Many people make costly mistakes when writing emails with attachments. It is important that you clearly notify the recepient that your email contains one or more attachments.
What we write and how we go about communicating in emails with attachments is determined by who we are relating to. This is why when an email is sent and a file is attached to the message, the manner we communicate this differs and is determined by our relationship with the person at the other end or the purpose we seek to achieve.
What is an Email Attachment?
Email attachments are files that are attached to email messages, thereby increasing the potential value or benefit of that message to the recipient. These may be files of different formats, sizes, and contents. Attachment can be in text files, documents, spreadsheets, and PDF’s form.
Email attachment depends on whom the recipient is to you, when you are sending a casual attachment, like friends and family you don’t need to put too much emphasis on the type of files you’re attaching and emailing to your recipients. However, if the email is professional or academic for example your boss, business clients, or the head of a college, you need to think a bit more about how best to present the information you are about to send.
Why Emails with Attachments are Different
In a formal setting, when an email is attached, it could be unclear how to express this to the recipient of the email, especially in cases whereby the only important thing is the attached file and there seems to be no reason or purpose to have a body for the message.
Writing the Subject for Emails with Attachments
Some people will not open an email attachment unless they have an idea of what is attached. The title you have chosen to give your email may sometimes reflect that it is an email with an attachment and shows that the body of your message will be short. For example;
Title: Report, 2016 Carnival
Title: List of names of shortlisted candidates
The titles above do not only give a clue that your email may have attached files but they also give an idea of what to expect in the attachments.
Writing the Body for Emails with Attachments
There are ways to let the recipient of your mail be aware of the files you have attached. This you may have to do directly, stating it clearly. It is important to you that the recipient of your email sees what you have sent. You may go about it by simply letting them know in the most formal way. For example;
“Please find attached to this email a copy of my Curriculum Vitae” or “Find attached to this mail a copy of the Sales Report for the year 2016″.
In cases whereby the only important matter is the attached file, and the body of the message is not quite important, you should make the recipient aware of the files and write briefly what each file is about in the body of the message. It is vital you do not leave the part where the body of the message should be written blank even if the email attachment is the only reason you are sending the email. The body of the message can be built to center around the file(s) you have sent. Your email should also have a subject matter. It could be considered rude to leave those crucial spaces empty.
Sample Emails with Attachments
SAMPLE 1: Writing Emails with Attachments
Good morning madam,
There are certain things to note when sending an attachment with your email.
In response to the inquiry you made concerning the list of machines and equipment available for inspection in December 2016, please find attached the list that gives the information you need.
Please, let us know if you have any questions regarding the information provided in the attachment.
Thank you.
SAMPLE 2: Writing Emails with Attachments
Dear Sir,
Please find attached to this email pictures of the products that are available in the supermarket and the discount prices. There are five (5) attached JPEG files.
Kindly let us know if there are details that require clarification. We will be glad to help.
Best regards.