Business email etiquette - 6 tips to get the most wanted response

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6 Business Email Etiquette Tips To Get The Most Wanted Response From Clients

It helps to learn some basic business email etiquette when you rely largely on emails to communicate with your clients and various other contacts as a freelance translator.

Although convenient and fast, when used inappropriately, what you write in an email can scare away your potential clients and cause unnecessary misunderstandings and even problems.

While large companies may have email protocols in place, solopreneurs such as yourself may have to rely on self discipline. Remember – emails can be a great marketing tool for your freelance business. So proofread every outgoing email carefully before you hit the SEND button.

Here are a few business email etiquette tips to boost your positive feedback.

1- Be courteous

It’s easy to get used to the casual setting of emails especially when everyone is so stingy with words in their emails these days. Don’t worry about what others do, just make sure all your emails are properly laid out and well versed. Be as polite as you can in your email.

Always address someone as “Mr." or "Ms.” when you first contact them unless you are told otherwise. It’s always safer to be on the formal side than to be overly casual.

2- Be clear and short

Most people in business are very busy people. They don’t have lots of time and their attention span is limited. Your email has to be right to the point in the first few sentences. If you dance around, people will lose interest and your email probably won’t get read soon enough. Brevity is much appreciated business email etiquette in business.

3- Write an eye-catching subject

Most people scan the content when they read online and that includes emails. So it’s extremely important to tell people what your email is about in the subject line. If your subject line spells boring and bland your email probably won’t get read.

A subject line of “Hi” or “Hello” may lead people to confuse your email with spam. It’s also a courtesy to let people know ahead of the time what to expect in your email. If it’s a string of the email you are corresponding with someone, just keep the subject line unchanged and leave the whole email string in your reply. That saves both your and the other party’s time to check for reference.

4- Use proper grammar

The use of popular twitter site may have changed the way how people communicate with each other. While it may not be uncommon to use gr8t instead of “great” in an email, you don’t have to follow that trend. The truth is- translators are in the language business. You do need to show leadership in that regard.

It’s ok to add some personal touch to your emails, but using proper English is always the best business email etiquette. Remember, your email is not just a fast way to communicate with your clients, but also a powerful marketing tool to showcase your skills and abilities. Good use of language always helps a person stand out from the crowd.

5- Leave plenty of white space

As we all like to scan when we read online, it’s a great practice and business email etiquette to write short sentences. Ideally there should be no more than 3 sentences in each paragraph. You should also leave some space between two paragraphs.

Try to use a list or bullet layout with lots of white space on both sides. It’s easier on the eyes and people are more likely to enjoy reading your emails that way.

6- Give someone a reason to respond

Personally I find asking questions such as “Am I wrong?” “Did I miss anything?” etc. at the end of my email encourages people to respond.

Also you have to be careful with jokes and sarcasm. As everyone’s humour cell works and reacts differently. Some people may take it literally and miss the actual meaning and therefore may even be offended. Many people won’t necessarily ask for clarification. And that can cause a lot of trouble for you. So hold your laughs and save your joke for another time when you are not sure.

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