How to write business emails: 4 pro tips that'll make you look awesome
Image credit: Miguel Á. Padriñán
Here’s a scary thought — very few professionals know how to write business emails. And the higher up you go, the worse it gets.
Strong words, bold claims. But I’ve emailed enough business folk to know it’s true.
Knowing how to write emails at work is a powerful thing. It can unlock the most coveted email desire: timely responses.
Follow these 4 tips, and your colleagues are more likely to understand what you need (and actually do it for you) without the need to chase. Hell, it might even stop your emails from being snoozed or put on the ‘low priority’ list.
Get out your notebook and pen, babe. I’m about to change your life in under three minutes…
4 pro tips for writing business emails that don’t get ignored or deleted
1) Always assume the recipient is too busy to read
Your colleagues are busy people — if you’re forever sending them unedited, rambling brain dumps, they’ll avoid your emails like the plague. It reeks of self-indulgence and is just plain disrespectful to your colleagues and their time. Sorry babe, but someone had to say it!
When you write your email, go back through and edit that thing. You can even use a tool like Grammarly to help you identify all the unnecessary words and phrases.
2) Important info up top
Following on from point one, let’s get all the essential need-to-knows right up top. Don’t bury the main reason for the message under layers of guff. Instead, take a quick minute to think about why you're emailing and make this the initial, standout statement. You’d be surprised how many people don’t do this — your colleagues shouldn’t have to launch a full Nancy Drew-style investigation to figure out why you’re emailing.
3) Use bullet points if needs be
Got a super long message to send? We'll use bullets to break the info into manageable chunks or action points. That's how we copywriters do it. 😎
Remember to keep each bullet point short and 'front-load' it with the most critical info first.
4) Use your subject line to your advantage
Want the ultimate pro tip? Get your message into the subject line rather than using something vague or generic. That way, the recipient doesn’t even have to open it to know what you want. Remember to keep it short, too.
Here are a few examples to give you the flavour:
🚫 Copywriting support
✅ Copy needed: BHW campaign
🚫 Feedback needed
✅ Feedback request: V1 BHW campaign
🚫 Content briefing
✅ Brief: BHW campaign
I hope that helps! Following these tips won’t just make you more popular with colleagues, it may also stop them from murdering you after you’ve hit send on that essay of an email. You’re welcome! 😊
Gimme a follow on LinkedIn or TikTok for more handy writing tips. Want tailored advice or training for you and your team? No problemo, boss. Pop me an email and tell me what you need.