English Mail / email writing

https://youtu.be/3Tu1jN65slw

6 follow-up email samples to use after you get no response


The road to a successful cold email campaign is hard. One of the trickiest obstacles to overcome is deciding on follow-up email samples to use after you get no response.

So you’ve built a B2B email list and started sending out your cold emails. Some people immediately return a reply, and some don’t.

How to approach writing a follow-up email that doesn’t suck?

Be fun or professional?

Should you follow up on your emails at all?


Let’s state the obvious first: yep, you should follow up

People on your B2B email list often won’t reply to the first message you send them, but that doesn’t make them a case closed.

It can happen for a variety of reasons. Maybe they were too busy for email on that day. Maybe they saw your message but forgot to reply. Maybe they were out of office (and didn’t set up an out of office message).

Maybe the pile of their unanswered emails got so out of hand that the single thought of opening Gmail makes them tremble with existential dread.

And maybe they are just not interested in your product — but even then you can turn naysayers around with a great follow-up.

(Just make sure that you’re using a proper email pattern and verify your email addresses to eliminate the chance your messages are being sent into the void. Also, track your emails so you can better understand the reason for no reply. No opens can mean a totally different thing from opening and not replying.)

Some recent studies have shown that if your first email remains unanswered, there’s still a 1-in-4 chance that a prospect replies to a follow-up. But according to Yesware, more than 70% of cold email campaigns stop after the first email.

Which means that if you’re not sending follow-up emails, you’re losing a sizable chunk of your business.

Still not convinced?


Let’s go over this again: there’s already a decent chance people will reply to your follow-ups, there’s an even better chance to close a deal after they reply, and most of your competition doesn’t do it.

Your email follow-up should be:

Short

Personal

Fun

And most importantly, it should offer something of value.

Sound easy? You won’t believe how many people still send a follow-up wrong.

For example, here’s a message that I’ve received a couple of months back.

Would you care to answer it?

Probably not. I certainly didn’t. This message is harsh, it shames your prospect for being too busy with their own life and it doesn’t include their name or the name of the company that they are working for (which means that it’s probably a template).

This kind of a follow-up isn’t just a waste of the sender’s time — it actively wastes the prospect’s time, and that’s even worse.

If this looks similar to your approach to follow-ups… just stop sending them. And read on.

Let’s discuss in detail what makes a proper sales follow-up.

Should your follow-up stay in the same email thread?

There are two ways to send a follow-up:

Send an email in the existing thread

Send it as a new message

Some sales reps and marketers over-rely on the second approach, preferring to send each follow-up email as a separate message.

Although this method has its benefits (you have a better chance to capture the prospect’s attention) it can quickly become annoying. A separate follow-up email means that your prospect will have a harder time understanding what the message is about and which one they actually need to answer.

However, if you already sent several follow-up emails and still got no reply, trying one last time to get your prospect to reply isn’t a bad idea. Just make sure to start a new email thread only once.

Rethinking your approach to email subject lines is a good idea as well. Chances are that the reason your recipient isn’t replying is because of a bland subject line of the original message. It’s too easy to lose track of a message that’s titled ‘Hello’.

Coming up with an engaging subject line isn’t hard. If you’re not sure where to start, read our guide to cold email subject lines and find a tip that will work for you.

A

great follow-up is short

Nobody has the time to read through their email inbox.

If a person has already read your first email and decided not to reply, and you still make them read another huge message… Yeah, it won’t win you any new clients.

Besides, keep in mind the reason why you send a follow-up email in the first place — it’s not to sell your prospect on your product all over again, it’s to remind them about that initial message they didn’t reply to.

So let’s look at a great follow-up email sample after no response

It puts the most important information — time of the previous email — right at the very beginning of the message. It will help your prospect remember the reason for the follow-up email and the context of the original message.

This follow-up email sample runs just three sentences long (36 words to be exact). But it sounds enthusiastic and gives the recipient all the necessary information to remember why you’re following up in the first place. It’s pretty great.

Your follow-up email is personal — and fun

To return to that abysmal follow-up example that I mentioned a couple of paragraphs earlier — it’s actually pretty easy to mend its robotic, unnatural tone.

Just by mentioning the name of your prospect, their company and something that they actually did since the last time you’ve contacted them will work wonders for your follow-up strategy.


But if you put in an exact date, it means that you’ve done your homework:


A follow-up email like this instantly tells me that the sender cares about who I am and what I do and that I should probably reward their approach with a reply.

