When it comes to modern communications, there are now a plethora of messenger options ranging from WhatsApp to SMS services. However, in commercial environments, especially B2B ones, email is still regarded as the primary communication tool. It is used for everything from invoicing to lead qualifications. If you’d like to write better, more professional emails to your customers and would-be clientele, then read on.
Use a Proper Business Address
There is nothing wrong with cloud-based email services for communicating with. The likes of Hotmail and Gmail have been around for a long time and are tried and tested. That being said, some people reject speculative emails from such accounts out of hand because they know they’re more likely to relate to an individual or sole trader rather than someone within a true company structure. The good news is that you can obtain a business email address quite straightforwardly without any hassle at all. Even better, you can link it to your existing cloud service and still receive and send emails wherever you happen to be in the world. Remember that using a business email address will make your first correspondence seem more professional in one fell swoop and, in most cases, not be incorrectly classified as spam.
Choose Optimal Subject Lines
In some cases, the recipients of emails only look at one thing and, if so, it will nearly always be the subject line. Therefore, this is one of the most crucial things to get right when sending an email. The first thing to do is to ensure that your subject line isn’t overly wordy. Try to keep your subject matter down to eight words or fewer. Think of it as a headline you might read in a newspaper. You want to capture attention without saying too much. An intriguing subject line that encourages the recipient to open the email is what you’re after. Equally, don’t make your subject line too directly promotional or sales-like. There is a balance to strike between being informative and interesting without being too in-your-face, if you want an optimised subject line.
Stick to the Point
In the body of your email, avoid providing too much information. Remember that professional emails should not include every detail about the matter at hand. Rather you should assume the recipient has some knowledge – or will know where to find it. If you want to provide additional information or signposts, such as referring to a particular product or service from your portfolio, then add an outbound link to it rather than discussing it in detail. When replying to an email, make sure you are careful to manage the recipients. If you remove someone from the reply, then explain why you’ve taken this step. Summarise any actions you’ve taken since the email was sent and avoid going off-topic. If something else needs to be addressed, then start a new email chain.
Conclusion
Professional emails should use formal language and be checked before sending them out. More widely, business emails should be focused and come from recognised accounts that speak to the professionalism of the sender.
