Chapter 6: Emails, Memos and LettersVenecia Williams Show
Email, text messages, memos and business letters are part of our communication landscape, and skilled business communicators consider them a valuable tool to connect. Netiquette refers to etiquette, or protocols and norms for communication, on the Internet. Electronic mail, widely known as “email,” is by volume the most popular written communication channel in the history of human civilization. With emails being so cheap and easy to send on desktop and laptop computers, as well as on mobile phones and tablets, a staggering 280 billion emails are sent globally per day (Radicati, 2017)—that’s over a hundred trillion per year. Most are for business purposes because email is such a flexible channel ideal for anything from short, routine information shares, requests, and responses the length of a text, to important formal messages delivering the content that letters and memos used to handle. Its ability to send a message to one person or as many people as you have addresses for, integrate with calendars for scheduling meetings and events, send document attachments, and send automatic replies makes it the most versatile communication channel in the workplace. This mind-boggling quantity of 3.2 million emails sent per second doesn’t necessarily mean that quality is a non-issue for email, however. Because it has, to some extent, replaced mailed letters for formal correspondence, emails related to important occasions such as applying for and maintaining employment must be impeccably well written. Your email represents you in your physical absence, as well as the company you work for if that’s the case, so it must be both well-written and appropriate. First, ensure that you really need an email to represent you because emailing merely to avoid speaking in person or calling by phone can do more harm than good. If an email is necessary, however, then it must be good. As people who make decisions about your livelihood, the employers and clients you email can be highly judgmental about the quality of your writing. To them, it’s an indication of your professionalism, attention to detail, education, and even intelligence. The writing quality in a single important email can be the difference between getting hired and getting fired or remaining unemployed. Let’s say, for instance, that you get an email from a customer and they mention in it that they’ve been shopping around for a company to do a custom job for them. This means they’re emailing other companies with the same inquiry. Let’s say also that your competitors offer similar services at similar prices and are similarly reviewed positively online. With everything else being equal, the quality of the email responses may be the deciding factor. Responding to the customer quickly gives you an advantage because you show them that you can get things done promptly. If your email is also well written in a professional style and error-free in every way due to effective editing and proofreading, you stand a much better chance of getting the job. Comparing this with another company’s email that came a few days later with multiple writing errors in it, the customer will likely go with the company that wrote the better email. Even though the quality of communication doesn’t necessarily guarantee quality of work in the product or service a company provides, customers will assume a connection. Indeed, the quality of communication can certainly say volumes about work ethic and attention to detail. We must all try to make a similarly strong impression in any situation where the quality of email matters. Figure 6.1 demonstrates a standard email.
To: From: Subject: Construction Interruptions Dear Harriet, I know employees of Evergreen Corp. are looking forward to moving into the new Station Street building in January, but recently groups of employees who do not have business here have been walking through the building. These visits create a safety hazard, interrupt the construction workers, and could put your occupancy date in jeopardy. Would you please ask your staff members who haven’t already been moved to Station Street to stay out of the building? If they need to meet here with someone who has already moved, they should conduct their business and leave promptly via the nearest staircase. We need to avoid further interruptions so our construction workers can get the building ready for occupancy on schedule. If you have any questions, please call me. Thanks, Mel Melvin R. Vargas Construction Site Manager, Maxim Construction Co. 1234 Main St, Big City, Canada Figure 6.1 | Sample Standard Email
Tips for Effective Business EmailsIf you’re struggling to write an email, err on the side of not wasting the reader’s time. Many readers get hundreds of emails a day. While a reader might sit down to read a letter or a memo, they will usually spend a few seconds scanning an email for relevant information before moving on to the next one. Unless your email is sensitive or you are breaking bad news, it’s nearly always a good idea to state the main point of the email clearly and to clearly tell the audience what you want them to do. For an email, you should tell the reader why you are writing, provide supporting details, then tell the reader what to do. Here are some tips for sending successful emails:
