When I began college, I was nervous about all the papers I was going to write. But, nothing prepared me for the amount of emails I was going to have to write. Immediately, day in and day out, I was writing emails. Emails to professors, emails to random people, emails to my cat…you get it.
I don’t know if it’s just my major, but I have I mastered writing a good email and quickly. Journalism has forced me to sound professional and like I need something ASAP.
Here are five key components to writing a kick butt email.
1. The Subject Line
Here is your first impression. Do not under any circumstances have, “Hey!” or, “Hi!” in your subject line. People won’t take it seriously. You want them to be like, “Oh, what is this?” when they see your email come through. Most of my subject lines consist of “Possible Interview for ____.” (Fill in the blank as needed.)
Also, the word interview makes people feel important, so it generally works.
2. How To Introduce Yourself
I usually begin my emails with saying my name, that I am from Flagler College and my major. Then, I get into the business part of the email – where I talk about what I want from them.
3. The Body
So, this is the most important part of the email. I try to make myself sound as professional as possible because we all know that I am just a procrastinating student whose article is due in two days. I explain in detail what I need and add an underlying sense of emergency to the message. I am here to get things done.
4. The Sign Off
Adding in a good, “Hope to hear from you soon,” is a good last punch of that “sense of emergency” we were talking about earlier.
“Hope to hear from you soon,” is underlying the message of, "You’re my only source and if I don’t hear back from you, then I might break down." So, you really can’t go wrong with this sign off and a good thank you. People will think you’re not only nice, but also really wanting to talk to them. (But we all know it’s because they’re the only person you can talk to at this point.)
5. Your Signature
This is where your credibility lies. At least, this is where it is for most college students. I’ve seen people with signatures at the end of emails that are like five lines long. Yes, we know you’re the co-president of the knitting club as well as the founder of the Society for Turtle Lovers. But personally, I only put what is relevant in my signature for each email. Usually, this only consists of my name, a line saying I’m a “student journalist” and my phone number.
The phone number is definitely essential if you’re a journalism major because then people will think you’re legit and will call you.
So, don’t take the signature too lightly in your email, but also don’t take it too seriously.
There you have it. Selbe’s guide to writing a kick-butt email. I hope all of you who freak out at the thought of writing an email now feel more confident because of this. Because I can’t believe I just wrote an article on how to write an email.