Oh, and here’s another tip. Don’t hesitate to tell a joke — or maybe even turn your follow-up email into a fun little game. Here’s a stellar example

Follow-up emails can be annoying by their very nature, so don’t be afraid to recognize that in a fun way.

Include a decision shortcut in your follow-up message

The previous follow-up email sample is great for another reason, it offers the recipient a shortcut to take. Let’s talk about that.

Having a shortcut to a quick reply (instead of a regular call-to-action) is a great strategy to utilize in your follow-up emails.

Here’s what it means.

People usually won’t reply to your message for one of two reasons:

They are too busy

They are not interested

When you write a follow-up, your main goal should be to understand which reason is the right one. Even if the reply is a brisk “Don’t message me again”, it’s a valid outcome. You can now spend that energy elsewhere.

So make it as simple as possible for people to reply by basically including their reply in your template.

Here’s how:


Ending with a question about the direction of the company will prompt your prospect to reply with a concrete yes or no: ‘yes, we decided on another strategy’, ‘no, we still want in’.

Offer something of value

Sometimes receiving a response will take up a few weeks. In that case, don’t be afraid to include something new in your next follow-up.

Maybe you published a new blog post on a relevant topic — or even released a new feature. Use it as a way to quietly shame your prospect into replying without being too aggressive about it.

After all, there’s a reason why I’ve been thinking about that prospect:

Just sure not to come off as too needy (which means not explaining to a prospect for the fifth time in a row that you have a free trial).

Conclusions

Writing a great follow-up email isn’t easy. Sometimes the urge to call it a day after the initial email is strong. Resist it!

Hopefully, some of the tips and examples above will be enough to improve your follow-ups. Just remember the most important thing about cold emails — you’re messaging real human beings

Hi Guys 👋 Good morning,

If you want to share useful information related to business emails, what should we mention "replies in mails" you can share here to below group, so we'll share in this channel

https://t.me/joinchat/LDrur0yLMAAWs7fxnWo8Pg

Channel photo updated

nt.

Best regards,

 

Peter Smith

Head of HR

 

Example Ltd.

123 Main St.

60086 Chicago

 

Phone no.: 773 098 0570

Fax: 773 098 7672

E-mail: [email protected]

www.example.com

What has been done correctly in this e-mail?

The subject line is short and to the point.  

The greeting is appropriate and reflects the sender’s relationship to the recipient.

The introduction makes a very friendly reference to a previous encounter.

The main body is made up of several paragraphs.

The most important details are presented in a table.

The end of the e-mail contains a call to action.

The signature is comprehensive and contains all important details.

No unnecessary attachments

. Here, just as throughout the whole e-mail, friendliness and politeness are the priority, however they should also not be exaggerated. Nowadays no one really finishes their e-mail with ‘Yours respectfully…’ or ‘Yours faithfully…’. Instead, your best bet is probably to opt for ‘Yours sincerely…’, or even, ‘Best regards…’ and ‘Best wishes…’. Added to this, the inclusion of some sort of personalized comment can leave a positive impression:

Best wishes from sunny Boston,

Regards to everyone in London,

Have a great week,

Hope you have a lovely vacation,

As you can see, these closing remarks are always followed by a comma. You can also choose to end them with a full stop and follow this up with a ‘Yours sincerely…’, ‘Best regards…’, etc. You can see an example here:

Enjoy your free time over the holidays.

Best wishes,

Noel Harris

Signature

This goes at the very end of the e-mail. The idea behind is that, if required, it can provide the reader with the contact details and additional information relating to the reader. Simply put, this is not the place for inspirational slogans or witty sayings. Here are some ideas for what you can include in your signature:

Full name, including full title

Job title – position within company

Company name

Company address

Company website

Your contact details (phone no. and e-mail address)

In addition to these details you can also include links to your personal social media or those of the business. You can also include the firm’s logo; bear in mind however that many users have blocked image files in their inbox out of safety reasons. This is why it is a good idea to ensure that the signature looks good, even without the company logo.

 Tip

PS: This postscript stems from a time when letters were still written by hand. It occasionally happened that the sender forgot to include something in their correspondence, and therefore had to include it after their signature. This was done to avoid having to write the letter again from scratch. Nowadays, given that you can edit an e-mail as many times as you like before sending it, there is technically no need for a PS.

