How to Email Like a Boss (10 Email Hacks to Impress)

These insanely easy email hacks will improve your productivity—and impress your boss.

By Jacqueline McElhone
December 23, 2023

Improving your relationship with your work—and your boss—comes down to one thing: clear communication.

Email is one of the most important (and most used) tools in workplace communication. Unlike talking directly in person or via video, emails don't usually come with an immediate response and you can't see the facial expressions of the recipient.

This means you don't know if your message is coming across in a confusing way or if your email communication style is offputting.

Also, the reality is that managers have a lot on their plates. They have their own work, the performance of the team, and other interpersonal work-related matters to deal with daily, to name a few. One thing they might not be thinking about 24/7 is your workload and responding to your emails. However, you can change that with some improved email etiquette.

The way you email says a lot about you. It tells people about your communication skills, expertise, organizational skills, and effectiveness. It also presents a virtual version of who you are and who you aim to be.

10 Tips to Email Like a Boss
The Email Hack That Can Dramatically Change How You Work with Your Boss
The Monday/Friday Boss Status Update Email Hack

Whether you’re new to the email game or you’re a seasoned pro, there are a few pointers when it comes to email etiquette that will launch you from emailing newbie to sending emails like a boss.

Today I am going to share 10 tips on how to write and send better emails—plus my signature email hack that really impresses my boss and helps me stay on task with work priorities.

10 Tips to Email Like a Boss

1. Use a Professional Email Address

When you're looking to send a professional email, it's best for it to also come from a professional email address. This means your high school Gmail username or that random AOL account isn't going to cut it when sending emails to clients or even potential employers.

If you've ever worked at a company and been given an email address, you've probably noticed they offer some variation of your first name and last name or a variation of your initials. You'll want to do the same. An example is First.Last@email.

You can also personalize your email account with a professional headshot. Not only will the recipient take notice but it also lets them know you're not spam, a robot, or some automated message. You're a real person worthy of a reply.

2. Include a Personalized Email Signature

Another best practice is to include a signature with more information at the end of your email. According to Meredith Fineman, author of Brag Better, your email signature is one of the biggest missed opportunities for sharing more about yourself, skills, etc.

The trick here is not to go overboard. If you have nothing, it's a bit strange and not very professional. If you over-customize with too many details, emoticons, and links, you're also appearing less professional.

Fineman recommends including your job title, contact information such as phone number and/or email address, as well as a link to either your company, your personal website, or your LinkedIn profile depending on if this is a work email address or a personal email address. If it's relevant to your role/expertise, you can also link to your social media accounts.

Added Tip: Here are 80+ ways to end an email.

3. Use a Specific Subject Line

Our next best practice focuses on the subject area of your emails. Vague subject lines will just get lost in an already full inbox. Instead, a good subject line is specific. This might include the name of the client or project. It might include your name or the date.

The goal is to give the receiver enough context about what your email is about before they open it. And we have lots of tips on how to get your cold emails noticed with these subject lines.

4. Cite Points and Respond Directly

No one likes to open an email that is one long run-on sentence. Nobody wants to receive a large number of emails with long paragraphs inside. It's overwhelming, messy, and it's hard to find the important details.

Instead, keep your emails concise—this means keeping your emails on the shorter side. Only include relevant and important information and utilize links to help provide additional information if the person needs it.

Additionally, we're big fans of using bullet points or a numbered list to recap important points and takeaways. This is also a great way to communicate clear expectations without them getting lost in long messages.

Another benefit of keeping your emails concise and organized is (hopefully) a shorter response time. When the person receiving your emails knows how to help you quickly, they probably will.

5. Eliminate Weak Language

There is no place for "sorry" or "just" in the modern workplace. A study even found that frequent apologizing not only changes how people view us but also how we view ourselves.

Learn how to replace weak language with more powerful language at work—to get your message across with no apologies. Instead of saying "I'm sorry" for a late reply or a mistake, edit your email reply to say “Thanks for your patience.” or "Nice catch." or “I appreciate you bringing this to my attention.”

By using more powerful language, you're demonstrating confidence and accountability without undermining your own authority.

6. Use a Confident and Assertive Voice

Like removing weak language from your emails, you'll want to display confidence when you share your opinion using an assertive voice rather than a passive voice. Responses that are prefaced with “I think…” and “I feel…” are things to remove.

Instead, replace “I think…” with “I would like to consider…” or state your opinion without adding any weak language that automatically questions what you're about to state.

Another thing to remove is questioning if what you've said makes sense. For example, when providing an explanation in your email about a topic that you know is clear, you don't need to end it by questioning yourself by adding, "does this make sense?"

The goal is to give people the opportunity to disagree or discuss what you've said without removing your assertiveness and conviction with your beliefs and thoughts.

Remember not to use the word "sorry" as a buffer word too often.

7. Don't Overdo the Exclamation Points

I'll admit that I love using an exclamation mark (or ten) in an email. When I reflect on why I do this, it's because I'm trying to replace facial expressions that I don't get to have in written communication.

However, adding too many exclamation points in your emails can seem unprofessional and too casual for a business email. Now I write my emails how I want and then review them by asking myself if an exclamation point really improves the quality of my message here. If the answer is "no," then I remove it.

8. Don't Send Too Many Emails

In today's modern world—and really today's tech that allows us to send emails at any time and with a variety of devices—I would caution against being the person who sends too many emails. Just because you can send multiple emails and multiple follow-up messages to your team doesn't mean you should.

Not only does sending too many emails look unprofessional, but it's disorganized and overwhelming for people receiving and trying to decipher important details from your messages.

