5 tips for sharper work emails

Read this before hitting send

Author

Bruno Nogueira
June 19, 2023

A very short one today.

Fellow reader Francisco has shared 5 tips for writing sharper work emails.

I don't think I have to sell you on why this is important since you do this multiple times per day.

I'll also not destroy his conciseness with my commentary. His tip speaks for itself:

Here's the tip:

Learn how to write sharp e-mails.

First, they should quickly provide a brief context, so the reader knows the issue right away.

Also:

- Leverage bullets whenever you can, it's easier to read

- Structure your e-mail in blocks (I use a lot the Problem, Approach, Next Steps framework, which usually works really well)

- Learn how to correctly underline and bold your e-mails (a c-level executive should get the key points just by reading what you have highlighted)

- Name owners for each bullets, whenever applicable

- Specify deadlines, whenever you can

This has made my e-mails look super professional, and also get things done way faster.

In the spirit of his tip, here's my next step for you:

If you think your work emails could be more effective, write down these tips on a Post-it note and keep it around for a week or so. Whenever you write a new email, refer to it and build the habit of writing work emails that are sharp.

Keep working smarter.