Dear [Friend's name],

Congratulations on your recent success in the inter-school [competition name] competition! I am so proud of you for all your hard work and dedication. I know how much you have put into this, and it is truly inspiring to see your efforts pay off.

I have always admired your passion for [competition topic], and it is evident in the way you competed. You were calm and collected, and you performed flawlessly. I am so happy for you that you were able to showcase your talents and skills on such a big stage.

Your victory is not only an inspiration to me, but to everyone who knows you. You have shown us that anything is possible if we set our minds to it. I am confident that you will continue to achieve great things in the future.

Once again, congratulations on your amazing accomplishment! I am so proud to be your friend.

Best regards, [Your name]

You can also add some personal touches to your letter, such as mentioning specific things that your friend did well in the competition, or sharing a funny or heartwarming story about your friendship.

A letter to a friend would be informal so you can just focus on the content rather than the format something just try to be more personal rather than sounding like a robot

To My dear Friend John

Hey, how have you been ? I recently heard that you won the essay writing inter-school competition. I was so happy for you though I knew you were gonna win. I remember how you stayed up a whole day to get the final essay done. I am sure it was not easy, you probably worked for around 18 drafts and finally came up with this. I was glad that I could read the final draft before you sent it for the competition and to be honest I wanted to announce you the winner at that very moment because your writing was inspirational.

I just want to congratulate you from me and my family by saying that you make us proud. John don't let anyone stop you I know there are many great things waiting for you and this is just a small piece of it . Keep on making me proud

yours truthfully

jacob xoxo

Hi XYZ, (your friend's name)

How are you all doing at home ? Hope your studies are going on well. We have online classes for three subjects each day. How are aunty and uncle doing. Convey my respects to them.

By the way, I would like to congratulate you on getting the First prize in the inter-school oratory competition. I am very happy for you. I also wish to give you a gift for your success. Next time you come over here, I will surely give you one and you must accept it without any fuss. I always wish that you must achieve many more prizes in different competitions. I feel very proud to have a friend like you.

Please come over here to my house, atleast during your next holidays. We can have lots of fun here together and visit many interesting places.

Ok bye, for now. Once again my regards to your parents.

Bye for now, take care.

Your loving friend,

ABC

The following 4 tips took me 3 years of writing to collect, but will only take you 2 minutes to learn. Your writing will be better forever.

Refuse to use the word “thing.”

Each thing can be described in more detail. When we don’t we’re just being lazy. Don’t drown the cake in frosting to avoid baking a new one.

Let a device be a device, a trait be a trait, a feeling be a feeling.

Before: “This is the greatest thing my parents taught me.”

After: “This is the greatest lesson my parents taught me.”

No brackets.

Like “thing,” parentheses only weaken what you actually want to say. If you want to say it, say it. If not, don’t.

Whether it’s the brackets that are unnecessary or what’s in them is for you to decide. But one of the two is. At least 99% of the time.

Probability is on your side when you ditch them.

Before: “You must pass a (ridiculously hard) course.”

After: “You must pass a ridiculously hard course.”

Fewer prepositions.

Many of us need to free up time these days. But time doesn’t go anywhere on its own. Not up. Not down. You don’t have to pull it. You take it. Or make it.

Don’t free up time. Make time. Don’t move out. Just move. You won’t miss out on the concert. You’ll miss it.

Sometimes we even add two unnecessary prepositions to one verb.

Before: “He wants to meet up with Sarah in the morning.”

After: “He wants to meet Sarah in the morning.”

Eliminate redundant references.

The reader arrived from your last sentence. She’ll remember it. Don’t begin the next one with a preposition or injection.

“So” doesn’t say so much, “as before” breaks my flow, “or” repeats the obvious alternative. “Well” means you’re not done thinking, well, take more time to write.

Never reference the end of your previous sentence at the beginning of the next one.

Before: “Writing improves your thinking. With this in mind, I suggest you write daily.”

After: “Writing improves your thinking. I suggest you write daily.”

We’ve known what makes good writing for almost 2,000 years. Often, it takes just a few seconds to improve a sentence. If you want to write a book, that’s still a lot of seconds.

Four tips, two minutes of learning, but a lifetime of discipline to apply them.

Will you find it?

PS: I now teach a whole lot more about writing here.

