Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Contents
MODULE 1 :
The Basics Of Business Writing
1. Introduction to Business Communication
a. The Importance of Written Communication
b. Foundation of Writing Skills
c. Set your Objective
d. Funny example of inefficient exchange of
communication
2. Grammar
a. Introduction
b. Common Rules in the English Language
i. Getting Tenses Right
ii. Use of Pronouns and Prepositions
the Right way
iii. Avoid surplus Nouns and Useless
Words
iv. Write in Parallel ways
v. Avoid Slang, Jargon, Foreign
language
vi. Be Gender Neutral
vii. Write Numbers Consistently
viii. Singularity & Plurality of Nouns
ACTIVITY (Spelling)
c. Commonly misspelled words
d. Wrongly used Words and Phrases
i. Samples
ii. Correct Word Use
e. Positive & Negative Words
f. When to use BIG Words
g. Redundant Words
ACTIVITY
h. Verbs
i. Active and Passive Verb
ACTIVITY
3. Sentences
a. Sentence Construction
b. Paragraph Construction
i. Topic Sentence
ii. Supporting Sentences
iii. Concluding Sentence
iv. Details in a Paragraph
ACTIVITY
MODULE 2 :
WRITING PROPER
1. Introduction
a. Tone
b. Style
c. Principle for Effective Writing
2. Business Letter
a. What is a business letter?
b. Style and sample of a buss. letter
c. Parts of a Business Letter
d. American vs. Filipino Buss. letter
ACTIVITY
e. Guidelines in writing other forms of buss
letter
v. Responding to an enquiry/request
for information
vi. Answering Complaint Letters
vii. Structure for answering complaint
letters
ACTIVITY
3. Inter-Office Memo
a. Checklist
b. Sample
ACTIVITY
4. E-mail
a. The Correct Approach
b. E-mail Etiquette
c. Writing Clear and Professional E-mails
5. Professional Powerpoint Presentation
a. Pointers and Techniques
b. Sample Layout
1. Accuracy
2. Brevity
3. Clarity
A clear objective
Correct grammar
Proper structure
Attractive layout
Get the purpose clear to make sure that you communicate most effectively and efficiently with the reader.
Always get the IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE WHAT? quite clear in your mind. This forces you to focus on
the result rather than being content with the reason.
Formulate the what, who, how, when, why, where.
Here are some questions to ask:
WHY WRITE?
Would speaking not be more effective than
writing?
WHO AM I WRITING TO?
How skilled is the reader in the subject matter?
Who else will read it?
Why will they want to read it?
What do they know already?
WHAT DO I WANT TO ACHIEVE?
Is it to inform? To persuade? Or to record?
What does the reader need to know?
What does the reader need to do?
What answers do I need from the reader?
HOW WILL THE READER REACT?
a. Introduction
The rule is to be natural and human, not pompous and unnatural. If in doubt, ask: What would I say to this
person face to face? Writing should be more like speaking.
Letters and documents become difficult to read if they contain:
LONG WORDS
LONG SENTENCES
LONG PARAGRAPHS
O object
PRONOUN
A pronoun is a word that represents a noun. The noun that it refers back to is its antecedent.
Examples
Johnson is the nurse who took care of me the last week.
Doctors are the lifesavers of the community. They tend to the sick and dying in accordance with their oath.
Incorrect: Everyone will be required to submit their report at 9:00 a.m.
Better: Everyone will be required to submit his or her report at 9:00 a.m.
Incorrect: Bob and I went over the patients charts together.
Better: Bob and me went over the patients charts together.
Types of Pronouns:
1. Personal: We use personal pronouns to refer to specific persons or things.
Singular: I, me, you, she, her, he, him, it
Plural: we, us, you, they, them
2. Possessive: This type of pronoun shows ownership.
Singular: my, mine, your, yours, her, hers, his, its
Plural: our, ours, your, yours, their, theirs
3. Relative: Relative pronouns introduce subordinate clauses, which act as adjectives or descriptors in the
sentence.
Example: The friend who just called me is coming over.
The relative pronoun who refers back to the noun that the subordinate clause who just called me is
modifying or describing. Relative pronouns include who, whom, whose, which, and that.
4. Demonstrative: These pronouns indicate "which?" They include this, that, these, and those.
5. Indefinite: Indefinite pronouns refer to nonspecific persons or things. They include the following:
all, another, any, anybody, anyone, anything, both, each, either, everybody, everyone, everything, few,
many, neither, nobody, none, no one, nothing, one, several, some, somebody, someone, something.
