You're talking to a client by phone or in person. During the discussion, you discuss many points. Details arise that require deeper analysis. Or, something completely different happens: the other person doesn't have time for a long chat. Both situations described here usually lead to one conclusion: sending an email. But what makes one business email work while others almost immediately end up in the trash? An attractive offer? It certainly influences the outcome. But the devil is in the details. Much depends on the appearance and content of the message you send.
E-mail etiquette, or how to write business emails – 19 most important rules
You might think that "trivial" things like the format of the letter, the font used, and the language you use to write to the client are of little importance. After all, what matters most is whether your offer is good and meets the client's expectations. There's a grain of truth in this statement. Without a good proposition, marketing efforts are less likely to succeed. However, if you put in the effort and prepare your business email according to the principles of modern persuasive communication, your chances of success increase. But what does this mean in practice? We explain.
Business email – why do content and form matter for your sales results?
A business email can be sales content, just like a product description, a sponsored article, or a company website presentation . Therefore, the same rules apply as with the other texts mentioned above. Poorly prepared content:
- reduces the credibility of your brand – if the email contains typos, spelling errors, and the attachment doesn't open, how can anyone trust the quality of your products and take you seriously?
- reduces the readability of the message – even if you have the best offer, if you do not present it clearly and transparently to the customer, your message will not get through,
- may negatively affect the recipient's attitude towards your brand,
- will make the recipient feel like he was not taken seriously – since you didn’t take the time to correct the message, what is your approach towards him?!
Think about how you personally respond to business emails that ooze mediocrity. A poorly prepared email, riddled with errors and typos, is better tossed in the trash rather than sending it out into the world. It could do you more harm than good. Simply put.
(The rest of the article can be found below the form)
What should you pay attention to when sending a sales email?
First things first: a business email isn't just a regular letter. Online etiquette differs from traditional email. The style of the message is also different. It doesn't have to be overly sophisticated or overly formal (although maintaining a proper distance from the recipient, and therefore, certain linguistic rules, is advisable). However, it should be clear. It's also important that the message is:
- transparent – both in terms of graphic form and medical content,
- concise enough – provide only the key information, without dwelling on irrelevant details,
- personalized – i.e. addressed to a specific person/company (even if you write based on a general template),
- linguistically correct and free from typos.
Let's discuss all the key elements – both formatting and language-related, as well as technical aspects.
Having trouble coming up with a subject line, you type something like "Hello," "Good morning," "Materials," "Offer," or, even worse, leave it blank? This is one of the most common mistakes you can make. Why? For two reasons. First, such an email might end up in your spam folder, meaning it won't reach the end user. Second, the potential client might ignore it because, in their own busyness, they won't connect the conversation with the email they received. So what can you replace these awkward subject lines with? Something specific. For example, "Company XYZ – confirmation of a meeting date regarding Y," "Brand XYZ – offer of cooperation." Such subject lines will immediately let the recipient know what you're talking about. This increases the likelihood that they'll read the message. Of course, these types of subject lines are effective when the recipient is waiting for such a message.
It says almost as much as the subject line. It's unacceptable to send messages with a username that's a nickname used in private. How would you react to a serious business message sent by, say, "Kasiulek" and not "Katarzyna Nowak"? Exactly. The best sender name is a combination of the sender's first and last name, and the name of the company they represent.
How to begin an email? Is "witam," which has become a staple in Polish emails, truly correct? As linguists point out, it's perhaps not so much incorrect as unfortunate. A person who uses this form places themselves in a higher position than the recipient. Besides, greetings are more appropriate in situations like home or company headquarters, not online, where neither the sender nor the recipient are de facto hosts. So what can replace the unfortunate "witam"? Certainly not the overly familiar "Hi" or a direct "You." There are at least a few suitable options. These could include:
- “Good morning” – a fairly universal and semi-formal form of addressing the recipient, which I personally use always and everywhere – regardless of who is on the other end,
- “Dear Sir/Madam” – very formal, but appropriate, especially when it is the first contact with the recipient,
- "Mr. / Mrs. [name]," if you feel you can afford such a semi-formal, slightly confidential address. This is often the best solution, especially if the email was preceded by a phone call.
- Punctuation.
The rules for using commas and other punctuation marks in Polish aren't simple. The point isn't to be hyper-correct, but to avoid truly glaring errors and irritating habits. Which ones?
Do you put an ellipsis after every other sentence, and for no reason at all? It doesn't look good and gives the impression that you're constantly pondering something. Delete it. End of sentence. One period.
- Excessive exclamation points
Don't shout in your emails. A business email is no place for shouting. Periods will look much better than an exclamation point, or, oh my god, five exclamation points. Also, forget about duplicating question marks (e.g., ??, ???????) and similar unnecessary "embellishments" of questionable quality. It's better to replace the exclamation point at the beginning of a message with a comma. Don't forget that every sentence should end with a period and begin with a capital letter. This is an absolute basic, which some people – in the age of instant messaging – seem to forget. And this is truly important from the perspective of email etiquette.
