Catalog of Free Writing Tools

Help yourself to our sample emails and writing tools

Welcome! — In this section you'll find email writing tools and templates you can put to immediate use when drafting emails.

ESSENTIAL TEMPLATES

Here are templates for two components vital to business email:

• Message content — ORSON. When you're drafting emails longer than a few sentences, this basic template helps ensure readability and logical flow.
• "Subject:" lines — Topic + Purpose. This template for your "Subject:" lines will help get your messages read. PLUS: Tips for applying the template in common business situations.

SPECIFIC EMAIL SITUATIONS

Need help drafting emails? — Just click on your situation:

• Sample No. 1 — Requesting action. When your email seeks any kind of action or response from recipients, clarity is paramount. We address how to handle your "Subject:" line, your opening, and the details of what you seek.
• Sample No. 2 — Delivering information. When you're writing simply to notify people of something, your principal challenge is getting read. Here are the keys.
• Sample No. 3 — Writing replies. There's more to it than hitting the Reply button. We address the most common blunders.
• Sample No. 4 — Drafting a simple proposal. We show the keys to making a persuasive case in an email message.
• Sample No. 5 — Handling the signature. The information you must routinely append at the close of an email, and why.
• Sample No. 6 — Delivering bad news. Don't use email if you don't have to, but if you absolutely must...

USEFUL LINKS

• View an excerpt from our eLearning program. Just click the image at right.
• Business leaders. Need to improve email communications across your organization? Click here.
• Training managers. Need to implement a training solution for your organization or for an internal customer? Click here.
• Individuals. If you need to improve your own email communications — your skills, your professionalism, your effectiveness — click here.