Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture's North America, which oversees more than 50,000 employees, believes that the method by which you compose emails can harm your professional career.
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Today, one cannot work without having an email account at hand and it is surprising how many professionals disregard its importance for building their careers. Emails are seen as the most common mode of communication, which is used for all causes, from sending a small notice to bargaining a really important deal. According to a recent survey, professionals have reported that they handle, on average, up to 121 emails in a single day. In this light, this is the reason why appropriate emailing skills are a must nowadays.
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People can write effective emails and their main purpose is to provide their communication insight on email etiquette. A poorly worded email can result in several adverse outcomes, including inappropriate communication, unfavourable circumstances, and damage to a person’s corporate image. The following list contains some of the reasons why it costs both time and effort to find and stick to the proper rules of email composition.
Emails Create First Impression: An individual impression about a professional can be created by that person’s email writing style.
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Time is in Short Supply: Time or money may be lost due to lack of adequate communication and this may make some people appreciate their time and favour productivity more than relationships.
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Professionalism Reflects on You: It is evident that the way you correspond with people goes beyond your skills and represents your image as a professional.
How email mistakes can compromise your career
When drafting emails, sometimes, due to lack of time or competing demands, an individual could be prone to the following and other errors and these could defy their career’s growth:
i. Using an Inappropriate Tone
Tone is useful because it determines how one’s email will be perceived by the recipients. It may be acceptable to use a relaxed tone when addressing one’s peers but it may be considered rude in the workplace. Used well, a relaxed tone creates a comfortable space where colleagues do not feel restrained. The opposite side is over consumers of decorum, which makes them seem incredulously busy with no time for colleagues. The beauty of business communication lies in being professional yet friendly.
ii. Failing to Proofread
On the other hand, typos and other grammatical errors always make people look very disorganized and unprofessional. Never forget to spend a little time proofreading your emails before you send them. In most cases, a software program like Grammarly or Hemmingway could be employed to assist with clarity and catching errors.
iii. Being Too Wordy or Vague
This is also a downside of long-winded and overly simplified emails. People get lost in reading long and complicated emails while they might be too vague to address email-related issues. Keep every message clear and precise and outline only relevant information and relevant details.
iv. Forgetting to Include a Specific Subject Line
You know the lyrics to an email... see the subject line again. The receiver may not want or understand the matter at hand, including a vague subject line or a noninformative subject line. Appropriate subject lines should always be employed following the content of your email message.
v. Failing to Utilize Email Layout
Lack of off-space or a text material storage holder, as can be the body of the email, makes it at times hard for the reader or the recipient to grasp quite a few things that the writer wants to pass on. Break your text into shorter paragraphs; use bulleted lists and major headings appropriately to enhance clarity.
Proper Practices for Drafting a Professional Email
In order to avoid the seven deadly sins discussed above, let us consider some good practices on how emails should be written to enable the furthering of your career.
i. Be Creative in the Subject Matter
Almost every subject of work has several documents. Though largely overlooked by practitioners, numerous studies have shown that subject lines are remarkably legislative. Potential input is necessary for email mistakes, particularly when the focus is on assuming that an email must be opened.
ii. Establish a Good Context and Address
Respect towards colleagues and clients has gained its place in every aspect of business communication, starting from the address. A normal “Hi” or “Hello” is appropriate for people you regard as friends or best buddies. The use of “Dear” is used in people you have not interacted with as a child yet.
iii. Go Straight to the Point
Busy professionals do not have the luxury of reading unnecessarily long introductions. Make the main point first, then explain if needed. Keep to the point and make it short. If you should address 2 topics in an email, you should be able to do it in one letter only.
iv. Avoid Prolonged Texts: Include Bullet Points
When you have to place many pieces of information, list the points in bullet format. This helps the audience only to focus on the essential information without having to wade through a sea of text.
v. Always Include a call to action at the End of Each Email
Make sure you always include a call-to-action at the end of an email. If you want a response, request a meeting, need feedback, or have any action in mind, the reader should be in no doubt as to what you expect from them.
The Use of Emotions in Writing Emails
When it comes to composing and sending emails, emotional quotient (E.Q) would also be important in how the emails would be received. Definitely, considering the emotions as well as the needs of the receiver will help a lot in email correspondence.
i. Work on your empathy
Remember how do you think your reader of the email will feel while reading it? Would most probably be more likely time-pressed, stressed or inundated with work? Write with consideration to someone's present condition, whether he or she needs an appropriate level of understanding or not, and provide a positive solution or statement relieving the burden.
ii. Keep the Emails Constructive and on the Positive Side
Some emails sound harsh or carry harsh overtones, which creates discomfort in any case for anyone receiving it. Contextually, whenever applicable, use these terms positively to develop the explanatory language of goodwill.
iii. Know When to Stop and Say Let's take this offline
Now and then some conversations are better communicated through emails while others are not. If the topic is sensitive or the means of communication you foresee could lead to wrong understanding or wrong emotions, propose to use the phone or meet physically.
How to Recover from Sending a Career-Killing Email
It is common for humanity to err and should err, but recovery is crucial and can be very costly. Here are steps you can take to repair suboptimal circumstances on the edge of deletion:
i. Say you’re sorry or some variation thereof
Admit you did wrong and state your regrets frankly. Very brief statements, if made, especially those of apology, are crucial, if not after casting doubts for trust attainment and relationship management.
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ii. Clarify Any Misunderstanding Arising from your email, if any
If that email was understood in a different light, make it a point to set it right promptly. This will ensure no further complications arise and it also reflects your seriousness in communicating effectively.
iii. Deficiency and Correctness
Analyze what you did wrong and determine how you wouldn’t repeat the same mistake. For instance, if you often make typos, you might want to consider utilizing proofreading tools or waiting and slowly composing emails of deeper importance before hitting send.
Conclusion
Email effectiveness stands to either harm or bolster your career status, depending on how accurate you are in applying the strategy. It is possible to avoid common errors and appreciate the significance of tone, clarity, and emotional intelligence, enabling a favourable outcome for every email sent. Building these skills into the culture will create better working relationships, improve the image of the professional, and promote career progression.
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