Practical Business Email Tips for Administrative Assistants

Email continues to be a big part of business communication. How emails are written matters; it helps you get what you need from others and convey information in a precise way. Consider the email examples here for: your subject lines, the way you greet and sign-off, and the body of your emails to make them more clear and well-received.
 

Email subject lines should be concise and clear.

For many of us, email subject lines are an afterthought. But, not counting spam, the average business person receives a lot of daily emails. We can help recipients prioritize by using the subject line better. Explain in as few words as possible what’s in the email or what you need. Also, consider front-loading your email so the most important words can be seen first. Here are some examples:

• Holiday party RSVP | Respond by Tuesday
• Tomorrow’s meeting reports – Review prior
• Need EOD – Complete your surveys
• Which web page is best? Your Input needed
• Thank you + a gift for all your hard work
   

Do use an appropriate salutation and closing in your emails.

Set the tone for your email with a quick greeting. Don’t forget a pleasant sign-off. These will vary from something informal if you’re emailing colleagues or more formal if it’s a client, vendor or other individual outside your organization.  Here are examples of email greetings:

• Hi Tyler,
• Hey IT team,
• Hello Mr. Jones,

Examples of email closings (stay away from emojis, blessings, all caps, “good luck”:

• Talk to you soon.
• Thank you so much for your help.
• Sincerely,
• Best regards,
• Have a great day.

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Organize the body of your email to guide the recipient.

That means one or two sentences at the beginning that summarize what’s in the email. Also, even when you’re sending an internal email, keep your language formal and get right to the point. If you want to include pleasantries, they should go at the end.

Here’s an example of a complicated email organized by order of importance:

Hi Tyler,

Michele asked me to reach out for information on the Jones project. For our presentation Friday, I need three things from you by tomorrow at noon:

1. Their usage data from last year through August
2. The average historical usage data of at least 10 clients of similar size
3. A summary of the newest additions to their project over the last three months (two or three paragraphs at most).

Also, we’re ordering take-out from the bbq place down the street since the meeting goes through lunch. Please let me know before the meeting starts what you want to eat.

She also wanted me to reiterate how much we appreciate your help on this project. Couldn’t do it without you!

Thanks.

Other business email writing considerations:

• Proof before you send.

  Reread your document for typos, dates, or any confusing language.

• Use bold or all caps sparingly.

  You’re trying to guide your recipient and help them skim for important information. If everything is bold, nothing stands out.

• Don’t repeat information in multiple ways.

  Sometimes in an effort to be clear or make sure someone does what we want, we reiterate the same point multiple times. Don’t do this in email. It just adds to email length and can get confusing to the recipient. Instead, if what you’re asking for is complicated, reword your email so everything is clear the first time.

• Use bullets or numbered items.

  A good rule of thumb here is if the items need to be in order, always use numbers. If you tell someone you have three items, use numbers. Bullets can be used for a list of tips that are in no particular order.

• Don’t use email as a crutch for a difficult or complex conversation.

  If you have bad news to convey, choose in-person or a phone call. If you expect a lot of back-and-forth to reach an agreement or decision, a conversation or meeting might be faster than email.

• If an email string changes course, start fresh.

  Your subject line will help you find information later, that’s related to a topic. If the subject changes, change the subject line, make sure everyone who needs to be included in this new topic is included, and send out a new email.

• Send lengthy content as an attachment.

  If the information you’re sending is more than a couple paragraphs or something that will be referenced multiple times, consider sending it as an attachment.

Email etiquette may sound old fashioned. But it’s more than a matter of politeness. Making your emails as clear and short as possible helps the recipient save time and avoids confusion down the road.