Why Email Etiquette Matters
Your emails are a permanent record of your professional communication. They are forwarded, referenced in meetings, and used to judge your competence. For Indian professionals working in MNCs, startups, or with international clients, email mistakes can undermine your credibility — even when your technical work is excellent.
The 10 mistakes in this guide are the most common ones Indian professionals make, based on analysis of thousands of workplace emails. The good news? They are all easy to fix once you know the alternatives.
A survey of 500 hiring managers found that 77% said poor email writing negatively influenced their perception of a candidate or colleague. Your emails are your personal brand in writing.
Mistakes 1-5: Language and Tone
5 Language and Tone Mistakes
- Mistake 1: "Please do the needful"
Problem: Vague, archaic, and tells the reader nothing specific.
Fix: Be specific. "Please approve the vendor proposal by Thursday." "Please share the Q3 sales data." - Mistake 2: "Kindly revert back"
Problem: "Revert" means to return to a previous state, not to reply. "Back" is redundant.
Fix: "Please respond by [date]." or "Please let me know your thoughts." - Mistake 3: "I have a doubt"
Problem: In global English, "doubt" means you suspect something is false. It does not mean "question."
Fix: "I have a question about..." or "Could you clarify..." - Mistake 4: "Respected Sir/Madam"
Problem: Not used in modern professional English. Sounds overly deferential.
Fix: "Dear Mr. Patel," or "Hello Sunita," or "Dear Team," - Mistake 5: "Please find the same attached"
Problem: "The same" is vague — same as what? Also grammatically awkward.
Fix: "I have attached the quarterly report." or "Please find the proposal attached."
Mistakes 6-10: Structure and Habits
5 Structure and Habit Mistakes
- Mistake 6: Writing essays instead of emails
Problem: Long, dense paragraphs with no formatting. Readers skim and miss key points.
Fix: Keep emails under 200 words. Use bullet points. Bold key information. One idea per paragraph. - Mistake 7: Vague subject lines
Problem: Subjects like "Request," "Important," "Help Needed" get ignored or delayed.
Fix: Be specific: "Approval Needed: Q3 Marketing Budget by Friday" or "Meeting Reschedule: Sprint Review to 3 PM." - Mistake 8: Reply All by default
Problem: Clutters inboxes with unnecessary responses. "Thanks!" to 20 people wastes everyone's time.
Fix: Reply only to people who need the information. Use Reply All only when your response is relevant to everyone. - Mistake 9: No clear call to action
Problem: The reader finishes your email and thinks: "What do they want me to do?"
Fix: End every email with a specific action: "Please confirm by EOD." "Please review and share feedback by Wednesday." - Mistake 10: Overusing "Humble request" and "Humbly"
Problem: Excessive deference undermines your authority and credibility.
Fix: "I request your approval" or "I would appreciate your input" — polite but confident.
Before and After Email Transformations
Before (Common Indian Professional Email):
Subject: Request
Respected Sir, I am writing this email to humbly request you to please do the needful regarding the same. Kindly revert back at the earliest. Please find the same attached. Thanking you.
After (Professional Email):
Subject: Approval Needed: Vendor Contract — Due Friday
Dear Mr. Sharma, I have attached the revised vendor contract for your review. The key changes are highlighted on page 3. Could you please approve this by Friday, 11 April? The vendor needs confirmation to begin Phase 2 on Monday. Thank you. Best regards, Priya
An email with "do the needful" and "kindly revert" instantly signals to international colleagues that the writer may not have strong English communication skills — regardless of their actual expertise. In a global workplace, perception matters as much as reality.
Professional communication tools developed by companies like Softechinfra help organisations standardise email communication through templates, AI-powered suggestions, and training modules — making it easier for teams to maintain consistent, professional messaging.
Practise Email Writing
Fixing email mistakes requires practice — not just awareness. The professionals who write the best emails are those who have practised drafting, revising, and getting feedback repeatedly.
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