Almost anyone who speaks or writes in a foreign language can think of an embarrassing story caused by a mistake in just one letter, word or punctuation mark. When writing emails in a foreign language, you have the chance to review your letter before sending, and make sure that everything is in order. The presentation of your emails, both formal and casual, plays a significant role in shaping your professional image and developing fruitful business relationships through effective communication.

By implementing the following tips, you will be able to create useful email dialogues with clients, potential clients and colleagues:

1. Use an Appropriate Greeting and Signature

When addressing the recipient of the email, make sure you know whether they are a man, woman, doctor, or anything else that may affect which address you use.

In addition, make sure that every email that you send includes all of your contact info in the signature. This ensures that the recipient can store all of your contact details for future communication. Most email clients allow you to attach your signature automatically at the end of each email. To learn how, click here for Outlook, here for Gmail, and here for Yahoo.

2. Be Conscious of the Tone

Deciding upon the tone of your email is the first step in writing the content. Every part of the letter, from the heading, to the body, to the signature, should reflect the appropriate level of formality. For example, beginning with ‘Hi Tal’ is clearly more casual than ‘Dear Tal.’ If you are unsure, closing the email with ‘Sincerely’ or ‘Best Regards’ can keep the tone neutral.

3. Keep it Short

Everyone gets dozens if not hundreds of emails a day. Their time is limited, and keeping your emails short will not only make the writing task easier for you, but it will also make your emails more accessible to today’s busy professionals. Short emails solicit quicker responses and more successfully communicate your message.

4. Use White Space

Make sure that you separate your points with enough white space. Begin a new paragraph for each topic. Add bullets or lists so that readers can scan your emails.

5. Check your Spelling and Grammar

Most email clients today include spell checks. You should also check for spelling on your own to identify typos like homophones (words pronounced the same but spelled differently), which can often lead to spelling mistakes.

Although checking your grammar can be more complicated, read www.copyblogger.com’s list of the six most common grammatical mistakes made when writing copy. Working on a few rules at a time will boost the clarity of even simple emails.

Create your Personal Style

Once you develop your own style and signature, emails can effectively help you express yourself articulately and professionally in any language.