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Email Etiquette: Writing Clear, Cliché Free & Effective Emails

Going forward, we need to think outside the box, raise the bar and get granular when it comes to email. If you

Going forward, we need to think outside the box, raise the bar and get granular when it comes to email. If you aren’t cringing yet, you should be! The art of the business cliché is easy to get caught up in, but over time they lose their meaning.

Going forward? Do we ever go backwards?

Thinking outside the box? Really this is just taking a new approach.

And getting granular is simply looking at an issue in detail.

While many businesses are becoming aware of the use of clichés in presentations and pitches it’s easier for them to slip through in the written word, most often in emails.

Top 10 Alternatives to Cliché Use

If you occasionally find yourself looping back to a well-worn business cliché, here are our top 10 alternatives to make your email clearer and more meaningful to its recipient:

  1. Going forward – in future
  2. Breaking down silos – work together, share information or (good old) teamwork
  3. Tee it up – arrange or introduce
  4. Take it offline – talk later or during a break
  5. Paradigm shift – make a major change/adjustment
  6. Low Hanging Fruit – This task is easier because…
  7. Circling back – let’s talk or discuss this another time
  8. Limited bandwidth – my diary is full that day
  9. Do more with less – this term is too generic, make sure you are indicating how this will happen
  10. Move the needle – make a significant difference or achieve a target

Don’t let your emails lose their meaning by filling them with worn out clichés, instead focus on clear and effective language and actionable outcomes.

For more on email etiquette, check out our blog post on 10 email mistakes to avoid before you hit the send button.

Have you considered email for GDPR yet?

Email belongs to “Unstructured Data” – the Data that is not easily managed and visible when audits and Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs) come in to the organisation.