478 The AMA Handbook of Business Writing

EMAIL

Email is used in many businesses as a substitute for memos and brief tele-
phone calls. Short messages are sent to request information, to share infor-
mation, and to provide progress reports. When writing email messages, con-
sider the following tips:
■ When sending a message to a group of people, use the BCC field
to keep everyone’s email address private.
■ Include a meaningful subject line.
■ Avoid starting a message with Re.
■ Capitalize your subject like a book title.

Example: ISS Meeting on Tuesday

■ Mark a message urgent or high priority only when it really is time sen-
sitive.
■ Include a personal greeting.

Example: Hello Jim,

■ Keep your message short and limited to one subject.

■ Send a separate email if you need to discuss a different subject.
■ Avoid sending long documents as email messages.
■ Instead send attachments that have been compressed using a
program like WinZip or Stuffit.
■ If sending an attachment, explain what the attachment is within
the email message.
■ The formatting of a message may change when viewed by the
recipient.
■ Internal messages in HTML format may hold their formatting.
■ With internal HTML format messages, you can use bold,
italics, underlining, multiple fonts, bullets, special symbols,
tabs, and spacing to indent paragraphs.
■ External messages should avoid special formatting.
 Section 3 Sample Business Documents 479

■ Email messages may include hyperlinks to World Wide Web addresses.

■ Use the entire address, including the Internet protocol.

Example: http://www.videologies.com

■ Use the active rather than passive voice in your messages.

Example of passive: Documents were drafted by the committee.

Example of active: The committee drafted documents.

■ Avoid sexist language.

Example: salesperson instead of salesman

■ If you make a request in your message, say “please.”

■ Avoid all capital letters in your messages unless it is a warning like
“DANGER.”
■ When replying to an email, send a copy of the previous message or
use a few lines as a quote.
■ For selective quoting, mark the previous message by using two <<
(less than) and two >> (greater than) symbols on each side of the
quote.
■ Type your message below the quote or copy.
■ Like a business letter, include a formal signoff.
■ Include a signature (which can be stored as a signature file) with
your messages.
■ Include your name, company, email address, phone number,
and Web site.
■ Do not include pictures in your signature.
■ Always read and spell-check your messages before you send them.
480 The AMA Handbook of Business Writing

The following are examples of when email is an inappropriate medium for

communication:
■ Thank-you notes
■ Long memos
■ Yes-or-no answers (use the phone instead)
■ Job praise (offer it in person or in a letter)
■ Telling your boss you are sick (on the phone instead)
■ Requests for raises, promotions, or resignations (meet in person
or write a letter)
■ Jokes
■ Flirting
■ Gossip

ENDORSEMENT LETTER

An endorsement letter is used to endorse a candidate for an award, to endorse

a political candidate, or to endorse a person for a particular position. When
writing an endorsement letter, consider the following tips (Figure 3.26):
■ Include your name and organization and your relationship with the
person being endorsed.
■ Describe what you are endorsing and why.
■ Explain why the person is entitled to your endorsement.
■ List how long you’ve known the person.
■ List the person’s qualities.
■ Explain what this person will do in the future, given his or her skills
and qualities.
■ Include your contact information if the reader needs additional
information.
■ Conclude by restating your endorsement.