How to Write the Best Business Email in English

Most of us use email as our main way to talk about business, so it’s important to do it right. Even though emails aren’t as formal as letters, they should still be professional if you want to make a good impression of yourself and your business.

Follow these five easy steps to make sure your English emails are perfectly professional:

1. Start with a greeting.

Always start your email with a greeting like “Dear,” for example. If you don’t know the person well and this is a formal email, stick with “Dear [Insert Name].” Even though people suggest using positive words starting with K but I don’t think of that way. So, if you’ve known someone for a while and want to be friendly but still professional, “Hello/Hi [Insert name]” is fine.

Mr. is used for men, and Ms. is usually the best choice for women. There’s a difference between Mrs. and Miss for married and single women, but if someone hasn’t said Mrs. or Miss on a form or application, it’s safest to go with Ms. since this title doesn’t assume anything.

It’s a little harder to decide whether to use the last name or the first name. If you’ve never met the person, use their title and last name to be safe. Pay attention to how they sign the email when they answer.

When in doubt, keep it formal. People will tell you if they don’t like being called by their last name.

2. Say thanks to the person

When you answer a client’s question, you should start with a thank you. For example, if someone has a question about your business, you can say, “Thank you for contacting ABC Company.” If someone responds to one of your emails, be sure to say “Thank you for your quick response” or “Thanks for getting back to me.” When you thank the reader, you make them feel better and look more polite.

3. Say what you want to do

If you’re the one who sent the email, it might not be possible to add a line of thanks. Instead, start by saying what you want to say. For instance, “I am writing to ask about…” or “I am writing about…”

Make your purpose clear early in the email, and then move on to the main text. People want to quickly read emails, so make sure your sentences are short and easy to understand. You’ll also need to pay close attention to grammar, spelling, and punctuation so that you and your company look professional.

4. Break up your paragraphs

There is a good chance that the majority of your recipient’s workday is spent reading text. To begin, your email should be brief; nevertheless, if you are required to compose something longer, you should avoid using large blocks of text. Reading through a screen is not the same as reading from paper for most of us. A newspaper article is more likely to be read in its entirety than an article that is published online.

The recipient of a lengthy email will become fatigued while reading it, which will increase the likelihood that they will view it as a burden and put it off until a later time. When you divide up the content of your email into several smaller paragraphs, the person who is receiving it can read it more quickly.

5. Write an ending

The last step is to sign your name and add a proper ending. Professional phrases include “Best regards,” “Sincerely,” and “Thank you.” If you don’t know the person well, don’t sign off with “Best wishes” or “Cheers.” Lastly, look over your email one more time and check for spelling mistakes before you hit the send button.

Keep it polite, and everything will be fine.

Here’s the thing, though…

You’ll soon learn that one magnitude does not fit all when it comes to communication styles. You could be working for a boss who insists that everything be carried out in the utmost professional manner. On the other hand, it’s possible that the customer would rather receive messages that are less formal. You should begin with the safest and most professional tone possible, and then use the follow-up emails to determine the specific style that they favor.