WRITING

EMAILS
THAT
PEOPLE
READ
SWEETEN YOUR EMAILS WITH SUGAR
 WRITING EMAILS THAT PEOPLE READ

HOW EMAIL HAS

CHANGED OUR LIVES
I was born in 1973. My family got our first computer when I was 12 (a ZX Spec-
trum 64). My dad’s office was a room full of friendly secretaries and typists. I
handwrote my essays at university.

I didn’t have my first email account until I was 23 years old. I expect that in future
years my son will be stunned that things actually worked without email (they did).

Today, email means we can work from any-

where, instantly communicating with colleagues “My dad’s office
and customers. This also means that we can be
expected to react from anywhere, whether it be
was a room full
early morning, late evening or on holiday. An of friendly sec-
AOL survey in 2012 reported that 59% of people
admitted to checking email from the bathroom.
retaries and
typists. I hand-
We can share data, images and ideas. We can wrote my essays
work in multinational teams. We can easily do
business with people we’ve never met. We can at university.”
store and retrieve information easily and indefi-
nitely. The downside being that our words can come back to haunt us.

Email has changed our professional and personal lives. For better and for worse.

Scott Levey
Director of Target Training GmbH
THE RADICATI REPORT
A 60 SECOND SUMMARY
WRITING EMAILS THAT PEOPLE READ

To summarize the Radicati

Report, email is the most
BUSINESS EMAIL 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
commonly used form of
Average no. of emails sent/
communication in business. received per user/day
121 126 131 136 140

This means that effective Average no. emails received 85 88 91 95 97

email writing means effective

Average no. legitimate emails 75 77 79 83 83
business communication.
Average no. spam emails 10 11 12 12 14

Average no. emails sent 36 38 40 41 43

RADICATI REPORT EXTRACTS

- The total number of worldwide email users, including both business and consumer users, is increasing from over 2.5 billion in 2014 to over 2.8 billion in 2018 (and to
put this in perspective the UN estimated the world population to be 7.18 billion in 2014).
- In 2014, the majority of email traffic comes from the business world, which accounts for over 108.7 billion emails sent and received per day.
- Email use is growing in the business sector and by 2018, business email will account for over 139.4 billion emails sent and received per day.
- Business users send and receive on average 121 emails a day in 2014, and this is expected to grow to 140 emails a day by 2018.
- In 2014, worldwide mobile email users total 1.1 billion. By the end of 2018, worldwide mobile email users are expected to total over 2.2 billion.
- Email remains the most pervasive form of communication in the business world.

The Radicati report: http://www.radicati.com/?p=10644

EFFECTIVE EMAILING
THE 3 GOLDEN RULES
WRITING EMAILS THAT PEOPLE READ
As the Radicati Group’s findings
so clearly demonstrate,
email is a widely used tool
for business communication.
However, and no surprises here,
a 2013 survey by Sendmail, Inc.
found that 64% of working
professionals said email has
caused tension, confusion, or
other negative consequences for
them and their colleagues.
These 3 golden rules are an
excellent starting point
for minimizing this.
RULE 1
NEVER SEND AN EMAIL WHEN YOU ARE
EMOTIONAL, TIRED, FRUSTRATED OR ANGRY
Write the whole email if it will make you feel better and help you to get some-
thing out of your system - BUT only add the recipients and send it after you have
had space and time to reflect and think about what you are sending.
RULE 2
DON’T OVERUSE EMAIL
Email is not always the most effective form of communication. Sometimes,
picking up the phone is faster. Email is great for giving information, sharing
updates or making simple requests. However use the phone if something could
be a sensitive or emotional topic, or if you need to deal with questions that are
likely to need some back-and-forth discussion.
RULE 3
DON’T OVER COMMUNICATE
How many emails do you receive each day? One of the biggest sources of stress
at work is the sheer volume of emails that people receive. So, before you even
begin writing an email, always take a few seconds and ask yourself: Is this really
necessary? Then ask yourself the same question again before you hit “send”.
Sendmail Inc. survey: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sendmail-cpp-
survey-64-cite-email-as-source-of-workplace-confusion-resentment-211802791.html
 EMAIL PSYCHOLOGY
THE DIFFERENT NEEDS, PRIORITIES AND BEHAVIORS
WRITING EMAILS THAT PEOPLE READ
When we look at how we send
and receive emails, it’s
no surprise that emails can
be a source of stress,
frustration and conflict.
Generally speaking,
the sender and the reader have
different needs,
priorities and behaviors.
THE SENDER OFTEN
- believes that their situation is special
- has more information and wants to tell the whole story, explained from
every angle, so that the receiver can understand their point of view
- spends a long time writing the ‘perfect’ email
- cannot imagine why anyone would not get back to them quickly
THE READER
- is busy, and the email often represents an interruption
- has plans and things to do
- gets a lot of emails
- gets asked questions and favors regularly
- does not mind helping you - if it is fast and easy
TO SUMMARIZE
As the sender your goal is to write an email that will be read, will be easily
understood, will not annoy the receiver, and won’t take up too much of the
reader’s time.
 SUGAR
WHAT MAKES A GOOD BUSINESS EMAIL?
WRITING EMAILS THAT PEOPLE READ

