The Lebanese International University-Mauritania

English 202 ( Administrative Communication)- Spring 2020

Business Emails

Email is an effective method of communication in the business world. However, if it isn’t

I. Emails Style

1. Simplicity and clarity

Business emails should be direct and simple. Use simple sentences to clearly convey your
message. Think about the goal of your email. If the subject matter is going to require a long
explanation or a discussion with the recipient, it may be a good idea to choose a different
channel . Instead, pick up the phone or schedule an in-person meeting. That way you can keep
your emails concise and to the point. The language used in the email must be simple, so it can
be easily understood by the email recipient.

2. Include a brief Subject Line

The subject line is the title of your email. It tells the recipient what the email will be about. It
also makes it easy for you and the recipient to scan through emails to locate it at a later time.
The subject line should be a brief but detailed summary of the email content.

In other words, the subject line is a short phrase that summarizes the reason for your message
or the goal of your communication. When you’re emailing a lot of information, try to make
the email easy to scan. Use images, subheadings, lists, and more to keep the recipient reading.

1
 3. Maintain a Professional Tone

One of the biggest issues with writing instead of speaking over the phone or in person is tone.
You need to establish and maintain the appropriate tone that suits best the email purpose and
recipient. Otherwise, you are in danger of being misunderstood.
For example, your business email recipients may not understand that you were being sarcastic
and might think that you’re simply being rude. Ask yourself: “Could someone misinterpret
my tone?” Look over your email and make sure that you’re polite and professional, so there
won’t be any room for misinterpretation.

4. Proofread

Before sending out your business emails, take enough time to read it over and over again.
Check for any punctuation, grammar, and spelling errors. Make sure that you’ve used the
appropriate words to clearly convey your meaning. It might even be helpful to ask someone
else to look over the email, too. Your email should be a good representation of your company.
Grammar and punctuation errors won’t make a positive impression on others, so make sure
that your email is error-free.

5. Timing is important

When it comes to business emails, timing is everything. It is not professional that you neglect
to respond for days or, even weeks. Respond within a timely manner. If you are extremely
busy, and don’t have time for a proper immediate response, email the person and let them
know that you have received their email and will respond as soon as possible, giving an
estimated time of when you think you will realistically be able to get back to them and then
do so within that time frame.

2
 II. Email format:

After having seen the email style, it is time to look at the formatting of the email. There are
five elements to consider when formatting your email. Here is a breakdown of each.

1. Subject Line

The subject line has already been defined in the first page, so let’s take a concrete example of
a subject line. Assume that your company is going to present a new product, and for this
reason, representatives of other companies as well as few loyal customers have been invited to
the product presentation. The company wants to follow up and thank the attendees for coming
to the event. The appropriate subject line of this follow up email would be something like:

Subject line: “Follow Up: Product Presentation” 

2. Salutation

This is the first line of your email, and generally acts as the greeting. There are different ways
of email salutations, depending on the level of formality of the email and how much you
know the person to whom the email is sent. Bellow are examples of the most used email
greetings

- Hi Mr. Samson, - Mrs. Stewart,

- Dear Linda, - Dr. Ahmed,

- To whom it may concern, - Dear Sir or Madam,

3. Body

Just like the body of a letter or an essay, this is where you’ll share your full message. For
example, the body of the follow up email sent to the people who have attended the product
presentation would be something like the following:

3
“Thank you for attending the new product presentation this afternoon. I have attached a
video file of the full recording so you can share it with your team. Please let me know if
you have any questions.”

If you have attached a document with the email, you should make it clear for the receiver by
using sentences such as: “I have attached a video file of the full recording”. Or “The attached
document contains the timetable of the conference”

4. Closing

This is the last line of your email before your signature and should wrap up your message.
This is also where you may reiterate any requests you’ve made in the body of your message.
For example, if you are expecting to meet the recipient very soon, you can close the follow up
email by something like “I look forward to speaking with you on Wednesday. Thanks
again!”

These are some examples of email closing:

Sincerely,

Best Regards,

Best Wishes,

Warm Regards,

Thank You,

5. Signature

The signature is where you identify yourself by name, title and other information relevant to
your communications. For example, the signature of the follow up email about the product
presentation would be:

Joseph Hunt

General Manager

Great Furniture Company