Dear reader,
This is the last newsletter for this year. I hope the posts which are also sent as emails have been helpful to you.
I thought of picking up this topic because people still struggle with writing emails, whether as a professional or a creator or for a general reach out. Creator or not, it's a useful skill that should stay with you for a lifetime.
So, here goes a very basic guide.
#1 Salutation
This is where you address the person and it changes depending on the context which can look like - "Hey", "Dear Sangita", "Hello Sangita Ekka", Hello Ms. Ekka" and so on.
If you are initiating a mail, the general rule is to keep it formal. "Hello" followed by first name does the trick. If you are addressing it to a group of people, you may use terms like team, committee etc.
There are no hard and fast rules with replacing first names as long as they are appropriate.
#2 Email body
An email is nothing but a digitised communication, and hence the best emails are short, to the point, and easy to read.
Write like you are speaking to another person. Give a small background and context before you come to the actual point.
For example, if you are reaching out to a recruiter whose name was visible on the ad, you may start like:
Hello David,
I came across your ad on Linkedin for "Content Writer" position at XYZ company. I believe I am good fit for the job.
Beyond this point you can talk a little bit about your experience, and mention that you have attached your CV and contact details.
Always keep it to the point irrespective of the fact if you are initiating or replying. Nobody got the time to go through lengthy messages in emails.
If you want to learn a bit more about email marketing from sales/marketing perspective, you may read this - Basics of email marketing.
#3 Signature
This is the easiest bit. Once your email body is done, sign-off with a "Thank You" or "Best" followed by your name. Some email services like Gmail provide you the option to define a signature in "Settings" so you won't have to write it for each of them.
The signature gets appended automatically once you hit the send button.
Some more tips:
Write the entire email content and then add the recipients' names. This way you avoid accidentally sending them out and prevent miscommunications.
Politeness doesn't hurt, neither does standing your ground. In case there are heated communications, stick to the facts and keep the tone emotionless. This keeps you professional.
Subscribe to newsletters and develop a habit reading tiny bits everyday. The more you read, the better you write, and this would reflect in your communications.
That's all for now. This was the last newsletter for 2021. I would drop in your inbox on 8th January 2022. Holiday wishes in advance. I hope the next year brings in lot more joys for you. Take care.
Love,
Sangita