This acronym will help you to

write good business emails.

S
The five areas clearly overlap,
and support each other.
Obviously, if your message is IMPLE

U
simple it will be easier
to understand. And, if
your message is goal-oriented NDERSTANDABLE
it will have a higher chance of
being relevant and appropriate
to your reader’s needs.
You’ll notice these key points GOAL-ORIENTED

A
being repeated throughout
this ebook.
PPROPRIATE

R ELEVANT
S
WRITING EMAILS THAT PEOPLE READ
Simple means keeping your
email clear and short. Sounds
simple, doesn’t it?
If you need to cover more than 3
points, maybe it’s time to revisit
rule 2: Don’t overuse email.
Would a phone call be more
effective? Perhaps followed up
with a summary email later on?
Keep in mind the well-known
KISS model: Keep it short
and simple!
SIMPLE EMAILS USE SIMPLE LANGUAGE
Write like you talk, using conversational English. Be authentic and realistic and use
your real voice – it makes you more human, more approachable and easier to
understand.
SIMPLE EMAILS DON’T HAVE TOO MANY POINTS
As a rough guideline, 1-3 main points per email is fine.
SIMPLE EMAILS HAVE SHORT SENTENCES
Around 20 words or less is a good guideline - but this isn’t a strict rule!
SIMPLE EMAILS HELP THE READER
Use paragraphs, spacing, bullets, numbering and headings to help your reader.
Sounds simple, but too many people send blocks of text – especially when
sending from mobile devices.
S
WRITING EMAILS THAT PEOPLE READ

WHAT IF I HAVE LOTS

OF POINTS TO COVER? KEEP IT CONSIDER WRITING MORE
THAN ONE EMAIL
SHORT If you need to cover more than 3 main points,
consider writing more than one email This will

AND
ensure your message is clear, that each email is
simple to understand, and it helps your reader
to reply to one topic at a time.
SIMPLE
ASK YOURSELF
Do you prefer more emails with a few main points in each email? Or would you
rather have fewer but longer, more complex emails? Obviously it’s important to
find balance here. Just as you don’t want to send somebody a complex email with
too many items, you also don’t want to overload someone with too many emails.

ASK THE READER

If you are often in contact with somebody (a colleague, a customer etc), why not
ask them how (and when) they prefer emails? Likewise, if you are the reader then
why not share your preferences with the people who regularly send you emails.

