Writing a professional email is not complicated, but it can cause some misunderstanding due to confusing interpretations if it is not well written. For this reason, it is essential that you know how to write a message of this type correctly, choosing words well, so that you can effectively convey your ideas.
Know which phrases should be avoided in a professional email:
1. “I hope everything is fine”
Saying that you expect everything to be okay may sound false, especially if you don’t know your interlocutor well. Therefore, in the face of an embarrassing episode with the person in question, the ideal is to arrange a casual meeting, for a coffee, for example, and then show your concern in person. If it is someone you deal with daily, you can also take the opportunity to strengthen your relationship with that person.
2. “I thought I could do it”
The verb “to find” gives the impression of uncertainty. In that case, your professional image may be damaged by the fact that your sentence itself shows incompetence. Therefore, if you are unable, for example, to finish a project on time, avoid using this phrase and choose to explain what happened in another way.
3. “Can I take some of your time away from you?”
If you are sending an email to someone, that person’s time will be taken away anyway. When using this phrase, the impression is that there is nothing concrete to offer in return. So try to change your words to show that your interest is in exchanging ideas and suggestions, while also offering your contribution.
4. “Using your idea about …”
Saying that you are going to use someone’s idea may sound like you are stealing a proposal, being unable to think for yourself. The solution to avoiding this type of disagreement is to make it clear that what a person has suggested can act as the starting point for developing something you have already planned.
Finally, never forget to follow the old maxim “less is more”: few words, simple and recognized by everyone, short phrases and an active voice are essential for you to achieve a greater impact with your email. Long and overly verbose texts are the perfect excuse for the reader to give up reading. So it is best to avoid them.
