What is email?

cdevices to deliver messages across computer networks.

"Email" refers to
both the delivery system and individual messages that are
sent and
received.

Email has existed in some form since the 1970s,

when
Tomlinson created away to transmit messages betweenprogrammer Ray
on the Advanced Research Projects computer systems
forms of email became available for
Agency Network (ARPANET). Modern
widespread public use with the
development of emailclient software (e.g. Outlook) and web
latter of which enables users to send and browsers, the
receive messages over the
Internet using
web-based email clients (e.g. Gmail).
Today, email is one of the most popular
methods of digital communication.

Features of email
 x Key Features

1, subject

Missei iertite
2. address 3. greeting
Do 0ayd 4. purpose

Thank you for yout

leture today I'
yriting now beuse
This is due to n 'munatble to attend the
Kind regards,
uatfordable aontment. If you bve ary serrinar on the 15
sdvice on how to catch up gr
Deride the missed
materials, I wOuid be ust g: aleiul
6. sign-off
5, concise body

1. Subject
The first feature of an
email that you should always
right is the 'subject' line. This is an element of all remember to get
above the actual email emails,
this section is filled out but because
it is sometimes
joverlooked. However, having
This element will be the first a clear and concise
subject is important.
thing the receiver
on who you are
writing to and why, may be thereads and, depending
difference
your email being read
immediately, or being left for later between
on'. Some
examples might include Missed Tutorial', 'Absence
Application'
or Request', 'Job
Homework Submission'
2. Address
It's appropriateetiquette to always start an email
with an
as 'Dear David', 'Hi John' or 'Good Morning All'. address, such
on who the receiver is, it may be considered rude if youDepending
forget to do
this. Plus, it better guarantees that you're sending your email to the
right person.

3. Greeting
Itis also a good idea to include some sort of a greeting message at the
start of an email, such as Thank you for your lecturetoday' or I hope
you're well and not too busy'. While such a greeting isn't compulsory,
 it can set a
friendlytone for the rest of the
considered an aspect of polite correspondence
etiquette.
and is

4. Purpose
Itmay
sometimes seem obvious from the next
it is usually helpful to explicitly signpost to the element, the body, but
emailing.
Emails recipient why you
quick to read and easy to process,are
land therefore it's should betofairly
important be explicit and clear wherever
Summarise purpose of your enmail into one short
the possible.
the reader know about that sentence and let
purpose early on.

5. The Body
Much the same as in an essay, an
that relays whatever it is you are email also has a main body section
an essay, the aim here is to communicating. And, much like in
be clear, concise and
cohesive. Edit the body section of your coherent and
unnecessary detail and rewriting any email carefuly, omitting any
in fewer words.
Should your body passages
section be
that could be
expressed
larger than normal)
consider also creating smaller
so that the
information can beparagraphs than you would in
scanned more quickly. Three anof essay
sentences is four
normally about right.

6. Sign-off
The last essential step in
where you end the emailwith composing a formal email is the
an expression such as sign-off
'many thanks' and then the kind
author's name. regards' or
The Do's and
Don'ts of Email
Do have a clear
subject line.
of us have to
ur inbox every compete with the hundreds of
day, so the clearer your emails clogging
subject line, the more likely
 your message will be read. For example, if you're
sending a
proposal to someone, be specific and write, "The Fitch
Attached." Proposal Is

Do use aprofessional salutation.

Using '"Hey," "Yo," or "Hiya" isn't professional, no matter how well

you know the recipient. Use "Hi" or "Hello" instead. To be more
formal, use "Dear (insert name)." Using the person's name in the
salutation -- "Hello Robert" -- is quite appropriate, but remember not
toshorten a person's name unless you're given permission to do
So.

Doproofread your message.

Don'tbe surprised if you're judged by the way you compose an

email. For example, if your email is littered with misspelled words
and grammaticalerrors, you may be perceived as sloppy, careless,
or even uneducated. Check your spelling,grammar and message
before hitting "send."

Do reply to all emails.

Give atimely and polite reply to each legitimate email

addressed toyou. Even if youdo not have an answer at the
moment, take a second to write aresponse letting the sender
know youreDon't forget your signature.
Every email should include a signature that tells the recipient who
you are and how to contact you. Set it up to automatically appear at
he endof each email. Include all of your contact details so the
recipient doesn't have to look up your address,email or phone
number.

ceived their email. Inform the sender if their email was sent to the
wrong recipient, to0.
 Do keep private material confidential.
It is far too easy to share
emails, even
share highly personal or confidential inadvertently. If you have to
Over the phone. Ask permission before information, do so in person or
either in the body of the email or in an posting sensitive material
attachment.
Don't use humor.

