Email is one of the most popular forms of communication in the business world, but it’s also one of the most misused. A bad email can cause confusion, slow down progress, lose opportunities, or hurt relationships. While most people check email every single day, they often don’t know that little things in their emails are making them less effective. Knowing the mistakes we keep on making and how to stop them could make a big difference in our business writing.
Too Vague or Ambiguous Subject Lines
A common mistake businesses make is subject lines that do not clearly tell the reader what the email is about. Examples of this could be “Hi”, “FYI”, or “Important Subject Line.” If your reader doesn’t know what your email is about when they first see it, they are likely to ignore it or misinterpret the meaning. You can’t force the recipient to click your email to find out what it says.
Instead, be specific and informative when you write your subject line, so that anyone who reads it gets at least a general idea of what you’re writing about. Try something like, “Meeting Reschedule Request for Friday”, not just “Meeting.” Subject lines that provide context are more likely to get an immediate response because the reader knows exactly what you want.
Sending Emails That Are Long or Don’t Have Clear Focus
Another common mistake that businesses make is sending out an email that is too long and lacks focus. An email becomes too cluttered when it has lots of extra information and/or covers a lot of topics. People don’t have the time to sit down and read through everything in your email when they’re in the midst of working, and as a result, your main point may not get through to them.
The answer is to shorten up and stay focused on one point at a time. You need to get rid of everything that doesn’t relate directly to that one point you’re trying to make. When your main point does need some elaboration, present it in an organized manner for easier readability by the recipient.
No Clearly Defined Goal
When your readers are unsure as to what you need from them or what you are trying to get them to do, there’s a good chance they won’t get back to you at all or in an incorrect manner.
The trick is to always be very clear as to why you are writing an email. When asking for a piece of information, asking for approval, or simply sharing an update, let your intention be understood by your reader. If the request is obvious then the reader should be more likely to understand what you need from them, and then be more likely to complete it in a prompt and accurate manner.
Bad Structure and Poor Formatting
Having large walls of text, inconsistent formatting, and no space will make it hard for a recipient to read your email, regardless of whether it is good information or not. When something is not well put together, the chance of the email receiving a response becomes less likely.
Use short sentences and a logical structure to make things easier to read. If the email isn’t well put together, there is a good chance the email will not be read in the manner in which you have intended.
Using an Unacceptable Tone or Language The way you sound matters a lot. Sometimes an e-mail can come across as casual when it shouldn’t be. Other times it sounds formal or stiff when you mean to be more friendly, or unintentionally demanding or impolite.
Aim for a balanced tone that is both professional and approachable. Don’t use words or phrases that can be interpreted negatively. Read an e-mail before sending to make sure it says what you intend.
Mistakes in grammar and spelling
Grammar and spelling errors in an e-mail make you look unprofessional and makes it hard to understand the message. You might think a couple of mistakes are minor, but they can affect whether your e-mail gets read.
Proofread your e-mails before sending them, even if you have to use a grammar checker for help. Read through your message a few times to make sure that your message is spelled correctly, grammar is used properly, and your meaning is clear.
Using reply all too often
Using reply all too often is a common mistake that makes an inbox filled with e-mails the sender does not want to receive. Not every message you receive needs to be sent to all the recipients on the original e-mail.
Before you hit reply all, make sure everyone on the e-mail thread actually needs the message you’re replying to. Be careful when you hit the send button. Only reply to those who really need to know.
Sending without attachments and important info
Not sending an attachment after mentioning that an e-mail was attached to an e-mail message. This common mistake can be avoided.
Send your attachments and make sure the attachments include everything that is needed, and that it doesn’t come through as a mistake by not sending something. Be sure to check all e-mails before you send them.
Not being clear or sending no call to action
When a recipient doesn’t know what to do next, your message isn’t likely to result in any action. It may even get deleted by the recipient. Be sure to have a specific call to action at the end of your message. Be specific on the action and give specific dates when necessary. That way recipients have no trouble following through with action.
E-mailing at the wrong time
Timing does matter when sending out e-mails. You don’t want to send an e-mail that goes unseen or delayed at the wrong time. For example, when you’re sending out your e-mails outside of work hours, people may not see the message right away.
If you can, make sure your e-mails are sent at work hours.
Forgetting to follow-up
You might not follow-up on an e-mail because you’re afraid it may seem a little pushy. But if you do not follow-up, you may have to wait around for a long time before getting an answer.
When people do not respond in a reasonable amount of time, it’s okay to send a gentle, brief follow-up e-mail mentioning your original one. This will encourage people to respond quickly and appropriately.