Writing Better Emails: deSchool Your Skills

Emails serve as a crucial written communication method when nonverbal cues are absent, requiring careful word choice to convey tone and intent.

Apply the golden rule of business communication by centering your reader, turning statements into you-focused messages, and aligning tone, goals, and relationship with your audience.

Explore three key principles of modern email writing: keep messages simple and clear, personalize and humanize your tone, and avoid pompous constructions to better connect with readers and achieve outcomes.

Master the kiss principle to keep business writing brief, clear, and simple. Use short sentences and paragraphs, diagrams, bullets, and visuals to help readers scan and understand quickly.

Explore informal style to write shorter, simpler messages while matching reader expectations and desired outcomes; leverage common abbreviations like OOO, BTW, FYI, and avoid overuse of formal language.

Learn to elevate writing by using strong verbs over noun phrases, reduce nominalizations, and choose action words to convey clarity and impact in professional communication.

Explore how nouns become verbs in English, from 'verby' formations to business usages like inboxing, chairing, hosting, and messaging, and learn when to use or avoid these forms in emails.

Learn to use a blacklist of weak words and replace them with varied synonyms to avoid monotony, improve tone, and clarify ideas in writing.

Master strong words, call a spade a spade, avoid very and weak adverbs, and replace weak verbs with precise, impactful verbs to sharpen your writing.

Learn to remove redundant expressions in emails to prevent miscommunication and improve clarity, with examples like 'actual experience' and 'advanced notice'.

Learn to report speech using verbs like deny, promised, refused, offered, and suggested for emails. Understand linking verbs and patterns like verb plus to infinitive that shorten direct speech.

Explore word building through word formation, focusing on prefixes, suffixes, and compounding; learn how creative compound words and hyphenation boost clarity without overuse.

Master brevity and clarity in email writing by using short, precise sentences, avoiding redundancy, and writing to express ideas simply rather than to impress, so readers understand quickly.

Elevate business emails by replacing stone-age formulations with natural, concise language that builds trust through real people and clear, reader-friendly phrasing.

Identify junk and apologetic expressions in emails and replace them with direct, reader-oriented language that clearly states the purpose, keeps it concise, and asks clear questions.

Master the email structure—from subject and greeting to purpose, main body, and signature—using clear openings, concise main points, and explicit next steps, with attachments, and appropriate salutations.

Master when to use active versus passive voice in emails by considering purpose and reader, balancing clarity, tone, and directness with concrete wording.

Learn to write emails as true partnerships by treating readers as equals, avoiding pompous language, and delivering clear, timely feedback to strengthen relationships.

Explore the etiquette and culture of ccing, including when to use cc and bcc, the risks of reply all, and how to keep the right people informed while protecting privacy.

Craft smart subject lines that are specific, meaningful, relevant, and reader-focused to engage busy readers. Keep them concise, ideally under 40 characters, and reflective of the email content.

Proofread, revise and edit your emails to ensure accuracy and readability. Check grammar, articles, spelling, numbers, and names, and read aloud to catch missing or incorrect information before sending.

Learn how simple politeness rituals and a professional tone in emails save time, remind the reader you respect them, and support polite disagreement and constructive suggestions.