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They say you should never write an email when you’re angry. And if you do write one, don’t send it.
Take your time and make sure you understand the importance of effective email writing before you hit send. Remember the written word is set in stone; once you send your email, there’s no going back.
What’s the secret to effective email communication? It’s quite simple: you have to be precise, know your audience and be clear on your intent before you hit that send button.
Effective email communication is critical to professional growth. You can learn how to write professional emails with Harappa Education’s Writing Proficiently course. It’ll teach you important concepts like the GRT (Goal-Recipient-Tone) Framework to check the tone of your email and be mindful of the reader at all times.
Let’s look at how you can enhance your email writing skills.
Effective Email Writing
Effective email communication in the workplace can distinguish you from your colleagues. You’ll be able to get your point across accurately and efficiently without leaving room for doubt or error. Be precise in your written communication by crafting an effective email using these tips:
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Know Your Audience
In the workplace, you deal with seniors, peers, and juniors. Knowing your audience is key to crafting an effective email. The way you address your seniors is likely different from the way you address your peers or juniors. Knowing your audience will determine how you structure your email and your choice of words.
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The Pyramid Principle
Structure your email well to get your message across. The Pyramid Principle, developed by former McKinsey consultant Barbara Minto says you should lead with your main thought/idea, followed by supporting arguments and finally, examples and case studies. This saves you time and makes your writing more effective and easy to understand. You’ll be able to engage in effective email writing with a structure in place.
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Clarity And Accuracy
Clarity and accuracy are key for effective email communication in the workplace. Your email must convey your intention clearly and concisely. For instance, if you email your junior a to-do list without any explanation, they won’t be able to follow through. You must ensure that your emails are simple to understand and accessible to the reader.
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Editing And Proofreading
The worst mistake you can make in your email writing is skipping the editing and proofreading process. It’s common to overlook things like punctuation, fonts and typos while writing an email. But these are critical attributes that set your email communication apart.
Attention to detail shows that you’re interested and that you’ve put in the effort and time to draft an effective email. Additionally, you can avoid making embarrassing mistakes. Imagine having a typo in your email that turns ‘have a lovely weekend’ into ‘have a lonely weekend’.
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Pay Attention To Your Tone
Are you being too formal? Are you being too informal? How do you determine the tone of your email? To avoid confusion, use a formal tone in your work emails. It’s best to steer clear of text language (brb, g2g, or c u), emoticons and exclamation marks. A useful tip is to never write an email when you’re feeling a surge of emotions—be it happy or sad. Save it as a draft and come back to it with a level head.
Master Email Writing
Email writing needs to be concise, respectful and purposeful. With any piece of writing, you have to remember that you’re telling a story. Start with the main point first and then add the supporting points to back your argument.
Harappa’s Writing Proficiently is useful for improving your written communication skill in the workplace. Not only will it help you with effective email writing but also teach you how to write reports for meetings and prepare presentations. Sign up now to strengthen your writing skills for effective email communication in the workplace.
Explore the skills & topics such as Writing Skills, Process of Writing, Business Communication, 7 C's of Communication & Elements of Communication from our Harappa Diaries blog section and learn to write proficiently.