STRUCTURE YOUR EMAIL

Keep it simple by using paragraphs, numbering, bullet points and headings. This
means that your reader will find it easier to read the email plus can address points
by number/name.
U
WRITING EMAILS THAT PEOPLE READ
Making your emails
understandable starts with
having an easy to follow
structure. This section will cover
the basics of structuring your
email and then look at two key
behaviors you can focus on.
Business emails have 3 parts:
a beginning (introduction), middle
(body) and an end (conclusion).
BEGIN WITH AN EFFECTIVE INTRODUCTION
Start with a greeting— this really makes a difference. It could be formal
(Dear Ms.), Informal (Hello, Good afternoon), or if you know the reader well
something as simple as “Hi”.
PUT YOUR BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT
Your opening paragraph must clearly contain your reason for writing. This helps
your reader save time and makes it immediately clear to the reader what you
want. Depending on the nature of your relationship, the opening paragraph:
IS A GREAT PLACE FOR A FRIENDLY OR TOPICAL
GREETING
- I hope the project is going well
- It was a pleasure to finally meet you last week
- Hope you had a relaxing weekend
SETS THE SCENE / CONTEXT OF YOUR EMAIL
- Further to our conference call last week
- I’m writing regarding the problems we’ve run into since our last contact
IS A PLACE FOR YOU TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF, IF THE
READER DOESN’T KNOW YOU
- My name is … and I was given your name by Sebastien Blanc
- I’m contacting you to inquire about ...”
U
WRITING EMAILS THAT PEOPLE READ
Share your reason for writing
quickly. By January 2014,
41%of emails were being
opened on mobile devices.
However very few senders are
taking this into account when
writing their emails. Readers
are opening and scanning
emails on the go, and don’t want
to scroll to find the main point.
MAKE THE MIDDLE MATTER
WRITING A CLEAR AND SIMPLE BODY
The most important thing to remember here is to give your reader the information
they need to take whatever action you’re asking of them. Share this information
in a logical, cohesive way. Limit the main points, and use paragraphs, numbering
and bullets to help your reader understand your message.
END CLEARLY
THE IMPORTANCE OF SIMPLE CONCLUSIONS
Emails are best kept short. Your conclusion doesn’t need to recap and summarize
your body. Instead you should make sure any action steps are clear. If you’re sug-
gesting a meeting, propose a date and time. If you’re requesting information for a
project, make sure you explain what you need, why you need it and by when you
need it. And, if you’re just sharing information, remind your reader that he or she
is welcome to ask any questions.
U
WRITING EMAILS THAT PEOPLE READ

TWO KEY
BEHAVIORS WHICH SLOW DOWN
EMAIL IS A FORM OF COMMUNICATION – NOT A TASK TO BE
WILL MAKE SURE YOUR TICKED OFF
If you are sure that email is the best way of communicating (see rule 2) and that

EMAILS ARE EASY TO the reader really needs this information (see rule 3), then you need to slow down
and take the time required. You need to collect your thoughts, to decide what
you want to say, and then it takes time to write your email. By taking the time
UNDERSTAND now, you will definitely save time later on.

REREAD
BEFORE YOU HIT “SEND”
Get into the habit of taking a moment to review your email. Pay careful attention
to the length of your email. Make sure that your email is as short as possible,
without excluding necessary information. Use the SUGAR checklist at the back of
this E-book to help you.

Do not type the email address(es)

