MelissaWhether you are sending personal or business emails, the ability to compose efficient and effective email is upper useful both in terms of productivity and responsiveness. We are all busy and we have all received long and rambling emails. Ironically, most of us have been guilty of writing such verbose email whilst we request someone’s time.
Many of these emails contain trigger words – signalling marketing language or truth-stretching. Sometimes, trigger words can give the impression of insincerity.
Here is a list of 10 words to avoid:
1. UNFORTUNATELY
When you receive an incoming email and it has the word “unfortunately” followed by a comma, we know that the person sending it is not being that sincere. It is a dismissive word – the sender is saying they have the power and unfortunately, you don’t!
2. BUT
The word “but” at the beginning of a sentence is a sign of a lazy typist. We all use the word far too much. It is quite jarring, and tend to be a little too informal for business. There is a better way to interrupt yourself in an email – say, by using a hyphen or a comma.
3. SINCERELY
The go to word for ending signature lines in any form of communication has become obsolete. Are we really being sincere when we send an email to a colleague about the company potluck? Ninety percent of the emails we send are not that sincere – at least by the technical definition of being free of all pretence.
4. REGRETTABLY
The word “regret” is meant for a deep feeling of sadness. It is a synonym for despondent. Too often, an emailer who says regrettably is being dismissive. They don’t usually feel any regret. It is better and faster to just state what the problem actually is and forget the qualifying word.
5. BEST
Be careful with the word “Best” in an email. Are you sure that your product and service is really the best. Do you have any data to back up that claim? An expert opinion perhaps? When we receive an email that says: “this is the best product”, I immediately start wondering if that is in fact true.
6. AMAZING
Speaking of the word “best” – be careful with the word “amazing” too. It is much better to skip such hyperbolic words and just describe what makes it so special. We could say: “this is the best app ever” or it is better to say: “this is the only app that can read your mind”.
7. STATISTICALLY
This is another throwaway word. If we say “statistically”, our customer service is amazing I am really wasting your time. We really haven’t said anything. It is better to just give the stat. When email starts out with the stat like “70 percent of people we surveyed recommended this product” I think that we could start to pay attention.
8. FORMALLY
You know how someone might send you a message and they would like to formally introduce themselves? What does that even mean? The message will be followed by a tuxedo? There is no point in saying you are being formal. Just be formal and people will notice.
9. INTERESTINGLY
I think that we may all be guilty of using this one. It is just a filler word and it tends to be followed by something that is not actually interesting. Otherwise, we would just skip the word interestingly and state the damn obvious. The trigger is supposed to help the reader, instead, it just slows you down.
10. REMOTELY
The last trigger word is maybe the most controversial for office workers. What does it mean to work remotely? If you work in Iceland then you are remote. But if you tell a co-worker you will be working remotely, and you end up at Starbucks, that is not really the same thing. I suspect the word has lost all mean in the age of mobile computing, I think that the best saying would be is I will be off site.