Common professional email mistakes and how to avoid them

When you send a professional email, your email is competing with an average of 120 others each day for the attention of your recipient. In order to win this attention and earn trust in you and the contents of your message.

It is imperative that your message is mistake-free and stands out as a well-written professional email.

We’ve compiled list of professional email mistakes (and how to avoid them) so you can gain your recipient’s trust.

Imperfect spelling/grammar

The most important mistakes to avoid when sending a professional email are also the most common types of mistakes. Spelling and grammar mistakes immediately diminish your intellect and professionalism in an email,

Unnecessarily long emails

Professional emails should be as clear and to the point. Think of every sentence you write as essential to capturing the reader’s attention and getting what you want out of the email

Improper use of “reply all”

We’ve all heard tales of the dreaded accidental “reply all,” when an email response that is aimed for one person in particular ends up going to an entire team or company. To avoid including unnecessary recipients (and potential embarrassment), make sure to check the others that received the email and make sure that you are sending your reply to the correct recipient(s).

Sending to the wrong recipient

Before sending a professional email, especially one with confidential information, ensure that the email is being sent to the correct recipient or recipients of the information you are communicating.

Bad subject lines

Your subject line should be attention grabbing. With the amount of emails a typical office worker receives in their inbox everyday, your email will be competing for the attention of your recipient, and the most visible distinguisher when these emails are piled in an inbox is the subject line.

Vague requests

A common efficiency in professional emails is when the key message or request being made is not made clear in the email’s body. When writing the body of your email, make sure the central point you’re trying to get across is made clear to the recipient.