5 Effective Steps To Help You Write a Professional Email

People receive dozens of emails every day. In fact, over 300 billion emailsare sent and received per day. When you break down this figure to the individual user, it'll show you just how important it is to ensure your email strategy is in line.

Also, 126 professional emailsare sent and received by professionals each day. So, to stand out in your recipient's inbox, you’ll need to write friendly, clear, and actionable emails.

But how do you do that?

Write an Attention-Grabbing Subject Line

The subject line is what your recipient will see first when you send your email. So make sure you state your email’s purpose from the get-go to set the right expectations. Remember, if your subject line doesn't grab their attention, the recipient might not open your email — even if you’ve structured the email body perfectly.

With that in mind, here are some tips to help you write an attractive subject line for your thank you email:

• Keep the subject line below 60 characters. If it goes beyond this, it may result in your subject line being cut off
• Summarize your email’s purpose in one line
• Use the recipient's name to grab their attention
• Be as specific as possible

Use a Professional Salutation

After nailing the subject line, you can start crafting the email's content. But first, make an excellent first impression by starting the email with a professional salutation.

This part is crucial because if you misspell a person's name or use an improper salutation to address them, it can damage their impression of you. Avoid the generic Dear Sir or Madam because it appears impersonal. Instead, use the recipient’s name, then follow it with a colon or comma like in the examples below:

• Dear Fred,
• Dear Mr. Peter:
• Dear Ms. White:

For a more effective gender-neutral approach, use the recipient’s full name:

• Dear Alice White,
• Dear Fred Brown:
• Dear Ben Parker:

Explain Your Purpose

After the salutation, introduce yourself to the recipient. It should be a brief paragraph about you relevant to the email’s purpose. So keep it short and sweet.

Here’s a good example: My name is Kamile, and I’m the Content Manager at Sender. However, you can skip this part if you're emailing someone who already knows you.

After introducing yourself, state the reason for sending the email and what you're hoping the recipient will do after reading it. Add a detailed description of your message, what the person will gain, and what they're supposed to do next. Remember that the recipient is a busy professional like yourself. So they don't have time to read a long email. Make your purpose clear in the first paragraph and keep it brief and straightforward.

Add Polite Closing Remarks

How you end your emailis as crucial as how you start it. You shouldn't leave the reader hanging. Instead, end with one sentence summarizing your point and telling them what they should do next.

Also, add the call to action (CTA). The CTA can be a link you want them to click, a response you want them to give you, or asking them to do something specific.

Here are some examples:

• I look forward to further discussions with you on Friday at 3:00 PM
• Do you want to explore how we can work together? Please book a 15 min. discovery meeting in my calendar with this link: [Link]
• Please review the report I’m attaching, and let me know if you have any questions or concerns

Sign Off Appropriately

A professional email signature offers more context about you or your business. It also provides details on how the recipient can reach out to you. So ensure you add your full name, role, and company or website. You can end an email in many ways before adding your name, but it's best not to get too creative to keep a professional tone. An improper sign-off can give the wrong impression by appearing unprofessional or too familiar. So, choose one based on your relationship with the recipient. Don't use distracting email sign-offs like “VR” (very respectfully) or “cheers." Choose one that will sound more professional. Some of the best options are:

• Yours truly
• Sincerely
• Best regards
• Respectfully
• Thanks again
• Appreciatively

Proofread Your Email

An error-free email shows your attention to detail and professionalism. On the flip side, spelling and punctuation errors may leave the wrong impression. So, before you hit send, check for grammar, spelling, or syntax errors. Ensure you've used plain and simple English and avoided jargon and complicated phrases. Also, double-check the recipient's name. There's nothing worse than realizing you've misspelled the name of the person you've just emailed.

Proofreading your email shouldn't take long, but doing so could keep it from being discarded by the recipient.

Craft Your Professional Emails Today

There you have it. Six tips to give you a solid foundation to craft effective professional emails. Remember to double-check every aspect of your professional emails, keep them concise, and personalize them to make them stand out in your recipients' inboxes.

Do you have more tips we haven't mentioned? Share the post with your answers.