6. Reciprocal: These pronouns indicate a reciprocal relationship between two things: each other, one
another
PREPOSITION
A preposition is a word which shows relationships among other words in the sentence. The relationships
include direction, place, time, cause, manner and amount.
A preposition always goes with a noun or pronoun which is called the object of the preposition. The
preposition is almost always before the noun or pronoun and that is why it is called a preposition.
Preposition Meaning
Examples
above
across
after
- following something
- later than
against
- in opposition to
- in contact with
along
among
surrounded by
around
- in a circle
- near, approximately
before
- earlier than
- in front of
behind
at the back of
below
lower than
beneath
under
beside
next to
between
close to
near
down
from
inside
into
off
onto
opposite
out of
outside
over
past
beyond
round
in a circular movement
through
throughout
in every part of
to
towards
in the direction of
Underneath/
under
beneath
up
Area
Concept
Condition
Location
Situation
Type
Environment
Example
They were interested in the decentralized decision-making concept.
Annas failing health condition causes stress to her parents.
CGHMC is located in the locality of Manila area.
Useless Words
Short words are easier to read than long words because they are easier to recognise and interpret. We get
more practice in using the words we speak; so when we see a word which we do not use in conversation, it
is harder for us to understand.
Use:
stop
propose
go
start
event
send
of, about
modify, change
show
can
please
help
Awesome
Beat
Boondocks
Magnificent
Tired
Mountain
Jargon
correspondence
Due diligence
Amalgamate
letter
careful
merge; unite
Foreign
raison detre
corpus delicti
ipso facto
reason
body of the crime
by the fact itself
Cliche
in fact
because
during
i.e. letter
e.g. report, memo, telephone call
graph or diagram
many
about
now
now
although
give details
with
during
because
I enclose
But remember ultimately, Accuracy and Clarity are more important than Brevity.
5. Be Gender Neutral
Avoid gender specific nouns. Dont make assumptions about gender.
Gender Specific
Chairman
Fisherman
Waitress
Delegates and their wives
Workman
Gender Neutral
Chair/Chairperson
Fisher
Server
Delegates and their spouses
Worker
b. In math, 1 + 1 = 2. This rule applies to pronoun agreement as well. If you have 1 singular noun
+ 1 singular noun, then together they = 2 things, or a plural antecedent.
Example
The doctor and his nurse tried their best to revive the patient.
Ronald wanted the attention of the doctor and the nurse, but he could not make them look his
way.
c. There are words of foreign origin, usually Latin or Greek, which seem to retain their original
plural endings rather than normalising to the English rules for making plurals. Examples
include:
datum - data ***
syllabus - syllabi
medium - media
phenomenon - phenomena
criterion - criteria
bureau - bureaux
c. Commonly Misspelled Words (Spell correctly) - ACTIVITY
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Misspell
Diligence
Occasion
Tomorrow
Accommodate
Embarrass
Inadvertent
Grateful
Hierarchy
Pastime
Withhold
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
Possession
Liaison
Privilege
Conscious
Conscience
Conscientious
Precede
Referred
Supersede
Threshold
Pronunciation
iii. regardless vs. irregardless: no such word as irregardless because regardless already
means without regard. The -ir prefix is redundant. IR means not, non.
iv. unless vs. not unless
UNLESS: It means "that something will happen or be true if something else does not
happen or is not true"
example:
- I cant help you unless you tell me whats wrong.
- Unless you take your medications, you will not be healed.
Grammar Points
* Do not use the future tense after unless.
I won't go unless you go (NOT unless you will go).
*Do not say 'unless if'.
Don't call him unless it's urgent (NOT unless if it's urgent).
NOT UNLESS
- It means "not unless is typically used after someone asks you a yes or no question and the
answer is NO, followed by an EXCEPTION".
Example:
-Q: Has the patient that was brought last night at 4B been released?
-A: Not unless he pays his medical bills (meaning NO and the only reason for the patients
release is the settlement of his outstanding bill).
v. fill out vs. fill up vs. fill in
Fill in means to supply something that's missing. So you fill in the blanks on a test, for
example, or you can fill in a triangle with a color (change it from an outline to a solid triangle
by coloring inside it), or you can fill in (substitute) for an absent colleague at work. And you
can fill in a form because you're supplying missing information. (one field or a few fields only)
Fill out means to complete by supplying requested information.
