Email structure & etiquette:
Subject lines (be specific):
- ✓ "Q1 Budget Review - Action Required by March 15"
- ✗ "Meeting"
Opening formalities:
Formal:
- Dear Mr. Thompson,
- Dear Sir/Madam,
Less formal:
Key email phrases:
Making requests:
- "I would appreciate it if you could..."
- "Could you please provide..."
- "Would it be possible to..."
- "I was wondering if you might be able to..."
Giving information:
- "I'm writing to inform you that..."
- "Please be advised that..."
- "Further to our conversation..."
- "As per our discussion..."
Attaching documents:
- "Please find attached..."
- "I've attached the report for your review"
- "See the attached file for details"
Following up:
- "I'm following up on my previous email regarding..."
- "Just circling back on this..."
- "I wanted to touch base about..."
Apologizing:
- "I apologize for the delay in responding"
- "Please accept my apologies for the oversight"
- "I regret any inconvenience this may have caused"
Closing phrases:
- "Please let me know if you need any further information"
- "I look forward to hearing from you"
- "Thank you in advance for your assistance"
- "Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me"
Sign-offs:
Formal: Yours sincerely, Kind regards, Best regards Less formal: Best, Thanks, Cheers (UK/Australia)
Common mistakes to avoid:
- Reply All overuse
- Unclear action items
- Too casual with senior management
- Writing when angry (save as draft, review later!)
- Overuse of exclamation marks!!!