E MAIL WRITING MISTAKES

9E-mail writing mistakes that every professional should know

Mistake 1: Using the Wrong Tone

You might be tempted to send emails quickly when you're in a rush, without thinking carefully about your audience, what you're saying, or how your message might come across.

Mistake 2: Hitting "Reply All“

"Reply all" is a useful tool for keeping multiple team members in the loop, or for documenting group decisions, but many people use it without considering who should actually receive their email.

Mistake 3: Writing Too Much

Brief and succinct emails that contain only the important details are much more effective than long or wordy ones.

Mistake 4: Forgetting Something?

These mistakes can often be fixed quickly with a follow-up email, but this adds to the large volume of messages that people receive, and it can appear unprofessional or forgetful.

Mistake 5: Emailing the Wrong Person

This can be embarrassing, but it also means that your email might not reach its intended recipient unless someone flags up your mistake

Mistake 6: Being Too Emotional

It's particularly important to delay your response when you're stressed, angry or upset.

Mistake 7: Using Vague Subject Lines

It's important to start with a clear subject line, so that people know what to expect when they open it.

Mistake 8: Not reviewing before sending the email

Proofing your emails is one of the most important things you can do. It only takes a few minutes, and it helps you to pick up poor grammar, spelling mistakes and punctuation errors, which look unprofessional and sloppy.

Mistake 9: Sending Unnecessary Emails

Because email is so quick and convenient, it can easily become your default communication method with your team. It's certainly not a substitute for face-to-face or even phone.