copyright © 2008 by nelson education ltd. ch. 5-1 chapter 5 e-mails and memos

Ch. 5-1Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-1

Chapter 5

E-Mails and Memos


Importance of Internal Communication

Well-written documents bring important benefits:

Achievement of goals Improvement of your image in the

company


The Writing Process

Phase 1: Analyze, Anticipate, and Adapt

• Do I really need to write this memo or e-mail?• Do I write a hard-copy memo or send an e-

mail?• Why am I writing?• How will the reader react?


The Writing Process

Phase 2: Research, Organize, and Compose

Phase 3: Revise, Proofread, and Evaluate

• Revise for clarity• Proofread for correctness• Plan for feedback


Writing plan for E-Mails and Memos

Writing the Subject Line

• Summarize the central idea in the subject line • Subject lines should be specific, eye-

catching, and contain a verb form.



Opening with the Main IdeaBegin by giving the main idea immediately in the first sentence.



Body• Explains the main idea.• Uses a separate paragraph for each topic.• Uses bulleted lists, headings and tables for

easy comprehension.



Closing• End your message with:

i) action information, dates, or deadlines

ii) message summaryiii) a closing thought

• Include an end date in the closing paragraph


Formatting E-Mails

Formatting suggestions• All messages contain To, From, Date, and

Subject lines. • Salutations are included in most messages

except to close colleagues.• Generally, closing lines or a signature block

should name the writer.


Sample E-Mail Message

Date: September 3, 2006 9:05:12 AM ESTTo: Matt Ferranto <[email protected]>From: Brooke Johnson <[email protected]>Subject: SUPERVISING TWO WORK PLACEMENT STUDENTS

Matt:

You will be assigned two work placement students to work in your department from September 20 through November 30. As part of their supervision, you will be expected to do the following:

* Develop a work plan describing their duties.


Sample E-Mail Message

* Supervise their work to ensure positive results.

* Assess their professionalism in completing all assigned work.

Please examine the packet being sent to you. It contains forms and additional information about the two students assigned to your department. Please call me by September 15 at Ext. 248 if you have questions.

(continued)


Smart E-Mail Practices

Getting started• Compose offline.• Get the address right.• Avoid misleading subject lines.



Content, Tone, Correctness• Be concise.• Don’t send anything you wouldn’t want

published.• Don’t use e-mail to avoid contact.• Never respond when you’re angry.• Care about correctness.• Resist humour.



Netiquette• Don’t automatically forward junk e-mail.• Consider using identifying labels.• Use capital letters only for emphasis or for

titles.• Announce attachments.• Consider asking for permission before

forwarding.



Replying to E-mail• Scan all messages in your inbox before

replying to each individually.• Don’t automatically return the sender’s

message.• Revise the subject line if the topic changes.• Respond to messages quickly and efficiently.



Personal Use• Don’t use company computers for personal

matters.• Assume that all e-mail is monitored.



Other Smart E-Mail Practices• Use graphic highlighting to improve

readability of longer messages.• Consider cultural differences.• Double-check before hitting the Send

button.


Improving E-Mail and Memo Readability With Listing

Techniques Parallelism

Instead of this:She likes sleeping, eating, and to work.

Try this:She likes sleeping, eating, and working.



Techniques Instructions

Instead of this:To clean the printer, you should first disconnect the power cord. Then you open the front cover, and the printer area should be cleaned with a soft, dry cloth.

Try this:To clean the printer:1. Disconnect the power cord2. Open the front cover3. Clean the printer area with

a soft, dry cloth



Techniques Headings

Instead of this:On April 3 we will be in Toronto, and the speaker is Troy Lee. On May 20 we will be in Calgary, and the speaker is Erin Win.

Try this:Date City

SpeakerApril 3 Toronto Troy LeeMay 20 Calgary Erin Win



Techniques Emphasis Within

SentencesInstead of this:Our team always tries to achieve our goals, customer service must be improved, and our production targets must be met.

Try this:Our team always tries to (a) achieve our goals, (b) improve customer service, and (c) meet our production targets.



Techniques Bulleted Items

Instead of this:At the AutoSelect Web site, we let you compare car prices, you can research the best financing, and you can learn about leasing.

Try this:At the AutoSelect Web site, you can• Compare car prices• Research best

financing• Learn about leasing


Try Your Skill

Arrange the following in a bulleted list.In the next session, the trainer will demonstrate how to use video conferencing, how to share multiple programs, and how to maintain a directory.


Try Your Skill

Improved Version:The next training session will demonstrate

• Video conferencing• Sharing multiple programs• Maintaining an Internet Directory


E-Mails and Memos That Inform

E-mails and memos that inform generally explain organization policies, procedures, and guidelines.

• Must be particularly clear and concise• First paragraph: begin directly• Next paragraph: explain why (consider using

bulleted lists)• Final paragraph: restate main purpose


E-Mails and Memos That Request

• Use the direct approach• Be courteous and respectful• Write clearly to avoid misunderstanding• Consider asking a co-worker to read it before

sending it out• provide an end-date so reader can plan a

response


E-Mails and Memos That Respond

• Prepare by: collecting, organizing, outlining

• First paragraph: describe the request

• Next paragraph: provide the information requested (consider using headings and lists)

• Final paragraph: close with a summary


End

copyright © 2008 by nelson education ltd. ch. 5-1 chapter 5 e-mails and memos

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