best not to change the colour of your text because it might come off as unprofessional.
• Avoid using excessive punctuation in your email since it might make it appear angry or overexcited.

Conclusion

You don’t want your reader to believe you’re careless, or even worse, stupid. It’s difficult, but not impossible, to write great business emails. Simply look at it through the eyes of your reader, and you’ll be able to detect and correct a thousand problems in a matter of seconds.

Knowing how to write an email is essential whether you’re looking for work or already have one. You’ll be composing emails that represent the high-quality professional you are if you follow our tips.

-Isabell S.