Image source

We just created a course about how to write customer service emails and those points can be applied with most emails we send to our colleagues or customers.

Here are some things to always remember while writing emails:

• Address the recipient by their name no matter what the tone of the email is (angry or otherwise).
• If the recipient started the conversation, don’t forget to thank them for reaching out.
• Be detailed in your email. Don’t leave your recipient guessing. Link everything that can be linked instead of expecting them to Google stuff.
• Check for grammar (use MS Word or Grammarly), broken links, correct code and attachment.

For a more detailed explanation of these points, watch this video.

You can remember to do a few more things if you want to make your emails memorable to the recipient. Every exceptional email has 5 ingredients.

1. Convenience - Make it easy to read. Use screenshots and format the email so it is easy on the eyes. Make sure that you don’t make the email lengthy. If there is a lot of information you want to communicate, write it as a document and attach it.

2. Anticipation - Predict what the recipient will need next. Anticipate follow up questions and provide answers to them in your email.

3. Simplicity - Don’t fill the email with jargon or technical terms. Write the email in the language your recipients will understand.

4. Personality - Show some of your personality in the email. Even if it is supposed to be formal, some personality will make the email more memorable.

5. Sincerity - Only say things you mean in the email. Insincere emotions in email shows.

For a more detailed explanation of these points, watch this video.

Hope you find these points helpful :)

Every great story starts with a spark of an idea. Have you ever had that one idea that just wouldn't go away? Write it down! Every idea of the imagination has the potential to be a story.

Now, what type of writer are you?

Where do we start when thinking out a story. Is it too easy to say from the beginning? In order to start, you must know the ending of your story. As the renown George R.R Martin says, “There are two types of writers, the architects and the gardeners. The architects plan everything ahead of time, like an architect building a house. They know how many rooms are going to be in the house, what kind of roof they’re going to have, where the wires are going to run, what kind of plumbing there’s going to be. They have the whole thing designed and blueprinted out before they even nail the first board up. The gardeners dig a hole, drop in a seed and water it. They kind of know what seed it is, they know if planted a fantasy seed or mystery seed or whatever. But as the plant comes up and they water it, they don’t know how many branches it’s going to have, they find out as it grows. And I’m much more a gardener than an architect.”

This quote is just a fundamental basis on finding your authorial identity. Are you the type who needs an extensive outline? Then sit down and find your beginning. Write down your ending and fill in the blank that is your middle.

Being an architectural writer sounds tough. That’s why I consider myself a gardener. I know my ending, and I find a suitable beginning that will allow a set of events to lead up to my chosen ending. Sometimes I have to replant my seed and find a new beginning that allows me to implement the other beginning as a different chapter.

I always give credit to my hand. It’s odd, yes, but when I begin writing, I don’t think. My hand just moves and words appear. I usually never know what my middle is going to be, but it somehow always lines up.

Furthermore, my recommendation for starting a story is to find your identity as a writer and just write. If it’s not any good, start over. Start over as many times as need be, but in the end, your experience and practice will prevail, producing you a story.

J.T. Osborne

Do you know what separates the good actors from the great ones?

We always talk about how actors portray the emotions their characters are going through on camera. I.e, how they cry and let their tears flow; how they fume in anger; how they scream in horror etc.

But that’s the easy part.

What’s difficult is to express those emotions without these typical expressions. The best actors have the knack of portraying emotions through only their eyes and body language, with minimum overt facial expressions.

Today, I was rewatching Michael Jackson’s music video on his hit “Who is it.”

In the mini-film, there were 3 main characters — Michael, his Wife/Girlfriend and his Father.

The girl was working as a high-class escort for millionaires behind Michael’s back. His dad saw her going into a man’s room. After he informed Michael and they discovered more evidence of her infidelity, Michael, in his throes of heartbreak, decided to leave the country.

This was the scene as Michael’s Father waved goodbye to him:

He was not crying. He was not frowning. He was just waving. And yet, you can somehow feel every bit of emotion he was feeling. Some would even argue that the sorrow in his eyes far outweighs the impact any amount of tears can deliver.

Then the girl found out that Michael has left:

No tears, no tantrums, no fuss made. Yet, the regret, the remorse, and the grief on her face were evident to anyone who watched the film. It’s almost counterintuitive, how this is even possible.

