Writing a formal email isn’t difficult when you know what to do.
A formal email is quite different from an informal one. There’s a proper structure, formatting that you should use for a formal email.
Let’s look at the basics of an email and how to write them. Here are some tips to help you get started.
Use a professional email address
Make sure you have an email address that is professional looking. Ideally, your email address should be a variation of your real name, not a username or nickname. You don’t have to include your full name but something that readers can easily verify as you should be fine.
Subject line
The subject line should be as clear and as specific as possible.Keep the subject line brief and use keywords in the subject line that suggest exactly what you are writing about, in just a few words.Most experts will recommend that you use 50 characters or less. This is the same as about 5–7 words. However, many people now use their mobile devices to check emails which means some of subject lines could get cut off.That means the best subject lines for all devices would be about 25–30 characters, or 3–5 words.
Writing your message
Always open a formal email with a salutation. Include the person’s title (Mrs., Mr., Dr., etc.) with their last name, followed by a comma or a colon.
Look for a person’s position at the university, company or office, if possible, and mention that in the greeting. For instance, dear Professor Ahmet, or dear Director Işıl.
- If you don’t know the name of the person you’re writing to, use a salutation like “Dear Sir or Madam,” or “To whom it may concern.”
- Do not use “Hey,” “Hello,” “Hi,” informal salutations.
- If you are not absolutely certain, use titles that are gender nonspecific. This means greeting them without referring to their gender.
Explain what you’re writing about
Prioritize the most important information. This makes the purpose of your email clear.There are two questions you need to answer plainly. What are you hoping to make happen, and how can the person you’re writing help? For instance:
- I’m a radio producer looking to schedule a live interview ahead of your performance in Istanbul next year.
- The meeting is scheduled for February 12th at 9:30 a.m. All students and teachers must attend.
Closing the last part of an email
How you end a formal email is equally important. Since the email closing is the last thing your recipient looks at, your email closing can leave a lasting impression.
Examples of potential closings :
- ”Yours sincerely,”
- ”Thanks again,”
- ”Appreciatively,”
- ”Best regards,”
- ”Respectfully,”
Sending a formal email
Before you press that SEND button, review your email carefully. A crucial step that many forget.Writing in a hurry can leave you with spelling and grammatical errors that you didn’t see before.
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