Attachments

You should only be sending attachments if they are necessary, and if they are deemed to be, then the file size should be kept as small as possible. The storage space of most e-mail inboxes is usually relatively limited, and recipients could get very frustrated if one of your attachments leads to them being unable to download other mails. It is becoming more and more the case that people are reading mails when they are out and about, and mobile data can sometimes struggle to download large attachments, or may even be unable to download them at all. Limit the size of attachments to no more than 5MB. With anything larger, you should first ask permission to send it; or you can also post a link to a data repository where the file would then be accessible. If the attachment is a document, then you should send this in the form of a PDF instead of a Microsoft Office format. This will be the option that is most readable.

Professional Email Address & Personal Domain Name

Get an email address as professional and unique as you are including a free matching domain!

Continue

Writing it right: Business mail examples

The following example contains all above mentioned aspects that you need to cover when writing a professional e-mail.

Subject: Invitation to X Workshop, 8.24.17

Dear Dr. Miller,

Many thanks for the pleasant and extremely informative discussion last week.

As I mentioned then, we have organized a workshop around the same topic. We have since conformed the final details and therefore I wish to now formally invite you to the event.

24th August 2017

10 am – 4 pm

Large conference room (first floor of our building)

At the moment we are anticipating approx. 28 participants. Catering will be provided.

We would also like to invite you to be one of our speakers at the event. If you are interested in doing this, then please get in touch as soon as possible.

I look forward to hopefully seeing you again at the eve

re seeking some sort of information, requesting an appointment, or at the very least, want the recipient to take in the information – even if you are the responder. This is why it is advisable to stick to e-mail etiquette. This increases the chances of your e-mail being taken seriously by the recipient and also receiving a reply.

 Tip

8 basic rules for writing proper e-mails:

Select a convincing subject for your e-mail

Address and greet your recipient in an appropriate manner

Mention the most important information at the beginning

Structure the content in a compact and structured manner

Use lists and markups to create optical highlights

Select a uniform font style and size

End your e-mail with an appropriate salutation

To finish, add your e-mail signature and any attachments

Business e-mail: format and content

Just like with paper letters, e-mails follow a certain pattern. Given that all readers know and expect this pattern, you should also structure your digital letters in this way. This makes it easier for readers to get an overview of the text.

Subject

At the beginning of every e-mail we find the far too frequently ignored subject line. The idea behind this is to communicate the motif of the message at the reader’s first glance, to ensure that they click on it. Unlike with a postal letter, the subject line has the additional feature that it allows the e-mail to be seen during an overview of the inbox. This means that the reader can decide more effectively whether they wish to read the e-mail straight away or leave it for later. Additionally, the details in the subject line make it easier to find and sort e-mails at a later point. Here are some examples of suitable e-mail subject lines:

Meeting: Project begin / 3.24 / 10 – 12p.m.

Performance report – April

Minutes from meeting – 7th April

Equally you should avoid a subject line that does not mention the issue at hand, is too long, or can even be interpreted as being passive aggressive:

Urgent!!! (it would be a lot more effective if you wrote what the urgent issue is.)

Request (better to mention what the request is.)

I have a few more questions following our conversation in the lobby last Friday (the text displayed in the subject line is quite limited, especially on smartphones.)

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Sunday brunch with Gary and Claudia (A long row of reply abbreviations should be reduced and even avoided. With such e-mails, it is important to change the subject if it is no longer the same as it started out with. If in the meantime the correspondence is no longer about brunch on Sunday and instead about the distribution of work, then the subject needs to be changed. This is also crucial for the organization and filing of e-mails.)

Is this really necessary? (It’s a bad idea to begin with criticism right from the beginning. This will lead the recipient to immediately go on the defensive and not take in any of the criticism. It is generally accepted that e-mails are not the best means of expressing frustration. This should be done in person instead.)

In the world of e-mail marketing there is a lot of energy devoted to coming up with effective subject lines. The likes of A/B tests and statistics can help to improve the opening rate. If you are writing an e-mail in day-to-day office life then it will usually not have marketing intentions. However, it is important to you that the e-mail is opened and read. This is why you should put plenty of thought into the subject line.

Greeting

The actual text of your e-mail begins with a combination of a greeting and addressing the reader. Although this is something that a lot of people have been known to get wrong.

How formal do I need to be?

