BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

CHAPTER 5:
SHORT WORKPLACE MESSAGES AND MEDIA
Instructor: TRAM NGUYEN
DIGITAL-AGE EMAIL MESSAGES AND MEMOS

ELECTRONIC MESSAGES PAPER-BASED MESSAGES

• Email • Business letters
• Instant messaging • Interoffice memos
• Text messaging But wait
• Podcasts They are also usually composed
• Wikis on computer now
• Blogs
• Social networking
EMAIL: WHEN TO WRITE IT

• Short, informal messages that

request information, provide
information and respond to
inquiries
• Messages to multiple receivers and Email CANNOT replace
face-to-face, or
messages that must be archived telephone
(saved) communication in the
• Cover document when sending workplace
longer attachments, eg: when you
attach a proposal, assignments, etc.
WHY EMAILS ARE HATED *sad*

• Email overload • Everlasting evidence

Once you press the “send” button
(and not quick enough to press
“undo”), you email is gone. Forever.
You send a messed-up proposal, it
stays there. FOREVER.
You mock your boss, it stays there.
FOREVER.
You promise to fix the problems,
your promise stays there. FOREVER.
WRITING PLAN FOR INFORMATIONAL EMAILS
*or what we expect to receive from students*

Your email should always include these elements

Pro tip from Tram:
• SUBJECT LINE Leave the Recipient’s email BLANK until
you have composed everything else.
• OPENING
• BODY Finish this last

• CLOSING
*please*
WRITING PLAN FOR INFORMATIONAL EMAILS
*or the minimum expectation of emails*
CONFUSING SUBJECT LINES
SUBJECT LINE: BE COMPELLING

1.Summarize the purposes, or main ideas of the message

2.It should make the recipients want to open the message

Pro-tip from Tram:

Be receiver-oriented. Be clear and condensed. Be polite.

BC Monday - Submission of CV assignment – Nguyen Van A

BC – Incorrect final score on Edusoft
Urgent question about BC midterm exam
Letter of absence – BC 01/01/2021
OPENING

1. Include a greeting
• Dear + title + name (Ms. Tram not Mrs. Tram, Mr. Tram or Professor Tram)
• Hi Steven (informal – to a close colleague etc.)
• To whom it may concern (if you don’t know the exact name of the recipient)
• Introduce yourself – in case the recipient is not yet aware of who you are

2. Reveal the main idea immediately but in expanded form

BODY

• Explain and justify the main idea

• Group similar ideas together
• Use headings, bulleted lists and other high-skim
techniques when appropriate
• Avoid wordiness but don’t sacrifice clarity
BODY

Main idea

Details

Main idea

Details in numbered list

 CLOSING: EFFECTIVE GOODBYE
1. Conclude with the following information (where appropriate)
• Action information
• Dates or deadline
• Summary of the message
• Closing thought

2. Use a signature with your contact information

Redundancy
okay okay… don’t shout at me
like this…
polite ending for the last
assignment
ENDING THE EMAIL

• Best, Should not be used in professional environment

• Thank you, Your friend
• Many thanks, Cheers
• Sincerely, Peace
• Respectfully, Thanks a bunch
• Regards, Chat soon
• Kind regards, Yours truly
• Best regards, Yours faithfully
• Warm wishes,
• With gratitude,
 EXAMPLE OF AN WELL-ORGANIZED EMAIL
Main idea & purpose of sending the
email

Reason for the request

Details of the request –

presented with bullet points to
improve readability

Call for action + deadline

Signature
 PRO-TIPS FOR MANAGING EMAILS

• Understand that email IS business

writing
→Read and re-read Chapter 2, 3, 4 :D
• Check your email at certain time of the
days, don’t look at it 24/7
• Obtain approval before forwarding
• Resist humour and sarcasm.
• Double-check, triple-check before
hitting SEND
MEMO: WHEN TO WRITE IT

•A message is too long for email

•A permanent record is required
•Formality is needed
•Employees may not have email
MEMO: STRUCTURE

Company’s name

Date compose
Recipient
Sender

Subject line
MEMO: STRUCTURE

Opening
Purpose of the message

Further
explanation

Give an overview of the

suggestions
 MEMO: STRUCTURE
State the points
BODY in order

Be short and
straightforward

Make the details

clear

Use bullets to make

the memo readable
 MEMO: STRUCTURE

CLOSING
Summarize the main
ideas again

Call to action

See page 126 in your textbook for an example of fully-formatted memo

INSTANT MESSAGING AND TEXTING IN THE WORKPLACE
 USING SOCIAL NETWORK SITES AND COMPANY NETWORK
• Learn your company’s media policies.
• Separate work and personal data.
• Avoid sending personal e-mail, IM
messages, or texts from work.
• Be careful when blogging, tweeting, or
posting on social networking sites.
• Keep sensitive information private.
• Stay away from pornography, sexually
explicit jokes, or inappropriate screen savers
• Don’t spread rumors, gossip, and
negative defamatory comments.
• Don’t download and spread cartoons,
video clips, photos, and art.
• Don’t download free software and
utilities to company machines.
• Don’t open attachments sent by phishy
e-mail