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Like it or not, email is still the big beast when it comes to business communications. Do we get too many emails? Yes. Do a lot of them suck? Yes. Do they have to? No.

Check out these quick tips for writing more effective emails that will get your work—and you—noticed.

The subject line is the email’s secret weapon

The best email is one that never has to be written. The second-best email is one that doesn’t have to be read. That doesn’t mean that it gets lost in the noise, but that the subject line is so elegantly used to its full potential that the intended reader understand’s what needs to happen based on it alone.

Unhelpful or uninformative email subject lines are a clear signal that the sender is not thinking about their audience. It should be basic professional courtesy to give the reader as much context and guidance as possible before they click ‘open’.

Emails normally have 1 of 3 purposes: to elicit input, to gain approval, or to inform. The easiest way to think of the three is before, during, and after a project or decision. You can reflect this in the subject line like this:

Before: ATTN: [Name] – Input requested – Project X 10% budget increase proposal

When to use it: When you need buy-in or input on something.

During: ATTN: [Name] – Approval required – Project X 10% budget increase

When to use it: When you need sign-off on something.

After: ATTN: [Name] – FYI – Project X 10% Budget increase

When to use it: When informing people about a change.

What follows in the body of the email should provide the necessary context beginning with a ‘Tl;Dr’ (too long, didn’t read) which gives the essential info at the top of the message.

Avoid lapsing into walls of text in the body of the email. Use headings, bullets, and clear, concise language that will anticipate the most obvious questions your reader might have.

Check out my post on empathetic communications for more on this.

Agree? Disagree, Got more insights or tips? Share them in the comments.