It’s always better to be too formal and polite than to be not formal or polite enough. Stay on the side of caution and stick to 

the classic ‘Dear Mr. /Mrs. / Ms. …’,
especially if you are writing to someone who you don’t know or who you know is of a superior standing to you. If you are already quite familiar with the individual then you can use ‘Dear…’ and the perso

Write the perfect e-mail: tips for business mails

Around the world everyday there are approximately 269 billion e-mails sent – a large amount of which come from the professional sector. However, there are a lot of people out there who constantly make the same mistakes when writing professional e-mails and as a result can irritate their target audiences. Sometimes it is the case that poorly written e-mails are interpreted as rude, simultaneously they can also be real productivity killers. The American academic Eric Horvitz discovered in one of his studies that the average person needs up to 15 minutes after reacting to an e-mail before they can fully concentrate on their original task.

Contents

 Quote

“We found that participants spent on average nearly 10 minutes on switches caused by alerts, and spent on average another 10 to 15 minutes (depending on the type of interruption) before returning to focused activity on the disrupted task.”

It gets even more annoying when the e-mail in question is badly written, or worse, is completely unnecessary. To avoid basic mistakes like this, you should follow certain rules and guidelines.

Professional Email Address & Personal Domain Name

Get an email address as professional and unique as you are including a free matching domain!



How to write a professional e-mail?

In short: thoughtfully and carefully! Writing the perfect e-mail means treating the reader with a real air of professionalism and respect. This may require you to invest a bit more time, but it is most certainly worth it. The way in which you write your e-mails should be purposeful and target-orientated. On top of this, the writing should be informative and well structured. Make it clear what the reason behind sending the e-mail is and help the recipient understand your concerns.

Furthermore, it is very important that you keep it direct and to the point; keep it as short as possible, without ignoring politeness and style. By limiting the length of the text, you ensure that the content is to the point, and contains no unnecessary information. This makes it so much easier for the reader to get the important details from the e-mail. This should also ensure that everyone involved saves time – both you as a writer and the person who reads it.

You can also save time for the reader by avoiding unnecessary e-mails in the first place. Superfluous e-mails usually stem from three different situations:

Mailing lists: With just a few clicks you can send e-mails to countless recipients. This can be very useful, but as soon as someone clicks on ‘Reply all’, there is bound to be a lot of unwanted spam. The original sender poses a question to the group, but the answer is often only going to be relevant to them and not everyone else. Therefore, you should always consider for whom the e-mail is relevant for.

Inquiries: Letters are in no way a replacement for conversations, and e-mails are not chats. You can save yourself and your recipients a lot of time and annoyance by avoiding to and fro e-mails, and instead just opt for a telephone conversation. However, it is still recommended that after such a conversation that you sum up what was discussed in a quick e-mail. This allows everyone to be on the same footing.

Trivial matters: Everyday life in an office can get boring very quickly. For this reason, it has become normal for workers to exchange amusing e-mails. However, whether these are really desired by the recipient is something that the sender rarely ask themselves. It might be preferable for you to tell a joke at the water cooler, and avoid interrupting others at work.

As crucial as it is to keep e-mails short and to the point, it is equally as important that you never take shortcuts when it comes to politeness and etiquette. A proper greeting, please and thank you, as well as a friendly sign off – these are all minor things, which even in now in the 21st century are of great importance but are still regularly ignored. When you are sending an e-mail to someone then you will nearly always have a request of some sort: you a

thing that is easier said than done. Sometimes the circumstances can be a bit more complicated, meaning that you need at least three sub-clauses. However, if the reader encounters such a sentence, then they will have to expend a lot of time and energy to deconstruct and understand the issue in question. The danger here is that the reader will simply give up and not take in any of the information. This is why you should definitely opt for basic sentence structure.

Using bold and italics: Highlighting your text optically can allow the reader to find the most important facts and figures more easily. But this only works if you use these features sparingly. Excessive use will actually have the opposite effect. Here the general rule is – no more than one highlighted word or group of words per sentence.

Sensible use of paragraphs: Paragraphs give your sentence structure. Build your e-mail in a way that makes the context easily recognizable. As a general rule, you should try and limit each paragraph to three sentences.

Lists: These allow you to present statistics and facts in a compact manner. It could be anything – data from a meeting, costs for an upcoming project, participants for the next team outing, etc. This can allow the most important information to be taken in at first glance – every single time that the mail is opened and reopened. Readers do not need to scan through the entire e-mail again to find this information. However, there is a limit to the use of such lists; not everything can be communicated via lists and therefore actual text will be required as well.