So you can fill in Form 195B (I get a mental picture of a form with blanks to write numbers or
small bits of data) or fill it out (could be either a form with blanks or one that asks for longer
answers). Those mental pictures aren't the only possibilities, but you can see why both
phrases work.
Fill up means to make full. You fill up containers with liquid, for example, or you fill up your
stomach with junk food. If you fill up a form, you've used all the available space on it and
have to ask for another sheet of paper.
vi. in behalf vs. on behalf
In behalf of means for the benefit of or in the interest of.
On behalf of means in place of or as the agent of.
So I might give a donation, on behalf of my company, to be used in behalf of the cancer
patients.
Satisfaction
Responsible
Quality
Honest
Service
Willingness
Blame
Sorry
Failure
Never
Cant
Unfortunate
Prejudiced
Wrong
Your delay
Your dissatisfaction
Why didnt you
We cannot understand your
You claim
You forgot to
You must
You are misinformed
Fault
Inconvenience
Regret
Complaint
Disagree
Difficult
Unable
Neglect
1.
Its SIMPLER or more familiar than the short word equivalent. Average is
more familiar than mean, and sponsorship, more familiar than aegis.
2.
3.
E.
4.
You will see what I mean if you refer back to the introduction
Please refer to the introduction
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
It is easy to recognise the passive voice it always has some form of the verb to be in front of the verb:
was, will be, must be
To convert it to the active, the reader has to answer the question by whom?, e.g. The training was
organized by whom? byMai.
Active voice : Leads to writing which is clear and generally more emphatic. The active voice forces us to
say exactly what we mean. We have to clarify who took, or should take the action. The active leaves the
reader with complete understanding and steers clear of ambiguity and vagueness, and we have to accept
full responsibility for our statements.
ACTIVITY: Please rewrite the following sentences in the active form:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
3. Sentence Construction
a. Sentence length
Sentences should on average be about 14 20 words long more than this, and ideas can become
clouded.
But it is best to vary the length of sentences; it is often dull and tiring if all sentences are of the same length.
In contrast, if the sentences are too short it is difficult to make the piece flow.
We can keep sentences short by:
-
Sentence structure
Sentence structure is just as important as length
-
The more difficult a text is, the simpler its structure should be.
The best order for a sentence is: subject, verb, direct object, e.g. The company secretary
writes the minutes.
The essence of the message should be in the first part of the sentence, as the reader always
retains this part better.
b. Paragraphs
In many languages, the fundamental unit of composition is the paragraph. A paragraph consists of several
sentences that are grouped together. This group of sentences together discuss one main subject.
Paragraphs are there for your reader - to show him/her that you are beginning a new point.
Every paragraph has a controlling idea. This is called the topic sentence and is the thought or vital piece of
information from which the rest of the paragraph flows.
Separate the themes into paragraphs and the reader will be able to get an understanding of the central
message. Do not include more than one theme per paragraph.
If the paragraphs are short, the reader can concentrate easily on each aspect of the report. If, on the
other hand, the paragraphs are long and heavy, the reader will very soon get confused and give up.
Short paragraphs make reports look easier to read.
A good rule of thumb is that paragraphs should on average be 6 sentences or fewer. Sometimes a
one-sentence paragraph is very effective to grab the readers attention or to make a key point.
There are two reasons why some people like to study at CGHMC.
OR (in a different paragraph):
There are two reasons why some people to take their internship at CGHMC.
Chinese General Hospital and Medical center is one of the leading and
oldest hospitals in Metro Manila.
Supporting Sentences
Consider again the above-mentioned, short paragraph:
The Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center stands unique among the
hospitals of the country. It is one of the oldest hospitals in the Philippines, being
founded in the Spanish times. It was founded purely from charitable donations of
well-meaning Chinese immigrants.
When a reader reads a topic sentence, such as The Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center stands
unique among the hospitals of the country, a question should usually appear in the reader's mind. In this
case, the question should be like, "What makes CGHMC unique" The reader should then expect that the
rest of the paragraph will give an answer to this question.
Now look at the sentences after the topic sentence. We can see that the second sentence in the
paragraph, It is one of the oldest hospitals in the Philippines, being founded in the Spanish times,indeed
gives an answer to this question. That is, the second sentence gives some explanation for the fact that
CGHMC is unique. Similarly, we can see that the third sentence also gives some explanation for the fact
that CGHMC was founded from purely charitable donations and it has existed for 112 years.
