Effective Business Correspondence

Should it be... • a MEETING, • a PHONE CALL, • a MEMO, • an EMAIL, or • a LETTER?

• Is the business private? (i.e., does it require a secure medium?)

• Does a group decision need to be made? • Is something potentially confusing in your

message?• Is your message complicated and full of

ideas and instructions? • Do you have an announcement or need

a quick answer to a simple and unemotional question?

1. Writing Emails

Things to Do with Email:1.Send too many. 2.Forget to include attachments.3.Write a long, rambling email without a clear point.4. Include information that’s confidential or damning.5.Be too informal: leave off a greeting or signature.6.Be at ALL snarky.7.Accidentally hit “reply all.”

*Don’t make yourself the bane of someone’s existence.

BAD

Things to Do with Email:GOOD

1.Have a very specific subject heading.2.Define goal, point, audience, order, tone, opening,

supporting information, conclusion with desired follow-up (pp 120-122)

3.PROOFREAD, clarify any confusing info, check tone and style (pp 125-129).

2. Writing Letters• Design the letter (see pp 171-173), follow genre

conventions.• Err on the side of formality.• Write to a specific individual (look them up if

need be).• Get to the point in the first paragraph.• Provide supporting information.• In last paragraph, provide your contact

information if it’s not in the letterhead, and invite the person to contact you if they have questions.

• Make sure you sign the letter.

not or

You want to come across like