How to Send A Professional Email with Briana
Greetings DreamKit users, My name is Briana Williams I am an Americorps Public Ally serving as a content creator with DreamKit. I am based out of New Haven Connecticut and passionate about people & community. Today, I am going to share with you what I have learned thus far in my career about sending professional emails.
According to Yesware. Com, each day 2.4 million emails are sent per second. Writing, sending, and corresponding over email is the primary way to communicate in the professional job world. Emails come into your inbox faster than lightning. So if you’re writing to someone you haven’t met before, you’ve got to make sure your subject line, introduction, ask, and closing catch the receivers attention. Below you will find helpful tips to help draft your professional emails.
Salutations
The first thing you should include in your email is a salutation or in other words your greeting. This hello can set the tone of your email. Below are some simple formal greeting messages that may help you start out your professional email.
- Dear Michelle Obama,
- Hello Michelle Obama,
- Good Afternoon Michelle Obama,
- Good Morning Michelle Obama,
- Greetings Michelle Obama,
Make sure you’re sending to the right person.
During a busy workday, the time you get to respond to emails in between meetings and tasks are usually minimal. To avoid wasting your time, you should always make sure the person you’re emailing is the correct person you’re trying to contact. It can be overwhelming to receive and respond to messages that are not meant for you.
Small Talk
When sending important emails it can feel a bit pushy to get directly to your ask. Especially if you don’t know the person. Professional emails normally include a bit of small talk to help guide the flow of the conversation. Small talk should be no more than one to two sentences on a topic other than the content you are addressing in the email. Keep it short and sincere and then get to the point. adding this to your email can make or break the response you are trying to receive.
Examples of small talk
- I hope this email finds you well.
- I hope you are having a wonderful day
- I hope you had a great weekend
What is your intention?
Keep the small talk small and get to the meat of your email. Are you trying to persuade the receiver into buying something? Are you attempting to build a new relationship? Are you following up about a job interview? Be sure to be direct and clear about your ask in the beginning of your email. Use transition phrases to respectively address your intentions.
Examples of transition sentences
- I’m writing to you today to address,
- I am reaching out to you to clarify..
- I am reaching out to you today regarding
- I’m checking in on
- I just wanted to follow up on
- As we discussed on our call
- As promised, I’m
Make your sign off as sincere as possible.
Your closing words should be just as powerful as your salutation. Your closing remarks is your final chance to show the person you are emailing how invested you are. Closing with “Thanks” or “best” is professional but can be boring to a reader.
Sign off with
- Looking forward to connecting soon
- Eager to work around your schedule
- I am looking forward to connecting further on this topic
- Thank you again for…
Include a Signature
The way you sign your name at the end lets your reader know who you are, your pronouns, What you do, who you work for and how they can contact you.
For example
Jacob Weisenburg | He, Him, His
Photographer, Awesome Photo.
E:JacobWeisenburg@Awesomephoto.org
C: 203- 490- 62222 Ex: 210
You can upgrade your signature by adding a professional headshot. This allows the reader to see the face behind the text. It is not necessary but a nice bonus.
Alright DreamKit users, If you follow these steps you’ll have a better chance at getting the response you are hoping for when sending a professional email! Don’t forget to fill out a feedback form to let DreamKit know you’ve completed your activity! Good luck and happy typing!