In your sales message, no one expects you to use flowery language, like Eliza Orzeszkowa's "On the Niemen" or Jan Kochanowski's poetry. Quite the opposite. This would only disrupt communication. However, remember to:
- Before sending the text, check whether your email program has highlighted any spelling errors in red – blatant ones will undermine the value of your message,
- read what you have written carefully – this way you will eliminate equally glaring grammatical errors,
- avoid incorrect and unnecessary language calques, e.g.: "today / as of today" (better: today / currently), "only and exclusively" ("only" or "solely" is enough), "in any case" (correct: "in any case").
- Emoticons and business email
Should I use it or not? Basically, it's not recommended. Emoticons trivialize the message and take away from its seriousness. And you don't want to seem flippant, do you? So even if you're tempted to include a "smile" in your message, refrain. It's acceptable in an email to a colleague or someone you've been corresponding with on a less formal basis for a while, but definitely not in your first sales message.
Just as important as starting an email well is ending it well. How do you do this? There are several commonly accepted options, including:
- less formal: "regards", "greetings", etc.,
- more formal: "yours sincerely", "yes, with best regards".
- Door foot
A professional email should include an address footer that includes:
- name and surname of the sender,
- his contact details (especially telephone number and e-mail address),
- company details,
- confidentiality clause,
- Correct recording of the recipient's personal data.
One of the most irritating things for an email recipient, and one that can disqualify your email from the start, is incorrectly addressed. If you're writing to Piotr and the email begins with "Mr. Paweł..." or you misspell the recipient's name, you're making an unforgivable mistake that will be difficult to recover from. Sure, some people will laugh at it, but others will take it personally, and you'll lose the chance to sign a lucrative contract. So, ideally, double- or triple-check that you've addressed your message correctly.
In a sales email, avoid sarcasm, irony, and double entendres. Attempting to sound humorous could be misinterpreted. Also, remember to:
- avoid filling the message with negative words and phrases – even if terms like “mistakes”, “loss”, “disadvantages”, “losses”, “no” do not relate to your offer, they can create a general negative impression,
- Avoid an overabundance of adjectives – overly descriptive language, full of enthusiastic expressions like "fantastic," "best," "excellent," "excellent," "perfect," etc., can be perceived as suspiciously persuasive and therefore less credible. Stick to the specifics,
- try to imitate the recipient's style – if you sense during the conversation that you are dealing with a specific person who is heading straight to the point, do not write a message of several thousand words,
- Formatting and fonts.
Highlighting key content elements with slightly larger, bolder, and "colored" fonts is acceptable, even advisable. Provided you do it sparingly and only highlight key information. If you overdo it with colors, different fonts, and their emphasis, instead of drawing attention to a specific part of the email, you'll create a sense of chaos. And that can only end in one way: your business email will end up in the trash. So, make sure to:
- clear division of content into paragraphs,
- the use of bullet points – clear content that can be quickly scanned, increases readability,
- choosing a professional font (leave Comic Sans and similar ones to the kids),
- displaying key fragments (e.g. information about the date and time of the meeting or the amount of the discount) using a formatting tool.
And if you paste information into an email from another file or a website , make sure the formatting is unified.
Forget pasting long, unsightly addresses. Replace them with either hyperlinks (e.g., active fields like "click here" / "this article" / "our catalog," etc.) or shortened addresses.
If you include attachments in your email, remember to:
- inform about it briefly somewhere in the body of the email,
- make sure you include the right messages (e.g., about a specific client and not someone else),
- make sure that the files are attached to the message (the problem may occur when you redirect the email - then the attachments may not be forwarded automatically).
Also pay attention to:
- attachment format – standard formats, such as PDF, are better than compressed ones, such as zip, which may also be blocked by the anti-spam filter,
- attachment size – it is better to save large files in the cloud and send a link to it rather than attaching them directly to the email,
- Correct completion of fields in the e-mail form.
In addition to entering the recipient's address and subject line, you can complete several additional fields. The most important are:
- CC – meaning "for the record." In this field, you can enter the address of the person receiving the email (in addition to the recipient). This could be, for example, your immediate supervisor. Remember that the information about who is included in the "CC" field also goes to the recipient. Therefore, you shouldn't include other recipients of the sales email here if you're sending it "in bulk."
- BCC – a hidden "carbon copy," meaning the message will also be sent to the addresses entered in this field, but the recipient will not be aware of it. This is where the addresses of all recipients of the "bulk" message can be sent – this way, you will also comply with GDPR requirements.