Before hitting the send button, revise and proofread your email. Put yourself in your reader’s position and assess whether you’ve achieved the purpose you set out to achieve in the first place. Evaluate also if you’ve struck the appropriate tone and formality. After revising generally, always proofread an email. In any professional situation, but especially in important ones related to gaining and keeping employment, any typo or error related to spelling, grammar, or punctuation can cost you dearly. A poorly written email is insulting because it effectively says to the recipient: “You weren’t important enough for me to take the time to ensure that this email was properly written.” Worse, poor writing can cause miscommunication if it places the burden of interpretation on the reader to figure out what the writer meant to say if that’s not clear. If the recipient acts on misinterpretations and others base their actions on that action, you can soon find that even small errors can have damaging ripple effects that infuriate everyone involved. Netiquette & Social MediaWe create and curate personal profiles, post content and comments, and interact via social media as a normal part of both our personal and professional lives. How we conduct ourselves on the open internet can leave a lasting impression, one not so easily undone if it’s regrettable. That sarcastic but not-so-PC reply to a public post on Facebook or Twitter in a heated moment a decade ago can come back to haunt you. We’re all learning as we go in this new media environment, but any mistakes we make along the way, no matter how much we’ve matured since, are still there for all to see and can have lasting impacts on our careers. Many candidates for political office have been taken down by their past social-media posts and you can be sure that untold numbers of job applicants have similarly ruined their chances with similar posts. Some guidance about what can be done about those mistakes, as well as how to conduct ourselves properly moving forward, can help improve your employability. Many years ago, when the internet was a new phenomenon, Virginia Shea laid out a series of ground rules for communication online that continue to serve us today. Virginia Shea’s rules of netiquette
It is also important to remember to keep your public persona online as professional as possible and to familiarize yourself with the privacy settings of the social media platforms you use. Texting and Instant MessagingWhatever digital device you use, written communication in the form of brief messages, or texting and instant messaging, have become a common way to connect. They are useful for short exchanges, and are a convenient way to stay connected with others when talking on the phone would be cumbersome. Texting and instant messaging are not useful for long or complicated messages, and careful consideration should be given to the audience. Many companies have adopted texting and messaging apps for in house communication as there are several benefits. According to (Kashyap, 2020), these benefits include:
Tips for Effective Business Texting and Instant Messaging
Using Social Media ProfessionallyReview sites, blogs, tweets, and online community forums are some of the continually developing means of social media being harnessed by business and industry to reach customers and other stakeholders. People’s comfort in the online environment forces businesses to market and interact there or risk a massive loss in sales and interest. Though most users learn how to use social media as an extension or facilitator of their social lives, using the same platforms for professional reasons requires some change in behaviour. First, recognize that every modern business or organization should have a social media presence in the sites they expect their customer base to frequent, especially popular sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Messaging here must be consistent across the platforms when alerting the customer base of important information such as special events, deals, and other news. Next, follow expert advice on how to properly take advantage of social media in detail to promote your operation and reach people. Large companies will dedicate personnel to running their social media presence, but small businesses can do much of it themselves if they follow some decent online advice such as the following pages:
Know also that social media is a constantly evolving environment. Stay on trend by continually searching out and implementing the latest advice similar to the above. Finally, always consider how the sites you access and what you post represent you and your employer, even if you think others don’t know where you work or who you are. Internet service providers (ISPs) are required by law to archive information concerning the use and traffic of information that can become available under subpoena. Any move you make leaves digital footprints, so you will have to answer for any misstep that brings shame upon you or your company. Writing MemosA memo (or memorandum, meaning “reminder”) is normally used for communicating policies, procedures, or related official business within an organization. It is often written from a one-to-all perspective (like mass communication), broadcasting a message to an audience, rather than a one-on-one, interpersonal communication. It may also be used to update a team on activities for a given project or to inform a specific group within a company of an event, action, or observance. Memos can be tricky because they often communicate to multiple audiences who have different levels of knowledge about the context. For example, if you are communicating a new company policy, different types of employees will want to know exactly how the policy impacts them. Common Memo Writing SituationsMemos are used in a variety of workplace communication situations, from documentation of procedures and policies to simple announcements. Below are some common types of memos:
FormatMemos are distinguished by a header that includes DATE, TO, FROM, and SUBJECT lines. Other lines, such as CC or BCC, may be added as needed. An RE (“Reference”) line may be used instead of SUBJECT, but this use is becoming rarer as “RE” is often mistaken as “Reply” because of its use in email.
These headings may be double- or single-spaced, and the SUBJECT line is sometimes written in all capital letters. Furthermore, the order of the items can vary. Many organizations have their own style preferences on these issues. If not, the order listed above, double-spaced, is the most common. The text of memos typically uses block format, with single-spaced lines, an extra space between paragraphs, and no indentions for new paragraphs. OrganizationProfessional memos are organized according to one of two strategies: Direct and indirect.