Sometimes, less is more. Let your audience feel the emotions for you, and you’ll transcend as an actor.

Writing works the same way.

Consider the following two passages about a widow visiting her husband’s grave:

It was this time of the year again.

She stood at this very spot for the 22nd time, staring forward at the dull grey granite that made up his gravestone, the very last physical remnant of her beloved husband.

She traced the words etched on the stone.

‘In living memory of…’

She could never finish reading the epitaph. Not this time. Nor the past 21 times. Her tears would always blur her vision, and she would have to stop. The words felt like knifes, carving those same sentences on the gravestone of her heart. It was too painful to read.

Kneeling down to place the bouquet of flowers next to his grave, she began to cry with the force of a person vomiting on all fours. Her heart bled. Everytime she visited his grave, he took something out of her she didn’t know she had left to give.

And,

It was this time of the year again.

Spring. The scent of sweet pollen danced in the air, the grass just as vividly green as she remembered. It was the 22nd time she was standing on this very spot. Yet, she could never quite get used to this, as she gazed at the stele that was erected in the soil, the gravestone of her deceased husband.

It seemed like just yesterday when their lips met for the first time, their fingers entwined in a bout of passion. She could nearly taste the mint from the gum he was chewing, accompanied by the faint but ever present bitter scent of cigar. It was a sloppy kiss. But it was the best she ever had.

Suddenly remembering what she was here for, she looked down at the bouquet of flowers clasped in her hands. The base of the bouquet was crushed and deformed, her knuckles deathly white against it.

Trying hard to keep the tremble out of her hands, she kneeled down and set the flowers before his grave. A cool breeze blew across the garden of remembrance as her hair frisked in the wind. Amidst the cries of cicadas, she wept silently.

The first passage was easy to write. I just focused on her emotions. And described it as vividly as I could. In other words, I'm telling my readers what the widow was feeling.

I spent much more time on the second passage. I attempted to describe everything but her emotions. I wanted to let my readers feel her emotions for themselves, by focusing on the surrounding ambience, her memories and her actions. A better writer would have pulled it off infinitely better.

Sometimes, less is more. That’s what separate good writers from great ones.

Always remember: Writing is an exercise of both your own sense of empathy as well as the belief in your reader’s sense of empathy. When you give, someone receives.

An email should be polite, informal, and short. It should have 4 or 5 essential components.

1. The sender.

• Good: Jake@Jakemagee.com
• Less good: Jake790337@gmail.com
• Bad: Info@neverheardofit.com

The subject line. This should be a brief summary of the email.

• Good: Hope you can join us for dinner on Saturday 5/12.
• Less good: Join us for dinner.
• Bad: Invitation

2. The greeting: friendly!

• Good: Hi Erica! Hope you're well.
• Less good: To Whom it May Concern
• Bad: [just jump right in, i.e., no greeting]

3. The body

We all know what this is. Once you've drafted it wait a few hours or overnight to send it. If it's tricky, don't create a document that can be used to complicate your life. Call the person and talk on the phone to straighten out the trickiness, then if it's still necessary summarize things in an even shorter email.

4. Sign off. Think informal.

• Good: Thank you. I'll be in touch. Jake [your phone number]
• Less good: Very sincerely yours, your obedient servant, etc.
• Bad: [no sign off. Did I even get the whole thing?]

5. .sig and disclosures and similar stuff. I avoid all this, but if you need it go for it.

That's it!

Know that people at work much prefer it when:

• Each subject gets its own email
• The subject is briefly stated in subject box
• Bullet points used when able
• We break up blocks of text
• Keep it short and to the point
• Replies are in thread and include thread

In the workplace email is used for tracking:

• of workload,
• progress on projects,
• contacts,
• setting up workgroup meetings, agenda, minutes
• interface with other departments and outside organizations.

Sorting by topic is critical to staying organized.
-> Grasping the content quickly is mandatory.

Don't:

• Leave the topic as a mystery
• Clog others inboxes with emails that say "Thanks!"
• Write IN CAPS, WE KNOW THIS IS YELLING, right?
• Use an abundance of exclamation points!!!!!

Best!

Your writing represents who you are personally and professionally, so it’s worth honing your skills. Here are five writing tips to help make writing easier.

