5 Email Hacks: Tips + Tricks to Get the Information You Need

By Adam Noble

With the world on lockdown due to COVID-19, many people are finding themselves working remotely for the first time in their career. The pandemic has also pushed many workers, who previously may have held positions in more traditional jobs, towards the gig economy. 

As companies continue to allow more and more of their workers to work from home and others abandon their corporate offices altogether, remote work- which had already increased by 159% in the US between 2005 and 2017 is here to stay. In this changing work and social dynamic it is more important than ever to engage in effective, professional communication. 

Communication is key

If the only regular communications your coworkers and supervisors receive are emails and calls, then you had better make the best of them. This can be difficult if you are new to a job requiring constant online communication or your job now increasingly relies upon it. With no virtual “watercooler” to meet around, online communication skills are a necessity to keep yourself gainfully employed. People often make the mistake of assuming information has been communicated, but doing this effectively takes thought and skill.

In my previous position as the assistant to an elected official with over seven million constituents, I wrote tens of thousands of emails to all manner of individuals: senators, representatives, mayors, business leaders, staff (internal and external), charities, the general public and many more. I want to share some tips from that experience with you to help make your emails professional, friendly, and concise. I’ve also included some hacks to help with delicate or time-sensitive emails when you need a response quickly:

Getting someone to respond to your email: 

• "I look forward to your response."

• "I appreciate your attention to this matter." 

• "Please let me know if I can be of assistance."

• "If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at any time for assistance." 

• "Have you had a chance to look at my email?"

These examples work great because they are professional and non-judgemental. The first two examples are direct; the last two examples indirectly imply that the individual you are working with has no excuse not to fulfill your request because you are making yourself readily available. 

A direct ask for a response could look like:

Good morning, 

I hope this email finds you well. 

[Body of the email where you explain your reason for writing.]

I look forward to your response. 

Sincerely, 

Or, 

Jane, 

Have you had a chance to look at the email I sent you earlier this week? I would really appreciate your attention on this matter. 

Thanks again, 

An example of an indirect ask for response has a softer approach. 

Jim, 

Hope you’re having a good morning. 

[Body of the email where you explain your reason for writing.]

Please let me know if I can be of assistance. 

Sincerely, 

Or,

Jane, 

Have you had a chance to look at my email from earlier this week? If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at any time for assistance.

Thank you for your time, 

How to politely remind someone you have already answered their question or email:

• "Per our previous conversation, per my previous response, per my previous email, etc."

• "As noted in [insert day's email]"

• "If you did not see my previous response, If you missed my previous response"

All of these are respectful and polite as long as you demonstrate your attitude in the email. For example:

Hey Jim, 

Hope this email finds you well. 

Have you had a chance to look at my email from earlier this week? I would really appreciate your input on this matter. 

Please contact me if you have any questions or if I can be of assistance. 

Sincerely, 

Or, if a boss, coworker, customer, accuses you of neglecting a response, you can professionally respond as follows: 

Jane, 

Thanks for the email. 

Per my previous response, I already completed the customer's request but I've been waiting on our supplier.

Or

Jim, 

Thanks for the email. 

As I noted in Tuesday's email regarding this issue, I have already completed my design. I have been waiting on our supplier to finish completing the order.

Responses like these, if done properly, are not rude and generally receive a positive and quick response. Usually, the other person realizes their mistake - and often even apologize to you!

If you screw up: 

• “I’m sorry for any confusion”

• “I really apologize,”

• “Please excuse my behavior, it won’t happen again.” 

• “Allow me to explain,”

• “It’s my fault, I promise to have it to you by [insert date/time].”

We’ve all been there: you completely forgot about a project you promised to have ready or botch an important communication. How you respond to your own mistakes can greatly increase or decrease your perception in the eyes of those with whom you work. Remember you don’t have to fall over yourself apologizing. Keep it light, but professional and to the point. 

A lesson I learned long ago is the age-old wisdom of “honesty is the best policy” still rings true: people have more respect for you when you own your mistakes. It’s that simple. 

Let’s look at a couple of ways to apologize professionally when everything goes wrong. 

Jane, 

I really apologize about missing Friday’s deadline. I promise to send it to you first thing Monday morning. 

It won’t happen again. 

Sincerely, 

Remember, an extreme apology isn’t necessary. Keep it light. What’s most important is that you fully own your mistake. 

Jim, 

I’m sorry for any confusion about last week’s email. It’s my mistake. I will follow up with the client and apologize to them personally. 

Again, sorry for dropping the ball. 

Sincerely, 

Apologies can feel awkward but a carefully worded email that avoids shifting the blame onto others can do wonders for your career. 

Introductions: 

• "Thank you for your email"

• "Good morning, Good afternoon, etc."

• "I hope this email finds you well."

Introductions do not need to be overly formal. Most people in the professional world do not expect high levels of formality during daily correspondence and therefore a simple greeting is often appropriate. You can also combine the two: 

"Good morning, 

Thank you for your email."

Simple and to the point. 

Goodbye/ending an email:

• "Sincerely, Cheers, I’ll be in touch"

• "Thanks again."

• "Have a great day"

As with greetings/introductions, ending an email does not need to be an overly-formal affair. Keep it simple and to the point, while always remembering your audience. I often said something like:

Have a great day. 

Sincerely, 

Whether you are an experienced digital nomad or a new member of the gig economy, these email templates will help impress your clients, customers or supervisors.

If you have additional tips from your own experiences feel free to leave them in the comments - or let me know if any of these tricks help you!