We all have to deal with e-mail as a core communication tool. Maybe you need help from someone. Maybe you need someone to know the information you are sharing. It is important that people want to read your e-mail. You can write more effective e-mails by following some simple steps and making a few changes before you hit send.

Match your salutations to the receiver’s. Before you send your e-mail, look at the last few e-mails you have received from the person you are about to e-mail. How did the e-mail start? How did it end? If you look at a number of different e-mails from different people, you will find they vary significantly. Some people will start with “Dear Dan”, others will write more informally “Hi Dan”, and others will simply skip the salutation entirely. Some finish e-mails with “Regards” or “Sincerely”, where others simply let the automatic signature say it all (or no ending at all). Adjust the e-mail you’re sending to match the salutation of the person you want to read it.

Skipping a salutation when the receiving party always includes one has the potential to come across rude or demanding. If you don’t have an example e-mail from the person, it can’t hurt to include a “Dear Dan” and “Sincerely, Dan”. At worst, the reader will skip it thinking it’s necessary but they won’t think you are being rude by including it.

Keep your e-mail short. Shorter e-mails are more likely to be read. Many folks from a technical background can have a tendency to include too much detail. I’m guilty of this myself, especially when I have lots of detail to share. The reader will fatigue as they read a long e-mail, maybe even putting it aside to read later.

Put yourself in the mind of the reader. Often what the reader needs is a short summary. If you worry that there is detail that the reader will need, you can address that without extending the e-mail. Add a line that says “I have more detail I can share if you’d like.”

If you’re asking for something, add the word “please” and “thank you.” When I’m drafting an e-mail, I’m often asking for something. It is easy for me to write the shortest sentence possible to get to that end. Something like “Will you follow-up with me in two days?” I did not realize until later in my career that this statement can sound demanding, even though I did not feel demanding.

I find that adding words to reflect good manners is an easy way to convey better how I felt while making this request. “Will you please follow-up with me in two days? Thank you.” This sentence sounds significantly different. Before you hit send on that e-mail, count how many times you say “please” and “thank you” and be sure to include at least one.

Write your e-mail assuming the person is having a terrible day. One of the wonderful things about e-mail is you can write an e-mail quickly and when it is convenient for you. You have no control over when the reader is going to open up your e-mail and read it. You have the best chance of communicating your message if your e-mail is written without assuming anything about the reader. Re-read your e-mail through the eyes of someone who is annoyed at something and see if it still sounds as effective.

I’ve been guilty of writing an e-mail I thought was hilarious in the sarcasm, only to find the person reading it thought I was serious. (As an aside, there really should be a universal sarcasm font.) I’ve been guilty of sending one-word responses thinking the reader would value my quick, short reply only to find the reader thought I was angry. I’ve re-read my e-mails only to find that I started every sentence of a paragraph with the words “I want…” and I realized (only after the fact) that I sounded like a jackass.

If you want a response, ask for it specifically (and include a deadline). It is easy to assume someone will reply. I have found it is not always as clear to the reader that they must respond. Many times I have found people will not respond if they agree, or if they run off to begin working on something. If you want a reply, ask specifically “Please reply to this e-mail by Friday at 5pm with a decision or date when you will make a decision.” This language sets the expectation of what you need from the reader, and you will not be waiting for a response only to have the reader assume none is required.

Pro-tip: Don’t bury a request in the middle of your e-mail. If you can, you should make the request up front with the detail following. If you can’t pull it forward, add emphasis like underlining people’s names or placing questions in bold.