Write daily.

A big writing project can feel intimidating if you’re not used to writing regularly. Practice this skill daily to get accustomed to the mental and physical aspects of writing.

Don’t ramble.

Avoid winding twists and turns, and don’t use filler words such as like, really, and you know. Good writing gets to the point and avoids fluff.

Avoid cliche.

Look for overused phrases that can be recast in a fresh and unique way. It’s a common writing tip, but also one of the most ignored.

Put everything in the right order.

We often write in the order that ideas and thoughts come to us, but that’s not always the best way to present your final product.

Proofread thoroughly before you hit SEND.

Typos and grammar gaffes make you look bad. Scan your email and fix errors before sending it. You’ll look your best when your correspondence is mistake-free!

Want to make writing even easier? Sign up for a free Grammarly account to help you find and fix writing errors. Think of it as a helpful friend giving you writing tips.

It is very skilful work to write a professional email. Email is a basic but very important online tool to communicate with each other. The communication may be between co-workers, teacher and student, principal and staff, businessman and client and many more.

Almost all professionals, including academic and professional fields, use this tool to communicate. Below, I discuss some key points of writing a professional email.

Before diving into the topics we must know -

What is Professional Email?

It is a mail that contains a clear topic and is sent professionally in a professional setting. The mail can be for a leave of absence application, job application, knowing something from a professor or teacher, etc.

The mail must be concise and to the topic with a clear tone. It must not contain too many jargon.

Here are some Professional Emails Topics:

1. For asking a professor or teacher for an answer.

2. Attending or scheduling a meeting.

3. Asking for not attending office or school.

4. Replying to a question asked through another email.

5. Explaining something clearly through a positive tone.

It is found that almost 91% of employees of various institutions communicate with their clients through email. So, it is one of the best tools for communication. For example, purchase something and find that the company mails you asking for your feedback about the behaviour of the employee dealing with you at the counter. You will be very glad, and at the same time, the employee will not misbehave with you.

Some characteristics of a professional email:

Whether it's for work or personal use, email is one of our main forms of communication. But how do you make sure your messages are read, remembered, and get the response you want? Here are some tips to crafting professional emails:
A good email starts with a clear subject line that sums up the purpose succinctly.

• Keep it brief. Busy people appreciate emails that respect their time. One concise paragraph is often best.
• Use a friendly, professional tone. Address the reader personally and be polite, even if just to colleagues.
• Bullet point important details. Scanning lists is easy on the eyes.
• Check for typos and grammar. Even one error damages credibility.
• Call to action. Clearly state what response you need (review, approval, feedback etc).

Following these simple guidelines will help your emails land, be understood, and get the desired outcomes!

Source: webmailup.com

Hey buddy,

Follow these five simple steps to make sure your Emails are perfectly professional.

Begin with a greeting :

Always open your email with a greeting, such as

• Dear Kashyap

If your relationship with the reader is formal, use their family name

• Dear Mrs. Ravi

If the relationship is more casual, you can simply say,

• Hi Rakesh

If you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to,

• use To whom it may concern or Dear Sir/Madam

Thank the recipient :

If you are replying to a client’s inquiry, you should begin with a line of thanks. For example, if someone has a question about your company, you can say,

• Thank you for contacting ABC Company

If someone has replied to one of your emails, be sure to say,

• Thank you for your prompt reply or
• Thanks for getting back to me

Thanking the reader puts him or her at ease, and it will make you appear more polite.

State your purpose :

If you are starting the email communication, it may be impossible to include a line of thanks. Instead, begin by stating your purpose. For example,

• I am writing to enquire about … or
• I am writing in reference to …

Make your purpose clear early on in the email, and then move into the main text of your email. Remember, people want to read emails quickly, so keep your sentences short and clear. You’ll also need to pay careful attention to grammar, spelling and punctuation so that you present a professional image of yourself and your company.

Add your closing remarks :

Before you end your email, it’s polite to thank your reader one more time and add some polite closing remarks. You might start with

• Thank you for your patience and cooperation or
• Thank you for your consideration

and then follow up with,

• If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to let me know and
• I look forward to hearing from you

End with a closing :

The last step is to include an appropriate closing with your name.