in the ‘To’ box until you have
reread your email!
G
WRITING EMAILS THAT PEOPLE READ
The Radicati report concluded
that in 2014, business users
send and receive on average
121 emails a day. With these sort
of numbers flying through our
inboxes, as readers we hope that
the sender knows why they are
writing. Because we want to
know why they are writing.
As the sender you need to make
your emails are goal-oriented.
You should know why you are
writing before you start writing.
THINK BEFORE YOU INK
Most of us know roughly what we want when we start writing – but we don’t
take enough time to clearly think it through. Try writing down keywords or
headings before you start writing the email.
WHAT’S THE PURPOSE, IN 14 WORDS
Before you start writing your email, you should be able to say your purpose out
loud in a simple sentence with 14 words or less.
BLUF: BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT
Your opening must clearly contain your reason for writing. Your main point
should be in your opening sentence. This helps your reader save time and makes it
immediately clear to the reader what you want. Putting your bottom line up front
(BLUF) is best practice.
G
WRITING EMAILS THAT PEOPLE READ
The email subject line is where
writing effective emails begins.
It is the first thing that
your reader sees, and plays
a key part in whether they open
the email immediately,
later or not at all. It’s also likely
that your reader’s inbox is very
full, so a good subject line helps
the reader determine the
priority of your email.
A well-written subject line
delivers the most important
information, without the reader
even having to open the email.
WRITE YOUR SUBJECT LINE FIRST
We either just hit reply, forward or even write nothing at all in the subject line.
An email with a blank subject line isn’t going to get the attention it deserves,
may go unread and will certainly be difficult to find later on.
KEEP YOUR SUBJECT LINE SIMPLE
Be clear, simple and honest. This helps your reader prioritize the email’s
importance without having to open it. It also helps you to build trust with your
reader, as you’ll quickly be seen as somebody who is clear, open and
reader-oriented.
USE OBVIOUS KEY WORDS AT THE BEGINNING
A typical inbox reveals about 60-70 characters of an email’s subject line. HOW-
EVER today more than 50% of emails are read on mobile devices. This means
you’ve got 20-30 characters to get it right. Place the most important words at the
beginning!
DON’T CRY WOLF
Think carefully about how often you want to use words such as URGENT, NEED
HELP, PRIORITY etc. If you use them too often in your subject lines, you should be
prepared that when you really need to draw attention to your email, your reader
won’t be interested.
REREAD THE SUBJECT LINE
Before you send your email, check that your subject line accurately reflects what
you wrote, that the key words are upfront and your subject line will be easily
searchable.
A
WRITING EMAILS THAT PEOPLE READ
Considering who you are
communicating with, and the
situation at a whole, is at the
heart of all effective
communication.
Remember that 64% of
professionals said email has
caused tension, confusion, or
other negative consequences for
them and their colleagues.
The key challenge here is getting
the right tone (tone means the way
your writing “sounds” to the
reader). Just because you write
your email in “a certain way” it
doesn’t mean your reader will
automatically understand it in the
same way.
IS YOUR TONE APPROPRIATE TO
- Your relationship with the reader?
- The situation you are writing about?
- Email as a form of communication?
BE POLITE
Keep in mind that what is seen as “polite” is highly dependent upon your cultural
background. What may sound polite to one culture may be considered less so by
another. Likewise a “polite” email, can be misread as being too distant, indirect,
insincere or non-committal. If you aren’t sure, it’s better to be polite than not (but
then again I’m British so this is culturally biased). If you are reading an email give
the sender the benefit of the doubt before deciding they are being intentionally
rude. This is especially important if one of you is working in a foreign language.
BE CAREFUL WITH HUMOR
Tone is everything when it comes to humor. In particular, irony and sarcastic
humor just doesn’t work in emails.
BE AWARE OF THE LANGUAGE YOU ARE USING
- Unless you're on good terms with someone avoid slang
- Be careful about using jargon, abbreviations and acronyms
- If you are a native English speaker writing to non-native speakers be
aware of the problems that expressions (idioms) and phrasal verbs ( take
up, take over, etc) can cause. Avoid them when possible. Keep your
language as simple and clear as possible
A
WRITING EMAILS THAT PEOPLE READ
“Email is quick, efficient, and
you don’t have to wait around for
the other person to have time for
you. You can just get on with your
job – what’s the problem?”
The “problem” is that this
“isolation” means that we can no
longer rely on valuable non-
verbal information like facial
expression, body posture,
gestures, and voice tone to
interpret and predict other
people’s behavior. It means that
you are writing your email and
hoping that the reader will
understand it in the same way you
meant it.
ACCEPT THAT EMAILS ALWAYS HAVE A TONE
Tone means the way your writing “sounds” to the reader. Writing your email a
certain way doesn’t mean that your reader will automatically understand it that
way. Your reader will remember the emotional tone of an email much longer and
more vividly than the content.
DECIDE HOW FORMAL YOU WANT TO BE
Because we send and receive so many emails we tend to think that emails can be
less formal than traditional letters. The way you write can be seen as a reflection
of your own professionalism, intelligence, values, and attention to detail.
SOME MESSAGES NEED NON-VERBAL CUES
We fill in the blanks when we aren’t sure what the person sending the message
intended. Strangely enough we generally don’t fill in the blanks with positive
intentions. In fact, studies show we generally assume the worst. This can lead to
misunderstanding, frustration, damaged relationships, and poor business
decisions. Scary, isn’t it? Remember rule 2; Don’t overuse email.
REMEMBER THAT YOUR READER MAY NOT BE IN
THE SAME MOOD AS YOU
Try to think about how the reader could interpret it. If you think there’s a chance
your intentions or emotions could be misunderstood, find a less ambiguous way
to phrase your words. Then rewrite any sentences which you think may be
potential problems – or pick up the phone.
A
WRITING EMAILS THAT PEOPLE READ
Getting the tone right in an email
is one of the hardest things to do.
If you’re writing in a foreign
language it’s even harder.
If you are not sure about the tone
of an email you are sending, have
someone else read it and give you
feedback before you send it. If no
one else is available, save the
email in your draft folder and
come back and re-read it later.
TAKE THE TIME THE EMAIL DESERVES
Spend time thinking about your choice of words, sentence length, punctuation,
letter case, sentence length, opening, closing and capitalization.
BE CAREFUL WHEN USING CC'S AND BCC'S
People can interpret them in different ways and read meaning into who was and
was not copied.
KEEP IN MIND
- DON’T TYPE IN ALL CAPS – EVER! It’s the same as SHOUTING at
somebody.
- Don’t overuse punctuation!!!!!!
- Be cautious about using bold, underlining and color.
MOST IMPORTANTLY
See rule 2; Don’t overuse email. Know when to pick up the phone or meet
face-to-face to discuss an issue.
A
WRITING EMAILS THAT PEOPLE READ
If tone is important, then phone!
A 2005 study by two
psychologists ( Kruger & Epley)
found that people are consis-
tently better at interpreting tone
in vocal messages rather than
text-based ones. So much so, that
the chance of interpreting the
correct tone in an email is only
56% - just slightly better
than tossing a coin!
So what does this mean?
Well, perhaps just pick up the
phone, says Epley: "E-mail is fine
if you just want to communicate
content, but not any
emotional material."
IN ONE EXPERIMENT, THE RESEARCHERS TESTED
30 PAIRS OF STUDENTS
Each participant received a list of 20 statements about day to day topics. One
member of each pair read their statements into a recorder, taking either a sarcas-
tic or serious tone. The other member emailed the statements. The participants
also noted whether they thought their partners would correctly interpret each
statement's tone. The participants then listened to or read their partners' state-
ments, guessed the intended tone and indicated how confident they were in their
answers.
BOTH GROUPS PREDICTED ABOUT A 78%
SUCCESS RATE
Both the emailers and those who recorded their messages were highly confident
that their partners would correctly detect their tone. The partners got the tone
correct for recorded messages about 75% of the time. The partners who read the
statements over email only a 56% success rate.
THE PARTICIPANTS WHO RECEIVED THE MES-
SAGES WERE NO BETTER AT PREDICTING THEIR
OWN SUCCESS!
Both the listeners and the readers guessed that they had correctly interpreted the
message's tone 90 percent of the time.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
(Vol. 89, No. 5, pages 925-936)
R
WRITING EMAILS THAT PEOPLE READ

