How to express your thoughts clearly on emails?

Email is the preferred medium of communication and helps us communicate with other people based on our individual needs rather than a call where both people have to be available. Therefore, we can work in different time zones and places, and still keep moving forward with work.  

The challenge is that we all get more than 130 emails every day and that number is growing at 3% per annum. So, we have less than 30 seconds to one minute to read each business email.  

On top of this short time, emails are frequently misunderstood. Sendmail did a study that found 64% of people have sent or received an email that caused misunderstanding and evoked anger in the recipient.

At the beginning, it might take you longer to write short emails than long ones. However, even if this is true for you, your extra focus will enable your co-workers, clients, or employees be more productive by adding less chaos to their inboxes, making it easier for them to respond to you and thereby being win-win for both.  That said, writing is a skill, which takes work.

By writing clearly, you'll become known as someone who knows what he or she wants and who gets things done. Both of these are good for your career prospects.  Because of the huge number of emails, we send and receive and the fact that they are often misinterpreted, it's critical to write emails which are well structured, visually appealing and not vague.

One part of clarity, is writing a well-structured email. Let’s look at one email example.

Email #1 – Version 1

From: Jenny Chan

To: Susan Olofsky

Subject: RE: Fall 20 development

Hi Susan,

Well received tack pack & proceeding accordingly.

Please provide original/inspiration sample, if any, received from buyer for ease ref & also provide original fabric cutting.

Please confirm your understanding.

Warm Regards

Jenny Chan

Email #1 – Version 2

From: Jenny Chan

To: Susan Olofsky

Subject: RE: Fall 20 development

Hi Jyoti,

Have received tack pack. 

Can you send the original/inspiration sample and the original fabric cutting?

Warm Regards

Jenny Chan

Which one do you like better?  The second one is clearer. Why?

1. Skipped a line between the two key points. 

2. One sentence is deleted. Only 2 sentences can convey the same message rather than 3. 

3. Informal words were removed such as ref. 

4. Words are more direct and assertive rather than two please words which can come across as more passive and softer.

Now, let’s see another example: (note: font in blue)

Email #2 – Version 1

From: Verma, Sandeep

To: Tatsiana Shroff

Subject: Training Project

Hi Tatsiana,

Please find attached the details of interview schedules for both the training sessions. I have attached the teams’ key performance metrics that would need to be incorporated into the program in a manner you see most appropriate. I have already shared the interview schedules with the team so that they can reschedule any appointments that need movement. I was looking for US-India operational word differences – but haven’t been able to come up with much so we’ll work with what you’ve shared already. 

Do let me know in case you need anything else. 

Regards,

Sandeep Verma

Email #2 – Version 2

From: Verma, Sandeep

To: Tatsiana Shroff

Subject: Training Project

Hi Tatsiana,

1. Please find attached the interview schedules for the training sessions. I have already shared the schedule with the team so that they can reschedule any appointments that need movement.

2. Attached is the teams’ key performance metrics that would need to be incorporated into the program in a manner you see appropriate. 

3. I was looking for the US – India operational word differences, but I haven’t been able to come up with much. We’ll work with what you’ve shared already.

Do let me know in case you need anything else.

Regards,

Sandeep Verma

Which one do you like better?  The second one is clearer. Why?

1. Font size was reduced from 14 to 10. Larger than 11 font size feels like you are shouting at the recipient. 

2. Numbered each topic.  Earlier all the information was presented as one paragraph which means one topic. But there are three different aspects which does not come out in a paragraph format. 

If you have written email in a paragraph format, it makes the reader think it is an essay and turns them off of reading it. Then, they may skim your email or avoid reading it all together.  You want your email to be visually appealing. 

3. Skipped a line between each of the three key points rather than write it in a paragraph manner.

4. Topic on interview schedule is not split between another topic – key metric. Related information is clubbed together.

5. Red font color was changed to blue. Red seems like you are shouting at the reader. A more appropriate color is blue or black to highlight a point. An underline can be added to make it stronger.

Now, let’s see another example:

Email #3 – Version 1

From: Sarna, Matt

To: Chris Hicks Subject: Chatbot project

Hi Chris, 

What is the BOI impact, how does this improve process maturity?

Why are we just looking at FTE savings?

That should not be a prime parameter at all as we drive Journey 

Email #3 – Version 2

From: Sarna, Matt To: Chris Hicks

Subject: Questions on Chatbot project

Hi Chris,

I have a few questions.

1. What is the BOI impact? 

2. How does this improve process maturity?

3. Besides Full Time Employee savings, what other savings can we look at which will enable us to drive Journey.

Regards.

Matt Sarna

Which one do you like better?  The second one. Why?

1. Added one-line space. Between the opening and the body of the email, there should be one-line space.

2. Purpose is clearer. The objective of the email is more specific by adding, “I have a few questions.”

3. Subject line correlates with opening email body. In the Version 2, the Subject Line is disconnected to the content of the mail. At least one word from the subject line should appear in the 1st or 2nd paragraph of the email.