Simple vocabulary: You should avoid making things more complicated than they are. Use basic words that everyone can understand, and do not assume that readers will go to the effort of looking up unknown words. This will make it so much harder to write a successful e-mail, i.e. one that communicates your message, and doesn’t leave the reader in the dark. Naturally this won’t be the case if you are exchanging e-mails with experts from the same field of expertise as yourself. In situations like this, it can be very useful to use technical vocabulary and phrases to show that you are familiar with the topic at hand. In cases like this, foreign words can be clearer and more exact than any synonyms.

Positive tone: Given how imperative it is that the reader reads the message favorably, takes it in, and is brought to action as a result, it is very advisable to use positive language in your e-mail. If you do find yourself being critical, make sure to keep it constructive. It’s always better to focus on what can be improved instead of going into detail about what it is that might be running badly or isn’t working at all. At the end of the day, if you wish to gain something from the reader, then you should avoid any sort of commanding tone or negative statements.

 Tip

To write a well-structured text, you should not just begin thinking about the layout while writing. Before you start typing, make sure to plan the points you wish to make and what the logical order of things should be.

Ending

If you are serious about writing a professional e-mail, then you need a well-rounded conclusion to your correspondence. You should utilize the ending to bring about a call to action and/or to leave the reader with an overall positive feeling:

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone or by e-mail.

I look forward to getting to know you better at the workshop.

Further information relating to this offer can be found on our website.

I very much hope to hear from you in the near future.

Hope you have great weekend.

 Note

Phrases like ‘Thanks in advance for getting back to me’ or ‘I appreciate you doing this for me’ are quite popular. However, this is the sort of thing that can annoy readers. This is because it demonstrates an expectation of something from the recipient.

Closing sentence

The final sentence of the e-mail is just as important as the opening one, i.e. the greeting. This can say a lot about the kind of esteem you hold the reader in

n’s first name. Only when writing to colleagues or clients that you know very well should you use ‘Hi’ or ‘Hello’.

What title should I use when addressing the reader?

Sometimes writing professional e-mails can mean contacting individuals from an academic background, maybe even several. However, this only really becomes relevant if you are dealing with a Ph.D. Or it may even be that the individual or individuals in question are professors. In this case, the professor title replaces the Dr. part of the title; as can be seen in the examples below:

 Dear Dr. Murphy

     or

Dear Professor Murphy

‘Dear Sir/Madam’ or ‘To whom it may concern’?

Only if you have no name of a contact person should you use ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ or even ‘To whom it may concern’, although this last one is regarded as slightly outdated. Therefore, it may be best to write ‘Dear Sir/Madam’.

Writing to multiple recipients

If an e-mail has multiple recipients, then naturally all must be addressed at the head of the text. If the amount of people you are writing to is less than five then the best option is to include all of them:

Dear Mr. Murphy, Ms. Smith, Mrs. Jones, Mr. Malone, and Ms. Littlewood

     or

Dear Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Jonas


If the number of recipients exceeds five then you should probably opt for ‘Dear all,’ instead of going to the effort of listing all respective names.

What should I do if I am unsure whether the recipient is masculine or feminine?

 It might sometimes happen that you only have the surname of a contact person, or maybe it is the case that it is not clear from the person’s first name what gender they are, e.g. Alex Jones. If this is the case then you should set about doing some detective work, because addressing someone with the wrong title could lead to your e-mail being completely disregarded. Company websites, social media pages, and even telephone books can assist in situations like this. If you are dealing with bigger companies, then it may also be worth getting in touch with the HR department. However, if none of these options are available then you should simply opt for

‘Dear Sir/Madam.’ While it may be slightly impersonal, at least it is a safe option. 

How should my opening sentence look?

Once you have addressed the recipient, this should be followed by a comma. This comma does not affect the sentence that follows – this should still begin with a capital letter:

Dear Sir/Madam,
Thank you for your quick response…

Introduction

Before you address your concerns/wishes you should introduce the overall e-mail. This should be kept relatively short because it is crucial that you don’t waste the reader’s time, or yours for that matter, by writing more than is necessary. Depending on the situation, there are various possibilities when it comes to coming up with an introduction:

I am writing to apply for the advertised position in your Human Resources department.

Did you have an enjoyable vacation?

Thanks again for that enjoyable conversation last week.

Thanks so much for your speedy response.

I really enjoyed your presentation on ‘How to format a professional e-mail’!

The purpose of the introduction is to raise the spirits of the reader and to connect with them positively, before you get to the main body of the message. Personalized questions and comments are particularly useful. You should try to avoid standardized or meaningless phrases, and focus on the individual(s) in question. Ask them a question about their holiday, a sickness they’ve recently recovered from, or ask about their journey home from a recent event or team meeting. This sort of approach will let them know that you are genuinely interested in their wellbeing.

