Today's business world communicates almost solely via emails written in English.
Since email is nowadays the most common business form of communication, it is important to remember that it is a formal business document. It is therefore essential to write clearly and succinctly and use proper greetings, closing, complete sentences, punctuation and capitalization.
As far as format goes, an email is very similar to a formal letter, that is, each paragraph has a specific function. It should start with a greeting and an opening sentence such as: "Dear David, I hope this email finds you well." The purpose of the email should come next as the body of the letter (in the form of one or two paragraphs). The role of the next paragraph is to state the desired result or outcome of your email, for example: "I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you and discussed the above mentioned idea" or: "Please send me your comments to the attached proposal", etc. Finally, don't forget to end the email with a closing sentence, a final greeting and your name, preferably including an electronic signature, as in: "I look forward to hearing from you soon. Regards, Ben Morgan, CFO ABC Inc."
The style and tone of the email can vary according to the level of formality of the email. Whether your email is a formal document sent to a high-level correspondent or an informal friendly request, be sure to keep your tone and style appropriate and consistent. Remember that once you press the 'send' button, whatever you wrote may be read and forwarded to other people, therefore, always use professional and diplomatic language.
Following is a link which will assist you to formulate high-level business emails: The Business Email Template
You are also welcome to contact us for additional details and/or questions.
Yifat Mann, TriEnglish Founder and General Manager, holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies & Psychology from Montclair State University in the United States, and an MBA degree from Ben-Gurion University in the Negev in Israel. She specializes in coaching business people and working with them on improving business English communication skills such as presentations, business writing, negotiations and more.
יפעת מן, מייסדת ומנכ"ל החברה, בעלת תואר שני במנהל עסקים (MBA) מאוניברסיטת בן-גוריון בנגב, תואר ראשון בתקשורת עסקית ובפסיכולוגיה מאוניברסיטת Montclair בארה"ב, ותעודת הוראה באנגלית מטעם מכללת אחוה, מתמחה באימון אישי וקבוצתי של אנשי עסקים בכירים תוך דגש על שיפור מיומנויות התקשורת העסקיות כגון העברת פרזנטציות, כתיבה עסקית, ניהול משא ומתן, הכנה לראיונות עבודה ועוד.
