While Writing Email

Electronic communication1.____ bumped the business world into a new era of communication. Serving as a helpful and time-efficient tool, email has allowed people 2.___send quick messages and often longer messages to replace business letters. Despite its value, email communication is learned skills that can portray you positively 3.___ get you in trouble.

Arguably 4.___ most prolific of all business communication tools, email creates a wide array of communication channels. Employees can use the tool to communicate valuable information 5.___ one another, and managers and executives use email to communicate with reports or with higher leadership. Because email has such a wide audience, businesses can use the technology 6.___ keep in touch with clients, provide and receive feedback, solicit new customers and even offer a venue for customers to contact liaisons or executives at 7.___time of the day. Email also allows users to send and receive files as attachments to messages, so technology firms can instantly distribute critical patches and updates.

But the writer should observe some rules 8.___ order not to get into trouble. So, when using email to communicate in the business world, it is important to be careful 9.___ the choice of words. Miscommunication is very frequent as the reader doesn’t know what non-verbal cues one is giving off, such as the pitch, tone, or expressions. Before beginning an email, make sure the email address one is using is appropriate and professional as 10.___ as the message one is going to send. Again, make sure the information is clear and to the point, so the recipient isn’t confused. Make sure one includes his signature, title, and other contact information at 11.___ end.

A professional must be mindful of the subject matter of all spoken and written conversations. Telling crude jokes and sending profanity laced correspondence is not only offensive 12.___ someone, but is often against corporate policies. A reciter of inappropriate stories may be accused by human resources of creating a hostile work environment. Likewise, a sender may think an email is amusing, 13.___ it may get a receiver in hot water if it contradicts his employer’s electronic communications regulations.

Be careful what you say. One of the most commonly made mistakes in electronic communication is sending sensitive material 14.___ cyberspace. Anything you email can be shown to others or misconstrued, so gauge the importance of the email before writing it. If its contents are sensitive and difficult to portray--opinions, concerns, controversial--just call.

Besides, communicating 15.___ colleagues and customers via email, a professional should use the same greetings and salutations you would use in standard correspondence. "Dear," "sincerely," "please" and "thank you" go a long way in ingratiating oneself in the receiver’s good graces. Additionally, we should never type emails in all capital letters, as this is akin to yelling as someone.

Pretend you 16.____ writing a business letter. People often mistake email for a casual, trivial form of communication, but you must carry the same rubric of grammar, punctuation, content and structure when writing a business email. State your purpose early, be concise, proofread your writing -- all of these elements 17.____ help you draft business-worthy emails.

8. Emails tend to be less formal than letters. Can you match the following expressions (a -j) from the business letter to less formal equivalents (1 -10) which can be used in emails?

a. Please could you furnish us with a copy of the contract by return of post.	1. Let me know if you need any more help.
b. We would appreciate it if you could inform us of the completion date.	2. Sorry it’s taken so long for me to get back to you on this.
c. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any further assistance.	3. If he doesn’t deliver by 5 p.m. on Friday, we’ll sue.
d. We apologize for the delay in replying to our letter.	4. Following our meeting yesterday I just want to confirm
e. Could you kindly sign and return the enclosed documents to us at your earliest convenience?	5. This would incur high costs for our client.
f. Further to our meeting of 1^st December I would like to confirm the following points.	6.Could you let us have a copy of the contract ASAP.
g. This would incur considerable expense for our client.	7. This isn’t a big problem.
h. This is not a matter of great importance.	8. Could you sign the documents and get them back to us ASAP.
i. If your client fails to deliver the goods by 5p.m. on Friday we will be forced to institute proceedings against him.	9. I’ve looked through the figures you gave me with the other party.
j. I have examined the financial information you provided with the other party.	10. Could you let us know the completion date?

9. Work in pairs. Look through the letter. The letter is written with stylistic and grammar mistakes and doesn’t correspond to the rules of good writing. Match each word or phrase in bold type with the mistake from the list. Try to make corrections.

1. Mistake with uncountable noun.

2. Mistake with preposition.

3. Mistake of confusing a verb with a noun.

4. Mistake of using language that is too informal.

5. Mistake with collocation.

6. Mistake with using an archaic word or phrase.

7. Mistake of using a very “flowery”, old-fashioned phrase.

8. Mistake with an article.

9. Mistake of using a word that is appropriate in a contract.

10. Mistake of being too direct orabrupt.

10. Study the questions from Communication Quiz and realize how a skillful communicator would answer them. Write down a Memo to your classmates with recommendations on the issue how to become an effective communicator in business (using adverbs: often, always, sometimes).

1. I try to anticipate and predict possible causes of confusion, and I deal with them up front. a) Not at all b) Sometimes c) Often d) Always

2. When I write a memo, email, or other document, I give all of the background information and detail I can to make sure that my message is understood. a) Not at all b) Sometimes c) Often d) Always

3. If I don't understand something, I tend to keep this to myself and figure it out later. a) Not at all b) Sometimes c) Often d) Always

4. I'm sometimes surprised to find that people haven't understood what I've said. a) Not at all b) Sometimes c) Often d) Always

5. I can tend to say what I think, without worrying about how the other person perceives it. I assume that we'll be able to work it out later. a) Not at all b) Sometimes c) Often d) Always

6. When people talk to me, I try to see their perspectives. a) Not at all b) Sometimes c) Often d) Always

7. I use email to communicate complex issues with people. It's quick and efficient. a) Not at all b) Sometimes c) Often d) Always

8. When I finish writing a report, memo, or email, I scan it quickly for typos and so forth, and then send it off right away. a) Not at all b) Sometimes c) Often d) Always

9. When talking to people, I pay attention to their body language. a) Not at all b) Sometimes c) Often d) Always

10. I use diagrams and charts to help express my ideas. a) Not at all b) Sometimes c) Often d) Always

11. Before I communicate, I think about what the person needs to know, and how best to convey it. a) Not at all b) Sometimes c) Often d) Always

12. When someone's talking to me, I think about what I'm going to say next to make sure I get my point across correctly. a) Not at all b) Sometimes c) Often d) Always

13. Before I send a message, I think about the best way to communicate it (in person, over the phone, in a newsletter, via memo, and so on). a) Not at all b) Sometimes c) Often d) Always

14. I try to help people understand the underlying concepts behind the point I am discussing. This reduces misconceptions and increases understanding. a) Not at all b) Sometimes c) Often d) Always

15. I consider cultural barriers when planning my communications. a) Not at all b) Sometimes c) Often d) Always

PART С. SELF STUDY

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 2096

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