How To Break Out of Bad Email Habits
How to seem more professional in your emails
I may have only worked in the “corporate” world for three years but email writing is an art form in the professional working world. Being too familiar with clients or partners can be unprofessional and leaves you vulnerable to being taken advantage of in certain situations. (Although we hope most people won’t!)
I’ve listed some key dos and don’ts below that I’ve picked up, many of which I’ve noticed myself doing when writing emails previously and worked to change.
Get rid of unnecessary details
Avoid making excuses – whether they’re good or bad – when explaining situations to a client or colleague as it makes you sound less confident.
Don’t say: Sorry for the late reply! I wasn’t feeling well yesterday and needed to see a doctor in the afternoon.
Try: Thanks for your patience while I was on leave. Here are my thoughts on the issue/situation.
Be proactive
There is no need to send filler emails to say you’re on the task at hand. It simply gives the false sense of an update with an email notification and wastes time.
Your next email should be providing the person you’re emailing what they want or need to show you’re efficient. If this means you need to inform them of a time delay, that is of course acceptable.
Don’t say: “No worries. I’ll get it to you soon.”
Try: “No worries. Please see all the required information attached. Let me know if you have any questions.”
Just stop saying just
The worst word to put in an email. Unless used in the context of something-literally-just-happened, it makes you sound less confident and like you’re checking whether something is okay.
Acceptable: I just heard back from the team and this project is possible within the current timeframe.
Don’t say: I was just wondering whether you had an update on this situation?
Try: Is there an update on this situation?
Call them by their name
It’s simply downright rude to not use someone’s name correctly. Go off what they write in their email signatures or sign-offs as the way to address them. The more friendly and casual your relationship becomes, the more acceptable and professional it is to use a nickname.
Cut back on the exclamation marks
These are often completely overused where a full stop is more than acceptable. It seems like we’ve got the idea that full stops look blunt when they’re the primary punctuation for the end of a sentence. Before sending an email, cut back exclamation marks so there is no more than 1–2 in the entire message.
Use emojis sparingly
There is a fine line when using emojis in a professional setting so be sure to keep them to a minimum when emailing. The frequency of using emojis would be dependant on the importance of the email subject and your relationship with the recipient. Best advice: one or none. Read more about this topic here!
Do you have a tip for breaking out of bad email habits? I’d love to hear yours!
