Knowing how to write a formal email is essential for good communication with different audiences.

This is because it is more sensible for companies to communicate in a slightly more sober language.

However, many people confuse formality with conservatism. That’s why it’s important to know how to dose the level of sobriety, but never fail to include it in your communication.

Want to know how to write a formal email? Look at your own conversations. The way you address a person with whom you are intimate is different from the way you communicate with someone outside your personal circle, isn’t it?

The same goes for companies and professionals. That’s why knowing how to write a formal email is so important for effective communication.

It’s also important to know how to reconcile formality with the company’s tone of voice.

For example, this article you are reading is part of the communication of SafetyMails, a startup with a young and dynamic tone of voice, but which nevertheless uses formal communication.

Just to give you a better example, tone of voice is the way a company speaks, which should be consistent with its culture.

For example, SafetyMails’ audience is made up of marketing professionals and companies that use email as a communication channel.

And speaking of which, do you know how to block risky emails so that your list is ready for sending?

How to write a formal email to a lead

The first contact

Your lead has just entered the marketing funnel. To create a connection, personalize the email starting with the person’s name.

But remember that the message is designed to convert the lead, not to communicate something corporate. That’s why you should never start with “Dear [customer name]”. That’s the kind of formality that’s totally unnecessary in email marketing!

That said, start with “Hello, [customer]”, or something similar that conveys friendliness.

Bearing in mind that you are creating a relationship with the lead and that everything is just beginning, create content that is light in language and that is capable of subtly inviting the lead to take the action you want (what we call conversion).

Remember that the lead is getting to know your product/service and that this requires light communication. One false step and the lead runs out of the funnel.

A misstep is the use of inappropriate language, i.e. too informal.

Imagine the user receiving an email full of slang and referring to them as a friend from years ago.

Zero credibility for that sender, right? Hence the importance of knowing how to write formal emails to your leads.

How to write formal emails to nurture leads in the marketing funnel

At this stage, the lead already knows your product/service and is being qualified to buy.

However, the fact that they know your company doesn’t mean that communication has to be less formal.

On the contrary: this is the ideal time for communication to solidify the company’s credibility, so that the lead feels increasingly secure and inclined to decide to buy.

That’s why, whatever content you create, give priority to sober language, but without losing the company’s tone of voice.

And how can I write a sober formal email if my company has an extroverted tone of voice? The answer lies in your ability to make the connection.

For example, you can be sober and use humorous language in your emails. There are many possibilities. The important thing is to know how to match the level of formality to the needs of your communication.

Once you’ve found this point of intercession, keeping in touch with your leads will naturally become easier.

To finalize a campaign

The bottom of the funnel signals the time to close the sale. Be careful not to get too excited and treat your lead like an old friend, the kind you can pat on the back and pitch anyway.

Qualifying a lead doesn’t mean consolidating a sale. At the bottom of the funnel, the same premise applies as at the top, where any misstep can cause the lead to distance themselves.

Use the wrong language and miss the opportunity. Communicate in the right way and close deals. Never stop being formal with your leads.

The recommendation is that background emails contain messages of thanks for the fact that the person has been following your company up to that point. Everything should be humanized and, of course, formal.

How to write a formal email to consolidate the relationship

Okay, your lead has become a customer and already knows the product. That’s why they expect to be treated in the same way as they were from the start.

The feeling of security that led your customer to decide to buy must be preserved. In this way, your company gets closer to the public, who will return to do business through new purchases.

Conclusion

Formal communication signals wisdom, and that’s what you expect from a company that wants to build a good relationship with its leads.

However, you have to be formal to the right extent, always aligning your messages with the company’s tone of voice. Formal emails are necessary at all stages of the marketing funnel, including the after-sales stage.

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