4. Numbers are used to demarcate the different questions. Otherwise, it is not as direct and clear for the reader. Now, the reader does not have to work to figure out which points needs to be answered.

5. Third question is framed simpler as a question rather than a question and statement which makes harder to understand. 

6. One font type. The first email has two font types. In your email, you should have only one font type and be one of the five we recommend for readability and neutrality.  

You want your text fonts to be compatible with readers email system. For example, Calibri and Sans Serif are font types not supported by most email providers. 

The following fonts are reader friendly for most email.  Arial, Arial Black, Comic Sans, Courier New, Georgia, Impact, Charcoal, Lucida Console, Lucida Sans Unicode, Lucida Grande, Palatino Linotype, Helvetica, Book Antiqua, Palatino, Tahoma, Geneva, Times, Times New Roman, Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Monaco.

We recommend these five.

1. Times New Roman. A good font when writing business communication to demonstrate a serious, classic, and professional tone.  A familiar, popular, heavy serif design and contrasting line weights guide the receiver’s eyes from one letter to the next. It has been the default font for Word until 2007, which a feature offered other choices. 

2. Georgia. Has been used by novels and newspapers. Conveys a classic and authoritative look. It is one of the easiest fonts to read with even letter spacing and heavy serifs (e.g. little curls and balls at the end of the letter) which leads your eyes across the email.

3. Verdana. Similar-shaped letters appear differently. Lowercase letters are bigger than other similar fonts. Both of these reasons, makes it one of the most readable fonts for all ages. 

4. Trebuchet MS. Designed with clean little sudden movements at the beginnings and ends of hard letters which help improve legibility, while not distracting too much from the main shapes of the letters.

5. Arial. Though many software manufacturers use it by default, some designers claim it is difficult to read with letters placed too close together and making it hard to distinguish between words in large texts. This would be our last font type choice.

If text is the equal of the spoken word, then your font types are your vocal cord. The font can influence your tone and create familiarity with your readers.  Whatever font you pick, it should be uniform and become almost unnoticeable. This means readers can focus more on your content than how you present it, which is especially necessary with long emails.

Now, let’s see another example: (Event announcement with lots of underline and colors)

Email #3 – Version 1

From: Glodowske, Pam

To: All Employees Subject: Townhall Meet-up January 17, 2020

Hi All, 

We are having an exciting Townhall Meet-Up on Friday, January 17, 2020 from 4-6 pm in the Cafeteria!!

Here is the agenda.

1. Review of Financial Year 2019.

2. Awards for top performers and teams in 2019

3. New products planned in 2020.

4. Upcoming changes in 2020.

5. Changes in performance management and reward systems.

6. New initiatives planned for employees. 

7. Surprise movie clip.

8. Polling Game – Quiz questions 

9. Mobile Question & Answer period moderated by the HR Leader.

10. Mystery special prizes. 

Afterwards, we have a party planned. Get ready with your dancing shoes for showing off your steps. Bumper prizes for the best dancers!

Regards.

Pam Glodowske

Email #3 – Version 1

From: Glodowske, Pam

To: All Employees Subject: Townhall Meet-up January 17, 2020

Hi All, 

We are having an exciting Townhall Meet-Up on Friday, January 17, 2020 from 4-6 pm in the Cafeteria!!

Here is the agenda.

1. Review of Financial Year 2019.

2. Awards for top performers and teams in 2019

3. Exciting new products planned in 2019.

4. Upcoming changes.

5. Changes in performance management and reward systems.

6. New initiatives planned for employees. 

7. Surprise movie clip.

8. Polling Game – Quiz questions 

9. Mobile Question & Answer period moderated by the HR Leader.

10. Mystery special prizes. 

Afterwards, we have a party planned. Get ready with your dancing shoes for showing off your steps. Bumper prizes for the best dancers!

Regards.

Pam Glodowske

Which one do you like better?  The second one is definitely better. Why?

1. Reduced color highlighted text. Too many colors impacts the clarity of your mail and distracts the reader. There are five different colors used in the first email. The second email only uses two colors. Blue font color for things important to employees and rest in black.

2. Reduced underlined and bolded text. You don’t want more than 25% of your email to have bold or underlined words. The most important thing in this email is the date, time, topic and location. That is what is underlined in the second email.

3. Red font color was changed to blue. In the first email, the red color makes the sender look too overexcited about this event and makes it look more like a party than a company event. A more appropriate color is blue or black to highlight a point. An underline word such as the date can increase the importance of the word and make sure most people see it.

To summarize, there eight ways to make your email visually appealing and clear.  

1. Use numbers or bullets for each point.

2. Skip a line between the opening, each paragraph, and closing. 

3. Use black or blue font colors. 

4. Avoid red or bright colors that shout at your reader.

5. Apply 9-12 font type size in your emails.

6. Make sure your subject line matches your email content. Put at least one word from the subject line in your first or second paragraph. 

7. We recommend five font types: Times New Roman, Georgia, Verdana, Trebuchet MS and Arial.

AN email AI Coach kWurd can parse your mail and give it a Clarity Score. To know more go to https://kwurd.com/.