Humor does not translate well via email. What you think is funny
has agood chance of being misinterpreted by the other party.
taken as sarcasm,without the accompanying vocal tone and facial
expressions. When in doubt, leave humor out of business
communications.

Don't assume the recipient knows what you are talking about.

Create your message as a stand-alone note, even if it is in

response to a chain of emails. This means no "one-liners."
Include the subject and any references to previous emails,
research or conversations. It can be frustrating and time
consuming to look

Don't shoot from the lip.

response. Give your
Never send an angry email, or give a quick, flip sending it. If you
message some thoughtful consideration beforefolder, and review it
"drafts"
feel angry, put your message into the
have time to formulate an
again later when youare calmer and
appropriate response.
context. Your recipient may
back at the chain to brush up on the
have hundreds of emails comingin each day and likelywon't
your email.
remember the chainof events leading up to
Don't! overuse exclanmation points.
Exclamation points and other indications of excitement such as
emoticons, abbreviations like LOL, and all CAPITALS do not
translate well in business communications. Leave them off unless
vou know the recipient extremnely well. It's also not professional to
use a string of exclamation points!!!!!

It may take some practice to keep your emails professional and to

the point, but you will look more polished and organized in the long
run.
 Features of business letter

Brevity and Pointedness

No matter to whom you are writing, assume that he only has a minute or
two to spend reading your letter. You want to limit your letter to one
single-spaced page whenever possible, according to The Writing Center
at George Mason University. While short bullet point lists that draw the
recipient'sattention to the most important information are acceptable.
business letters should not contain fancy fonts or lots of rich text, such as
bold and italics.

Letter Sections and Layout

The maintext of a business letter is typically divided into three sections:
the introduction, the body and the closing. This text is preceded by a
formal salutation that addresses the recipient by name, such as "Dear
Mrs. Smith," and a formal closing salutation, such as "Sincerely." followed
by the sender's name. Introductory paragraphs should be brief and
explain the letter's intent.

The body should elaborate on that intent, and may include facts and
statistics, descriptions and/or explanations. The closing should thank the
indicates the
recipient for his time and include a "call to action," which
call or
next step in the communication process, such as a phone
scheduled meeting. Practice applyingthese salient features of writing
communications.
business letters in your internal and external

Important Contact Information

letters feature a header that includes the sender's
Hard copy business address, which may be left or
number, address and email
name, phone page. This is followed by the
at the top of the
rightjustified or centered followed by the "inside address."
in turn is
date the letter was sent, which
 The inside address contains the recipient's name, job title and
company
address. For business letters sent via email, the letter should begin with
the opening salutation and move right into the text. Include your contact
information after your closing salutation and name.
Include Positive Content
Letters that accentuate positive information rather than negative,
regardless of the actual purpose of the letter, are ultimately more
successful, according to the Purdue Online Writing Lab. If your letter must
contain negative information, present it positively by emphasizingwhat
Something is or can do rather than what it is not or cannot do.
Youcan do this by starting with action instead of apologies or
explanations and by omitting unpleasant facts. For example, if you are
writinga business letter to clients attempting to explain why your
company's product helps prevent illness, phrases such as "encourages a
healthy lifestyle and strong immune system" sound much more positive
than "keeps you from contracting the flu." There are features-of-business
letter pdfs available online as examples.

Howto Write a Business Letter in9 Simple Steps?

(Format or Structure)
Step 1: Sender's Information
If youwant a reply, you need to understand how to address a business letter
properly.
In this section, you've to write your address, contact number, and email
address.
Many people include their full name at the top too. However, others think
that it'sunnecessary because you are going to sign the letter with your name
anyway.

Want to save some time?

Well, if your company hasa letterhead, you can use that instead of typing out
all the information.
 Step 2: Date
Rather than abbreviating with numbers, write the entire date.
When you're writing to American companies, use the American date format
i.e, put the month before the day.
Example: October 20, 2016
Write the date before the month if you're sending a letter in the U.K. or
Australia.

Example: 20October 2016

Step 3: Recipient's Address

This is the address where your letter will be delivered.
Write the recipient's name, their title (Ms/Mrs./Mr./Dr), and their address.
Make sure you're as specific as possible so that it reaches the right
destination.
If youdon't know the person's name, a little research won't harm you! Call
the company or speak to theemployees of the company to find out the name.
Example:
Mr. Mike Brown

Executive Director
XYZ, Inc.
602 Melrose Avenue

Los Angeles, California 90038

Tips:
Case v unsure ddressed.
 If you think that your recipient uses 'Dr' or has some other title, use
that. (Usually, people don't mind being addressed by a higher title than
lower
they actually possess, but they don't wanna be addressed by a
one.)

