Email has become the most common mode of professional communication. Why?
Email brings many of the advantages of sending a letter—plus speed close to or equal to that of a phone call. An email message is noninvasive and almost instantaneous, and it allows recipients time to review the message and respond at their convenience. It also is less intrusive than a phone call.
How confident are you in writing emails? Are you using the best tools to help you? To learn how to write email copy so your message stands out, be sure to attend the power session, Using AI to Write Emails People Want to Open, presented on March 11 at 12:00 pm (ET) by Dana Zificsak, CTIE, Sales and Marketing Consultant, Travel Agent Sales Lab.
For a detailed discussion of business communications in general—and of writing emails in particular—enroll in the Certified Travel Associate (CTA) program today. Check out the Royal Caribbean CTA Incentive for a chance to WIN a stateroom aboard Utopia of the Seas!
How Do You Write an Email Message for Impact?
While email can be used to distribute a variety of business documents, from informal notes to reports, email writers should be aware of basic guidelines. A few are summarized below.
- Use care in determining the contents of the subject line. How specific and concise your subject line is will often determine whether your recipients read your message among the myriad other messages they receive daily.
- Organize your message tightly, with the most important information placed early in your message. Readers like to see key information within the first paragraph. Unlike paper methods of communication, email readers cannot easily glance over several pages to get to the heart of your message.
- Use subheads. For longer messages, present related information in chunks with clearly marked headings to make reading your message easy and efficient.
- Make responding easy. Phrase your message so your reader can reply with a yes, no, or other short response. Ask for a reply at the beginning of your message or even in your subject line. Provide alternate means by which the reader can contact you.
- Strive for clarity. Unclear, rambling, disorganized messages are confusing and boring. Stay focused on your purpose for writing.
- Format the message for readability. Opt for many short paragraphs rather than one long one. Use bullets where appropriate in long lists of items.
- Be polite and somewhat formal. Your greeting should address the reader by name. You should close the message with your name. At first contact, it is better to open with Dear Mr. Wilson than to presume he will be comfortable with Hi, Bob. Of course, after he tells you to call him by his first name, or he signs his response Bob, you always should respect his friendly efforts. It is difficult to start a relationship on a too-familiar note and later try to switch to a formal one.
- Beware of sending an email to the wrong person or prematurely to the right one. You can prevent this by not filling in the email addresses until you are ready to send or by composing the wording in a separate document and pasting it into email.
- Choose an appropriate tone. Use a positive, professional tone whenever possible and reinforce it from the greeting through the closing. Always treat the reader the way you would want to be treated—like a person, not a number.
Emails are business documents that reflect your agency, your brand, and you. Business writing is sometimes difficult, often necessary, and always essential for your success as a travel professional. So, take steps to polish your skills today by enrolling in the CTA!
