Never send poorly constructed emails.
Good communication skills are crucial in any industry.
To avoid mistakes, proofread your drafts.
Correct these commonly overlooked bad practices and errors that make emails unprofessional.
Recipients tend to ignore overly promotional emails.
Unless they already know you, they have no obligation to check your message.
Instead of being sales-y, be engaging.
Composeattention-grabbing subject linescomprising descriptive, thought-provoking words.
Pique your readers' curiosity.
it’s possible for you to use open-ended questions and pitchesjust ensure theyre relevant to your message.
Otherwise, recipients might block you for abusing clickbait subjects.
Jokes and Witty Remarks
Think twice before inserting jokes into your work emails.
Jokes are hard to deliver via email.
Even lighthearted puns might be taken as sarcastic or offensive if the reader misunderstands you.
As a general rule, skip the jokes.
Being approachable and friendly doesnt require gags.
Emojis and Excessive Punctuation Marks
More mailbox providers accommodate emojis nowadays.
Platforms like Outlook and Gmail even let you insert emojis into the subject lines.
Although fun and creative, they dont belong in work emails.
People perceive emojis differently.
Smileys dont always convey your intended message.
Also, shady marketers are fond of emoticons.
Typos and Grammatical Errors
Typos dont change intent.
Even if you misspell every word in your email, readers will still understand it through context clues.
Advanced grammatical errors might cause confusion, but the text wont be incomprehensible.
Does this mean it’s possible for you to overlook typos?
Although spelling and grammar mistakes dont muddle your message, they look careless.
The best approach is to scrutinize drafts before sending them.
Repeat these steps as many times as needed.
Lengthy Paragraphs
Be careful when copy-pasting email drafts from Google Docs or Microsoft Word.
Word processors have different default tweaks.
You cant expect your emails to look like they did when you were typing them.
Theyll adjust to the current programs font style, text size, and spacing.
And to avoid lengthy text blocks, keep each paragraph at two to three sentences.
Excessive Information
Extensive explanations are beneficial, but you have to time them correctly.
Dont just lay down random facts.
Readers will likely click away from your email if you overload them with information right from the get-go.
Only share what readers need.
Generic Closing Statements
Generic closing statements are distant.
They make you look unprofessional, plus they weaken your emails conclusion.
Youll have fewer chances of closing successfully.
When ending emails, use a more direct, concisealternative to I look forward to hearing from you".
Readers have seen them hundreds of times beforethey wont leave a positive impact.
Instead of using generic lines, use a strong CTA.
Tell your readers their options and guide them into acting on your email.
Unnecessary Attachments
Email attachments make it easy to share information.
Instead of overloading readers with lengthy, unsolicited messages, direct them to relevant resources.
Doing so saves time for all parties involved.
With that said, you should also refrain from sending files in bulk.
Users are generally skeptical about opening attachments because they could spread malware.
Emailing multiple files even raises security concerns.
If you must send several documents simultaneously, use a file-sharing tool like Dropbox.
Creative Formats
Avoid playing with daring fonts.
Creative typefaces yield negligible benefits in a professional setting.
They distract readers from your email.
Also, weird formats make you look sketchy.
Mailing service providers even send emails containing outrageous designs and colors straight to spam folders.
Only use creative templates if they align with your brand.
For instance, the below example shows howa virtual meetup platform called Gathershares its features without compromising professionalism.
Unclear Motives
Small talk might help lighten awkward meetings, but it rarely suits work emails.
Stop beating around the bush.
Most people will click away if they find your message tedious and confusing.
To get your point across, use clear, concise language.
The introduction should be brief and attention-grabbing, while the body must address the topic at hand.
Vague explanations will ultimately lead to time-wasting follow-up emails.
Just email the other party an invitation link and wait for their response.
The occasional typos are understandable.
However, note that consistently using subpar templates will reflect poorly on you.
Recipients might even feel theyre not worth well-thought-out emails.
Never skip the proofreading stage.
To compose even better emails, study the bad ones you receive.
