{"id":107032,"date":"2025-12-15T22:08:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T22:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=107032"},"modified":"2025-12-15T22:08:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T22:08:00","slug":"what-to-delete-from-your-emails-to-be-taken-more-seriously-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=107032","title":{"rendered":"What to delete from your emails to be taken more seriously at work"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>3 Minute, 42 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>
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At first glance, my emails are polite and warm, after all, \u201cI\u2019m just checking in on a deadline, but no worries either way.<\/p>\n

However, a closer look reveals my messages are punctuated by unnecessary apologies, smiley faces, exclamation marks and even kisses.<\/p>\n

I like to think I\u2019m being friendly and approachable, but according to experts, these linguistic habits may be quietly undermining how seriously I\u2019m taken at work.<\/p>\n

Careers coach Hannah Salton and etiquette coach William Hanson explain why so many of us write like this and the impact it could be having on how we\u2019re perceived, and even promoted at work.<\/p>\n

Is your punctuation extra?<\/h2>\n

\u201cThanks very much!\u201d I\u2019ve replied to many an email \u2013 my punctuation may be extra, but a full stop feels blunt.<\/p>\n

People use exclamation marks to show \u201cpositivity and enthusiasm,\u201d says Hannah.<\/p>\n

Women use them three times more often than men, a recent study published in the\u00a0Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found.<\/p>\n

She thinks that\u2019s likely down to the idea that \u201cwomen are often judged more harshly than men when they are direct and are called bossy and other gendered negative words\u201d.<\/p>\n

And while a single exclamation mark isn\u2019t the problem, the cumulative effect can be, warns Hannah.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it looks fake or like it\u2019s covering up insecurity, it could impact credibility,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

Would you kiss them in real life?<\/h2>\n

Written communication is notoriously easy to misread, which is why many of us insert an emoji as a picture of our warmth or humour.<\/p>\n

But etiquette coach William Hanson warns this can backfire.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne emoji can mean different things to different people or something entirely unintended,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be better if people used words and a good command of English,\u201d he advises.<\/p>\n

Emojis can have an \u201cinfantile connotation\u201d which could lead to people perceiving you as younger, less senior, capable or responsible, he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would not put an emoji in an email,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can be friendly in your writing and remain professional at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n

And when it comes to signing off with a kiss, he says: \u201cI would never put a kiss on the end of an email unless I would kiss them on the cheek in real life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Softening language can dilute authority<\/h2>\n

\u201cJust checking that you\u2019re following me and this all makes sense?\u201d<\/p>\n

Emails containing reassurance checkers can be self-deprecating, Hannah says, adding that over time, that tone can subtly shape how someone is perceived.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a manager, it\u2019s a difficult balance of being liked and respected and if you\u2019re not direct, there\u2019s a risk of creating an impression of being less capable,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are definitely times where communicating in an overly apologetic or overly measured way can make you come across as less impactful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of it is unconscious,\u201d Hannah says. \u201cNo one reads an email and thinks \u2018oh, they don\u2019t back themselves\u2019, it\u2019s more subtle than that.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if you\u2019re consistently communicating in a people-pleasing way, that can build up an impression of someone who doesn\u2019t back themselves, or who is potentially less competent.\u201d<\/p>\n

What to cut out of your emails<\/h2>\n

Here are some of the things you might want to consider losing to appear more professional, our experts suggest:<\/p>\n