Today’s tip –

Get results with emails that leave a professional impression

Email can be a quick way to get results. Taking a few seconds to write a strong subject line and include a courteous greeting and closing can help your emails project the right tone and make a professional impression.

Use a greeting that respects your recipient

Rather than just starting with your message, take a second to write a greeting that’s appropriate to your relationship.

If you know the person, an informal greeting is acceptable. Examples include:

If the relationship is formal, your greeting should be more formal. Examples include:

Write a strong subject line that conveys your message’s content

A clear subject line can communicate what’s needed or why you’re sending the email. A strong subject line will save your recipient time and might net you a quicker response.

Unhelpful subject lines:

Clear subject lines:

Closing examples:

Just as you wouldn’t hang up the phone without saying “goodbye,” make sure you take a few seconds to close your email. Examples of closings include:

Always remember that no email is private

Once you hit “send,” an email can go anywhere. Never write anything in an email that you would not want to be posted publicly.

Published Apr. 12, 2012