Having great soft skills as a professional in the corporate world is necessary. It is one way to distinguish yourself and engender complementary consideration from your colleagues. Many people often take things like returning a phone call, or scripting a proper email for granted. But this is often a mistake.
We often focus on the hard skills, those directly related to accomplishing our main objective on the job. Soft skills are of great importance as well.
The ability to do these tasks is in jeopardy now, because of the prevalence of social media and even sending text messages via a Smartphone. We try to chuck everything into 120 characters or less. And this is often times not suitable for the world of work.
Though, it is important that we remember that an email is the most widely used form of communication in the workplace. Another important point to remember is that we must be careful of the tone of our email messages.
It is not advised that you berate a subordinate or send an abrasive response, using an email message.
It is also common knowledge that the written language can easily be misconstrued. This means that you must take great care in how you write a professional email message.
Basic Rules to Remember when Writing a Professional Email
Let us examine the sample professional email below. Then, we will examine the rule that will make this message more suitable.
“All employee ids will expire this week. You must renew your identification by June 30th. Failure to do so, will incur penalties. Employee Rules and Regulations demand that all employees coming unto the premise must display the current means of identification.”
1
Include a Salutation
One of the first and obvious mistakes is the lack of a salutation.
The writer is required to add a “Hi,” “Good day” etc. at the beginning of the message. However, because of the abrasiveness of this text as it is, even adding the salutation alone will not suffice. Readers might think that the person is being false or hypocritical, with its intent.
Even making the email shorter and adding a “Please” would not do, because more information is needed to help the employees in the process of renewing their identification.
After reading this message, some employees may ask, “How can I renew my id?” or even “Where can I renew my id?”
“Good day,
All employee ids will expire this week. PLZ renew your identification by June 30th. Failure to do so, will incur penalties. Employee Rules and Regulations demand that all employees coming unto the premise must display the current means of identification.”
2
Add a Subject
One of the first things to do when you start your email is to include a subject line. Doing this task first is important. It will ensure that when you progress downwards, on your screen, you will not send the message mistakenly without first doing so.
For the email above, simply writing “Employee Ids” or “Urgent” is insufficient. You could add “Deadline for Employee Ids,” which is much more suitable.
“Subject: Deadline for Employee Ids
Good day,
All employee ids will expire this week. PLZ renew your identification by June 30th. Failure to do so, will incur penalties. Employee Rules and Regulations demand that all employees coming unto the premise must display the current means of identification.”
3
Start with the Main Message
As you might already be aware, people tend to have a limited attention span. So, get to the main point quickly. This is best accomplished by constructing an email with the main point as the opening sentence.
“Subject: Deadline for Employee Ids
Good day,
PLZ renew your identification by June 30thas all employee ids will expire by Friday, of this week. Failure to do so, will incur penalties. Employee Rules and Regulations demand that all employees coming unto the premise must display the current means of identification.”
4
Do not write a Vague Professional Email
Try not to start your message by being vague. You want to include as much necessary detail to help the reader, as possible, without being too lengthy.
Also, do not use a word like “This” to start your sentence. For example, “This must be done by 10:00 am.”
5
Never use All CAPS
It is easy to spew and lose control of your emotions when responding to an inflammatory email. But you should never use ALL CAPS. This is unacceptable and is construed as shouting.
Keep in mind, that the opposite also indicates poor grammar skills. So try not to write emails in all lower case either.
6
Do not write a Professional Email using Text Jargons
There is a whole generation of young people, who are efficient in “text speak.” But, not because it is acceptable to send to a friend on your Smartphone, means that it is also acceptable to include in a company email.
Using such acronyms and abbreviations as WUWT (what's up with that), ROFLOL (rolling on the floor laughing out loud), PLZ (please) or PPL (people) is not an acceptable practice.
“Subject: Deadline for Employee Ids
Good day,
Please renew your identification by June 30thas all employee ids will expire by Friday, of this week. Failure to do so, will incur penalties. Employee Rules and Regulations demand that all employees coming unto the premise must display the current means of identification.”
7
Construct Concise and Polite Professional Emails
Try to keep your email message short. Those that have more than three paragraphs should be edited and aptly reduced. Try not to leave out the important details. If you have a lot of information to convey, prepare an alternate document and attach it to the email message.
Also, remember to be polite. Change your words or tone if it can be construed as growling or barking at the readers.
