Good Vs. Bad E-mails: Photo Examples

This is an excellent example of a good and a bad e-mail. The first e-mail displays a direct and relevant subject line, includes a formal introduction and closing, and it has a formal and direct tone. All of these aspects really contrast how great this e-mail is compared to the second e-mail which includes the exact opposite traits.

How to Communicate Successfully Using E-mail: Video

Here's another quick video you should check out if you want excellent customer service tips to use when communicating through e-mail.

E-mail Communication in the Work Place: Video

Here's a quick video on how to communicate using e-mail in the work place!

How Do Client's React to E-mails

“The customer always come first”. That’s what every employee’s mindset is expected to be, and for a good cause. Clients are the heart and soul of every single company. They are essentially the reason why our jobs exist. it’s always best to be professional and straightforward when communicating with these people who have such a great impact on your career. Here are a few steps to consider when e-mailing clients.

1.       Use the subject line wisely. If you want to catch the attention of your client, create a short subject line that will mean something to them. You can include “URGENT” the title, but unless it really is an urgent matter it isn’t recommended since the client might think you’re wasting their time.

2.       Keep the e-mail short. Keeping the e-mail short ensures that only the important details are included and it will also keep the readers attention. No one wants to read a novel when they open an e-mail. Another tip is to use bullets to highlight important points.

3.       Never respond after hours. Unless the client makes it clear that they want to communicate with you after hours, most clients don’t want to deal with business affairs at home. It’s also not recommended to communicate with clients after hours because once a client knows that you’re available 24/7 they will take advantage of it. Once you clock out, you clock out (Hanson, 2014).

Overall, these points are very important when communicating with clients. Always keep them in mind so that you can put your best foot forward!

References

Hanson, A. (2014). 6 Golden Rules to Responding to Client E-mails. Retrieved from Communications Conversations: http://www.arikhanson.com/2014/08/27/6-golden-rules-to-responding-to-client-emails/

Why Grammar is Important in E-mails

When creating an e-mail, whether it's being sent to a friend or a colleague, it is always important to display proper grammar. Not only does it show professionalism but it shows organization, thoughtfulness, and intellect. Here are my reasons why grammar is important in creating e-mails.

First thing’s first: greetings. Greetings in an e-mail are essentially first impressions. They set the tone for the rest of the e-mail and help the reader to determine what kind of message you are trying to portray. By greeting with a quick friendly message such as, “Dear Mr./Mrs. Jones”, “To Whom it May Concern”, “Mr./Mrs. Jones” it shows professionalism and good grammar skills. Next, for the body of the paragraph, it’s always important to include proper capitalization, indentation, and other grammar tools. Another important factor with grammar is proper wording. Re-reading your body paragraph could make or break your chances at being professional with your writing. For instance, a good example of a bad sentence could be a comma splice, “Alex broke his toe, he shouted in pain”. One way to fix this is to add a period, “Alex broke his toe. He shouted in pain”. For the closing sentence, it’s always best to keep it short and sweet. Professional and common closing sentences include, “Best regards”, “Sincerely”, or “Hope to hear from you” (Woods, 2010). 

References

Woods, G. (2010). Using Good Grammar in E-mails. Retrieved from For Dummies: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/using-good-grammar-in-emails.html

What Makes a Bad E-mail

Are you bad at writing e-mails?

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. In contrast to my other blog post, “How to Create a Good E-mail”, I will be highlighting what you’re doing wrong in your e-mails.

1.       You never have a CC or a subject line. This makes it difficult for the recipient to filter out bad spam or e-mails without significance. With all the e-mails that employers and employees receive, they probably won’t even open your e-mail if it doesn’t seem relevant to their day-to-day tasks.

2.       Your e-mail is difficult to understand. When the recipient doesn’t understand what your message is or why your e-mail was even sent to them, then you have a problem. People don’t want to read a novel when they open an e-mail but they also don’t want to only read one sentence. There is a healthy medium that should give them enough information without hurting their brain. A quick e-mail between 50-150 words should be enough to get your message across.

3.       You use slang or informal language. Not everyone knows how to use slang or how to speak appropriately use informal language in the workplace and some people might even take offense to it. When writing an e-mail, it is expected for employees to communicate the same way that they would in the workplace. Formal language is an appropriate way of speaking in an e-mail, especially to a superior, in order not to offend anyone. Most of the time, formal language makes it easier to get your message across as well since everyone in the workplace understands it (Lombardo, 2009).

References

Baer, J. (2015). 15 E-mail Statistics That are Shaping the Future. Retrieved from Convince and Convert: http://www.convinceandconvert.com/convince-convert/15-email-statistics-that-are-shaping-the-future/

Lombardo, J. (2009). Writing Effective Emails in the Workplace: Formality, Content, Language, and Format. Retrieved from Study.com: http://study.com/academy/lesson/writing-effective-emails-in-the-workplace-formality-content-language-and-format.html

  

What kind of an e-mailer are YOU?

Take my quiz to see what kind of an e-mail sender you are! Are you good or bad?https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WPJW5ZH