How To Write A Professional Email in English
How To Write A Professional Email in English
For most of us, email is the most common form of business communication so it’s
important to get it right. Although emails usually aren’t as formal as letters, they
still need to be professional to present a good image of you and your
company.
Follow these five simple steps to make sure your English emails are perfectly
professional.
Always open your email with a greeting, such as “Dear Lillian”. If your
relationship with the reader is formal, use their family name (eg. “Dear Mrs.
Price”). If the relationship is more casual, you can simply say, “Hi Kelly”. If you
don’t know the name of the person you are writing to, use: “To whom it may
concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam”.
If you are replying to a client’s inquiry, you should begin with a line of thanks. For
example, if someone has a question about your company, you can say, “Thank
you for contacting ABC Company”. If someone has replied to one of your
emails, be sure to say, “Thank you for your prompt reply” or “Thanks for getting
back to me”. Thanking the reader puts him or her at ease, and it will make you
appear more polite.
Make your purpose clear early on in the email, and then move into the main
text of your email. Remember, people want to read emails quickly, so keep
your sentences short and clear. You’ll also need to pay careful attention to
grammar, spelling and punctuation so that you present a professional image of
yourself and your company.
4. Add your closing remarks
Before you end your email, it’s polite to thank your reader one more time and
add some polite closing remarks. You might start with “Thank you for your
patience and cooperation” or “Thank you for your consideration” and then
follow up with, “If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to let me
know” and “I look forward to hearing from you”.
The last step is to include an appropriate closing with your name. “Best
regards”, “Sincerely”, and “Thank you” are all professional. Avoid closings such
as “Best wishes” or “Cheers” unless you are good friends with the reader. Finally,
before you hit the send button, review and spell check your email one more
time to make sure it’s truly perfect!