The second and third sentences are called supporting sentences. They are called "supporting" because
they "support," or explain, the idea expressed in the topic sentence. Of course, paragraphs in English often
have more than two supporting ideas. The paragraph above is actually a very short paragraph. At
minimum, you should have at least five to seven sentences in your paragraph. Here we can see our
paragraph about Wheaton with a few more supporting sentences in bold font:
The Concluding Sentence
In formal paragraphs you will sometimes see a sentence at the end of the paragraph which summarizes the
information that has been presented. This is the concluding sentence.
You can understand concluding sentences with this example. Consider a hamburger that you can buy at a
fast-food restaurant.* A hamburger has a top bun (a kind of bread), meat, cheese, lettuce, and other
elements in the middle of the hamburger, and a bottom bun. Note how the top bun and the bottom bun are
very similar. The top bun, in a way, is like a topic sentence, and the bottom bun is like the concluding
sentence. Both buns "hold" the meat, onions, and so on. Similarly, the topic sentence and concluding
sentence "hold" the supporting sentences in the paragraph. Let's see how a concluding sentence (in bold
font) might look in our sample paragraph about Wheaton:
The Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center stands unique among
the hospitals of the country. It is one of the oldest hospitals in the Philippines,
being founded in the Spanish times. It was founded purely from charitable
donations of well-meaning Chinese immigrants. Moreover, it has steadily grown
in excellence, fame and service in its 112 years of existence. Indeed, the
hospitals history, creation, and existence truly make it unique.
Notice how the concluding sentence, Indeed, the hospitals history, creation, and existence truly makes it
unique, summarizes the information in the paragraph. Notice also how the concluding sentence is similar
to, but not exactly the same as, the topic sentence.
Details in Paragraphs
The short paragraph in this lesson is a fairly complete paragraph, but it lacks details.
Whenever possible, you should include enough details in your paragraphs to help your
reader understand exactly what you are writing about. In the paragraph about Wheaton,
three natural landmarks are mentioned, but we do not know very much about them. For
example, we could add a sentence or two about Wheaton river concerning HOW wide it is
or WHY it is beautiful. Consider this revision (and note the additional details in bold):
The Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center (CGHMC) stands unique
among the hospitals of the country. It is one of the oldest hospitals in the Philippines,
being founded in the Spanish times. It was built in the early months of 1891 by
Capitan Carlos Palanca Tanchueco, together with wealthy Chinese businessmen
Chan Guan and Mariano Velasco. It was founded purely from charitable donations of
well-meaning Chinese immigrants. The founders touched by the plight of their sick
and poor countrymen. Together they donated and raised funds to construct a
medical clinic, where treatment was free of charge. From its humble beginnings,
CGHMC has steadily grown in excellence, fame and service in its 112 years of existence.
It now boosts 592+ bed capacity, a new 8-storey building, and state-of-the-art
medical equipment to cater to every patients needs. Indeed, the hospitals history,
creation, and existence truly make it unique.
Why are details important? Consider the example of the hamburger, mentioned above.* If the hamburger
buns are the topic and concluding sentences, then the meat, the cheese, the lettuce, and so on are the
supporting details. Without the food between the hamburger buns, your hamburger would not be very
delicious! Similarly, without supporting details, your paragraph would not be very interesting.
A Note on Formality. In addition to having a particular kind of structure, academic paragraphs (and
multi-paragraph essays, which will be topic of another lesson) are different from "ordinary writing" (such as
letter writing) in that certain kinds of expressions are not allowed. For example, in formal essays, you
should not use contractions such as don't or aren't. Instead, you should write out the words in full, for
example, do not and are not.
Also, in formal essays you should avoid the first and second person. That is, do not use the pronouns I or
you. The pronouns we and us are sometimes used in formal essays in some major fields, but in general
you should not use these unless you are certain that they are customary in your field and/or your professor
allows them. It is safer simply to use the third person.
I. Introduction
In writing business letters, one needs to consider the appropriate tone and correct style in writing depending on
the nature of the letter and the position/designation of the receiver.
a. Tone in text
Tone is a literary compound of composition, which encompasses the attitudes toward the subject
and toward the audience implied in a literary work. Tone may be formal, informal, intimate, solemn,
somber, playful, serious, ironic, condescending, or many other possible attitudes.
