Are you versed in proper email etiquette? Are you straight to the point or do your emails drag on for an unnecessary length of time? Are you urgent, yet polite? Kent Wessinger gives solid advice for writing better emails.

1. ADVICE FOR WRITING BETTER EMAILS
Kent J Wessinger

2. WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH EMAIL?
➤ Email has spawned a new
wave of writing.
➤ From business owners to
wealth managers, anyone who
interacts via email needs to be
able to write intelligently with
the appropriate tone.
➤ Knowing how to craft a well
written email is the key to
success in corporate,
academic, or even casual
settings.

3. “Clarity is the most important characteristic of good
business writing. Often businesspeople will use big $10
words because they want to sound intelligent. Instead,
they end up sounding like they’re trying too hard.”
Replace complex words like “utilize,” for simpler terms
like “use.”
- Mignon Fogarty, “Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for
Better Writing” podcast

4. STATISTICS
➤ According to The Radicati
Group, Inc. Email Statistics
Report 2011-2015, the average
number of emails received per
user, per day for 2015 is 84
(13 of which are spam).
➤ The average user sends 41
emails per day.
➤ Consumer and corporate users
alike are incorporating social
networking

5. SUBJECT MATTER
➤ It is imperative to include a meaningful subject line.
➤ Before you send any email, take a moment to ensure that the
subject line accurately describes the content, giving the reader
a solid reason to engage.
➤ Never leave a subject line blank or title it “Important!!” or
“Quick Question.”
➤ Consider titling your emails, “Confirmation for Friday
Meeting” or “Follow-Up Regarding Marketing Suggestions.”

6. CONTENT
➤ Keep the content of your message focused.
➤ Incorporate bullet points or numbers for more complex, in-
depth content.
➤ Separate paragraphs by topic and always remain urgent, yet
polite.
➤ Some emails will definitely be more informal than others,
especially if you’ve developed a strong client relationship or
the subject matter is light; however, always stick to the point.

7. STYLE
➤ Your email should always be legible and easy to navigate.
➤ Avoid using elaborate typeface or unnecessary acronyms.
➤ Monotype Corsiva, Edwardian Script IT, or Freestyle Script is
hard to read and frankly, comic sans is unprofessional.

8. FINISHING TOUCHES
➤ Always appropriately identify yourself and cc or bcc the
necessary parties if you were not the initial point person.
➤ A brief introduction along the lines of “Hi [RECIPIENT], My
name is [NAME] and I will be your point person moving
forward,” will flow nicely into any point you’re trying to
make.
➤ Most important, never send an email with proofreading.
Watch out for basic grammar and spelling errors.
➤ Make sure you’ve touched upon all points you’re trying to
make and the tone is appropriate and consistent.

9. Remember, the more emails your write, the better you will become at
assessing the tone, and making necessary adjustments along the way.
Good luck!