• Best regards
• Sincerely
• Thank you

are all professional. Avoid closings such as

• Best wishes or
• Cheers

unless you are good friends with the reader. Finally, before you hit the send button, review and spell check your email one more time to make sure it’s truly perfect!

Hope this helps you. Feel free to Upvote if you find this answer helpful.

Thanks For Reading :)

Writing emails is an art and it's one you'll need to study and practice. It won't come overnight, and the more help you can get for creating the most compelling, enticing content you can, the better off you'll be.

Read on through this article and discover 4 ways that show you how to write more effective email campaigns:

1. Write to each of you subscribers in person. No, I don't mean you should set about writing an individual email to each and every one of your subscribers - you couldn't anyway - but write each of your emails as though you are. Always use the personal editing facility of your auto responder and write every email that you load into your responder, in a light friendly manner; you are addressing a friend, so adopt the same attitude as you would with your best friend over a beer or coffee. Don't overdo the personal touch though; use their name once in the header title, and once in the email body to address them; because that's enough. You want to become friends with them, without risking over-kill.

2. Send out different campaigns from different sources. Create 3 squeeze pages for example, and send your traffic to 3 campaigns. Now monitor and track which one is the more successful. The results you get through will give you the data you need to see which of your email series was more successful, and where you can concentrate future efforts.

3. Variety. Send out different formats of email. You'll have different things to want to convey to you subscriber and customer base anyway; send information, freebies, product offers, and surveys, but make the effort to make each email carry its own individuality and personality. This helps to keep your audience interested and looking forward to receiving your emails.

4. Use different tactics with your emails. Options to use are for example; telling a story, a series of "how to" steps, a must-check list, and a survey. Also use bullet point or numbers.

You must know how to be straight and clear while still putting your personal stamp on your writing in order to become a great writer.

Be direct in your writing

Clear and succinct writing is a sign of good writing. Filler words, such as needless adverbs and prepositional phrases, take up space and slow down a sentence. Say exactly what you're thinking in the most clear manner possible.

Choose your words wisely

A sentence can be written in a variety of ways, and multiple words can be used to communicate the same meaning. Always go for the easier of the two options. Instead of using high terms from the English language, use common vocabulary. Simple words are more direct and easy to grasp for all readers. If you need a little assistance finding a replacement or a simpler way to phrase things, consult a thesaurus.

Short sentences are more powerful than long sentences

Wordiness kills a story's momentum. Readers love short phrases because they are easy to understand. Avoid cramming too much information onto a single line. A single notion or idea should be contained in each sentence.

Always use the active voice

Stick to the subject-verb-object sentence structure and use the active voice. It's the quickest way to get your argument across. The active voice involves the subject doing something, which is more thrilling than the passive form, which involves the subject being done to. Although the passive voice is technically valid, it results in long, complicated phrases and is a less effective manner of conveying information.

Writing a professional email involves several key elements and following best practices to ensure your message is clear, concise, and effective. Here are the key steps to writing a professional email:

Before you start:

1. Identify your goal: What do you want to achieve with this email? Are you requesting information, offering a solution, or simply providing an update? Having a clear goal in mind will help you stay focused and write a more effective message.

2. Consider your audience: Who are you writing to? What is their level of familiarity with the topic? Your tone and language should be tailored to your audience.

3. Choose the right subject line: Your subject line should be informative and concise, accurately reflecting the content of your email.

Structure:

1. Greeting: Start your email with a proper salutation. Use "Dear [Last Name]" for formal greetings or "Hi [First Name]" for more casual situations.

2. Introduction: Briefly introduce yourself and state the purpose of your email.

3. Body: This is the main part of your email where you should clearly and concisely communicate your message. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, or numbering for better readability.

4. Conclusion: Summarize your key points and state any next steps or requests.

5. Closing: Use a professional closing such as "Sincerely," "Best regards," or "Thanks," followed by your name and contact information.

Formatting:

Use a professional email address.

Proofread your email carefully before sending it.

Use a professional font and font size.

Use proper punctuation and grammar.

Keep your email concise and to the point.

Additional tips:

Be polite and respectful in your tone.

Avoid using slang or informal language.

Use a positive and professional attitude.

Proofread your email carefully before sending it.

Double-check the recipient's email address.

