Please send me an email!

We are the next-generation folks and we all are over internet, so much so that it has become an addiction. Imagine your feeling if you find your WiFi is not working not properly one fine morning. We cannot make do with pigeons these days, even regular mail is primitive in the Y2K age. That is why we seek the help of electronic mails or emails in short.

The world outside Facebook deals with more than 100 billion emails per day.  Even though the term 'email' has lost its touch in front of the social media, it is still held as the predominant mode of formal communication.
I did not realise the importance of emails until a few months ago, when I wanted to apply for a position in an organisation and had to email my details to the person in-charge. On the phone he said, "You seem like a good fit, send me your details in a email and I will see". Though I was elated at his response but my agony had just started, I realized I have never written anything formal on an email! That was the day when I started to know more about writing proper emails.
Out of those 100 billion emails, there is a wide variety available, ranging from personal to advertisements to professional emails. It is needless to say that personal emails do not require any particular approach, it is best decorated with humour and affection but when it comes to professional emails humour and affection do not always make the cut.
The subject line, the salutation, the body and the ending make an email. Each of these portions are vital in fulfilling our purpose of sending an email.
The Subject Line:  This is probably the most important portion of an email. Think of a newspaper headline that made you want to read more about the news. Remember? Your subject line to an email should be similar to that. It should clearly portray the purpose of the email in the most interesting way so that the reader may want to open it. But make sure they are concise, the recipient still has the whole email left to read.
The Salutation: Salutations are very important in an email, it reflects the humility and respect that you possess. Getting the salutations correct is a crucial part of every email. This is the part which sets the tone for the rest of your message and enables you to connect with the reader. So address the reader according to the desired tone that you want to convey.
As important as it is to maintain a proper approach, you wouldn't also want to play around with one's title. When using someone's title, remember to use the right one. In case you are confused about the title, make sure you use the full, correctly spelled name of the person with the salutation.
The Body: Remember there is no Nobel Prize for writing a big, elaborate email. So keep your messages short, concise and to the point. The body of the email should contain precise yet sufficient details of the subject topic. Include,  only, the things that are required, write what you would say in person regarding that topic. No one loves a long, monotonous text. So keep your story short but with interesting bits so as to hold the reader's attention. In addition to that stay away from using unknown abbreviations, in fact using them are often discouraged as they may create confusion. Also using ALL uppercase letters are undesired in all sorts of emails.
The Ending: Assuming the recipient sticks with your email to the end, the way you sign off is as important as the way you start. End your email by making clear what you would like the reader to do, but don't do it in a commanding way. It is often recommended to end the email in an humble and welcoming note. After all who doesn't fancy a hearty ending?
Besides these components there are a few other tips that often make the difference.
* Be sensitive and cautious. The recipient of the email may not share your cultural background or opinions.
* Don't leave behind the common courtesy such as "please" and "thank you". Email is just like a phone call without the sound. Behave as if you are talking to the recipient on the phone or in person.
* There is no 100% secure email system. Do not send extremely personal information by email unless your message is reliably encrypted. You don't want to place yourself and your recipient in an awkward situation if someone else reads the email.

* If something is important, it will reflect so through the text. Excessive exclamation marks are not necessary.
* Make sure you proofread the email before it is sent. Misspelled words and poorly written messages are hard to read, not to mention the less-than-ideal image you give to the recipient.
* Try not to use too many symbols for the subject line, a spam tagline or lots of characters such as $$$ (or in the U.K., £££) can send it straight to the junk box.
It is even easier to send an email, nowadays, than writing one, so it is probably time that we take a step towards writing a better email. Now sending an email to your professor or employer should not be so dreadful. Remember, writing an email would not win you a noble prize anyway.
The writer is a student of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) at North South University, [email protected]