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Business emails in English: 5 common mistakes you want to avoid.
As a professional you probably receive over a hundred emails a week, on average. How can you do your best to make sure that your email is read, understood, and acted upon in the way you intended, amidst all that competition?
Here is a post to help you do that. Contained within are five common mistakes and how to avoid making them :
1. A poorly worded subject line
The subject line is the first thing your intended recipient sees when engaging with your email, so it has to make an impact. You know what they say, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
Think of your subject line as a good newspaper headline - you want to grab the attention of your reader and, at the same time, give them a good idea as to what the email is about. The use of capitals at the beginning of main words can be helpful, as can skipping out linking words and unnecessary prepositions.
Employing these practices helps to draw the recipient to your email, and to make the line more concise, and less wordy, making it more likely your message will get the time it warrants.
2. Poor spelling and/or punctuation
Believe it or not, spelling and grammar remain vital components of successful written communication.
A very common mistake is to begin the first line after the greeting with a small letter. This is a big no-no! Just as in a business letter, the opening line starts with a capital letter, as do all the words in the greeting (barring linking words or prepositions). Staying with capitalisation, make sure you only use them where they’re required - proper nouns; following question marks, exclamation marks and full stops; acronyms and abbreviations in letter form e.g. UEFA.
Spelling can cause issues when writing in English, as words are only rarely written in the way that they sound. Using a spell check tool can help you to avoid spelling mistakes, but it won’t pick up on everything, so make sure to proofread your email twice before sending it. Poor spelling and/or grammar can undermine your text and leave a poor impression on the reader.
3. Using a mixture of British and American English
As George Bernard Shaw said: "England and America are two countries separated by a common language.” Please decide which version of English (British or American) is appropriate to use and stick to it throughout your text, otherwise it can become very confusing.
The two versions of the language vary in many ways, from spelling: colour/color, metre/meter; to totally different words for the same thing: pavement/sidewalk, autumn/fall.
There are differences in grammar and phrasing too, so please be aware of these.
4. Making your emails too long and/or complicated
Emails arrive thick and fast, as we mentioned at the top, so it’s wise not to make your email too long or complicated - nobody wants to be faced with big blocks of text about numerous topics.
- Try to stick to one topic, as far as possible, when writing an email. Should you need to write about more than one topic, send another email. That way, the individual emails can be dealt with separately, likely ensuring that both topics are addressed properly.
- Structure your email correctly: greeting, opening line (e.g. I hope you’re well), main body, closing line (e.g. I look forward to your response), sign off.
- Use short sentences, and simple language, where possible.
- When including more than one action point, use bullet points so that they clearly stand out.
Use these tips to help guarantee that your recipient not only reads your email promptly, but also understands it fully.
5. Using capital letters/red - coloured text to make your point
These are practices to be avoided at all costs. Capital letters should only ever be used appropriately, as detailed in point 2. They should never be used to highlight something in your email. They give the reader the impression that they are being reprimanded, or shouted at, and can create animosity and anger on their part.
The same can be said for using red text to draw attention to a certain point. Should you wish to emphasise the importance/urgency of a particular segment of text, the best way to do so is to put the necessary parts in bold. It is important to only do this when absolutely necessary, otherwise your reader will cease to take it seriously and the impact will be lost. You may also use another colour to earmark a particular point, if you wish. When doing so, use blue.
Keeping clear of these common mistakes should give your emails the best chance of being seen, read, and acted upon. Following the advice included in the post will ensure your texts look, and sound, professional, clear and courteous.
Are you intersted in more tips about emailing in English? These articles might also interst you:
Do you need help with writing business emails in English?
If you need more tailored help with your writing skills or feedback on a specific email you've written, then you can consult one of our expert language coaches at Squidll. Together you can prepare your email, extend your vocabulary and improve your text until you're happy with the end result.
Sign up on Squidll, find a business language coach who fits your needs and start today on Squidll.
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