Lesson 45 of 46

Writing clear emails

Structure an email so the reader knows what to do.

The rules

1.Write a specific subject line: "Invoice #204: payment due Friday", not "Hi" or "Urgent".
2.Greet appropriately: "Dear Ms. Lee," (formal), "Hello Sam," (neutral), "Hi Sam," (friendly). Close with "Best regards," or "Kind regards," followed by your name.
3.Put your main point or request in the first two lines. Add a clear action and deadline.
4.Keep paragraphs short, and one request per paragraph. "I have attached the file" is simpler than "Please find the attached file herewith".

Incorrect: ~~Subject: Hi~~

Correct: Subject: Question about project deadline

A clear subject gets read.

Incorrect: ~~Kindly revert at the earliest.~~

Correct: Could you reply by Thursday?

Specific and polite.

Incorrect: ~~PFA the document for your perusal.~~

Correct: I have attached the document for your review.

Plain, natural wording.

Watch out: Before you send, ask: what do I want the reader to do, and by when?

1. Best subject line:

2. Best closing for a client email:

3. Where should the main request go?

Paste any text and see exactly what to fix, with the rule explained.