Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

Dos and Don'ts of Writing Business Emails Writing a meaningful subject matter is of utmost important for a lot of reasons

By Surbhi Takkar

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Shutterstock

We all are very well aware of the most canonic framework of writing emails, which is extensively used by everyone in and around the world. The very first instinct that springs into someone's mind when asked to write email is that they have to first greet and then focus on the content of the mail. That's how it goes, right? Type receiver's email address, put in the subject, greet them, elaborate the content matter and close it with regards.

But, before you agree upon it, stress more on these points again and you will realize it's not as easy as it sounds like. Particularly talking about business mails, it's very important to come up with a perfect one to send to your client or partners. Business mails have to be precise with concrete message delivery. Here's a list of some dos and don'ts you must forbid yourself for overlooking them.

Subject line

Some professionals even leave this space blank which is a big no-no. Writing a meaningful subject matter is of utmost important for a lot of reasons. One, the receiver might be pre-occupied with lots of other work and may also have an inbox flooded with 100s of mails which are waiting to be responded. If your subject line is clear and strong enough, the person will surely consider reading your message. It's more like a 4-5 word introduction of your mail concern and you must not exceed it up till a sentence line. Also, it must not be very flashy or too catchy because then, the receiver might think of it as a spam.

Greetings

Using greets like "Heya' or "Yo, What's up' are not to be entertained even if you are well familiar or more even, friends with your business partner/ client. It's recommended to use "Hi/ Hello', "Dear' can also be used instead.

Content Matter

While writing your content, keep a track that you are properly stressing upon the bullets and most importantly, it should not be too long to be read. Use a simple form of language; avoid using big words or metaphors. Reason being, they might not be understood by the reader. Using humor or showcasing your technical writing skills are not meant for such platforms because they are open to subjective interpretations and you would never want to risk your formal messages for this.

It's advisable to watch which and how much punctuation marks you are using. Of course, they are most significant tools in writing, undoubtedly but using them everywhere and anywhere, at the places where they are not required show your little inclination towards unprofessionalism. Try to hold back your excitement and forget about using exclamation marks unless very important.

Every writing material, be it an article, personal blog or some mail, has some tone in it. That tone is only directed by the writer and felt by the reader. Don't put any emotion in your content and keep the tone on a positive tone. For example, if you have to reject some project offer than don't use the word "reject' directly as it convey a negative emotion. Rather write "not accepted' and if required, yoDos and Don'ts you should remember while writing business emails you can also write along the reason why you'd not want to work on it.

Give it a Read

Before writing, prepare a short synapse of what the mail is going to be and after you are done, never forget to proofread it before hitting the "send' button. There can be any small-big mistake and most importantly, make it confirm that the mail is correctly conveying the right message and doesn't has anything unrelated. While giving it a re-read you can put yourself in the receiver's shoe and then understand if it's pitching or not.

These are some of the major things you should take care of while writing your business mails but this is not it. Keep a good track of all your mails and never ignore the one you see your prospect in, reply to every mail, this is a positive sign of being active, an initiator and also a good communicator. While you are expecting a good business in return from the other side, remember you don't have to disclose anything other than necessary, keep your confidentiality maintained.

Surbhi Takkar

HR at Zee Media Corporation

Surbhi Takkar manages end to end HR for all functions along with Talent Acquisition for tech & non-tech departments at ezmall.com. Surbhi loves exposing herself to new experiences and building relationships across boundaries especially with people from different entrepreneurial backgrounds, beliefs, generations, etc. and applying fresh solutions to existing complex problems in a society. 

News and Trends

IVCA Launches #AltCap101, a Knowledge-Sharing Program for Fund Managers in Alternate Capital

In collaboration with ICUL and EY India, IVCA's #AltCap101 program aims to offer strategic insights and training for seasoned and emerging fund managers, helping them navigate the evolving alternate capital landscape.

News and Trends

Recur Club Announces Credit Offerings for Startups Beyond Series A and SMEs

In FY 24–25, the platform also plans to deploy an additional INR 2000 crores through its Recur Swift program for startups.

News and Trends

How Gen-Zs and e-Commerce are Transforming Consumer Behavior in India's Festive Shopping

India's festive shopping culture is not only alive but thriving in this new digital age, blending tradition with modern consumer preferences and setting new benchmarks for what's possible in the e-commerce landscape.

Business News

Want to Start a Small Business? Here Are the Best States to Try (and the Ones to Avoid).

Plus, here's how many businesses closed in your state last year.