It is a strange but true fact that you can often assess a persons personality, educational level,
gender, mood, attitudes etc. relatively easily from a piece of his/her writing.
b. Style in business writing
STYLE The way something is written as opposed to its content.
What constitutes style?
Style is the personal aspect of writing. It is hard to pin down precisely but the following factors will
certainly influence our style.
Word choice
Use of adjectives
Abbreviations, e.g. cant, wont
Using names and/or personal pronouns
Sentence construction
Long or short
Main point at front or hidden
Asking direct question of the reader : ask yourself what would happen if
Using the imperative: Do not contact Dr Mathers without first
The blend of active/passive voice
Paragraphing : Use of headings and layout
Imagery : Creating an atmosphere
Tone
2. Business Letters
a. What is a business letter?
A business letter is usually a letter from one company to another, or between such organizations and their
customers, clients and other external parties. The overall style of letter depends on the relationship between
the parties concerned. Business letters can have many types of contents, for example to request direct
information or action from another party, to order supplies from a supplier, to point out a mistake by the
letter's recipient, to reply directly to a request, to apologize for a wrong, or to convey goodwill. A business
letter is sometimes useful because it produces a permanent written record, and may be taken more
seriously by the recipient than other forms of communication.
b. Style and sample of a Business Letters
SUBJECT (Optional)
Inserted either before or after
the Salutation
The Heading (The Return Address) or Letterhead - Companies usually use printed paper where
heading or letterhead is specially designed at the top of the sheet. It bears all the necessary
information about the organizations identity.
2.
Date - Date of writing. The month should be fully spelled out and the year written with all four digits
October 12, 2005
(12 October 2005 - UK style). The date is aligned with the return address. The number of the date
is pronounced as an ordinal figure, though the endings st, nd, rd, th, are often omitted in writing.
The article before the number of the day is pronounced but not written. In the body of the letter,
however, the article is written when the name of the month is not mentioned with the day.
3.
The Inside Address - In a business or formal letter you should give the address of the recipient
after your own address. Include the recipient's name, company, address and postal code. Add job
title if appropriate. Separate the recipient's name and title with a comma. Double check that you
have the correct spelling of the recipient 's name.
The Inside Address is always on the left margin. If an 8 1/2" x 11" paper is folded in thirds to fit in a
standard 9" business envelope, the inside address can appear through the window in the envelope.
4.
The Greeting - Also called the salutation. The type of salutation depends on your relationship with
the recipient. It normally begins with the word "Dear" and always includes the person's last name.
Use every resource possible to address your letter to an actual person. If you do not know the
name or the sex of of your reciever address it to Dear Madam/Sir (or Dear Sales Manager or Dear
Human Resources Director).
a.
Double space (or as much as you need to put the body of the letter in the centre) and
include the salutation.
When the recipients name is known the most common form of salutation is: Dear Mr
Khumalo
c. Should the recipient have a title, for example Professor, it must be used in the place of
Mr. The abbreviated form of the title may be used: for example Prof., Dr, Rev.;
d. Ms. Instead of Mrs. Should be used when addressing a married woman recipient legally
when you use Mrs. You should put the name on the husband instead of the wife because
it denotes that the woman is the spouse of the husband
e. When the recipients name is not known you may use the form Dear Sir or Dear Madam.
f. When writing to a company in general, rather than to particular officials (ex. The Elephant
Furniture Co. Ltd.), the greeting used should be Dear Sirs - it can also be used when
addressing more than one official.
b.
5.
The Subject Line (optional) - Its inclusion can help the recipient in dealing successfully with the
aims of your letter. Normally the subject sentence is preceded with the word Subject: or Re:
Subject line may be emphasized by underlining, using bold font, or all capital letters. It is usually
placed one line below the greeting but alternatively can be located directly after the "inside
address," before the "greeting."
6.
The Body Paragraphs - The body is where you explain why youre writing. Its the main part of the
business letter.
a.
Use a new paragraph when you wish to introduce a new idea or element into your letter.
Depending on the letter style you choose, paragraphs may be indented. Regardless of
format, skip a line between paragraphs.
b.
It is no longer considered wrong to write business letters in the first person. Generally,
when you are writing on behalf of your firm you should say we, but if you have had
personal contact with the addressee, e.g. by telephone, you may say I.
c.
not used a heading, your first paragraph should also refer to the subject matter,
e.g. Thank you for your letter of 11 September 2009 about non-receipt of funds
Most business letters, however, should have a heading.
iii. Introduce your subject at the beginning of your letter so that the reader knows at
d.
