As a budding entrepreneur, you’re going to need to be professional from every angle. From the way you dress, to the way you conduct yourself in public and of course the way you connect with your clients. Communicating with your clients well could be the difference between a contract or even a sale. While many of us excel in a face to face interaction, it’s actually communicating via email that the majority of us struggle with.
Do I come across as professional? Am I using the right salutation? Does this sound too casual? It can be a bit of a minefield!
But don’t worry, here you’ll find a simple guide to writing the perfect email. Remember, you’re going to need to be clear, concise and have the right tools to help you become an email pro, so check out this website for the latest proofreading tools and plagiarism checkers.
Consider the end result
Firstly, you need to focus on what the goal of your email is. Or, what action do you want the recipient to take after they have digested its content. For example, you might be following up on a meeting with a potential client and you’re sending them the examples of your work that they requested. In your email, you need to let them know what the documents are, that you’re open to any feedback that they want to give and whether or not they want to go ahead with this new partnership. Once you have this in mind, then the content should be easier to write.
Keep your audience in mind
As in any face to face interaction, you need to consider with whom you’re speaking and ensure that your tone and attitude are correct for the situation and your relationship. If you’re speaking to a familiar work associate that you have a good rapport with then you can probably take more of a laid back approach. However, if you’re speaking with a new client or perhaps addressing a mistake or problem, then it’s best to leave out the jokes and informalities.
Be brief but informative
You don’t need 1000 words to get your point across. The people whom you’ll be emailing will probably only have a certain amount of time in their day that is dedicated to their Inbox. So keep it concise. Use simple sentences, omit anything that isn’t relevant and don’t over complicate things with too many topics and issues.
Proofread!
A step that isn’t to be missed. Grammar, spelling, and clarity demonstrates professionalism and attention to detail. And always double check you have attached the documents you have said you would.
Follow up
As mentioned above, many working professionals only have a certain amount of time in the day to dedicate to their Inbox, and as a result emails often get missed or forgotten about. Try not to get frustrated or resend the email. If you haven’t heard anything within 2 days give them a gentle nudge with a polite follow up. Did you get my email?
