Unlike regular text messages, email writing is different. People tend to overthink a lot when it comes to composing an email from scratch. You wonder what to include, what to avoid, and God knows if what you're currently writing is even right?

Being a service provider, I have to write dozens of emails every day. And that makes me the perfect person to answer your questions.

With the proper information, writing effective emails faster becomes as easy as typing a message on a chatting app. Then, you can also use AI tools to speed up the process. Here's how.

10 Tips to Write Effective Emails Faster

1. Treat Subject Line as the Summary of Your Email

When you have to send an email, the first thing you need to deal with is writing a powerful subject line. It’s the first thing that your recipient sees, and any email with a poor or no subject line may get deleted or end up in the spam folder.

Thus, you may require an extra minute to think and write it. The easiest way to prevent your subject lines from being general or vague is to treat them as headlines. All you have to do is summarize your email in a concise yet informative manner.

2. Greet Them

After your subject line, you have to set the tone for your email and make an impression on your recipient. Greeting them, formally or informally, is the perfect way to do it. If you’re confused, opt for the formal way.

Here are the different ways to greet your recipients:

  • Hello: This is for direct and friendly conversations.
  • Hi: It’s simple and polite.
  • Dear: It’s a bit unnatural, but you can use it while contacting an executive or so.

3. Add an Opening Sentence

After greeting your recipient, you must feel the itch to talk about what your email is about but pause for a second. Before you say anything, write an opening sentence to start your email with a good flow.

One of the best ways to do it is by adding an opening line.

Here are a few examples that you can use directly:

  • Allow me to introduce myself.
  • It’s great to hear from you.
  • Hope you’re well.
  • I’m reaching out about ____
  • Thank you for the update.
  • I’m checking in on ____
  • Congratulations on your (recent achievement).

4. Introduce Yourself

If you’re emailing someone for the first time, you must introduce yourself before talking about anything else.

Even though people usually talk for hours, they start sweating when asked to introduce themselves. Don’t worry. It doesn’t have to be that way. To make it easier, use one of the following formats.

  • My name is (Full Name), and I’m a (Your Current Role).
  • I’m (Full Name), and I work for a/an (Industry) firm called (Company’s Name).

The best practice is to include only a sentence or two about yourself, and no more than that.

5. Get to the Point Fast

The best way to ensure your email comes valuable to the recipient is to make it a quick deliverable of the information they require. In other words, get to the point faster.

You greeted your recipient, wrote an opening line/introduced yourself, now write why you’re emailing them. If you have to discuss multiple things, prioritize them and begin your email with the most important thing. It can be answering a question or making a request.

Related: Gmail Hacks to Help You Get More Done

6. Include One Big Idea

If your email turns out to be a bit lengthy, then take a tip from regular content writing and add a conclusion or a big idea at the end.

It’ll put all the focus on the most important thing. For instance, you need something done first, or you need an answer immediately to proceed with a project, etc. You can also add a conclusion by saying something like: The main takeaway from our discussion is [____].

7. Keep It Concise

An average professional receives over a hundred emails per day. It implies that most of the people you contact are busy. No matter how much they might like you, they probably won’t be up for any kind of rambling. So, keep your emails short and sweet.

Another disadvantage of lengthy emails is that sometimes they get vague, off the main point, or may even create misunderstandings.

8. Be Respectful and Generous

The beauty of writing respectful and polite emails is that you may disagree with someone, present alternate opinions, or even ask for favors, but they’ll still sound okay to read.

If you’re planning to do any such thing in your email, consider thanking your recipient or complimenting them on their work or ideas first. Then, present your opinion without directly stating what they did was bad or completely wrong.

9. Add a Closing Sentence

Your closing line depends on the type of reply you’re expecting from the person you’re emailing. You can opt to end your email with a statement or a closed-ended question, depending on the context. However, avoid closing with an open-ended question at all costs.

That’s mainly because a statement and a closed-ended question give your conversation a direction, keep things on track, and ensure a reply.

However, an open-ended question increases the discussion thread unnecessarily. Plus, if you’re contacting someone utterly busy, your email may get ignored altogether.

Here’s an example of a closed-ended question.

Let’s discuss it further over a call. Which time works the best for you?

  • [Time 1]
  • [Time 2]
  • [Time 3]

It makes the decision-making process easier for your recipient.

On the other hand, here’s an example of an open-ended question.

We can discuss it further over a call. So, when are you free?

It puts pressure on your recipient to check their calendar before replying, making it difficult to take action.

Additionally, a statement can also be a good idea to add to an email. For example:

  • Looking forward to hearing from you/working with you.
  • Have a nice day.
  • Thank you.

10. Sign Off

Finally, you can end your email with any of these sign-off phrases, depending on the context of your email.

  • Kind regards
  • Regards
  • Sincerely
  • Best
  • Cheers
  • Best wishes

All of these tips are enough to help you compose and reply to all emails the right way.

AI Tools to Help You Write Effective Emails Faster

If you’re looking to land new projects or a new job, or if your current job requires you to send multiple emails per day, these AI tools can be helpful.

1. Lola AI

Lola AI Writing tool page

This tool helps you create custom opening lines based on your recipients’ LinkedIn profile data. All you have to do is add the recipient's LinkedIn URL in the tool, and it’ll come up with unique opening lines based on their profile details.

The tool costs $36 per month for up to 200 opening lines.

2. SmartWriter.ai

Smart writer AI tool webpage

SmartWriter.ai helps you gather data from your recipient’s public profile and news stories they’re mentioned in. It helps you create personalized emails for the people you’re reaching out to.

You can use it to send cold emails or LinkedIn messages for outreach. The subscription for the tool starts from $49 per month.

3. Snazzy.aiSnazzy AI email writing tool webpage

If you’re starting a new business and need funding, Snazzy.ai can be the perfect tool for you. It helps you with email templates to pitch VCs or angel investors.

But first, you’ll need to create an account on the platform. To start sending emails, enter the audience you’re targeting, the keywords you’re looking for, and the description of your offering. And it’ll save you plenty of time by providing a personalized first draft.

After that, you can tweak it a bit to ensure perfection. The subscription starts from $25 per month.

4. Lyne.ai

Lyne AI writing tool results for a client

This is another AI tool to help you come up with the perfect hook for your recipients. To get started with Lyne.ai, enter the CSV of your prospects with their work emails or their LinkedIn profile URLs.

You can also decide how many sentences you want the tool to write for the opening, for example, 1-2 sentences or 3-4 sentences, etc. The subscription starts at $99 per month.

Writing Emails Has Never Been Easier

If you have ever found it challenging to gather all the points to compose a good email, your struggle ends today.

Use these tips or tools to write your next effective email faster!