The direct approach is used for good news or routine communication; the indirect approach is used for persuasive, sales, or bad news messages. A directly stated purpose is welcome in good news or routine messages but could be viewed as abrupt or insensitive in a bad news or persuasive message. When the audience is not receptive to the message, it is best to lead up to the purpose gradually. Figure 6.2 | Direct vs Indirect StrategyIn both types of organization, action information (such as deadlines or contact information) or a courteous closing statement is placed in the last paragraph. Figure 6.3 provides an example of a direct memo. Memorandum Date: March 18, 2019 To: Department Managers From: Safiyya Dev, Store Manager Subject: Customer Service Excellence Nominations Please submit your nominations for the quarterly Customer Service Excellence Award by April 8. Help us identify great employees! Do you have an employee who you feel fortunate to have in your department? Does this employee show a positive and professional attitude when helping customers? Do you get frequent comments about this person’s friendliness and helpfulness? Now, you have an opportunity to give this employee the recognition they deserve. According to the nomination criteria, nominees must:
The winner of the award will receive a framed certificate and a $100 check. A nominating form is attached. Please complete and return it to me by Monday, April 8. Thank you for your help in identifying and rewarding excellent customer service representatives. Figure 6.3 | Sample Direct Memo As you can see, this memo has a direct and concise opening that states the purpose of the memo. The body paragraph provides the award criteria, which will help managers follow through on the request. The conclusion provides action information, a deadline and a courteous closing message. We can contrast this organization to Figure 6.4 below. Memorandum Date: Feb. 25, 2019 To: All Employees From: Jaspreet Kaur, Operations Manager Subject: Change in Operating Hours Our call centre has been experimenting with a half-day Friday work schedule over the last year, and we’ve recently conducted an evaluation to determine how well the program is working. When a client calls to order their diabetic supplies on Friday afternoon, our messaging system directs them to complete their order on our company website. While many customers are willing and able to do this, many do not have Internet access (hence the reason for their call in the first place). Their only other option is to wait until Monday to place the order, and if a customer is already low on supplies, this may be untenable. Customers who are calling with questions or to resolve issues with an order must also wait for Monday. We have received positive comments, especially from our West Coast customers, about the extended hours we are open in the evening. We have determined that to continue to offer quality service, we must also reinstate working on Friday afternoons. However, that does not mean that we cannot continue to offer employees some scheduling perks. In fact, the addition of later hours Monday through Thursday provides us with more leeway in scheduling employees. We will have a staff meeting on Monday, March 4 at 8:00 a.m. to discuss new scheduling procedures. To the extent possible, we wish to accommodate employees’ preferences in scheduling, so it is important to attend this meeting to have your voice heard. Figure 6.4 | Sample Indirect Memo As you can see, the introduction is relevant to the subject but doesn’t directly state the bad news, which is that the popular early weekend schedule is ending. Instead, the writer uses a buffer that lists the reasons for the change to prepare the reader mentally for it. The bad news is then clearly stated, but it’s sandwiched between two positive statements. Note that the bad news is at the end of the paragraph since the writer doesn’t want readers to skim the memo and miss this important information. The memo then ends with action information and a forward-looking statement. Style and ToneWhile memo reports and policy memos have a more formal tone, most memos will have a conversational style—slightly informal but still professional. The audience of memos are coworkers, so the writing style usually assumes a relationship with them (and therefore a certain lack of formality). Just keep in mind that the relationship is a professional one, so the writing should reflect that. Furthermore, as with all workplace documents, the audience may contain a variety of readers, and the style and tone should be appropriate for all of their technical and authority levels. Figure 6.5 highlights various levels of formality.
Figure 6.5 | Levels of Formality
Tips for Writing Effective Memos
LettersAs one of the most formal documents you can send, a letter conveys a high degree of respect to its recipient. Sending a letter is your way of saying that the recipient matters. Letters are usually one- to two-page documents sent to people or organizations outside of the organization from which they’re sent, whereas memos are equivalent documents for formal communications within an organization. Common Letter Writing SituationsThough we use email for many of the occasions that we used to send letters for before the twenty-first century, letters are still sent rather than emails for several purposes:
In these cases, letters offer the advantage of formality, confidentiality (it’s illegal to open someone else’s mail), and a record of evidence. There are two main types of letters: block-style letters and modified-block style. The block style used by organizations has a company letterhead at the top, whereas modified-block letters are typically written independently by individuals. Regardless of the type of letter you need to write, it can contain up to fifteen elements. While you may not use all the elements in every case or context, they are listed in Figure 6.6.
