If you usually write informal emails to your friends or colleagues, you may not be familiar with formal emails. This guide will teach you how to write a formal email.
Formal emails follow specific format rules regarding email etiquette and are often written to seniors or authority personals, who expect formal communications. For instance, when communicating with your boss, it is important to adhere to formal expectations and rules regarding email etiquette.
Formal emails should use polite language and be highly respectful. The specific format and rules are designed to prevent miscommunications and to enhance your written communication skills.
A step by step guide about how to write formal emails
Write eye catchy Subject line
Another important element of maintaining email professionalism is to write catchy subject lines to grab the attention at the first point. It’s the first thing a recipient sees and can make the difference between an email being opened or ignored. Subject lines can also suggest a time-sensitive message or important information needs immediate action from the recipient.
A good subject line provides a snapshot of the email’s content, allowing recipients to gauge the email’s relevance to them quickly. In summary, catchy subject lines act as the gatekeepers of your email content; they can entice the reader to enter and engage with the message, or they can turn the reader away. Whether for personal communication, professional correspondence, or email marketing, an engaging subject line is crucial for ensuring that your emails achieve their intended purpose.
Formal email Greetings & Openings
Well the best practice to compose formal email with strong opening statement depends on many factors like how well you know the recipient, aim of the email and the context of the conversation. First things comes in front of the recipient’s eyeballs is subject line. The combination of subject line & effective greeting makes the recipient to stay and read the email to the end.
Below are the factors which are you can follow to know how to write formal emails:
1. Attention grabbing subject lines: Subject lines need to be compelling, concise and relevant with personalized salutation to encourage recipient to read further. It not only captures attention but also sets the tone for the email, making it a crucial element in achieving higher open rates.
2. Engaging Opening lines: Engaging & personalized opening is the secret sauce that pulls readers into your email content from the very start. By crafting an formal opening that resonates with the reader’s interests, encourages continued engagement and response.
3. Your relation with the recipient: The greeting of the email will depend on how well do you know the recipient. Adapt greetings to suit the recipient’s relationship (formal, informal, professional) for a more relevant connection.
4. Personalized greeting: Address recipients using their name whenever possible for a personalized touch to give your email a formal context.
5. Engaging opening lines: Start your message with a compelling statement or question to hook the reader’s interest.
6. Clarity & purpose: Keep the message focused with personalized salutation and avoid unnecessary information that might dilute the main point.
Crafting meaningful Email body for professional emails
Crafting a good body for your email is another important element for effective communication. A well-written email body ensures your message is understood. Clear language, organized thoughts, and a logical structure is a key to represent intent and conveying your message accurately.
A good email body engages the reader. It holds their attention from beginning to end, which is essential for effective communication, especially if you are trying to win over or inform something. In conclusion, the body of your email is where the substance of your communication lies. Try to make it crisp & clear.
Punctuation rules for formal emails
Punctuation plays a critical role in formal email writing, just as it does in any other form of written communication. It can have a significant impact on how your message is received and understood. Proper punctuation helps to clarify the meaning of sentences. Commas, periods, colons, and semicolons all serve to segment thoughts and ideas, making it easier for the reader to follow the logical flow of the formal email.
Punctuation is a powerful tool in email writing that enhances readability, clarity, and professionalism. Overlooking punctuation can lead to negative impressions and unintended misunderstandings.
Rules for email attachments & links while writing formal emails
Before attaching a file, consider whether it is necessary? Always refer to the attachment within the body of your email. Be mindful of the size of your attachments. Large files can be inconvenient, as they take longer to download and can fill up the recipient’s inbox.
If you need to send several files, consider zipping them into one file. Avoid bombarding recipients with emails containing attachments. If you have many documents to send, it’s often better to send them together or use a file-sharing service to keep the decorum of formal emails context.
How to end or close a formal email?
Email Signature
An email signature provides the recipient with essential information about the sender, such as their full name, position, phone numbers, company & physical office locations. This helps in establishing the identity of the sender. For businesses, the email signature is an opportunity to reinforce brand identity. It can include elements such as logos, branded color schemes, and taglines, which help to maintain a consistent brand presence across all communications.
Closing of your email
Email closing is an important aspect of formal email communication. It represents the impact in which you sign off an email, and it can leave a lasting impression on the recipient. Common formal closings include “Best regards“, “Sincerely“, “Thank you“, and “Kind regards.”
In less formal emails, especially when you know the recipient well, you might choose a more personalized closing, like “Cheers“, or “Warm wishes“, but always ensure it’s suitable for the relationship and context. Using “Thanks” or “Thank You” is appropriate when you have asked for something within the email or you are appreciating the recipient’s effort or time.
Do’s & Dont’s while writing formal or professional email
Do’s:
1. Keep the font size between 10 and 12 points.
2. Use black text on a white background. Colored text should be used sparingly, if at all.
3. Bold or italicize text for emphasis, but use these features only when required to avoid confusing the reader.
4. Break up text into short paragraphs to improve readability. A good rule is to keep paragraphs to three or four sentences.
5. When listing items, use bullet points or numbers to make the information clear and digestible.
6. Create a formal signature that includes your contact information.
7. Always check your spelling and grammar before sending.
Don’ts:
1. Writing in all caps can come across as shouting and should be avoided.
2. Excessive colors can be distracting and may make your email look informal.
3. Overusing Bold & Italics can make your email difficult to read and dilute the impact of emphasized points.
4. If you have multiple documents to share, consider compiling them into a single PDF or using a file-sharing service.
5. Format your email so it’s easy to read on mobile devices, where a lot of email is read.
6. Unless you know the recipient well and it’s appropriate for your relationship, keep the tone professional.
Formal Email templates example
Formal email greetings:
“Hello {Recipient Name},
I trust this message finds you in good health…”
“Good Morning/afternoon/evening [Recipient Name],
I trust this email finds you in good spirits…”
Semi formal email greetings:
“Dear Mr. Brown,
I’m writing to inform you of…”
“Hello/Hi [Recipient Name],
Trust you are doing well…”
Formal email openings:
“I hope this email finds you well.”
“Thank you for your prompt response.”
Semi formal email openings:
“I wanted to follow up on our conversation from [mention date or event].”
“I trust this email finds you in good spirits.”