American work emails are usually short, friendly and direct. Long formal introductions can feel old-fashioned.
Structure
- Greeting: “Hi Sarah,”
- The point in the first line
- Details or context in a few short sentences or bullets
- Clear next step or question
- Sign-off: “Thanks,” or “Best,” and your name
Tone
Friendly and polite, but not overly formal. First names are normal, even with senior people, unless they sign with a title.
Template: asking for help: “Hi Jordan, could you review the attached draft by Thursday? I’m mainly looking for feedback on section 2. Thanks!”
Follow-ups
If you don’t hear back in two or three business days, a short follow-up is normal: “Just bumping this up in case it got buried.”
Things to avoid
- Replying all when only one person needs it
- All caps, which reads as shouting
- Very long paragraphs
- Sending sensitive feedback by email instead of in person
