THE ART OF EMAILING

email is the cornerstone of business communication

Social platforms might dominate our personal lives, but in the business world, email isn’t going anywhere. It’s still the standard for formal, trackable, and direct communication—and that’s unlikely to change soon.

Given its daily use and professional nature, applying some essential etiquette and best practices can drastically improve the effectiveness of your emails.

Always begin with a proper greeting

It’s called a greeting for a reason. Just like a phone call, your email should begin with a polite opening. “Dear …” is fine. No need to ask how they’re doing—just get to the point.

Keep it professional and polite

Emails aren’t WhatsApp messages. Treat them as official records of communication. Avoid slang and shortcuts like “thx,” “pls,” or “u.” Saving a second isn’t worth undermining your image.

Watch your language

Spelling and grammar mistakes reflect poorly on you. Use spell check, enable grammar tools, and proofread before sending. If English isn’t your strong suit, Arabic is perfectly acceptable. And if you’re using a translation tool, a quick disclaimer at the bottom is a smart touch.

Stay Concise

Your message should ideally fit into the email preview pane. People don’t enjoy scrolling. If it’s longer, consider attaching a document instead of writing an essay in the email body.

Use short sentences and paragraphs

Most people read emails on their phones. Make your text scannable—short sentences, plenty of breaks. Long paragraphs are hard to follow on a small screen.

Send to the right people only

Avoid mass-emailing everyone in your contacts. Sending irrelevant emails will cause people to ignore yours in the future. Only include those who need to see it.

Use TO, CC, and BCC correctly

“To” is for direct recipients. People you expect to react or take some sort of action.
“CC” is for those who should be in the loop, but not expected to act.
“BCC” is great for large groups when you don’t want a reply-all frenzy.

Don’t trust auto-fill blindly

Auto-fill isn’t perfect. Double-check recipients before hitting send. You’ll avoid awkward mistakes or emails going to the wrong person.

Start A New Thread For New Topics

Don’t recycle old email threads just to keep the same people in the loop. A fresh subject line for each topic makes things clearer and easier to search for later.

Clarify what you expect—up front

It’s helpful to let recipients know from the start what you expect. Something like “Action required by EOD Tuesday” or “FYI only—no response needed” does wonders for clarity.

Skip the read receipt requests

These can be annoying. If you must, ask for a delivery receipt instead. It’s less intrusive and still confirms that your email landed in their inbox.

Go easy on attachments

Attachments over 4–5 MB can be a pain to download. Use file-sharing tools for larger files—especially for recipients with slow connections. Don’t clog inboxes.

Cut the signature in replies

Your full signature isn’t needed in every reply. Once per thread is enough. It keeps the email chain clean and easier to follow.

Dump the legal disclaimers

Everyone knows emails can be confidential, and that attachments are opened at their own risk. Legal disclaimers just clutter your messages—and let’s be honest, nobody reads them. Instead, create a page on your site with all the legal jargon, and add a link to that at the bottom of your email template.

Add a bit of marketing instead

Use your footer space wisely. It's an expensive piece of real estate. Replace disclaimers with a line about your company, its mission, a recent milestone, or a current offer.

Acknowledge emails when needed

If someone sends you something that warrants confirmation—like a job application or a signed document—a quick “Received with thanks” can go a long way. No greeting necessary here, though it won’t hurt.

Choose a business-appropriate font

Avoid Comic Sans or anything flashy. Stick to fonts like Arial or Calibri—clean, professional, and universally supported. And keep your font size readable (10–12 pt is usually best). Custom fonts? Don’t bother—they won’t show up correctly on the recipient’s end.

And finally, remember what email lacks

Email strips away tone of voice and body language. That quick, blunt message might come off cold or rude. When in doubt, soften your words. A little warmth can go a long way—especially when there’s no facial expression or tone to back it up.

Legal Note

This article has been written and posted by Pinnacle Business & Marketing Consulting, LLC. Distribution, copying, and sharing is only authorized and permissible if no changes/ alterations are made to the content and appearance of this publication. Credit must be given to the publisher at all times by including this paragraph in any distribution. This blog article is subject Pinnacle’s Terms & Conditions, and Privacy Policy.