How to Write a Business Email in English

Emails have become an important part of our everyday routine, especially at work. Writing emails in English in a proper and formal manner is important to make a good impression of yourself or of your company.  Here are some tips to write an English business email.

Tip #1: Be clear.

Regardless of the content of your email, the basic and one of the most important rules is to be clear in delivering your message. Write in short and concise sentences and use simple and formal language. Most importantly, use correct grammar.

Tip #2: Keep it short but complete.

As much as possible, focus on only one topic per email to be able to keep things short but complete. Your email should briefly explain the purpose of your writing and should specify exactly what it is that you want.

Tip #3: Create a strong subject line.

According to the Radicati Group, business people receive around 80 emails a day on average. You want to have your email read as soon as possible, and people are most likely to open an email with a strong subject line. To achieve a strong headline, you can use the “4 U’s” shared by American Writers & Artists trainers.

4 U’s of Writing Headlines:

Urgent

Useful

Unique

Ultra-specific (very specific)

Tip #4: Sound polite.

Never use capital letters and exclamation points in a formal letter. Do not sound too emotional and keep a calm tone. Maintain formality and politeness throughout the mail.

Tip #5: Use the right language at the right place.

Just like letters, emails have a format. Here is the standard format:

Salutation

It’s important to choose the right tone for your salutation. In formal emails, “Dear” is among the most commonly used as it sounds appropriate for all types of audience, especially for business people.

Opening sentence

In your opening sentence, tell the reader what the email is all about. In business, people commonly write emails to inform, follow up, update, confirm, express gratitude, and answer or ask questions.

Ending

In this part of the email, make sure to specify what you’d like the reader to do. You can tell the reader to reply if they have any questions, contact you for further assistance, or simply thank them.

Closing

Common closings you can use in formal letters include:

“Sincerely”

“All the best”

“Take care”

Formal emails require specific guidelines, but with consistent practice, you can get the hang of the task. Keep these simple tips in mind and you’ll be able to pull off excellent English business emails every time.