Did you know statistics state that 2.7 million emails are sent per second? That accounts for approximately 30 emails/person everyday – imagine that! And given that we are transitioning into a world that is thriving online, it’s safe to say email writing is most definitely a vital part of business communication.
Lee Iacocca, an American Author and Businessman put it very well, he said “You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across your ideas won’t get you anywhere”.
It’s quite true isn’t it? Most often we have a lot we want to put down while responding to a client or writing to your manager or sending out detailed information to your counterparts, or brief minutes of the meetings to your team, but some of it gets lost in translation resulting in end-outcomes not being met. The great news is that we CAN fix this
Here’s your quick guide to writing that effective email:
Understand Your Structure – BLADE
First things first, let’s think of the skeleton of your email. A very simple way to remember this is the acronym – BLADE. It is a comprehensive checklist to make sure your email has all the necessary elements.
BLADE stands for:
- BL – Bottom Line
First things first, identify your Bottom line. Ask yourself ‘What is the OUTCOME OR PURPOSE of writing this email?’
A few examples: to send in project related information, to answer a vital query, to request an extension in a deadline, to ask for approval etc.
This translates to the Subject line of your email as well.
- A – Action
Once you’ve identified your bottom line, it’s time to focus on what action you want your audience to take.
- D – Details
Now, make sure you give your audience all the information they need or ask for all the information you need to achieve your outcome.
- E – Extras
Finally make sure to add your pleasantries to connect with your recipient.
Examples: I hope you’re having a great start to your week, I hope you’re well and safe, have a good evening ahead
Understand Your Audience
Now that we’ve given you food for thought about your outline let’s dive into one of the key factors of an email that has impact – you’ve got to know your audience.
Remember this , your audience is time pressed and in search of solutions. It’s important to catch their attention from the get go! So, align structure and purpose to the audience. In order to do this you need to first understand who you are writing to.
Here’s a fun way we use in our sessions to understand the ‘who’. Meet our good friend W.M. NICK! Now, before you write to W.M. Nick, you’ve got to get to know him better and here’s how you’re going to do just that. Ask yourself:
W – WHO is Nick?
(Your client, your manager, a team mate, someone from facilities, a partner in the firm, a new team member)
M – Have I MET Nick before?
(If yes, great! If no, then it’s time to tell him a little bit about you, build that connect and then go straight to the ask)
N – What does Nick NEED?
(What information will Nick need to meet that outcome? – numbers, facts, reports, results from studies or focus groups etc.)
I – How does Nick like to receive INFORMATION?
(Does he like detailed information, or is getting to the point what he wants)
C – What is Nick most CONCERNED about?
(What’s in it for him? What benefits does he get out of it – does it reduce cost, does it quicken the process, increase efficiency , productivity etc.)
K- How much KNOWLEDGE does Nick have?
(Is he new to the firm as an analyst, or is he well-seasoned and senior? This determines how much information he will require to make a decision)
Identifying W.M. Nick will help you tailor your communication style and your writing to your audience, and always remember one size does not fit all.
Structure Your Thoughts
Make sure you make your email about “one thing,” or only one topic to avoid clutter.
When it comes to structure we’ve got the Twin C’s for you to remember – Coherence and Cohesion.
Coherence, means having your thoughts or ideas flow in a logical manner. It is the logical bridge between words, sentences, and paragraphs. If a paragraph is coherent, each idea flows smoothly into the next without obvious shifts or jumps.
An example of an incoherent paragraph :
Online education is the latest trend in learning.
classroom sessions.
It’s easy, accessible, and convenient- to the urban and rural areas.
Students are much more engaged when they live on campus and attend
Cohesion is when there is link between sentences, words and phrases are visible, or easily understandable. Think of fitting pieces of the puzzle together to get the entire picture.
The difference between the two terms is that cohesion is achieved when sentences are connected at the sentence level, whereas as coherence is achieved when ideas are connected.
Without the twin C’s the readers may detect choppiness in the text and feel as if there are gaps in the ideas presented – which is what we try to avoid at all costs!
One effective way to ensure your writing is both coherent and cohesive is by using what we call “transitional phrases” or “discourse markers”.
Let’s look at these two paragraphs.
Eg 1: Unfortunately, I am on call.I will not be able to contact you at our scheduled call-back time. My colleague, Aryan Malhotra is available to work with you on the issue. He has all the necessary case information.
Unfortunately, I am on call and I will not be able to contact you at our scheduled call-back time. However, my colleague, Aryan Malhotra is available to work with you on the issue and has all the necessary case information.
Eg 2: I understand that the customer wants a breakdown of the additional charges in his account; I have requested the billing department to email you the figures today. You are available? Please contact me. We can work on this issue together.
I understand that the customer wants a breakdown of the additional charges in his account; so I have requested the billing department to email you the figures today. As soon as you are available , please contact me so we can work on this issue together.
The first paragraphs in each example is sound very choppy to a reader- Agreed?
The second on the other hand has thoughts smoothly flowing from one sentence to the next with the help of discourse markers. What a difference!
To get you started on building cohesion and coherence here are a list of discourse markers you can begin using while you write those emails.
In Addition | and, further, besides, next, moreover, in addition to, again, also, further, next, moreover |
Contrast/ Compare/ Show exception | but, or, nor, yet, still, however, nevertheless, on the contrary, on the other hand, conversely, although, in contrast, in comparison, relatively, similarly, likewise |
Example | for example, for instance, such as, thus, that is |
Cause and effect | because, consequently, therefore, hence, as a result, since, for that reason, in that case, in any case |
In conclusion | therefore, thus, then, in conclusion, consequently, as a result, accordingly, finally |
Sequence/ Time | at the same time, simultaneously, above, below, further on, so far, until now, finally, then, hereafter, formerly, first, second, third, next, then |
Use them well and let your thoughts flow -logically and literally!
Put it Down
Once you’ve got your structure in place the next step is to write it down. Remember your audience is most often time-pressed so keep it SIMPLE!
A few pointers to remember while writing is:
- Cut the clutter – Avoid repetition
Eg: Online education is beneficial for many students.Online education benefits many students in rural areas.Online education benefits many students working full-time jobs.
Versus
Online education is beneficial for many students, especially for those living in rural areas and working full-time jobs.
- Less is the new more – Do not be wordy and lengthy. Keep it concise
Eg: Online learning, which means education in an online format where employees are not face-to-face with their trainer or teammates, can help a them become more proficient in their area of expertise or field, which in turn can also help show leadership skills and receive a promotion or recognition for his/her good work at their job.
versus
Online learning helps employees become proficient in their field, which can result in recognition in the form of a promotion.
- Frame it right (hyperlink to article)– Every word creates a frame in your readers mind so choose your words wisely
Eg: “I think our team will be able to resolve this issue for you.”
Versus
“I believe that our team will be able to resolve this issue for you.”
(to know more about framing read our Article – Mind Your Language: The Importance of Word Choice in Business Communication)
So when you sit down tomorrow to start writing or respond to that email remember your 4 Steps and ‘just do it’! 🙂