The Art of an Email: How to Effectively Communicate Electronically

When people think of communication, they most often think of a face to face interaction or conversation between two or more people.

In the business world, this conversation can range from trying to close business deals with customers or trying to establish rapport with employees to work toward achieving a common goal for the company.

What many people seem to overlook is how to communicate through the digital world as well. Emails play a very crucial role in the way people interact on a day to day basis in the business world. Email writing can be considered an art because a lot of times it’s difficult to put an idea or thought we have into words.

Tone, deliverance, understanding, and perception are sometimes lost when you communicate through emails rather than in person. It is important to learn how to format the content within an email so that the reader receives your message exactly how you intended it to be read.

The easiest way to explain how to communicate efficiently through email is to start by explaining what not to do. Email communication is not like text message communication and should not be worded as such. Emails are formal and should not be vague, as you are trying to capture either an idea, problem, solution, or all three within its content.

It is important that within the email, you clearly state your ideas and stand by your analysis throughout its entirety. If there is a problem that needs to be addressed you must state it, then come up with your recommendation for how to solve it and why you believe that is the appropriate response to the situation at hand.

Finally, conclude your thoughts by explaining how and when your idea/solution will be implemented.

This format can be used both with customers and with coworkers to address difficulties in another work environment or in your own. If a potential customer has a problem and you feel you have the solution to help this problem with a product or service your company offers, then your email should include what the problem is, how you can fix it, and what the proper steps will be to implement your solution.

The same goes for a problem within your own work environment. The email should address the problem, how you can collectively solve it as a team, and why it is important to be on the same page about the solution.

Like nearbuy said in their article on email communication:

“Don’t communicate to be understood; rather, communicate so as not to be misunderstood.” (nearbuy).

This is vitally important, as you want to make sure the message you are trying to send is crystal clear and informative about the situation you are trying to create a solution for.

Citation

N. (2016, March 30). A quick and easy guide to effective business communication. [Web log post]. Retrieved September 25, 2017, from https://medium.com/@nearbuy/a-quick-and-easy-guide-to-effective-business-communication-8e4ae0d7a297