How to Write an Email

Presenter: Carol Wang

Introduction

• Common belief: many think they're expert emailers
• Reality: Most people make mistakes in email etiquette
• Presentation goal: Improve email etiquette to reduce stress and improve clarity

Why Email Etiquette Matters

• Email is the default work communication method
• Quick, easy, convenient
• However, it creates stress and feels time-consuming
• Philosophy: Reduce the burden of emails

Golden Rule of Email

• Reduce the burden
  • Send fewer emails
  • Send to fewer people (avoid "Reply All")
  • Make emails quick and easy to deal with

Greeting

• Modern Context
  • "Hi" and first name are fine for most work emails
  • Save "Dear" for formal situations
• Ongoing Threads
  • Don't repeat greetings frequently
  • Use "following the sun" rule for multi-day conversations

Body of the Email

• Main Goal: Reduce stress by being concise and precise
• Etiquette Tips
  • Avoid waffling, jargon, and small talk
  • Be clear to avoid misinterpretation
  • Assume recipients are smarter, busier, and care more
• Watch Out for
  • Brevity that comes off as rude (e.g., "OK", "Received")
  • Jeff Bezos’ "?" for forwarding emails—seen as impolite
  • Ensure clarity on what action is needed
• Emotional Content
  • Hard to convey sentiment through text
  • Read email back to avoid misinterpretation
  • Use punctuation and, where appropriate, emoji

Sign-Off

• Correct Way: "Best wishes", "Best", "All the best"
• Avoid
  • "Yours sincerely" (too formal)
  • "Yours" (too intimate)
  • "Cheers" (too casual for professional context)
  • "BW" (tacky)
  • "Kind regards" (pompous)
  • "Thanks in advance" (presumptive and rude)
• Practical Tips
  • Write sign-off every time, avoid lazy auto-signatures
  • Keep email signature simple and professional

Subject Line

• Keep it simple, summarize email content in a few keywords
• Avoid full sentences; avoid playing the urgent card

CC and BCC

• CC Rule
  • Primary recipients (expected to respond) go in "To" field
  • Others (not expected to respond) go in "CC" field
• BCC Usage
  • Protect recipient identity for sensitive information
  • Avoid reply-all chaos
  • Move someone to BCC to gracefully remove from thread

Timing

• Stick to work hours for work emails
• Respect boundaries to reduce stress
• Sender responsibility to set norms; don't rely on recipients to manage email times

Conclusion

• Aim to spread good email etiquette
• Makes digital communication easier and friendlier
• Thank you for listening!