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With the rise of the internet and the advent of remote work, our workplace communication is done more often via email than in person.
Whether that’s a good thing or not is a whole other topic. But what it does mean is that much of our professional reputation rests on how we come across in our emails.
So in this article, we’ll go through 7 common email mistakes a lot of people make—mistakes that could make you seem unprofessional, crass, or even outright incompetent.
7 Common Email Mistakes And How To Fix Them
1. Poor Subject Lines
The subject line is the first impression your recipient gets—and first impressions matter.
Not using it or using vague or irrelevant subject lines like “Hi” or “Important!” leaves your recipient guessing about the content or urgency of your message. Worse, a poorly crafted subject line might get your email ignored entirely.
Remember that your subject line sets the tone for the email and can even determine whether it will be read promptly. In a sea of unread messages, clarity and specificity stand out.
How to Fix It
Always make subject lines concise and informative. After all, in the fast-paced world of business, less is often more.
- Instead of: “Marketing Meeting on April 4”;
- Use: “Follow-Up: Project Kickoff Meeting Agenda, Dec 15”.
A clear subject shows respect for the recipient’s time and ensures your message gets the attention it deserves.
2. Overloading with Information
The body of your email also needs to be concise. Emails are not the place to delve into deep, detailed discussions (those are for meetings), nor are they the place for you to flex your writerly muscles.
Long-winded messages filled with unnecessary details or wordy messages can overwhelm and even frustrate your recipient. Not only does it make it harder for them to identify your key points—they might even ignore it altogether the moment they open it and see paragraphs upon paragraphs.
How to Fix It
Determine which details need to be included in the email. Leave out the rest for in-person meetings. Then, make sure to structure all the information you’re relaying in a digestible manner.
- Keep emails short and straight to the point;
- Use bullet points or numbered lists to break down complex information;
- Keep paragraphs short, even if the email is long;
- End with a clear summary or call to action, such as: “Please review the attached report and provide feedback by Friday, Dec 16.”;
- Explain attachments so they don’t seem out of context.
3. Using Informal Language
Work emails are not like your private online chats with friends and family.
Emails that are too casual, riddled with slang, or have grammatical or spelling errors reflect negatively on your professionalism.
And keep emojis for personal messages with loved ones—67% of people think emojis shouldn’t be used in professional emails.
Remember that emails often serve as a record of information. In addition to seeming unprofessional, errors or casual language can make information harder to understand.
How to Fix It
- Use a professional tone unless your workplace or superiors’ culture encourages informality;
- Proofread your emails for spelling and grammatical errors before hitting the send button;
- Avoid emoticons or excessive exclamation points (like “Thanks!!!”).
4. Replying All Unnecessarily
Ah, the dreaded “Reply All” button, the source of countless headaches.
Sending your response to everyone on an email thread—even if only one or two recipients need it—clutters inboxes. And almost everyone’s inboxes are probably already full to the brim.
Receiving an email that is irrelevant to you can definitely be annoying. Some might even see it as inconsiderate or careless.
Or, worse, it can even expose sensitive information to people who are not supposed to see it.
How to Fix It
Always ask yourself before sending an email: “Who needs to see this? Is it everyone? Or only some people in the thread?”
The thing is most people already know that—most instances of “reply all” headaches often stem from carelessness.
Sometimes, hitting the send or reply all button becomes automatic for us, and we sometimes forget to decide which is more appropriate. So always slow down when you’re about to send an email.
5. Failing to Acknowledge Emails
Not responding to emails in a timely manner—or at all—can come across as unresponsive or disorganized. Or even rude.
This is especially the case if the email clearly asks for a reply or some sort of feedback.
Yes, you’re busy. But we all are. Ignoring a message is never a good look. Replying promptly makes your colleagues feel heard and also avoids any delays in projects.
And yes, some emails are conclusive and don’t require a response, such as when somebody just replies with “Noted, thanks!”
But just to be safe, it’s better to be the person who sends that “Noted, thanks!” email than the one who doesn’t reply.
How to Fix It
- Try not to open other emails if you’re not done replying to one;
- Acknowledge emails promptly, even if you need more time to provide a detailed response. A simple “Thanks, I’ll get back to you by tomorrow” goes a long way;
- Set expectations for response times—many are now including lines like “Please expect responses only during office hours” in their email signatures.
- People often use out of office messages to inform senders about delayed responses during vacations, weekends, or non-working hours. This practice helps set boundaries while ensuring effective communication.
6. Using Improper Email Etiquette
Forgetting to include a salutation or a proper send-off can make you seem unprofessional, dismissive, or nonchalant about the subject matter.
Common salutations like, “Hi [name],” for the intro or “Best” for the closing remarks are more than enough.
While yes, at some point during long email exchanges, the parties involved can often forego salutations. But it’s rarely a good idea to be the first one to do that—especially if you’re talking to a superior of yours.
How to Fix It
Simply include salutations and closing remarks.
Salutations examples:
- “Dear Team,”
- “Hi Dr. Smith,”
- “Good day,”
Closing remarks:
- “Best,”
- “With thanks,”
- “Sincerely,”
- “Cheers!”
It’s also a good idea to gauge the culture of your workplace. Some workplaces stick to formal greetings like “Dear” for openings and “Sincerely” for closings.
But if your co-workers are all using more informal ones like “Hi,” or “Best,” then mirror then will make you fit in more smoothly.
7. Ignoring Confidentiality and Cybersecurity
And perhaps the biggest email mistake that no one is talking about? Getting emails leaked.
Remember that business emails are meant to be confidential. They have sensitive messages and files that contain sensitive information like secret product data or financial statements.
If your email account gets hacked or breached, everyone you’ve exchanged emails with is also implicated. In fact, the whole company might face serious, serious consequences.
How to Fix It
Aside from obviously double-checking the recipients’ email addresses before sending, people need to be more aware of cybersecurity measures.
Things like setting a complex password or researching more info about VPNs to ensure that you use them correctly are great starting points. Your company should also have encrypted file-sharing platforms, so make sure to use them.
Conclusion
Email mistakes might seem minor. And in fact, almost all of us have probably—and will inevitably—commit a mistake or two along the way.
But as the adage says, the devil is in the details. If you commit them regularly, their cumulative impact can quickly shape your professional reputation.
And remember that it’s not all about reputation or first impressions either. Poorly written emails can concretely affect the efficiency of work projects!
The good thing is that email mistakes can easily be corrected: it simply starts with care and awareness. Each email is a reflection of who you are as a professional—so make each one count.
