Apple has put a lot of effort into Mail, providing lots of features you can employ to get through your email more quickly. But one of the most effective ways to improve your email productivity has nothing to do with an email app. Instead, train yourself to write better email and you’ll cut down on a lot of unnecessary back-and-forth and confusion. Remember, email is not chat—you say things in an interactive conversation that could take days to untangle in an email thread. Here are some of the top ways to ensure that your email achieves your goals.
1. Write a good Subject line
Everyone receives too much email, and as a result, most people scan email Subject lines and open only those messages that seem relevant. Good Subject lines should be direct and specific, and ideally have key words at the front to catch the recipient’s attention.
Bad: Finishing off reviews…
Good: Discuss performance reviews at lunch on Thursday at 12:30 PM?
2. Keep it short and focused
Even if your recipient opens your message, if it rambles on, they will likely set it aside to deal with later, and later may never happen. Plus, if it includes multiple unrelated topics, replying to everything may seem overwhelming. And if they don’t know how to respond to even one point, the entire message may go unanswered.
When you start an email message, consider the most important point you want to convey and focus on that. Summarize ruthlessly, and if you find yourself wanting to write more and more, propose a phone call or meeting to discuss the topic instead.
Carry this advice over to your words too. Aim for short, understandable sentences. Whenever the thought changes, start a new paragraph. Short, single-topic paragraphs are easier to scan and understand, which is why newspaper reporters write the way they do.
3, Provide relevant context and details
As much as it’s important to stay concise, don’t leave out essential information. To check that your message is complete, evaluate it according to the journalistic formula of the Five Ws: does your message answer the questions of Who, What, When, Where, and Why?
In the example above about scheduling a lunch to discuss performance reviews, the message needs to make it clear who is invited to the lunch, what the topic of discussion will be, when and where it will take place, and why you’re setting up the meeting. Although the Subject and To lines already answer Who, What, and When, be sure to repeat those facts within the message.
4. Stay polite and friendly
If you’re having a bad day, it’s all too easy to be abrupt or even abrasive in email. Resist the temptation, since it will reduce the chance that the recipient will take your words to heart or reply as you wish.
Instead, imagine that you’re speaking to the person, and don’t say anything in email that you wouldn’t say to their face. You’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
5. Use proper spelling and grammar
Consider email a professional communication medium, even if you’re writing to your kid’s soccer league mailing list. Before sending, look over what you’ve written and fix errors in spelling (look for red underlines) and grammar (“it’s” should always be replaceable with “it is”). It never helps if your correspondents see you as barely literate.
6. State the desired outcome at the end
Finally, never send an email message unless you know what you want it to achieve, and be clear about that goal when you close the message. If your recipient doesn’t understand what you want, getting to that result may require several additional messages. In our example about the lunch meeting, compare these alternatives:
Bad: Let me know what works for you.
Good: Can you join me for lunch on Thursday at 12:30 PM in the conference room so we can go over the performance reviews?”
And to follow our own advice, we hope you’ll keep these tips in mind while composing future email messages. That will reduce confusion and irritation on the part of your correspondents, and reduce your email load by eliminating unnecessary requests for clarification.
AI Usage Transparency Report
Pre-AI Era · Written before widespread use of generative AI tools
AI Signal Composition
Score: 0.03 · Low AI Influence
Summary
6 tips to improve your email productivity: write a good subject line, keep it short and focused, provide relevant context and details, stay polite and friendly, use proper spelling and grammar, and state the desired outcome at the end.
Related Posts
Leaving Flickr: Migrating 20,000+ Photos to Synology and Taking Back Control
There’s a certain kind of friction you start to notice when you’ve been using a service for a long time. Not enough to make you leave immediately, but enough to make you pause. Flickr had been that kind of service for me. It quietly held years of photos, uploads from old phones, albums I hadn’t looked at in ages, and a massive "Auto Upload" collection that had grown into something I didn’t fully understand anymore.
How I Finally Passed the PMP Exam (After 12 Years of Waiting)
Back in 2013, I registered for a PMI membership with every intention of pursuing my PMP certification. I downloaded the handbook, bookmarked the eligibility requirements, and even told a few friends that I was going to do it "soon." At the time, I thought getting certified would be a straightforward process, but little did I know what lay ahead in terms of studying and preparation.
10 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With Apple Configurator (That Save Mac Admins Hours)
Most of us treat Apple Configurator like a fire extinguisher: break glass, DFU, restore, move on. But it can do a lot more, and when you know the edges, you can turn a bricked morning into a ship-it afternoon. Below are ten things I regularly use (or wish I’d used sooner) that demonstrate its capabilities beyond just emergency recovery.
The Evolution of Apple Certification: A Journey Through Versions, Challenges & Growth
When I recently passed the Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP) exam again, I paused to reflect — not just on this milestone, but on the long path I’ve walked through Apple’s certification landscape. My first certification dates back to macOS 10.5, and over the years, I’ve earned credentials across nearly every version since. In that time, the exams — and Apple itself — have transformed significantly.
Secure Software, Secure Career: How I Passed the CSSLP
After passing the CISSP earlier this year, I decided to follow it up with the **Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional (CSSLP)** certification. For those unfamiliar, CSSLP is an ISC2 certification that focuses specifically on secure software development practices across the full SDLC—from requirements and design to coding, testing, deployment, and maintenance. My goal in pursuing this certification was to further develop my skills in ensuring the security of software throughout its entire lifecycle.
Managing Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) for Android with Microsoft Intune
Alright, so today we're going to be talking about the management of bring your own device BYOD for Android devices. There's a lot of information out there for the management of iOS devices and you can do that with pretty much any Apple MDM on the market. We just happen to use Jamf where I work, but you could use anything from Braavos to SimpleMDM to Kanji or JumpCloud. Mosyle is also a great option.
BYO with me in 2025: iOS with User Enrollment in JAMF Pro
It really depends on your company's needs. For example, many companies need to hire 1099 contractors and in such a case they come with their own devices but not the correct security settings or enforcements. Remember BYOD is a security construct. The idea here is that you should be securing the company's sensitive data in all forms. This may involve implementing policies for contractor-owned devices, ensuring that all devices accessing company data meet minimum security standards, and regularly reviewing and updating these standards to stay ahead of emerging threats.
Securing BYOD Email Access: Exploring Strategies in Microsoft 365
In today’s mobile-first world, organizations increasingly rely on Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs to empower employees while optimizing costs. However, this flexibility introduces unique challenges, particularly around securing email access. To mitigate risks, we are implementing a comprehensive strategy to block email access on non-company devices by default and ensure only sanctioned apps can access organizational email accounts. This approach will help prevent unauthorized access and data breaches, aligning with our commitment to maintaining the security and integrity of company communications.
How I Conquered the CISSP Exam: 9 Months, Top Resources, and Proven Strategies
Passing the CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) exam is no small feat. It’s known for its breadth, depth, and ability to test not just your knowledge but your practical understanding of cybersecurity. After nine months of intense preparation, I’m thrilled to say I’ve joined the ranks of CISSP-certified professionals! Here's a detailed account of my experience, including the resources I used, some tips that helped me along the way, and what I learned from the process itself.
Get more out of scripting than you may expect
Expect is an extension to the Tcl scripting language written by Don Libes. The program automates interactions with programs that expose a text terminal interface. Expect, originally written in 1990 for the Unix platform, has since become available for Microsoft Windows and other systems. Its functionality allows users to interact with these programs through scripted commands, eliminating the need for manual input.
