Make Your Emails Professional with a Few Steps

Summary: With a little spell check, proof reading, and a few simple rules about complimenting and not apologizing for your questions, you can make your everyday emails more professional.

No matter what your job may be, a good part of your time is going to be spent dealing with emails. Emails have become an essential part of everyone’s day. The emails may be from your boss, your Internet service provider, or a current love interest. While having to deal with a mass amount of emails can be stressful and lead us to say things in a hurry, making mistakes doesn’t have to be a common occurrence. Here are some tips to keep your emails professional and smart.

1. The biggest thing you can do is spell correctly. If the spelling mistakes are because you honestly don’t know how to spell a word or because of laziness, it is still not an excuse. Every computer, phone, tablet has spellcheck.
2. Stop using filler words like that or just. The word “just” is wishy-washy and lacking authority. You are never “just” doing something, you are doing it. For instance, if you write in an email “I’m just checking to see if you have those reports done”, it sounds like you are apologizing for asking a question when it is perfectly appropriate to ask.
3. Keep it simple and to the point. No one needs to read a 400 word explanation of why you are asking about getting the reports. Be polite but direct in your emails.
4. Create a signature for your emails. A professional signature should include your name, job title, contact phone number, link to your Twitter, and links to your other sites like a portfolio.
5. Make a new paragraph for each point and each paragraph should only be a few sentences long. If your email requires more explanation, then a phone call might be a better solution.
6. Use rich text formatting when including links. It will be cleaner and easier on the eye. This includes italicizing titles and underlining addresses but not using crazy colors or fonts.
7. Never click send without reading your email through at least once. If you don’t have the time to read the email before sending, then save it as a draft until you do. It is not a race to see how fast you can get your emails out; it is an exercise of accuracy.
8. Always be nice in your emails, no matter the person or reason you are emailing. Things will work out better for you if you display kindness and maturity. Remember that tone does not come across written text so when you are saying something harsh but thinking about it in a nicer way, the reader will only read the harshness.

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