The following are seven tips to immediately improve your email. Once you become aware of applying these suggestions, even your overall tone will improve.
1) Keep your email tone consistent and upbeat.
2) Do not begin or participate in flame wars.
3) Remember that “Politeness works even with the rudest of people.” I Ching
4) Refrain from quick replies if an email angers you – allow a cooling down period.
5) Reread messages to verify your intent.
6) Make sure all spelling and syntax checkers are active.
7) Initiate a policy of positive power word utilization. See the list below for inspiration.
Some of my earlier blogs have dealt with torpedo words which can often have an immediate negative effect on the recipient. Similarly, a good choice of certain words, selectively used, can evoke a range of better-received reactions by a recipient. So much of an email is subtle that any positive item can make a difference.
It is well to keep in mind that certain positive, strong or beautiful words each can be best placed in personal, professional or specific email related to other categories. This specific discussion would take much more time and space to be completely addressed in a single blog.
Try a simple test in your next few emails.
The next few times you compose a medium-sized email, before you send each of them respectively, save them first. Go to the list below and see if there is a synonym for a word or two and try substituting it. Read it back and see if it sounds better. If this works, start your own list and incorporate it. Hopefully, within a short time, your emails will improve.
If any reader has some suggested words to append to this list, kindly do post them. Here is the list.
| abundance/abundant | decisive | flexible | precision |
| accomplished | dedicated | fluidity | proven |
| accuracy | devoted | generous | purity |
| adaptability | dexterous | genuine | quality |
| admirable | earnest | graceful | quintessential |
| adroit | effervescent | gracious | reliable |
| agile | elegant | harmonious | resilience |
| affirmative | encompass | imbue | resonant |
| attainable | enduring | independence | resounding |
| auspicious | energy | innovative | sound |
| balanced | envision | iridescent | stalwart |
| brilliance | epiphany | judicious | surpass |
| clarity | epitome | laudatory | tasteful |
| coalesce | equilibrium | lithe | transcend |
| compelling | esteemed | loyalty | transformative |
| confidence | etiquette | magnificent | unfailing |
| conflate | evocative | meaningful | worthiness |
| consistent | exuberant | melodious | zenith |
| cornerstone | faithful | perceptive | |
| creative | far-reaching | plentiful | |
| dazzling | felicity | praiseworthy |
Another way to keep your email positive is to avoid the imperative mood. The imperative mood is defined as a grammatical mood that expresses direct commands or requests. It is also used to signal a prohibition, permission, or any other kind of exhortation.
Using imperative mood, particularly in email, is one of the most easily misinterpreted modes of electronic communication. As has been stated earlier, when face to face, a large percentage of communication is in body language and audible tone or inflection. Imperative statements can be much more easily and accurately interpreted. These actions obviously do not exist with email.
When imperative mood or sentences are used in messages, the reactions are typically quite immediate. These effects will often be the dominant and lasting emotion, no matter what content follows. Unless one is in authority to issue commands or knows the recipient very well, direct imperative sentences should not be used without thought. Some of these (or their close variants) include the following:
- Call me tomorrow (or even more strongly, call me at 7:00 am tomorrow).
- Let’s have a meeting tomorrow.
- You should call me now.
Improve your Netiquette by using beautiful words and staying positive. Remember the 7 Tips to keep your email positive with Netiquette.
Happy emailing and good Netiquette!
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