Figure 6.6 | Elements of a Business Letter Some of these elements are represented in the sample letter in Figure 6.7. Bubba’s Bean Barn37 Bean Street, Vancouver, V1P-4G3 | | 604-222-3333 January 15, 2020 Ms. Marge Gagnon Re: Offer of Employment at Bubba’s Bean Barn Dear Ms. Gagnon, This letter is to formally offer you employment as a Bean Counter at Bubba’s Bean Barn. As a member of our bean-counting team, you will be responsible for using best practices in bean-counting to efficiently count a wide variety of beans and work effectively with a team of other bean counters. Your starting salary will be $65,000, including benefits, which have been outlined in the attached benefits package. You will start on March 1st, 2020 at 8:30 am. On behalf of all of us at Bubba’s Bean Barn, welcome to our bean team! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. Sincerely, Enclosures: Benefits package, full job description. Figure 6.7 | Sample Letter
Tips for Effective Business Letters
SummaryRemember that many organizations have their own templates and can have their own rules for writing emails, memos, and letters. Check with your organization to make sure that your business writing reflects their standard. End of Chapter Activities6a. Thinking About the ContentWhat are your key takeaways from this chapter? What is something you have learned or something you would like to add from your experience? 6b. Discussion Questions
6c. Applying chapter concepts to a situation
The Green Beans Café is a popular restaurant that is known for its sandwiches, salads, wraps and smoothies. It is rated #9 of 253 restaurants in Vancouver, and always receives raving reviews from its patrons. However, the cafe unexpectedly receives the following review on TripAdvisor: “The worst restaurant in Vancouver” “I’ve been to many restaurants in Vancouver, but this is the worst one I’ve experienced so far. The chicken wrap was absolutely disgusting! It had BONES, the lettuce was brown, and the cheese tasted like rubber. The servers weren’t even friendly and refused to smile while interacting with the patrons. If I could rate the restaurant less than one star, I would. Please do not waste your hard-earned money here.” Sunita, the assistant restaurant manager, is tasked with responding to online reviews. She recalls the incident with the guest as she was on duty, and believes that this person is being untruthful. Sunita is disappointed as the cafe gave this guest a complimentary meal, but they still wrote a bad review. As Sunita prepares to respond to the review, what should she keep in mind? Write an outline of her response. 6d. Writing ActivityRead this article from The Muse on how to respond to too many emails from your boss. Summarize the article. Do you agree with the advice? Is there a third alternative? How would you respond to email overload at work? References Kashyap, V. (2020, January 29). 14 Best Team Chat Apps (To Use in 2020): Who’s Here to Stay? Retrieved from https://www.proofhub.com/articles/team-chat-apps AttributionThis chapter contains information from Business Communication for Success which is adapted from a work produced and distributed under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-SA) in 2010 by a publisher who has requested that they and the original author not receive attribution. This adapted edition is produced by the University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing through the eLearning Support Initiative, Business Communication For Everyone (c) 2019 by Arley Cruthers and is licensed under a Creative Commons-Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license and Communication at Work by Jordan Smith is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. ReferencesStrunk, W., Jr., & White, E. B. (1979). The elements of style (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Macmillian. Wyrick, J. (2008). Steps to writing well (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Thomson Wadsworth. What is the advantage of writing with a you perspective quizlet?C) A "you" perspective allows the writer to organize the message based on his or her own thought process.
When writing a message it is important to provide as much information as possible to make the document thorough and useable?When writing a message, it is important to provide as much information as possible to make the document thorough and useable. Crafting a credible message includes being specific. Readers are more likely to read long paragraphs because they assume the details are important. A paragraph should rarely exceed 150 words.
What is the primary advantage of providing background information or explanations in a routine inquiry?What is the advantage of providing background information and orienting statements in a routine inquiry? They help soften the tone if the opening question sounds demanding. If you think your reader would need or appreciate some background information or an orienting statement, provide one.
Where would you place the main idea in a routine message using the direct format?When you use the direct approach, the main idea (such as a recommendation, conclusion, or request) comes in the "top" of the document, followed by the evidence. This is a deductive argument. This approach is used when your audience will be neutral or positive about your message.
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