Title Email and Business writing Handout.pdf ✅

1 E-mail and Business Writing Handout I.Business Writing 1. What is a business letter? Business Letter is used by organizations to communicate professionally with customers, other companies, clients, shareholders, investors, etc. Business letter uses formal language and a specific format. 2. How to Write a Business Email? While we send a lot of emails, many of them are not effective. Those emails that are hard to read or interpret remain in everyone's inbox since the recipient is unsure of how to respond or proceed. Don’t let this happen to your business emails. Etiquette, style, and format are essential to writing emails that achieve results. a. Who is my audience? In all business writing, the audience is the top consideration. Who you are writing for will determine how you write your email. The reader will determine the tone, formality, and content of the communication. Your email reader could be your colleague, client, or supervisor. Each reader has a different background, project knowledge, and priorities. You can use project acronyms with a colleague who has the same deep project knowledge as you do. Those same acronyms will be confusing to an executive who needs an update for budget forecasting. With your audience at the forefront, you will always write a more effective email. The audience includes all the people included in the sender fields. This includes the To: CC: and BCC: fields but the focus should be on those in the To field. Writing for the audience also means using these fields correctly. The To:‘ field is for the direct audience who needs to reply or take action from the email content. The CC:‘ field is for readers who need to receive the email conversation for reference or clarity, but do not need to take action nor reply. The BCC:‘ field is for the audience who only needs to see the initial email and none of the later chain of replies.
2 Incorrect usage of the sender fields is a common business email mistake. It occurs when the audience and their roles are not thoughtfully considered. Use the Bcc field very judiciously. Often, it's best to forward an email separately, with a brief statement on why you're sending this information. b. What is the purpose of the email? Each email should cover only one specific item, task, or request. Covering multiple actions in one email can cause confusion and inefficiency. One email should not include both client report revision notes and a scheduling question for the quarterly meeting. This scenario calls for two separate emails. By limiting emails to one thing, the email is easier for the recipient to understand, process, and act upon. This clarity increases understanding and productivity. In practice, we sometimes ask for several pieces of information related to the same topic. In this case, use a numbered list to clarify for your reader that the request has components. This will help your reader respond easily and ensure you receive all the specifics you need. I need you to review these three items before we release the sketch to the production team: 1.Content 2.Design 3.Colour choice c. Is the email necessary? There is a tendency to over-communicate by email. While email is efficient and provides an electronic paper trail, not all communication should occur over email. Ask yourself: - Is this email necessary? Perhaps a quick phone call or a ping on the company messenger is more proper. If you‘re expecting much back-and-forth on the topic, a short conversation can end a lengthy email chain. Choose the right channel to send information. Email is great, but it's one channel. d. Is the email appropriate? Email can be used in many scenarios but is not always appropriate. If you are delivering bad news, do so in person or buffer the email thoughtfully. An email is impersonal and is difficult to convey empathy or compassion. If you must write a business apology email, follow these rules. Sensitive information sent by email runs the risk of being accidentally shared. There are plenty of cases of email mishaps, ranging from funny to serious. Whether the information is personal contact or personal opinion, consider whether it‘s appropriate for an email. If you wouldn‘t want it accidentally shared, be very thoughtful about how it is sent in the first place.
3 If you are unsure if an email is appropriate, ask yourself if you'd be comfortable with that email being projected in a meeting. Attending the meeting are your boss, all your future bosses, and your family. If it passes this test, then send it. If not, there is probably something that is not appropriate. e. E-mail style An Outline of a Business Email Structure: 1. Address and name of the sender 2. Address and name of the recipient 3. Date 4. Subject Line 5. Salutation 6. Body 7. Signature Parts of a business email Email has become an essential form of business communication. Although personal email is informal, emailing for business requires professionalism and courtesy. The basic parts of a paper business letter apply to Internet correspondence as well. 1. Subject Make the subject line brief and accurate. Avoid using designations that could trigger the recipient's spam filter, such as "Re," a traditional office memo abbreviation for "Regarding," or "Fwd," which means a forwarded email message. Always fill in the subject line; leaving it blank also could kick your message into the spam folder. 2. Salutation Use a professional salutation for business email messages. "Dear Mr. Foster" creates a much better impression than "Hey, Bob" and reflects your image as a business professional. Leave a blank line after the salutation, then begin the body of the email. This pattern makes the entire message easier for the recipient to read. 3. Body Follow standard business letter guidelines for your email's body. Use polite language to make a request or explain a point. If you're not sure the recipient will remember you or if you're making contact for the first time, introduce yourself in the first line. "Thank you for speaking with me last Thursday regarding the Johnson contract", this will jog the recipient's memory before you get into the details of this business.
4 4. Signature Add a blank line after the body of the email, again to make the message easier on the eyes, then end the message with a polite sign-off, such as "Yours truly," "Sincerely" or even "Thanks." After your name, add your email address, phone number. Your title with the company and even the office's address if desired. This offers the recipient all your contact information in one place. Read twice, send once Before hitting "Send," reread the email to search for problems: Is the recipient's email address correct in the "To" field, is there a suitable line in the "Subject" field, and is the message free from spelling, context or grammatical errors? Double- check your signature and contact information as well. Stay Professional Use only black text on a white background. Pick a businesslike font, such as Times New Roman or Courier. Do not use colored, curvy fonts, graphics- heavy backgrounds, emoticons or Internet slang, such as "LOL" (Laughing Out Loud). Avoid typing a message in all capital letters, which is considered yelling in text form. If you're sending a business email to many recipients, use the Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) option. That way, each reader's email address is protected and less likely to end up on someone's spam list. Tone • Finding the correct tone can be the biggest headache in drafting an email. The tone changes based on your audience. It can range from formal to friendly but is always professional and should always be matched to your audience. • Wordy politeness can often be overlooked in efforts to be brief in emails. However, "please" and "thank you" should be included anytime it is appropriate. • Avoid ALL CAPS because it SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE YELLING. • Also, writing in all caps could route your email to the spam folder). If you wouldn’t shout the statement in person, don’t shout it in an email. Instead, use italics, underlining, or bold to emphasize important points. E-mail Etiquette • Don’t make a bad first impression The salutation is the first thing your reader sees, so don’t misspell their name or call them by their surname rather than their first name. Don’t be too formal or informal in your salutation; ideally you should mirror the tone of your reader. • Don’t be too familiar in your subject lines