A good work email is short, clear about what it wants, and easy to answer. Length is rarely a virtue.

The subject line does half the work

  • Weak: "Question"
  • Better: "Question about the March invoice"
  • Best: "Invoice #3122 — wrong amount, need correction by Friday"

Structure

  1. Why you are writing — one sentence, first line
  2. The detail — two or three sentences maximum
  3. What you need — explicit, with a date if relevant

"Hi Sanjay,
I'm writing about invoice #3122. The total shows ₹48,000 but our order was ₹42,000. Could you send a corrected invoice by Friday? Happy to jump on a call if it's easier.
Thanks,
Meera"

Openings that fit most situations

  • "I hope you're doing well." (neutral, safe)
  • "Following up on our call this morning…"
  • "Quick question about…"
  • "Thanks for getting back to me."

Making a request without sounding demanding

  • "Could you please send…"
  • "Would it be possible to…"
  • "When you get a chance, could you…"
  • "I'd appreciate it if you could…"

Chasing a reply

Keep it light the first time. "Just checking in on this — any update?" is enough. Escalate only after the second attempt, and even then, state the consequence rather than the frustration: "We'll need this by Tuesday to keep the launch on schedule."

Closings

  • Best regards — safe for anyone
  • Thanks — warm, common, fine internally
  • Kind regards — slightly more formal
Avoid "Do the needful" and "Revert back". Both are widely used in Indian offices and widely misread elsewhere. "Please take care of this" and "Reply when you can" travel better.