Also remember to select the appropriate response option for emails sent to a wider group of recipients in the "CC" category.
- If you select the "reply" option, your message will be sent only to the sender, not to other participants in the thread.
- If you select "reply to all" – all people in the "CC" field will receive your email.
- Business email and its forwarding.
Forwarding a business email to a third party is sometimes a convenient way to convey specific information. But be careful. Not every email is suitable for forwarding. Those containing confidential information, such as trade secrets or private comments, should not be sent to unauthorized individuals. However, if you believe forwarding an email is a good decision, remember to:
- provide an additional, short comment at the beginning – so that the recipient knows what it is about,
- make sure that attachments added to the original version are re-attached (if needed),
- optionally change the message subject – to start a new discussion thread,
- Email response time.
How do you feel when you send someone an email and they haven't responded for days or even a week? Ignored? A lack of response is an unforgivable blunder in communication, especially business communication. When should you respond? There are certain unwritten rules. For example, to an email from:
- direct colleagues should respond within approximately 12 hours – the sooner the better,
- employees of other departments – preferably within 24 hours,
- external contact – the sooner the better, especially if it's a client or contractor. Ideally, within 24 hours.
Remember: if you anticipate that providing comprehensive information in a message will take longer, you can send a preliminary response. In it, confirm that you received the email and inform them that you will address its content by… and then provide a specific deadline. Be realistic and stick to it.
Going on vacation? Do you know you won't be able to receive or respond to work emails for an extended period? That's no excuse for not responding. To maintain transparent communication with clients and colleagues, you can set up an autoresponder. This is a message that will automatically be sent to anyone who sends you an email while you're unavailable. When composing it, remember the following:
- this solution is needed when you will be away for a longer period of time (minimum 2 days) – with a 1-day holiday, setting an autoresponder will cause communication chaos,
- you should inform us about the dates on which you will be absent and how the sender of the email can contact your company – for example, indicate a specific colleague and provide their telephone number/email address (after agreeing this with that person and/or their supervisor),
- You should not include too long explanations of why you are absent – a short one will suffice: "I am on vacation from... to...." You should not write where, with whom and why,
- Confirmation of receipt.
Want to make sure your message has reached its recipient? Instead of sending multiple emails asking if the information has been received, enable delivery confirmation in your email program settings. This way, the recipient can confirm with a single click. And if your email directs recipients to, for example, a landing page with an offer, set up tracking there, and you'll automatically receive notifications when the hyperlink is clicked.
- Sending emails from your phone
Sending emails from your smartphone? There's nothing wrong with that. However, make sure you remove this information from the email footer – sometimes it's added automatically, completely unnecessary. Maintain a consistent email format, regardless of the device you use. While at first glance there may seem to be many rules governing business emails, in reality, it only takes one practice to make them a habit. Use them to communicate with your customers more effectively and in the most appropriate way. It simply pays off.
Business Email FAQs
The safest and most professional way to address someone is with the formal "Dear Sir/Madam" or the more neutral "Good morning" (especially in regular communication). In business correspondence, the word "Witam" should be strictly avoided, as in Polish linguistic tradition, it implies the sender's (host's) superiority over the recipient (guest).
The subject line should be concise, specific, and precisely define the email's content (e.g., "Request for quotation – SEO campaign," "Summary of the May 12.05 meeting"). This allows the recipient to immediately understand the issue, making it easier for them to prioritize tasks and later search their inbox. Never send emails without a subject line.
Content must be clear and easy to scan. It's worth following the inverted pyramid principle – placing the most important information and the purpose of the contact at the very beginning. Longer blocks of text should be divided into short paragraphs and bullet points should be used.
In very formal and official contacts, it is best to use the phrase "Sincerely yours" or "Sincerely." In lighter, everyday business communication (especially with people with whom we are in regular contact), the most common and fully acceptable phrase is "Best regards."
First, files should have logical names that indicate their content (e.g., "Invoice_05_2023.pdf" instead of "file_1234.pdf"). Second, it's always a good idea to mention in the body of the message that an attachment is included. Also, pay attention to the size of the files being sent – for very large files, it's better to use a cloud storage service (e.g., WeTransfer, Google Drive) and send a link.
Your footer is your virtual business card. It should be consistent across your entire company and include basic information: first name, last name, job title, full company name, and contact information (phone number, office address). It's also a good idea to include a link to your website or LinkedIn profile.
Business etiquette dictates that emails should be responded to within 24 hours on business days. If a resolution to an issue requires more time, it's good practice to send a short message confirming receipt and informing the recipient when they can expect a full response.
Summary
The above article covers the following topics:
- Detailed rules for creating business emails, including technical, linguistic, and communication elements
- The impact of email quality on brand credibility and sales results
- Features of a professional message: clarity, conciseness, personalization and linguistic correctness
