Emails That Set The Tone
Have you ever fired off a quick email only to have the person who received it ask, “what is wrong?” Maybe, you had important information you needed to share with someone, only to get a response back wondering what you meant. Email can be a difficult mode to use when trying to communicate something important. It can also be hard to tell when people are joking or being serious. Why is that?
In my years of advising almost 400 students each semester, I have learned a few things on writing a clear and effective email. Here are four strategies to help you write with clearer intentions and a better tone the next time you send an email.
1. Start with a strong greeting
“Hi”, “Hello”, “Hey” are so common that most people skip over them. They don’t have any effect on the reader. However, I had a colleague who was great about starting their email with “Good Morning” or “Good Afternoon” both of which expressed a better tone and intention than just Hello. Saying something like “Top of the Morning to You” might be a little over the top but the idea is to start you email with something warmer and more engaging than Hey.
2. Let Your First Sentence be a Positive Statement
If we start our email with something serious or that needs immediate attention we can come across as harsh or mean. The best way to prevent our tone from being heard in a manner we didn’t intend is to start our email with a quick positive statement. It can be as simple as “I hope you had a great weekend”, or “I hope this email finds you doing well”. Any positive statement you can start your email with sets the mood for the entire email. You will be amazed at the amount of people who respond to your positive statement to start their reply back to you. This is one of the best ways to share warmth and rapport with others.
3. Don’t use Exclamation Points or ALL CAPS unless There is a Really Good Reason
Exclamation points and all caps come across as angry or upset. If you use them too often people wonder why you are always mad. If you like using exclamations points and All Caps try not to for a few weeks and see if people respond to your emails better. No one likes being shouted at all the time in person or through an email. The best rule of thumb for using these punctuation marks is use them extremely sparingly if at all.
4. End well
Your closing might be the key to getting a response or finishing well. Ending an email with “Warmest Regards” or “Best Regards” can be very effective. However research shows that if you are calling people to action or wanting them to pay a bill the best thing to close with is “Thank you in advance” or “Thank you”. Both of these phrases have a much high call to action rate than any other ending you can use.
As you can tell writing an email with a clear warm tone is simple if we are willing to do a few things to make our intentions clear.
What are somethings you do to write clear and inviting emails?