Professional Mail Writing

All outgoing mails can be broadly categorized in the following two categories:

1. Send Information: This type of mails should follow the below structure:
   1. Proper subject line (Subject line should be self explanatory and concise. It should explain the purpose of the mail in few words)
   2. Greeting (Greeting should be formal for professional mails. Direct names could be used suffixed with a comma or a colon or Hi, Hello, Dear greetings could be used suffixed with the receiver’s name)
   3. Present the information

                                                              i.      Mail body – If the information is too little to be sent as an attachment, it should be included in the mail body. Attachments should be avoided as much as possible.

                                                             ii.      Attachment – If more than one document related to the same subject is to be sent, it should be zipped with an appropriate naming convention and to be sent as one attachment

1.  
   1. Mention the source of information (If the source is not mentioned in the document to be sent)
   2. Ask for acknowledgement (Request the receiver to acknowledge you once the information is received and is relevant to him / her)
   3. Volunteer to call if any queries (Mention your contact number and email id in the mail. It is mostly included in your signature for professional mails, if that is not the case, send it mandatorily)

 

1. Ask for Information: This type of mails should follow the below structure:
   1. Proper subject line (Subject line should be self explanatory and concise. It should explain the purpose of the mail in few words)
   2. Greeting (Greeting should be formal for professional mails. Direct names could be used suffixed with a comma or a colon or Hi, Hello, Dear greetings could be used suffixed with the receiver’s name)
   3. Request for Information

                                                              i.      Request – This might mean using “Please” and “Thanks”, both the words at least once in the mail. Request should not sound like a command.

                                                             ii.      Information – Information should be requested in a clear and detailed manner.

1.  
   1. Mention why you need it?
   2. Mention by when you need it? (Specify the timelines / deadlines with date, day and time)
   3. Volunteer to call if any queries (Mention your contact number and email id in the mail. It is mostly included in your signature for professional mails, if that is not the case, send it mandatorily)
   4. Acknowledgement / Thanking mail (If the information is received in due timelines, send a thanking mail to the respective sender)
   5. Follow ups / Reminders (If the information if not received in due timeline, send a reminder mail for the same with discussed / appropriate time intervals until the information is received or the mail cycle is closed)

Other points which should be kept in mind are given below:

1. MECE – Mutually Exclusive Completely Exhaustive (The mail body should avoid redundancy / duplicity of information. It should be accurate, precise and self explanatory. Avoid use of abbreviations or jargons)
2. Concise, Accurate and Relevant
   1. Accurate in terms of the following:

                                                              i.      Grammar

                                                             ii.      Content

                                                           iii.      Logical

1.  
   1. Relevant means addressed to correct people at correct time
2. To / CC (Carbon copy)/ BCC (Business carbon copy)
   1. To – The address line here should include the list of people for whom the mail is addressed and greeted to.
   2. CC – The address line here should include the list of people who are to be kept informed of the communication happening but not addressed in the mail.
   3. BCC – The address line here should include the list of people who are to be kept informed of the communication happening and to hide their identification from the list of people in “To” and “CC” fields
3. Use Outlook features extensively. Important ones are given below:
   1. Meeting scheduling
   2. Importance marking on outgoing mails (High / Low)
   3. Follow up – flagging (Use colored flags to mark the mails you have received to remind you about them at a later date or time)
   4. Reminders / Appointments scheduling – These are reminders to
   5. Shared Calendars
   6. Creating rules for different contacts – Rules redirect the mails received in the inbox to the designated folders automatically

---

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

• Body Dysmorphic Disorder – When the Mirror Doesn’t See What You See
• Your description in a single word
• Milestones