By Dmitry Shuster

Staff Writer

In the era of modern technology, e-mail is the quickest and most frequently preferred method of communication.  However, the transition from regular mail to electronic mail (e-mail) also involves several changes in both the manner of writing and in the techniques that are utilized.  Here are five techniques designed to help you writer better and more effective business emails:

1. Provide an informative and concise subject line

The subject line is critical as it alerts the recipient to the subject and content of the email.  The goal is to make the subject line informative so that the recipient can quickly determine the purpose of the e-mail.  At the same time, the subject should be short so as to prevent the reader from becoming lost or overlooking the e-mail entirely.

2. Keep the e-mail brief and to the point

The important thing to remember is that you are writing a business e-mail and not a novel.  It should open with a simple greeting, for which a Dear Mr./Ms. Smith will suffice; remember to use the honorific Ms., not Miss or Mrs., as the neutral honorific for a female adressee whose marital status is unknown.  The generally preferred punctuation after the greeting is a colon rather than a comma.  Following the greeting, the body of the e-mail should consist of a concise body of text that clearly explains the purpose of the e-mail.  If questions are posed to the reader, it is best to keep them simple so that they can be answered with a yes, no, or a short sentence.  The goal is to get your point across quickly and effectively, and to avoid a lengthy and convoluted e-mail.

3. Use a conversational tone

Business e-mails typically use a conversational tone that is less formal than a standard business letter.  However, it is important to avoid making the tone of the e-mail too casual or familiar.  It is also important to write in proper business English at all times, including correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.  Also, avoid using the words urgent and important in the subject line unless it is actually an urgent message.  Avoid long sentences (15-20 words are more than enough) and keep the language gender neutral (i.e., the user should add a signature as requested) unless addressing a specific individual.  Lastly, do not write the entire message (or large portions of it) using all capital letters because it will appear as though you are shouting.

4. Make the email legible

Coherence is essential when writing business e-mails.  Some business e-mails allow for the use of emotions, such as smiley faces, but these should generally be avoided unless you have already established a business relationship with the recipient of the e-mail.  Otherwise, it may appear to be too informal or casual, or it may even distract the reader from the purpose of your message.  Also, make sure that the email is easy to read, which can be achieved through the proper use of upper and lowercase letters, as well as by using sufficient white space – blank space between characters and paragraphs of text – and legible fonts.  Times New Roman, Arial, Garamond, and Veranda are just a few of the acceptable fonts.  The e-mail should not consist of run-on text, but should include spaces where necessary.  Similarly, paragraphs should be separated by a single line space.

Closing

Choose a closing line. Many people choose to close an e-mail with a simple Thank You, while others prefer the more formal Sincerely. The closing should be consistent throughout all your e-mails so that the recipient will begin to associate the line with you, and will often feel as though they know you better. Follow the closing with an informative but controlled signature: use your full name, title, company, and any other pertinent information that the addressee or an associate may need to contact you.

5. Proofread and check before sending.

In most cases, once you click the SEND button, an e-mail cannot be recalled. For this reason, it is critical to double check and proofread the entire message, including spelling and grammar. Make sure you are correctly addressing the recipient of the e-mail, particularly name spelling, as this is commonly overlooked. Once you have proofread the text, reread the entire email to make sure the tone and content is appropriate, as it can be forwarded to anyone.

A Few Formatting Guidelines:

The business e-mail should consist of three parts:

1. Heading:

 In some e-mail templates, the following elements appear at the top of the message:

 To:

 From:

 CC:

 BCC:

 Date:

 Subject:

 Attached:

 These information fields are followed by the greeting.

2. Body

 This is the core of a business e-mail. The body of the e-mail follows the heading and includes the text that is addressed to the recipient. It should consist of short paragraphs separated by single line spaces.

3. Signature Block

 The signature block is what appears after the closing. It contains the sender’s name, position, com-pany name, and contact information and may appear as follows:

John Smith

C.E.O

Bruin Business Review

Los Angeles, CA 90024

Tel: 310.123.4567

Fax: 310.987.6543

Email: john@bruinbusinessreview.com