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How to write a business email to someone you've never met
A cold business email to a stranger is one of the hardest professional messages to get right. Too formal and it reads like a form letter; too casual and it undermines your credibility.
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How to write a business email sign-off for difficult situations
Standard sign-offs fall flat when the email itself carries bad news, a complaint, or an awkward request. Here's how to close difficult business emails in a way that fits the message.
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How to write a business email greeting line
The greeting line of a business email does more than open the message. It sets the register, signals formality, and shapes how the rest of the content lands. Here's how to choose the right one.
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How to write a business email BCC line correctly
The BCC field in a business email is the most misunderstood of the three recipient lines. Used correctly, it protects privacy and keeps inboxes clean. Used carelessly, it creates trust problems that are hard to undo.
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How to write a business email CC line correctly
The CC line in a business email looks like a small decision, but getting it wrong creates confusion, resentment, and cluttered inboxes. Here's how to use it with precision.
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How to write a request email that gets a yes
A request email lives or dies on how clearly you frame the ask and how easy you make it to say yes. Here's a practical structure that works across almost every professional situation.
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How to write a professional email salutation
The salutation in a professional email does more work than most writers realise. Get it right and your reader is already on your side before the first sentence begins.
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How to write a business email body that gets results
The opening line and sign-off get plenty of attention, but the body of a business email is where most messages succeed or fail. Here's how to write one that's clear, direct, and easy to act on.
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How to write a business email subject line for internal emails
Internal emails are the most neglected writing in any organisation. Most people dash off a subject line without thinking, and colleagues pay the price in missed actions and slow decisions.
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How to write a business email closing sentence
The closing sentence of a business email is the last thing your reader processes before the sign-off. Get it right and you guide their next move. Get it wrong and you leave them unsure what to do.
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How to write a business email opening line
The opening line of a business email is the first thing your reader sees after the subject line. Get it right and the rest of the message lands; get it wrong and you've already lost them.
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How to write a business email sign-off that fits
Your email sign-off is the last thing a reader sees before your name, and it shapes how the whole message lands. Here's how to pick the right closing phrase every time.
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How to write a project kickoff email that sets the right tone
A project kickoff email is the first message a team receives about a new piece of work. Get the structure and tone right and you set up clear expectations from day one.
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How to write a status update email that people trust
A status update email is easy to write badly and hard to write well. Get the structure, tone, and level of detail right and your readers will stop asking follow-up questions.
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How to write a meeting recap email people actually read
A meeting recap email is only useful if people read it and act on it. Here's how to write one that captures decisions clearly, assigns ownership, and doesn't get buried in the inbox.
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How to write a follow-up email after no response
A follow-up email after no response is one of the most delicate messages in professional life. Get the timing, tone, and wording right and you'll hear back. Get them wrong and you'll push the reader further away.
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Replying to a rude email professionally
A rude email can trigger an instinctive reply that makes everything worse. Here's how to respond professionally, keep your credibility intact, and actually resolve the situation.
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Subject lines that get your email opened
A great subject line is the difference between an email that gets read and one that gets deleted. Here's what professional subject lines do differently, and how to write one every time.
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How to write a condolence message at work
A workplace condolence message needs to be warm without overstepping, personal without being intrusive. Here's how to write one that genuinely helps.
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How to accept a job offer via email or letter
Accepting a job offer in writing is your first piece of professional communication with a new employer. Get the structure, tone, and wording right from the start.
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Out of office: how to write one that actually works
An out of office message does more than tell people you're away. Written well, it protects your professional reputation and gives senders exactly what they need.
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With best regards: how and when to use it
With best regards is a staple of professional email, but it's often used on autopilot. Here's what the phrase actually signals and how to choose the right closing for every situation.
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Please see attached: better ways to say it in email
Please see attached is one of the most overused phrases in professional email. It works, but you can do better. Here's when to keep it and when to replace it.
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Please advise: when to use it and better alternatives
Please advise is everywhere in professional email, but it often frustrates the people who receive it. Here's what the phrase actually signals and when a more specific alternative works better.
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Is "To Whom It May Concern" still ok to use?
Few salutations carry as much baggage as "To Whom It May Concern." It's not wrong, exactly, but in most modern professional contexts there are sharper, warmer options.
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E-mail or email: which spelling should you use?
E-mail or email? The hyphenated form was once standard, but the spelling landscape has shifted decisively. Here's which form belongs in your business writing today.
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Re: what does "re" mean in emails and letters?
The word "re" appears at the top of letters and in email subject lines every day, yet most writers aren't sure what it actually means or where it comes from. Here's the full picture.
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Tips for writing gender-neutral emails
Gender-neutral emails aren't just a courtesy. They're clearer, more professional, and more likely to land well with every reader. Here's how to write them without making your prose awkward.
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There's no excuse for "Dear Sir or Madam"
Reaching for "Dear Sir or Madam" is a reflex that belongs in a different era. There are better options for every situation, and they take less effort than you'd think.
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Do email "thanks" and "please" help or provoke you?
Email pleasantries like "thanks" and "please" can read as warm or as hollow filler, depending on exactly how and where you use them. Here's how to tell the difference.
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To CC or not to CC: that is the question
Every email you send forces a small decision: who gets copied in, and who doesn't? Getting that call right is more consequential than most people realise.
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How to address multiple people in an email or letter
Addressing multiple people in an email or letter is one of those small decisions that reveals a lot about your professional polish. Here's how to get it right without overthinking it.
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Follow up on, follow up with: which phrase to use
Writers stumble over "follow up on" and "follow up with" more than you'd expect. The choice comes down to whether your sentence points at a thing or at a person.
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Greetings and salutations: which to use and when
Greetings and salutations are the first words your reader sees, so getting them right matters more than most people think. Here's how to choose and punctuate them correctly every time.
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Thank you in advance: when to use it and when to skip it
Thank you in advance is one of the most debated phrases in business writing. Used carefully, it's warm and efficient. Used carelessly, it can put readers' backs up before they've even agreed to help.
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How to format p.s. in an email or letter
P.S. is one of the most misformatted lines in business writing. Here's exactly how to write it, where to place it, and when it's worth including at all.
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The problem with "not a problem" as a reply
When someone thanks you, replying "not a problem" sounds helpful. In business writing and professional conversation, it's quietly doing the opposite.