Main body

This is the core of the e-mail. Here the aim is to communicate your message as straightforward and as well structured as possible. Remember that the priority should be for the reader to efficiently and correctly understand the information. To do this, there are certain business e-mail format rules that you should follow:

Short sentences: Of course this is some

10 Professional Email Tips

In this day and age, you’d think everyone would have the art of email completely down. You’d think.


In this day and age, you’d think everyone would have the art of email completely down. You’d think. But, the truth is, there are so many different types of email you can write, that it’s no wonder most people get confused between personal and professional, conversational and business, formal and informal. Such confusion, while somewhat understandable, is still completely unacceptable when it comes being a professional. To sharpen your professional email writing skills, follow these tips when writing professional emails, whether it's prospecting for jobs, for networking purposes, to colleagues or for any other business-related reason:

1. Subject Line Specifics

Don’t: Never leave the subject field blank! All too often, people leave it either blank or write a vague couple of words that do not really detail what is in the email. Do: What you should do is write a brief yet accurate description of what the email message contains. The goal is to help the recipient organize their inbox by creating an accurate heading; including any relevant dates or deadlines that they may need to quickly reference.

2. Stay Formal

Don’t: Assume that you can write an informal email, as if to a friend. Do: Keep it professional, addressing someone as you would within an interview setting.

3. Only First Names for Friends

Don’t: Never address someone in a professional email by their first name, unless otherwise instructed by the individual to do so. Do: Use formality, such as “Ms. Last Name” or “Mr. Last Name.”

4. Attach When Asked

Don’t: Attach large documents to emails, like a portfolio, resume or your cover letter, without permission to do so. This can annoy the recipient, as it will clog their email inbox. Do: Offer to send a copy of your resume, cover letter or portfolio in your initial email. If the recipient would like to see your information, he or she will request that you send it and you will be able to do so at that time.

5. Proofreading Shows You Care

Don’t: Draft your email and send it quickly – without looking it over a few times. Do: Draft your email and reread it, checking it over several times thoroughly for any spelling and grammatical errors.

Did you know that now you can find part-time jobs on Fastweb?

6. Organization

Don’t: Type out your email, without clearly organizing your thoughts. Do: Organize your email into an introduction, body and closing. Your organization format should follow: • Introduction: States your reason for contacting the person. • Body: Details the information you’re trying to convey. • Conclusion: Wraps up your email, including whether you will be contacting them in the future or if you’d like them to contact you.

7. Re: Lazy

Don’t: Continually reply to their email, as it will create a long email chain that can become long and confusing. It can appear lazy, since it is much easier to constantly choose to “reply,” though the topic in the subject line is no longer relevant. Do: Create a new email with a proper subject line. If previous parts of your conversation are relevant, delete the parts of the chain that are no longer necessary to understanding the current email conversation, keeping the parts of the chain that are relevant.

8. Have Some Manners

Don’t: Neglect to say “please” and “thank you” when necessary. Though this should be common sense within the professional world, it is not always the case. Do: Say “please,” “thank you,” and sign your emails with a courteous sign off, such as “sincerely” or “best.”

9. Timing is Everything

Don’t: Neglect to respond for days or, even weeks. Do: Respond within a timely manner. If you are extremely busy and do not have time for a proper response, email the person and let them know that you received their email and will respond as soon as you are able, giving an estimated time of when you think you’ll realistically be able to get back to them – and then do so within that time frame.

10. Don’t Be Needy

Don’t: Se

nd a follow-up email without allowing a minimum of a few days to pass from the time you sent someone an email. Do: Send your emails earlier so that you’re not in need of a response as soon as possible. Though our culture is used to instant gratification, it is common courtesy to allow time to lapse. Once several days have passed, you can send a follow-up email.

How to write a perfect professional email in English in 5 steps



 

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.

How to write a formal email

Follow these five simple steps to make sure your English emails are perfectly professional.

Begin with a greeting

Thank the recipient

State your purpose

Add your closing remarks

End with a closing

Download our free ebook: “Everyday English Vocabulary” – 38 pages which points useful words and English phrases to help you have a better understanding of what’s going on around you.

Begin with a greeting

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”.

Thank the recipient

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.

State your purpose

If you are starting the email communication, it may be impossible to include a line of thanks. Instead, begin by stating your purpose. For example, “I am writing to enquire about …” or “I am writing in reference to …”.

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.



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”.

End with a closing

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!