Here are some resources that you may find helpful:

Grammarly: Improve Your Emails With These 9 Helpful Blog Posts

Indeed: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-write-professional-email-with-templates

Harvard Business Review: 5 Tips for Writing Professional Emails

By following these tips, you can write professional emails that will make a positive impression on your recipients.

A professional email is an important tool for communication in the workplace. Here are some tips on how to write one:

Subject Line:

• Keep it short and clear.
• Include the most important information.
• Avoid using all caps or exclamation marks.

Greeting:

• Use a professional salutation, such as "Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name" or "Dear Dr. Last Name".
• If you don't know the recipient's name, you can use "Dear Sir or Madam".
• If you are replying to an email, you can use the same salutation as the original sender.

Body:

• State your purpose clearly and concisely in the first sentence.
• Keep your email focused and to the point.
• Use professional language and avoid slang or informal language.
• Proofread your email carefully before sending it.

Closing:

• Use a professional closing, such as "Sincerely" or "Best regards".
• Include your full name and contact information.

Additional Tips:

• Use a professional email address.
• Avoid using excessive CC's and BCC's.
• Use a clear and easy-to-read font.
• Proofread your email carefully before sending it.

Here is an example of a professional email:

Subject: Meeting to Discuss [Project Name]

Dear Ms. Smith,

I am writing to schedule a meeting to discuss the progress of the [Project Name] project. I am available to meet on [Date] at [Time] or [Date] at [Time]. Please let me know what time works best for you.

In the meantime, I have attached a document outlining the project's current status and next steps.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

[Your Name] [Your Title] [Your Company]

By following these tips, you can write professional emails that will make a good impression on your colleagues and clients.

Dear pals,

Subject : teaching you to write polite e-mails w/o taking your much time.

• Don’t say NO instead say I am afraid to.
• Don’t say I am waiting for instead say I am looking forward to.
• Don’t say I would like to request you to provide instead say I wonder , if you could permit me to.
• If asking any question: put the suffix - Would you mind _____.

An HR recruiter came to my university (central university of Karnataka) couple of weeks back , He taught us how to write letter/ e-mails politely and how to beg a decent job/internship through polite e-mails/letters.

He wrote an e-mail on the white board to demostrate us. The e-mail is about appling for an internship.

Thankyou

Yours faithfully

~raj

Okay, let's ditch the formal tone and talk email like two colleagues grabbing coffee! Listen, I've been in the trenches of email marketing for years, and let me tell you, crafting emails that busy bees actually read and respond to is an art form. But hey, with a few tricks up your sleeve, you can become a master of inbox persuasion!

Here's the deal: busy folks are bombarded with emails, so yours needs to stand out like a neon flamingo in a penguin colony. First things first, ditch the generic subject lines. Think intriguing, specific, and maybe even a touch funny. Remember, you're competing with cat videos and memes, so spice it up!

Inside, don't bury your message under paragraphs of jargon. People want clear, concise info, like bullet points and short sentences. Imagine their brain is already overloaded, so be respectful of their time. And hey, a friendly tone and a personalized greeting go a long way. Who wants to read an email from "Robot McAutomator"?

Personalization is your secret weapon! Reference a past interaction, mention something relevant to their interests, or use their name. It shows you put in the effort and actually care, not just blasting out mass emails.

Now, remember, even the best email can get lost in the abyss. Don't be afraid to follow up politely if you haven't heard back. Think of it as a gentle nudge, not an annoying mosquito buzz.

Trust me, by following these tips, you'll go from "email black hole" to inbox rockstar. You'll be crafting messages that get opened, understood, and acted upon. Now go forth and conquer those inboxes! And hey, if you ever need another opinion on a subject line, feel free to shoot it my way – I'm always happy to help a fellow email warrior out!

During my years at Nike I emailed the CEO, Mark Parker, mostly only in connection with projects I was working on that involved him directly, and where he had requested updates from me. I would cc the others involved in the project.

We had a friendly relationship as sneakerheads so very occasionally I would send him a photo or an article/blog post relating to sneakers that I thought would amuse him, and which he was unlikely to have seen before. But I was always mindful that he was a busy guy and that I did not want him to consider me a pest.

Tips:

• be sure your CEO wants to read the email you are considering sending
• proofread it carefully for spelling, English usage, and punctuation
• be brief
• when providing information, use neutral language