8
Use Please and Thank You
Remember that saying, “Manners takes you around the world?” Well, your emails might be going around the world, literally. So, be cordial and gracious in your professional messages.
Where necessary, start a request using the word please. Saying “Thanks in advance” can also add a nice touch to the closing of your message.
Try not to come off as being sarcastic either, or unreasonable by saying “Thank you for understanding why parking for employees is now relocated to the plaza across the street.”
“Subject: Deadline for Employee Ids
Good day,
Please renew your identification by June 30thas all employee ids will expire by Friday, of this week. Failing to comply, will deny you access to the premises or free movement to certain restricted areas. This is supported by information provided in your Employee Rules and Regulations booklet.
Photographs will be taken and new ids supplied, in the boardroom, on Friday morning. The session begins from 9:000 to 11:00 a.m. promptly.
Thanks in advance for your punctuality and cooperation.”
9
Use a Signature Block
Another of the basic rules about how to write a professional email is to add a signature.
It is customary for all professional emails to have the sender’s full name, position, company name, business address and contact number. Include the extension of your phone, if applicable.
Some professionals represent their signature with a clever artwork. This depends on your preference, however, it is not mandatory. This inclusion must not be inappropriate but professional and relevant.
“Subject: Deadline for Employee Ids
Good day Logos Staff Members,
Please renew your identification by June 30thas all employee ids will expire on Friday, of this week. Failure to comply will result in denial of access to the premises or free movement to certain restricted areas. This is supported by information provided in your Employee Rules and Regulations booklet.
Photographs will be taken and new ids supplied, in the boardroom, on Friday morning. The session begins from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. promptly.
Thanks in advance for your punctuality and cooperation.
Jane Doe, HR Officer
Logos Inc.
0010 Boulevard Arena,
Washington, DC, 00100
Phone number: 201-301-0001”
10
Proof Read and Edit your Message
The golden rule, which must be applied before sending a message of any kind, is to proof read and edit your written material.
This is important because it safeguards you from the embarrassment that proceeds from misspelling a simple word. Sometimes we are writing a message and our fingers type something unintended. One common problem, which many people have nowadays, is to autocorrect mistakes.
Have you ever been typing a word and the spellchecker autocorrects your word to something else?
For example, you are typing “thing” and it autocorrects, and inserts “thick” or “stink” instead. This is often a common occurrence when using your cell phone. Even when you are typing slow and you stop to make the correction. It often still makes further changes, especially before you hit the send button.
Reset your spellchecker preferences if necessary to stop it from doing these changes. And save yourself the embarrassment. Take time and reread your message before pressing the send button. Then, make the necessary edits.
It is best to protect your reputation than to have it tarnished by a few misspelled words.
11
Respond Promptly to Professional Emails
In the corporate world, the rate at which you respond, could impact your company’s ability to make thousands, if not millions of dollars. It could the factor that affects whether a customer is treated satisfactorily or whether they will leave having a negative outlook, of the company.
Yes, you must think carefully about your response. But never delay sending an important response for hours or days on end. If further information is necessary for you to make an informed decision, then send a brief reply of your intent.
12
Use a Grammar or Spellchecker Program
Today, there are a myriad of programs or applications online to help check your written work. You can use those that operate directly within your browser window, or consider downloadable options.
It is not only our spelling that we have to check, especially when we think about how to write a professional email. We must also carefully fix any issues with punctuation and grammar as well. If you are not a great English major, then using a grammar program is a good decision.
These have built is stipulations that can be tweaked to suit your language preferences.
In addition, if English is not your first language, you might have a bit more difficult than other people. Therefore, such a program will come in handy.
Employ Proper Email Writing Etiquette
You might not think that it is important to compile a proper email. But, this is a wrong way of thinking, especially when it comes to how to write a professional email.
Your reputation is important in the working world. Your supervisor, boss and colleagues might think less of you and your capabilities, if you cannot construct a simple message without making tons of mistakes. You might find that they openly second guess your decisions. This cannot be good for your corporate progression or hopes for a promotion.
Employers look for employees who pay attention to the small things, as well as the major issues.
Oftentimes, you will see that they include the need for a candidate, of a new job position, to be detailed oriented. That is because it will apply to all aspects of their work. So, soft skills are indeed important.
Take your time, follow the above guidelines about how to write a professional email and you will see direct improvement.
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