The 6 Key Principles of Writing Good Emails & Updates
Learn as much as you can about your recipient.
Start by doing some research in Hubspot to check what previous comms this person received. Did they interact with anything? What did they say in previous emails? Go a step further and check Linkedin and their company page, do you see anything major going on for them? Are they attending in-person events that we also might? Are they doing anything with marketing that you could use as a conversation starter? Remind people where you left off.
Assume your recipient is reading your message with partial attention, maybe in between meetings or during one. Be specific about what you are asking.
Be specific about what you need and what the next step is, and place that information as high up in your message as possible. Main point above, context below.
Let your recipient read as much or as little of the context as they need. The key is to visually put the context separately. This creates an obvious demarcation between the main point vs the supporting context. Offer the right amount of detail.
This is not just about shortening for the sake of shortening. This is about clarity and direct language. Every detail adds cognitive load for your audience because they need to discern what’s important. Giving the right amount of context is hard because what matters to you isn’t necessarily what matters to your audience. So when in doubt, put yourself in your recipient’s shoes. Ask yourself what your recipient will ask you.
What questions do your prospects usually ask? Answer those questions proactively. It's your job to do the heavy lifting. By providing the right amount of context, you’ll take the mental load off your reader.
The 4 Writing Guidelines to Live By
Use active voice.
In active voice, the subject of the sentence does the action. In passive voice, the subject of the sentence has the action done to it. Words like “was” and “by” may indicate that you’re writing in a passive voice. Scan for these words and rework sentences where they appear.
e.g. “Joe logged into the account” vs “The account was logged into by Joe” Avoid slang & jargon.
Write in plain English. Do not use slangy words such as “awesome”, “cool”, etc. When you need to use a technical term, briefly define it so everyone can understand.
e.g. “Working with an EOR...” vs “Working with an Employer of Record (EOR)...” Write positively.
Use positive language rather than negative. One way to detect negative language is to look for words like “can’t,” “don’t,” etc.
e.g. “I want to make sure you don’t miss this opportunity...” vs “I want to make sure you leverage this opportunity...” Write short and easy-to-understand sentences.
Use short words and sentences. Avoid unnecessary modifiers and vague language.
e.g. “In order to do x...” vs “To do x...”
Sample Outreach
Use Case: You want to do outreach to a few people that have been very engaged with marketing content and are ready to be sold to. They might have some experience with what is an EOR and who is Boundless, but likely not extensive. You want to hop on a demo with them.
Subject: Discover How Boundless Can Simplify Your Global Employment Needs
Hi [Recipient’s First Name],
I noticed that you’ve been engaging with our content on streamlining global employment processes, and I wanted to reach out personally to see if there are any areas that Boundless can assist you.
Would you be interested for a brief chat on Wednesday at 4:00pm GMT+1? During this session, we can discuss how Boundless can support your specific needs and answer any questions you may have.
At Boundless, we specialise in helping companies like yours manage international hiring seamlessly. We ensure you can expand your team across borders without the complexity of navigating different employment laws.
If that time works I’ll send over an invite, otherwise feel free to . I look forward to speaking with you soon.
Cheers,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Position]
Boundless
[Your Contact Information]
Why is this email good?
It reminds the recipient of their engagement with Boundless It clearly states the purpose and next step, while removing as much work as possible for the recipient It puts the main point at the beginning and provides context below 
Outreach & Writing Guidelines for Sales