Instead, when you've sent a mass email or are asking for group input, take the time to collect the important information and try to send one email. Use this email to summarize and recap your findings.

Don't get "reply all" happy and fill up inboxes. Plus, when you're sending too many emails, you're more likely to make simple mistakes—like grammar mistakes, wrong names, or other small errors that present the wrong virtual version of yourself.

9. Respond in a Timely Manner

One thing we all love on the Career Contessa team is a "confirming receipt" email. This means after we have sent an email to a contact—usually with some important information they have requested—they send us a quick reply with "confirming receipt."

This means they are letting us know they have gotten our email, looked it over, and will follow up with the next steps when they have them. There is no waiting and guessing on our end. It also allows the recipient the time they need to formulate a complete response.

At times, there are other decision-makers involved, so the question in your email can't be answered right away. This small gesture signifies that a reply is in the works, rather than a weeklong radio silence.

Our best advice is to try to respond to emails within 24-48 hours (not including weekends). When you need more time, just let the person on the other end know that you got their email.

10. Proofread Emails Before Sending

A good email habit to create is proofreading before you hit send. By taking just a few minutes before you hit send, you might catch a misspelled word, name, or incorrect link. Not only does this show attention to detail, but it's another opportunity to remove weak language, infuse confidence, and present a professional brand you're proud of.

The Email Hack That Can Dramatically Change How You Work with Your Boss

The average American worker easily clocks in 60 hours a week, and we know from research about the four-day workweek that many of the tasks on our to-do list could either be cut or done more efficiently.

Additionally, priorities can quickly change, and it's easy for you to pour your working hours into a project just to learn that your boss' boss now wants everyone focused on something new.

We’ve all done it—you work hard, all week, on projects that you thought were the most important, only to have your boss ask you on Thursday how the one project you neglected is coming along. Time for cramming and overworking to make sure you meet that deadline tomorrow.

How can you plan around work changes while maintaining great communication with your boss—AND making sure to brag or showcase your value each week?

Well, what if we told you there’s a way to be certain that you and your manager are on the same page? There’s a two-step email system that holds all the answers. And it’s so simple, it just. might. work.

The Monday/Friday Boss Status Update Email Hack

This is an email update to your boss each Monday to share what you're working on. On Friday, send the companion email to detail your results or work updates. We are not adding another to-do list item for your boss because there is no expectation that they respond unless they need to change something.

And if they do have changes for you, it's better to hear about them on Monday than Thursday at 5:00.

Make it your goal for the next month to send these emails each week and just see what happens. To help you get started, I'm sharing the email templates + examples that I use.

Step One: The Monday Morning Email

Basically, you want to set expectations for the week from the get-go. Explain your top priorities for the days ahead, along with any secondary or ongoing projects that you may be able to work on if time allows. Ask if your boss has any suggestions or alterations to your agenda.

This email should be short, sweet, and to the point. No reason for any fluff! Read an example of what my email would look like below.

Subject: My Plan for the Week of Nov. 20

Dear [Manager Name],

Here's a peek at my prioritized to-do list for this week. Let me know if I should make any changes.

What I Understand To Be The Most Important Work to Organization:
1. Expand the blog for marketing, awareness, and expertise
2. Attract brand sponsors for editorial work

How My Work Is Contributing:
1. Supporting content creation
2. Pitching unique article ideas and interviews

Top Priorities (Completed this week):
1. Add Natalie Franke Interview to CMS
2. Prepare for/Execute Editorial Meeting Agenda
3. Write Article for Finding Excitement in the Workplace

Ongoing Projects:
1. Salary Project/Data+CMS
2. Editorial Calendar—February

Any feedback is appreciated.

Thank you!
Jacqueline

This initial email clearly communicates each of your expectations and shows organization on your part.

Added bonus: it showcases your ability to take initiative, as well as your project management skills. You can also use this email as a reference throughout the week, for those “What am I supposed to be doing again?” moments.

Step Two: The Friday Update Email

At the end of the week, you want to send a recap summarizing where each project stands and what you completed during the week. Be sure to list any unfinished items, work that still needs to be looked over, and include any questions or clarifications you may have.

Subject: Update from the Week of Nov. 20

Dear Boss,

Here's what I was able to complete this week. I added some questions/pending items going forward.

Completed Tasks
1. Added Natalie Franke Interview to CMS
2. Executed Editorial Meeting—Reflected all updates to titles/leadboxes
3. Finished Article: Excitement in the Workplace (In Drafts)
4. Pulled Data for Salary Project

Ongoing Projects
1. Need to write intro in CMS for Salary Project
2. Editorial Calendar—February/Who are we interviewing?
3. January Kickstarter—Team meeting soon?

That's it for now, I'll follow up next week.

Have a lovely weekend, see you Monday.
Jacqueline

This follow-through allows your boss to clearly see what you were able to finish, and what projects need more time. It also stands as an easy reminder for you come next Monday, when you’re writing that “This is what I’m doing this week” email.

So easy, right? Another pro tip is to save these emails or create a summary of your accomplishments each month. They will come in handy when you're prepping for your next performance review.

Interested in more email hacks? We’re here for you with all the networking templates.

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Jacqueline McElhone

I'm Jacq (she/her). I'm a creative producer and project manager based out of Los Angeles. I'm a Team Mom, the go-to organizer. I empower teams, empower people, to collaborate creatively. I create captivating, engaging content for brands, managing events, productions, and storytelling content that bring people closer together. I'm most comfortable when I'm helping other people. I'm a confident communicator and an empathetic leader. Let’s work!