2. Use Proper Structure & Layout
Since reading from a screen
is more difficult than reading
from paper, the structure
and lay out is very important
for e-mail messages. Use
short paragraphs and blank
lines between each
paragraph. When making
points, number them or
mark each point as
separate.
3. Use A Meaningful Subject
Try to use a subject that is
meaningful to the recipient as
well as yourself. For instance,
when you send an email to a
company requesting information
about a product, it is better to
mention the actual name of the
product. E.g.; Product ‘ABC’
description
4. Answer All Questions, And Pre-
Empt Further Questions
An email reply must answer all
questions, and pre-empt further
questions – If you do not
answer all the questions in the
original email, you will receive
further e-mails regarding the
unanswered questions, which
will not only waste your time
and your receiver’s time but
also cause considerable
frustration.
Moreover, if you are able to pre-
empt relevant questions, your
receiver will be grateful and
impressed with your efficiency.
5. Do Not Write In CAPITALS
If you write in capitals it seems as if you are shouting.
This can be highly annoying and might trigger an
unwanted response. Therefore, try not to send any
email text in capitals.
6. Don't Leave Out The Message
Thread
When you reply to an email,
you must include the original
mail in your reply, in other
words click 'Reply', instead of
'New Mail'. Leaving the thread
might take a fraction longer in
download time, but it will save
the recipient much more time
and frustration in looking for
the related emails in their
inbox.
7. Take Care With Abbreviations And
Emoticons
In business emails, try not to use
abbreviations such as BTW (by the way)
and LOL (laugh out loud).
The recipient might not be aware of the
meanings of the abbreviations and in
business emails these are generally not
appropriate.
The same goes for emoticons, such as
the smiley :-). If you are not sure whether
your recipient knows what it means, it is
better not to use it.
8. Complaints/Escalations
D – Describe
A – Acknowledge
S – Specify Alternative
R – Request action/reaffirm
E.g.: I would like to bring to your notice that there has been
frequent delay in the delivery of the consignment from the
production department. We understand that the department has
shortage of resources. However we suggest the requisition form
is sent one day earlier to ensure adequate time for the production
team for packaging. This would avoid delays in future. We are
hopeful that appropriate corrective action would be taken.
9. Saying No:
A – Apologise
E – Explain
A – Alternative
E.g.: I regret to let you know
that we are not in a position
to work on additional data at
this point in time. This is
because the entire team is
currently working on an
emergency assignment.
However I can suggest a
freelancer who can complete
the task in 3 days.
10. Apologise:
M – Message
D – Details
A – Action
E – Ending
E.g.: Please accept our sincere apologies for
the delay in sending the report. Our Data bank
had crashed yesterday. The service engineer
who maintains the data bank was unable to
rectify the issue on time due to the prolonged
power shut down. We have installed additional
back up to avoid such mishaps in future. We
once again are sorry for the delay and assure
that such shortfalls do not occur again.
11. Delivering Bad News:
M – Message
E – Empathize
A – Assure
T – Take action
E.g.: It is with regret that we inform you
that the transport vehicle that carriers your
consignment met with an accident on GST
road last night. Unfortunately the
consignment caught fire and was charred
completely. We understand the impact this
delay is going to have on your deliverables
to your client and the possible monetary
loss. We assure our complete support in
reducing the delay from our end. In fact we
have already allocated an additional
resource to work on your case.