It must be clear, concise and easy to read. Make any request you may have (i.e.
"I would be grateful if you could include your statement..."
ii. Be sure of your facts and do not contradict yourself. There should not be any
misunderstanding.
iii. Plan carefully. State your business concisely, clearly and simply. Write only
e.
you at...")
f.
Conclusion
i. Close the letter with a thank you (i.e. "Thank you for your prompt help...")
7.
The Complimentary Close - This short, polite closing ends always with a comma. It is either at the
left margin or its left edge is in the center, depending on the Business Letter Style that you use. It
begins at the same column the heading does.
a.
The traditional rule of etiquette in Britain is that a formal letter starting "Dear Sir or
Madam" must end "Yours faithfully",
b.
letter starting "Dear " must end "Yours sincerely". (Note: the second word of the
closing is NOT capitalized)
8.
Signature and Writers identification - The signature is the last part of the letter. You should sign
your first and last names. The signature line may include a second line for a title, if appropriate.
The signature should start directly above the first letter of the signature line in the space between
the close and the signature line. Use blue or black ink.
9.
Initials, Enclosures, Copies - Initials are to be included if someone other than the writer types the
letter. If you include other material in the letter, put 'Enclosure', 'Enc.', or ' Encs. ', as appropriate,
two lines below the last entry. cc means a copy or copies are sent to someone else.
FILIPINO VERSION
25 May 2015
25 May 2015
RE :
RE :
EXERCISE:
1. What are the differences between the American and Filipino version?
2. Which of the two examples is better and why?
The Start:
Dear Mr, Ms. Use Ms for women unless asked or indicated to use Mrs or Miss)
...
Signature:
Yours sincerely (remember use 'Yours faithfully' when you don't know the name of the person you
are writing and 'Yours sincerely' when you do.
Remember: Our sympathy and concern will show that we care about our reader.
3. Inter-office memos
a. Checklist
1. Define your topic and state it accurately
2. Consider your reader when you determine the tone of the memo. In most cases, use a friendly
informal style.
3. Put the main point of your memo in the first sentence.
4. Use the body of the memo to provide necessary details and background information. All sentences
should be directly related to the topic stated in the subject line.
5. Memos should be specific, to the point, and contain simple, direct language. They must evoke
response and action.
6. Keep copies of the memos you write. They are often useful for future reference.
7. Do not use a salutation nor a complementary close. However, if you wish to, it is permissible to
use the name of the person you are writing to in the beginning of the body.
8. Keep your paragraphs short and crisp. If necessary number them.
9. Only write a memo when a telephone call is not sufficient, or when a written record is needed, or
when you have to reach many people.
10. Be sure your terminology, sentence length and structure, and paragraph length and structure all
make for quick, clear, easy reading. Itemisation and tabulations may help.
4. E-mail
Email is the communication tool of choice for most of us. Email's great because you don't have to be
available at the same time as your conversation partner to communicate. It allows us to keep projects
moving when our co-workers are unavailable or on the other side of the world.
There's one problem: most of us are drowning in emails. The average person using email for business
receives and sends over 100 emails a day, according to a report published by the Radicati Group.
On top of that, emails are all too easily misunderstood. A recent study by Sendmail found that 64% of
people have sent or received an email that caused unintended anger or confusion.
Because of the volume of emails we send and receive, and because emails are often misinterpreted, it's
important to write emails clearly and concisely.
Writing emails that are short and to-the-point will reduce the time you spend on email and make you more
productive. By keeping your emails short, you'll likely spend less time on email and more time on other work.
a. E-mail etiquette
In e-mail usual standard social rules still do and should apply. By adhering to them, you not only enhance
your e-mail communications you could keep yourself and your company out of legal and regulatory
trouble.
1. Be careful using e-mail at work. Companies are increasingly establishing guidelines regarding
the use of e-mail. This is to protect themselves legally and to ensure resources are not abused.
Employees need to be familiar with these policies. There are servers that backup e-mail
conversations so use your personal account for personal e-mails.
2. Short e-mails communicate better. In the age of the Internet, attention span is limited. A short email message that goes straight to the point is more likely to be read than a long message. If a
longer message is necessary, then attach a file.
