5 overrated email phrases youve probably used before (and what to say instead)

5 overrated schmelzglas phrases youve probably used before (and what to say instead)5 overrated emaille phrases youve probably used before (and what to say instead)Whens the last time you asked someone in an email if you could pick their brain? Weve all done it at one point or another, whether we were students eager to meet with potential internship supervisors or just starting out in our careers and trying to impress our bosses. This phrase, like a handful of others, are commonly used, but theyre overrated and often evoke a negative reaction from the email recipient. Here are five phrases you should banish from your email vocabulary ASAP along with helpful things to say instead.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more1. Id love to pick your brainIn translation? Id love for you to give me information on something without anything in return, and Im going to ask in a vague way that hopefu lly sounds like Im not asking anything. Though students or entry-level career peopledogenuinely need help, its important to remember that the person whose brain youd like to pick (now that were saying it multiple times, the phrase sounds creepy anyway) is really busy and doesnt have time to play coy if you need something. If youre going to ask someone for help, be straightforward and just ask. Be more direct and pointed about what youd like to learn from this person. Instead, maybe say, Im sure youre up to your ears in work, but if youre free in the near future, Id like to sit down and get your perspective on our business model.2. Hey there,Unless you work on a small, close-knit team or you personally know the person youre emailing, never start an email with - or write in the subject line - any vague greeting like Hey there, or Hey Its the professional protocol to use the recipients name so that you dont sound like a salesperson sending out a mass email and that you show that you have a sense of respect for the person youre addressing.3. I thought Id reach out becauseThis phrase is fairly harmless because youre stating your intent behind contacting the email recipient. The issue, though, is that the phrase isweak. I thought sounds like youre actually not sure that you should be reaching out or asking the question youre about to ask. Also, depending on the recipient, this person could have just a few seconds to look at your email. Any extra words that get in the way of the emails true purpose are going to make it difficult for the recipient to quickly find your question or update. Instead, try something clear and simple along the lines of Id like to set aside 30 minutes next week to talk about this project.4. To whom it may concern,Similar to the Hey discussion, you want to address your recipient directlyevery time. If youre emailing an address that looks something like jobscompanyname.com, you probably feel like you dont have much of a choice outside of keep ing it vague - and that would likely be true if we were talking about 20 years ago when LinkedIn and other social media resources werent available. If youre applying for a job or trying to reach a company via a vague email address, take a brief look at the companys LinkedIn page and do a search for the name of the department head or take your best guess at who the point of contact could be. Even if you address the wrong person in the email, at least you addressed someone relevant who still works at the company. Thats better than taking no initiative and going with Hey to whoevers reading this.5. See belowWhen youre emailing attachments, visuals or anything else you want your recipient to see, dont bail out on explaining what they should pay attention to and why they should pay attention to it. Simply plotting a screenshot of a problematic webpage and saying See below conveys that you arent going to put inanyeffort to give context for what your recipients are seeing. And email lazin ess isnt a good look on a professional. So commit to the email and provide a brief but clear explanation of what you need them to understand by the end of your message..bxc.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-group-1012255-lyDBLV9 width 900pxheight 550px