Writing an Email

Try to save the reader's time, be respectable, and keep your goal clear.

Formula:

  1. An email should have a proper salutation.
  2. “Dear Mr. Smith” // “Good morning Ms. Nguyen” // “Greetings Dr. Torres”
  3. If this is your first time contacting the person, introduce yourself. If you
  4. An email should have a concise, courteous, and actionable body.
  5. Get to the point quickly, but do not sound demanding or rude.
  6. Make sure that there are actions to take.
  7. An email should have a proper sign-off.
  8. “Sincerely,” // “Thanks for your time,” // “Regards,” // “Cordially,” // etc.
  9. Then, your full name should be underneath for more official emails.
  10. An email should be proofread for professionalism.
  11. Are there spelling or grammar errors? Did you capitalize proper nouns? Does it sound too conversational?

Follow-Ups:

  • Urgent? You can follow up an email after 24 hours.
  • Not urgent? You can follow up after 24 – 72 hours.
  • Follow-up email subject lines and bodies should be very short and direct:

Follow-Up: Meeting for Essay #1 Grade

Greetings Dr. Torres,

I hope you are doing well. As per my last email, would it be possible to schedule a meeting this week concerning my essay #1 grade? I am free both Thursday and Friday after 1:00 PM.

Regards, Jane Doe