How to write a good business email in the trades industry
In the trades industry, more and more communication is being done via email and even channels like Facebook messages (see figure below). So how do you write a great business email? Use these tips from our CEO to keep your communications professional and improve your quote vs work ratio.
These days, I spend far more time writing up emails than I do on the phone. And every time I write an email I wonder whether it is as effective as a telephone call? Of course, there are definite positives to email (you can get it right first time and think about what to say before you have to say it, it's a formal record, it's mostly convenient for your customers to answer at their leisure...) there are also some pitfalls to avoid to ensure that email is an effective communication medium. Here's a quick guideline and some advice for you based on my experience both as a working professional and having seen some shocking email communication!
1. Include an informative and relevant subject line
Usually, the subject line is the first thing that the customer will see. I saw a great example once - "Quote for your bathroom renovation from Johnny* @ Quality Bathroom Reno's". It struck me that the name and business name was somewhat unnecessary because the email address was "johnny@qualitybathroomreno.com.au" but really, the only extra relevant thing you might want to include in that subject line is the headline price. We wouldn't recommend including the price unless the job is simple and there isn't more than one option that affects the cost.
Stay away from leaving the subject line blank, and as a guideline for what your subject should be - write your email first then your subject is your 'summary' of what's included. "Quote and paperwork for your bathroom renovation - quote expires next week" is a good one because it also highlights the expiry and will hopefully also inspire quicker action because the deadline is front of mind whenever the customer looks at their inbox.
2. Write plainly
The principles of writing in plain business english are logical but sometimes we get caught up in trying to over-explain or sounding super-professional and end up giving the impression that we're speaking to royalty! Here are the principles of plain writing.
- Use contractions. Write 'don't' or 'won't' rather than 'do not' or 'will not'.
- Keep sentences short. Aim for 9 - 15 words at most - split sentences if necessary.
- One idea per paragraph. For short emails with one idea, a heading isn't usually necessary but can look very professional.
- Give your paragraph's headings - if you have one idea per paragraph, it will be easy to put a heading to each paragraph. Headings can make an email feel more formal but it's professional and improves the customer's reading as they can scan the headings and focus on the relevant information more quickly.
- Use lists or bullets. As a general rule, if there are more than two choices or items in a list use bullet points.
- Use simple words. Things like 'told' and 'used' are better than 'advised', 'informed' or 'made use of'.
- No jargon or industry lingo. If you must use the jargon or lingo, make sure to explain it in brackets afterwards.
3. Plain but not too casual
The logic of plain business english is that you write colloquially (ie how you speak). But this idea can be taken too far if you write too casually - "Quote fer yers" for example, is way too casual and unprofessional to say the least! Also, 'textspeak' is also unprofessional - "c u at 7, thx"in an email is inappropriate (and is also not a great idea when communicating over SMS).
4. Use personal language
Saying "Our quote for your bathroom renovation"is far more personal than "The quote for the bathroom renovation"and studies have shown that personalised communication increases the likelihood of a sale. Personal pronouns (you, your, your family, our team, etc) should be used in place of 'the, that, this' whenever possible. Using a person's name in the greeting is essential, and if you can use someone's name in the body of the email that's also a plus but sometimes isn't possible or relevant.
5. Use a spell checker but don't rely on it fully
The most common typos are usually words that sound the same like 'they're' vs 'their', and are impossible for a spell checker to pick up. Let the spell checker pick up actually spelling mistakes but you'll still need to check for typos, by using your own eye to edit and look out for these common mistakes. Other things to look for when you edit are:
- Apostophe's in the right place
- Correct capitalisation (especially of your customer's name)
6. Have a professional format, font and signature
For more detail on this particular point, check out my detailed advice in this article.
7. Edit, check and change
And last but not least, re-read your email before you send it and make sure it makes the points or asks the questions you want it to.
NEVER send an email when you're angry. Put it in your drafts and re-read when you're calmer. I had to learn this lesson the hard way a few times but, take it from me, angry emails are always a bad idea!
Source: Nielsen Internet and Technology report (February 2010)
* Name and business names have been changed.
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I agree with this phrase that more and more communication is being done via email.You all points are very effective and interesting.Thanks for sharing this post.
over a year ago by Ella
