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Writing a good business email is like navigating a maze. 

Writer's picture: Ali AssarehAli Assareh

Writing a good business email is like navigating a maze. 



If you’re not thoughtful, you’ll create unnecessary pathways and passages for your reader’s mind to wander through. They may even get lost in the maze, and never get to your point. 



How to avoid creating a maze?



1. Your subject line is the first thing your reader sees — use it to identify your goal. 



Ex: Instead of “Updated Sydney Lease Agreement,” say “Updated Sydney Lease — Alice to Review by EOD Thursday”. 



2. The first sentence of your email should be the end point of the maze — not the beginning point. 



We often write emails in the way we think: We start with the background or problem, then our reasoning and process for solving it, then our request from the reader. 



You can still write your email like that; but before you send it, take that last sentence (the request) and move it to the top of your email. This process is called “bottom lining” — you get to the bottom line right away. 



3. Re-read your email and block all the pathways and passages that your reader’s mind may wander through. 



Ex: Instead of “Our Sydney office is small, and we think this is a good time to consider alternatives,” say “Our Sydney office is small (8 desks only), and the facilities team thinks Q3 is a good time to renegotiate our pricing.” (Here you killed the maze pathways to “how small,” “who is we,” “when is now,” and “what’s the alternative?”)



Don’t create mazes for your readers. Light the path for them instead. 


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