Ch. 5-1Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-1
Chapter 5
E-Mails and Memos
Ch. 5-2Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-2
Importance of Internal Communication
Well-written documents bring important benefits:
Achievement of goals Improvement of your image in the
company
Ch. 5-3Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-3
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?
Ch. 5-4Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-4
The Writing Process
Phase 2: Research, Organize, and Compose
Phase 3: Revise, Proofread, and Evaluate
• Revise for clarity• Proofread for correctness• Plan for feedback
Ch. 5-5Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-5
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.
Ch. 5-6Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-6
Writing plan for E-Mails and Memos
Opening with the Main IdeaBegin by giving the main idea immediately in the first sentence.
Ch. 5-7Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-7
Writing plan for E-Mails and Memos
Body• Explains the main idea.• Uses a separate paragraph for each topic.• Uses bulleted lists, headings and tables for
easy comprehension.
Ch. 5-8Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-8
Writing plan for E-Mails and Memos
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
Ch. 5-9Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-9
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.
Ch. 5-10Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-10
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.
Ch. 5-11Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-11
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)
Ch. 5-12Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-12
Smart E-Mail Practices
Getting started• Compose offline.• Get the address right.• Avoid misleading subject lines.
Ch. 5-13Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-13
Smart E-Mail Practices
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.
Ch. 5-14Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-14
Smart E-Mail Practices
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.
Ch. 5-15Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-15
Smart E-Mail Practices
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.
Ch. 5-16Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-16
Smart E-Mail Practices
Personal Use• Don’t use company computers for personal
matters.• Assume that all e-mail is monitored.
Ch. 5-17Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-17
Smart E-Mail Practices
Other Smart E-Mail Practices• Use graphic highlighting to improve
readability of longer messages.• Consider cultural differences.• Double-check before hitting the Send
button.
Ch. 5-18Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-18
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.
Ch. 5-19Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-19
Improving E-Mail and Memo Readability With Listing
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
Ch. 5-20Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-20
Improving E-Mail and Memo Readability With Listing
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
Ch. 5-21Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-21
Improving E-Mail and Memo Readability With Listing
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.
Ch. 5-22Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-22
Improving E-Mail and Memo Readability With Listing
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
Ch. 5-23Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-23
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.
Ch. 5-24Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-24
Try Your Skill
Improved Version:The next training session will demonstrate
• Video conferencing• Sharing multiple programs• Maintaining an Internet Directory
Ch. 5-25Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-25
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
Ch. 5-26Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-26
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
Ch. 5-27Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-27
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
Ch. 5-28Copyright © 2008 by Nelson Education Ltd. Ch. 5-28
End