Most business email is longer than it needs to be.
THE SUBJECT LINE
Say what the message is about, specifically. "Invoice 1043 overdue" beats "Following up". The recipient decides whether to open it from this alone.
THE FIRST SENTENCE
Say what you want. If there is an action, put it first, not after three paragraphs of context.
LENGTH
Short. If it runs past a screen, consider whether it should be a phone call or a document attached with a short covering note.
ONE TOPIC PER MESSAGE
Three requests in one email produce one reply addressing the easiest. Send three messages, or number the questions explicitly.
TONE
Plainer than you think. Email strips tone, so anything that could read as curt often does. Read it back before sending.
PRACTICALITIES
Reply to all only when everyone genuinely needs it Use BCC when emailing a group who do not know each other Check the attachment is attached before sending Never write in anger; save the draft and reread it an hour later
