The inbox is full. There are emails that you deal with immediately. Then there are those that they line up behind. And there are the emails you don’t want to write at all. There are many reasons for this. They fear for the friendly tone. To the clarity of your message. You need to acknowledge a mistake. Postpone an appointment. Or justify ourselves for your much too late reply.
Who writes solution-oriented e-mail, communicates as an announcer.
How to write it right?
Problem focused vs. formulate in a solution-oriented way
Much of the business email correspondence is about the problem. An error here, a missed deadline there, too little budget there. We can’t change it: nothing is perfect. Because we don’t like to write such emails, we put them off and look for the right words to use. A three-liner can become an hour-long task.
That’s the big disadvantage of problem-focused communication: it’s backward-looking and slow-moving. It also puts stumbling blocks in our way on a factual level. Those who focus on the most current problem expose themselves to the risk of becoming a supplicant within project work. There is a great danger of getting lost in the details. Do you want to?
For the exchange via e-mail of advantage is therefore the solution-oriented communication. How announcers write: they write what you need. It’s easy and quick. Time saved! The motive is clearly aligned with the project goal – to move forward. If you are always oriented to the matter, you do not lose the friendly tone. Wonderful!
Read nine typical situations in the work environment and examples of less good and better e-mail wording.
9 real-life examples of solution-oriented email writing.
Situation 1 |Your answer comes very late, but you have a solution.
❌ Sorry for my late reply.
✅ Thank you for your patience.
Situation 2 | An e-mail does not do justice to the complex issue.
❌I hope you understand my request. I am not sure if it can be expressed in this way.
✅ In this case I would prefer a personal meeting. Possible dates for this are <3 date suggestions>
Situation 3 | The overview is missing: Where the heck does the project stand??
❌ I wanted to make a quick inquiry, ..
✅ When can I expect an update?
Situation 4 |You have an urgent appointment that crosses your schedule.
❌ Is it possible that I leave early?
✅ I am up<00.00> Clock available and must continue immediately afterwards to<Date XY>.
Situation 5 |You want to make sure that your concern is understood.
❌ I hope you understand and see the point.
✅ Let me know what is still unclear from your point of view.
9 examples of solution-oriented e-mail writing.
Friendly tone, clear words: good business correspondence with e-mail is not complicated.
Situation 6 | At the end of the email you want to signal helpfulness.
❌ Still questions? No problem, I will try to find an answer.
✅ I am always happy to help with any open questions / points.
situation 7 | They have the required competence and know what to do.
❌ I think we should <Your solution suggestion> do.
✅ Here’s how to do it: <Your proposed solution> .. .
Situation 8 |A small mistake has happened to you, which you must now acknowledge.
❌ I am very sorry! I completely overlooked this, please excuse the small mistake. I’ll take care of it.
✅ Four eyes see more than two. Thanks for the hint. You can find the corrected update in the attachment.
Situation 9 |The schedule in the current project becomes too tight for you.
❌ Too many appointments lined up at the moment. Can we reschedule our next meeting?
✅ The project requires my undivided attention. Therefore, I will have our next meeting of<old date> on<new date> relocate. Thank you for your understanding!