Imagine a bright, sunny morning. You’ve brewed your favorite beverage and have just sat down to the computer ready to tackle the tasks for the day. First on your list is to check email and get caught up with any new business matters. As you quickly scan down the list of unread emails, you notice that the first one has “Hey, hey good morning!” in the subject line. Clicking on it pops up a new window with the following message:
Hi Ms. ___________!
I am ____________!!!! Did you have a good weekend? I did!!!!
Would you be interested in doing an INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW with me tomorrow? I have a lot of questions I want to ask you about your business and how to get hired.
ARE YOU AVAILABLE? If yes, I’ll send you meeting info!!!!
Ciao,
______________
Though you enjoy doing informational interviews with young professionals starting out, you find yourself recoiling from this particular request. Why?
A properly written business email should not make the recipient turn away with unease (or worse, delete the email before being read!). The sample email violated clear rules of business etiquette for email, and unfortunately for the writer, cost her the opportunity for professional networking and advancement. What are those rules? There’s not a conclusive list, but generally speaking, business email etiquette uses a formal style of address, adherence to grammar, and plays down the elements of informal email which are emojis, USE OF CAPITAL WORDS (which interprets as yelling at your reader), or excessive exclamation marks. Business email benefits greatly from email templates, and email services exist which will allow you to schedule emails and tailor them to suit your business needs.
Businesses also use letters for welcoming newly-onboarded clients, notifying current clients of business policy or pricing changes, and to conclude the business relationship. Having these in writing protects your business, gives you a means to connect with – and document – communications with your clients, and elevates your brand with a professional image. Signing up on my website will give you access to my free, downloadable templates for client welcome and closure letters.
Have more questions about how to write a business email or how to create a business email template? Set up a consultation with me to discuss your needs!