3. Use a clear and descriptive subject line. Most e-mail users see only the address of the sender
and the subject line of incoming e-mail. The subject line could be the difference between an e-mail
being read and ignored. A good subject line is typically less than 10 words, clearly describes the
content and avoids words all in upper case and exclamation marks.
4. Spelling and grammar still applies. Write to your audience. Poor writing can leave a negative
impression of the writer and the writer's organisation.
5. Limit the number of recipients. Make sure only appropriate people receive a copy. You will not
only be doing recipients a favour, youll be increasing the likelihood of your e-mail being read.
6. Use a signature. It is standard polite practice to identify yourself. E-mail programs have an option
to automatically append information to identify the sender. This file can also include your name,
organisation, job title and any other relevant information. Include a telephone number to the
signature of the email. This will give the recipient the chance to telephone if necessary.
7. Respect the privacy of e-mail addresses. When sending e-mails to multiple recipients, do not put
in an e-mail address in the To or Cc field if one or more recipients have no need to know that
address. If sending an e-mail to multiple recipients and you don't want the recipients to see any
other address, then put the list of addresses in the Bcc field.
3. Practice Empathy
Empathy is the ability to see the world through the eyes of other people. When you do this, you
understand their thoughts and feelings.
When you write emails, think about your words from the reader's point of view. With everything you
write, ask yourself:
How would I interpret this sentence, as someone reading it?
How would this make me feel if I received it?
This is a simple tweak to the way you write. Yet thinking of other people will transform the way they
respond to you.
Here's an empathetic way of looking at the world to help you get started. Most people:
Are busy. They don't have time to guess what you want, and they'd like to be able to read
Appreciate a compliment. If you can say something positive about them or their work, do
Like to be thanked. If the recipient has helped you in any way, remember to say thank
you. You should do this even when it's their job to help you.
comes across as rude. If she's not sure whether she knows you, then you can just let her
check out your signature.
Talking of signatures, make sure you've set one up. It's a shorthand way of sharing information that
you should include in every email. But putting this information in your signature, you keep the body
of your emails short.
Your signature should include:
Your name.
Your job title.
A link to your website.
Optional: Company Logo and partners
Optionally, you can include links to your social media accounts, and a one-sentence elevator pitch
on how you help people.
greeting
a compliment or pleasantry
the reason for your email
a call to action
a closing message
signature
If you're writing to someone you know, then use a pleasantry instead. A pleasantry is typically a variation on
"I hope you're well." Alternatively, you can say thank you for something they've helped you with or for
information they sent in a previous email.
As Vinay Patankar of the Abstract Living blog explains:
You should ALWAYS follow with a pleasantry after your greeting. EVERYTIME without fail. Ingrain this into
your fingers so that you naturally spit it out with each email you write. There is no reason ever why your
email shouldnt have a pleasantry... You will never have anything to lose by adding in a pleasantry, you will
make people more inclined to read the rest of your email, you will soften criticism, and will hit the positive
emotions of a few. Most will simply ignore it, but for two seconds of your time, it's definitely worth it.
The reason for your email. In this section you say, "I'm emailing to ask about..." or "I wondered if you could
help with..." You'll sometimes need two sentences to explain your reasons for writing.
A call to action. After you've explained your reason for emailing, don't assume the recipient will know what to
do. Provide specific instructions. For example:
"Please write to James about this, and let me know when you've done so."
Structuring your request as a question encourages the recipient to reply. Alternatively, you can use the line
"let me know when you've done that" or "let me know if that's okay with you."
Closing. Before you sign off your email, be sure to include a closing line. This has the dual purpose of reiterating your call to action, and of making the recipient feel good.
Examples of good closing lines include:
Sign-off. This could be "Best Wishes," "Kind Regards," "All the Best," or "Thanks." You should always follow
your sign-off with your name.
ACTIVITY
Please assess and rewrite the following e-mails. Consider the content, structure, layout/format, tone etc.
Decide what type of impression each would make on the person receiving it.
Example 1
HI JOHN
I AM A XYZ CAR DEALERSHIP IN ILLOV.IHAVE SPOKEN TO JANE IN CONNECTION WITH
YOU WANTING TO ACQUIRE A DEMO MODEL.IF YOU COULD KINDLY FURNISH ME WITH DETAILS
AS TO WHICH CAR YOU ARE LOOKING FOR i.e. 1600 OR 1300 AND ALSO +- YEAR OR A BIDGET AS
TO WHAT YOU WOULD LLIKE TO SPEND
I CAN TRY TO SOURCE A DEMO FOR YOU IF
I DONT HAVE ONE IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE.
