How to Write an Email with Elocution
Remember…
Wise tips: The importance of writing well
Never write a letter while you are angry. ~Chinese Proverb
When you’re writing an email, you are replacing the act of meeting someone is person. Elocution is essential to portraying not only yourself but your services or information correctly. It is most important to write work email correspondence with the utmost standard of elocution and standards to achieve a good first impression, and a respectful, ongoing relationship with the co-workers or clients that you email. Whether you are embarking on a mass email as part of an Email marketing strategy or just reply to a co-worker, it is your prerogative to get it right and avoid giving an impression that you are incapable.
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You should ask yourself: “If I was in a room, reading out my email to the person I was addressing, would what I’m saying make sense and would it come across properly in terms of language and tone?”
Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use. ~Wendell Johnson
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Be concise and to the point Answer all questions, and preempt further questions Use proper spelling, grammar & punctuation (look at the info graphic below for most misspelled words) Make it personal Use templates for frequently used responses Answer swiftly Do not attach unnecessary files Use proper structure & layout Do not overuse the high priority option Do not write in CAPITALS Don't leave out the message thread Read the email before you send it Be careful with formatting Take care with rich text and HTML messages Use a meaningful subject Use active instead of passive Avoid using URGENT and IMPORTANT Avoid long sentences EmailReplies.com
Key components of an email There are some key components of an email which you should remember to check for before you send it. They are: Email to: make sure that you insert the correct email address. Do this after you have written your email so that you don’t send it by mistake BCC (blind carbon copy): this allows you to attach others to your email without having them reply to the entire group. When they reply they will only be able to reply to the sender and CC addressees in the email Subject line: This is the title line and is what the person receiving the email will see along with ‘who’ the email is from. Make sure that you don’t exceed 7-10 words and ensure whatever you say is indicative and relevant to your email topic rather than descriptive or long winded Sign off: This is the automatic sign off that you can set up in the ‘settings’ part of your email inbox. It should include your full name, title and contact details as well as company or service information