Step 4: The Salutation

indicator of respect. You can
Asalutation isn't just asimple greeting, it's anknow
choose the salutation based on how well you the person and the context
of your letter.
the letter to, and youmostly address
Ifyou know the person you're sending use
them with their first name, it's okay to their first name in the salutation.
(For example, Dear Mike)
However, there are exceptionsto this case too.
Let's take an exanple.
uncle, but if you're writing to him
The dean at XYZ college might be your
official matter, it would be best if you use the salutation "Dean
regarding an
because there's a chance that other
(Last Name)"or "Dr. (Last Name)"
people handle his letters and emails.
someone, always use the personal title and their last name.
If youdon't know
of someone's gender, you can use their full name. (For
If youare not sure
example, Dear Taylor Brown)
whom you're sending the letter to, use "to
If youdon't know specifically
whom it may concern."
that you end the salutation with a colon.
Whatever the situation is, make sure
(Not a comma!)

Step 5: The Body

letter. The body should contain a few
most important part of your
This is the with a clear purpose.
(mostly three) concise paragraphs, each
 If you want your reader to get the
message crystal-clear. best possible
impression, keep your
Inthe opening
letter. You can paragraph, introduce yourself and clarify the point of your
also mention
doesn't know who you are. mutual connections here, in case the recipient
Not sure how to start?

Youcan write I am writing to you

regarding..." as the opening line.
In the next paragraph, go into the details of
your main point.
In the closing paragraph, briefly
summarize your points, restate the letter's
purpose and tell your planned course of action.
Tip: Try to avoid lengthy, meandering sentences and just get
point. straight to the

Step 6: Closing
Here, you'll mention that the recipient can contact you or your team if he has
any concerns or questions. You can also thank him or her for reading the
letter.

Make sure that the closing isn't more than two sentences long!
For instance, you can write:

Kindly emailme at (vour email) to schedule a meeting. Thank yo!

vou have any queries, don't hesitate to call me at (your contact
number).

Step 7: Complimentary Closing

of
This is a short remark that marks the end of your letter. You've got a lot
options here butchoose the one that reflects the formality of your
relationship.
 Step 8: Signature
Below the complimentary close, sign the letter.
Make sure that you skip at least four lines so that there's enough room for
your signature. After that, type out the name that has to be signed.
Youcan include your job title below your full name too.
Here's the format:

Your signature
Typed full name
Title

Step 9: Enclosures (If applicable)

youplan to send anything along with your business letter, you can indicate
If
this simply bywriting Enclosures after the signature.
emails.
Consider it the printversion of "please find attached' for
included many documents, makea list that tells the recipient
If youhave
what he needs to look for in the envelope.

For example:
Enclosures (5): 2 Brochures & 3 Flyers
the right justification and accurate
using
When it comes to abusiness letter,
structure isn't good enough.
 You need to strike the right tone.
You need to ensure that your recipient understands your letter's intent.
Let's uncover the secrets of writinga business letter that stands out!

Tips on Writing Business Letters

1. Keep it short and simple
Word choice can make or break the effectiveness of your business letter.
Avoid flowery descriptions and jargon unless you're sure the recipient will
understand what you're talking about.
As Benjamin Franklin once said, "Time is money."
Keep the letter clear and concise. Get to thepoint as quickly as possible.

2. Right Tone
Keep your tone conversational, yet professional. You don't want to come off
as arrogantor boastful, do you?
Save casual language for emails and messages - your printed business letters
should be a little professional.
With that said, makesure that you sound likeyourself. You don't want your
letter to comeoff as something written by a machine!
Tip: Use verbs that have an active voice instead of passive. Active voice
shows that youcare and that you're responsible for your actions. (Example:
*We will deliver it to you by December 15." Not.. *Your item will be
delivered by December 15.)
 3. Proofread, proofread, and proofread!:
As youmight have already understood, a business letter is not the place to be
sloppy. Triple-check it for spelling and grammatical errors.
Also. don't forget to review the spelling of your recipient'sname. If you
spellit incorrectly. thatlincrease the chances of your letter winding up in
the trash.

Atall costs, avoid grammatical mistakes. They suggest that you lack
professionalism and attention to detail. Make sure to also do a spell check
while you're at it.

How To Format a Business Letter

Abusiness letter must be formatted for clarity and ease of

understanding.
Here are some points to consider while formatting the letter:
Block or indent. In the block format, all elements of the letter are
aligned. But, if you want to use an indented format, left
address, date,closing salutation and signature. The right-align your
rest of the elements will
be left-aligned.
Font. Use aprofessional font such as Arial, Calibri,
Helvetica, etc. The size must be from 10 to 12. Times New Roman,
Margins. Aone-inch margin on all four sides of the page is the
You can increase it to standard.
other types of letters. one-and-a-quarter inches to differentiate it from
Spacing. Use a single line for the body of the letter.Use extra lines after
your address, date, recipient address and
line before the salutation. Also, leave an extra