REGARDS
GEORGE
xyzdealer@car.co.za
tel:(011) XXX-XXXX
fax:(011) XXX-XXXX
cel: 08X-XXX XXXX
Your evaluation:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Hi John!
I am working for XYZ Co., a car dealership in Illinois. I have spoken to your secretary, Jane, regarding your
needs to acquire a demo model.
If you could kindly furnish me with the car details below:
Horsepower
Year Model
Budget
:
:
:
16000 or 1300cc
2005 up
at most P2 Million
Once I get hold of this information, I can immediately send you a demo model. However, if I dont have one
readily available, I can source other branches to meet your needs.
If you have other questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you very much.
Warm regards,
GEORGE STA LONNE
Area Sales Coordinator
XYZ Co. Car Dealership
tel:(011) XXX-XXXX
fax:(011) XXX-XXXX
cel: 08X-XXX XXXX
e-mail: xyzdealer@car.co.za
the intro
the details
the action
the close
Thank you very much for showing me round your production facilities.
Best wishes.
If you need any further help, feel free to contact me.
I'm pleased to tell you that your company is one of two short-listed for the production of our new
website video.
Marketing Manager
I was most impressed.
Dear Simon,
I need to have a draft outline of your thoughts for this video by the end of the month. Please send this
to me by email as an attachment.
This is an important part of our marketing strategy and we are sure you will treat this with the
importance it deserves.
Sandy Benny
Thank you.
RE-WRITTEN E-MAIL
Dear Simon,
Thank you very much for showing me round your production facilities. I was most impressed.
I'm pleased to tell you that your company is one of two short-listed for the production of our new website
video. This is an important part of our marketing strategy and we are sure you will treat this with the
importance it deserves.
I need to have a draft outline of your thoughts for this video by the end of the month. Please send this to me
by email as an attachment.
If you need any further help, feel free to contact me.
Thank you.
Best wishes.
Sandy Benny
Marketing Manager
Example 2
Hi!
To celebrate my new 17MB Internet line (not yet available in SA I am afraid) I'd love to try something new.
On Thursday evening, at 7pm, I will present a free 60 minute seminar on starting your own business. The
concepts will apply to both online and offline businesses, and the goal is simple: To remove ALL the risk
from your startup.
You will need a PC and a little Internet. The faster the better, but we tested the system yesterday, and a
volunteer ran into the Kalahari with a GPRS connection, and she could hear and see just fine. Strangely,
she kept coughing as she spoke, but she could text us to ask questions. (At least it sounded like coughing,
but then the Kalahari can do weird things to a person.)
So, if you know anyone who is considering starting down this very lonely entrepreneurial road,
won't you please invite them to register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/465161553
And then lets have a fun interactive session at 7pm South African time in your lounge/study/office/bedroom.
It's not a sales exercise. But I'd like to test how many folk we can talk to at the same time. (Our research
shows that about 20 times more folk are searching for help opening businesses than are looking for help
closing them.) We're limited to 500 seats. So don't delay.
No animals were harmed in the creation of this uber-green event. No flights were taken, and no cars were
used. This live, online seminar has a zero carbon footprint.
Peter Carruthers talks about how to take all the risk out of starting your own business, whether offline or
online. It's interactive. It's online. And it should be fun. Ah yes, and did I mention it is free?
Register before 5pm today, and you WILL get the relevant password. After that, who knows.
Title:
Date:
Time:
5. Powerpoint Presentation
Good presentation can make a report clearer. Consider the following points when writing your report:
Overall impact - make use of templates in the organisation and templates available in word processing
software. Your final product should be presented in a folder or plastic wallet - whatever you think is
suitable.
Headings - should be clearly ranked. Restrict yourself to three styles of headings: one for main sections,
one for sub-sections, and one for further sub-sections.
Numbering - numbering your sections makes the report easier to follow. A common system is to number
a main section, then for sub-sections to place a dot after the main section number and begin to number
again. You can continue to a further level. This makes it easier to refer the reader to a specific part of the
report; e.g. paragraph 3.2.2, rather than to say "about half way down page 5".
Layout
Avoid using dramatic effects, use only Appear so as not to distract the audience
Avoid using sound effects
When presenting a table, graph or figure no effects is necessary
Other factors enhancing layout