The Radicati Group

estimate that “ Business users
send and receive on average 121
emails a day in 2014, and this is
expected to grow to 140 emails a
day by 2018.”
Rule 3; Don’t over communicate:
One of the biggest sources of
RELEVANT MEANS:
- You know why you are sending this email to this reader
- You know why you are copying each person into this email
- Your reader knows why they are receiving / being copied into this email
- You’ve kept to the main points
- Your email is as short as possible and as long as necessary
- The right information is included, and the information is correct
- You’ve used attachments for detailed information, helping your reader to
understand the main points in the email quickly and allowing them to look
at the details at a more convenient time.

stress at work is the sheer volume

of emails that people receive.
So, before you even begin writing
an email, always take a few
seconds and ask yourself:
"Is this really relevant?".
WRITING EMAILS THAT PEOPLE READ

THE SUGAR
CHECKLIST FOR
S
IMPLE
- Is my language simple?

WRITING EMAILS - Do I have too many main points?

- Are my sentences short?
- Would paragraphs, spacing, numbering and headings help?

U
THAT PEOPLE WANT NDERSTANDABLE

TO READ - Do I have a beginning, middle and end?

- Does my beginning contain my reason for writing?
- Does my end make the action points clear?
- Do I have a greeting and goodbye?

G
OAL-ORIENTED
- Do I know why I’m writing this email?
- Is my subject line strong and clear enough?
- Am I sharing my reason for writing at the very beginning?

A
PPROPRIATE
- Is my language appropriate to my reader?
- Am I clear how formal and polite I should be?
- Have I checked the tone? Have I double-checked the tone?
- Should I just pick up the phone?

R
ELEVANT
- Do I know why I’m sending this email to this person?
- Will this person understand why they are receiving this email?
- Is the right amount of information included (content and context)?
- Are my attachments useful and relevant?