BUS 501

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
SESSION 4
Writing Effective Business Emails
Electronic mail, or email as it is commonly known, has evolved as an effective, low cost
and instant method of communication with friends and colleagues all over the world.
With email, messages are keys into computer workstation and then it is transmitted to the
recipients. A single message may be sent simultaneously to many recipients.
WHEN IS EMAIL APPROPRIATE?

You need to get in touch with someone who is hard to reach

You need to send someone a file
The information is not time sensitive
You need a written record of the communication
WHEN IS EMAIL NOT APPROPRIATE?

The information is highly confidential

Your message is emotionally charged
Your message is long and complicated , or requires addition in – depth
discussion
REMEMBER TO WRITE IN A POSITIVE TONE

Communication visa email is not supported by gestures, voice,

inflection or other cues and can easily be misread.
Emotions are sometimes used to convey the nuances of verbal
communication. Emoticons are not acceptable in business and should
not be used.
BEFORE WRITING THE EMAIL MAKE A PLAN
Think about the purpose of the email
Think about the person who will read the email and how you want him or her to
react
Make an outline or list of the main points and details you want to include in the
email
Double check any facts, dates, times, or other specific details that will be
included in the email.
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN DOING
BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE
WHO ARE YOU WRITING TO & WHAT IS
YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PERSON?
WHAT IS THE SITUATION

Think about the reason you are sending the email and decide if formal
or informal language is better.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH?
Think about the reason for writing the email and what you want the
person who receives the email to do with it.
 WRITER PURPOSE
When you write an email, you need to make clear why you are writing. You can do
this by using the phrase 'I am writing to (+ verb)' at the start of your email. Here
are some examples :
 

ask for further details about ...

inform you that my new address is …
I am writing to complain about your customer service. 
say thank you very much for all your hard work. 
apply for the job as Teacher of Maths at your school.
GET RIGHT TO THE POINT
Don’t use unnecessary words and phrases that distract from the main
idea of the email or may confuse the reader.
USE SIMPLE SENTENCES
 PAY ATTENTION TO WORD CHOICE
Remember that writing, is a form of indirect communication. Unlike
having a conversation with someone, you do not have a chance to
clarify yourself by restating your ideas or use nonverbal cues to make
your meaning clear.
You have to make sure your reader understands what you want to say
and gets the right “message” the first time.
 THE SUBJECT OF THE EMAIL

Always write the subject of the email on the subject line.

 THE FOUR PARTS OF BUSINESS EMAIL

The opening
The focus
The action
The closing
BASIC EMAIL FORMAT
 GREETINGS: USING THE NAME IN THE GREETINGS

 Ensures recipients that the message is for him/ her

 Is a social nicety
 Develop rapport & connection
 Creates a more professional impression
 DECIDING ON THE TITLE

Formal Greeting: Use Mr. & Ms. Example: Mr. Jon Smith. Ms. Smith
Informal Greeting: Use only first name. – Dear John
Always use a professional greeting. “Hello, Mr. Carman”
 CLOSING & SIGNATURES
Choice of Words: Use ‘Sincerely’ or ‘Regards’
Punctuation in closing: Use comma. E.g: Sincerely, Regards etc.

Details about signature blocks

Best position is at the end of the message

Ideal is to use for four to fewer times
Provides ways to “find” you other than replying to the email message
People can trace you even if your message was forwarded
 SUBJECT LINE
How do you ensure that your email is opened?
- By using a good choice of wording in the subject line

What is the purpose of subject line?

- To allow the reader to see at a glance what the message is regarding
- It serves as gatekeeper, determining whether the message is viewed by the
recipient
 REPLYING TO EMAIL
Two ways to reply
- Maintain the “thread”
- Create a new message

There are two reply buttons

- Reply: the response goes to the original sender
- Reply to all: The response goes to all the people who received the original message
 FORMAL OR INFORMAL?

We write a formal email when we want to be polite, or when we do not

know the reader very well. A lot of work emails are formal. We write
informal emails when we want to be friendly, or when we know the
reader well. A lot of social emails are informal.
HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL
MESSAGES:
Formal Informal

A birthday greeting to a colleague

An email to a customer 
An email to a colleague who is also a good
A job application
friend
An email to your manager
A social invitation to a friend at your workplace
A complaint to a shop
An email with a link to a funny YouTube clip
An email from one company to another
A message to a friend on a social networking
company
site
Formal Informal
Dear Mr Piper,
Hi Tim,
I am writing to thank you for all your
Many thanks for your help.
help. I look forward to seeing you next
See you next week. Cheers,
week. With best wishes,
John
John Smith
 PARAGRAPHS

Emails are easier to read if the writer uses paragraphs.

A paragraph in an email is often two or three sentences long.
Each paragraph starts on a new line.
When you start writing about a new topic, you can start a new paragraph.
 PROOFREADING
Spell check and grammar check all messages
Re-read messages before sending out, read it loud if needed
Never write emails in capital letters
Use sentence case when emailing
Double check all names that may be used in the body of the email, to
ensure they are spelled correctly
 WHO SHOULD BE COPIED? CC VS BC

Only copy those who are directly involved.

Any recipients in the To or CC (carbon copy): fields will be able to see
the addresses of everyone else who received it.
BCC (blind carbon copy) is useful for sending to a large distribution
list, so recipients will not see a huge list of names.
 DO’S
DO include a heading in the subject line. A subject header is essential if you want
someone to read your message.
DO make the subject line meaningful. A “Hi” or “Hello” won’t do. The recipient
decides in which order to read your message- or whether to read it all- based on
who sent it and what it’s about.
DO personalize your message to the recipient. Although email is informal, it still
requires a personal greeting, such as, “Dear Ms. Jones,” or “Hi, Jack.” Failure to
include a greeting can make your message seem cold.
DO account for tone. When you communicate in person, more than 90% of your
message is non-verbal. Email has no tell- tale body language! The reader cannot
see your face or hear the tone of your voice, so choose your words carefully and
thoughtfully.
DO look at your email address and determine how it represents you. Names such as
“soccerguy8” don’t sound professional. Students sometimes embarrass themselves
by communicating with an employer using an inappropriate address.
DO include your name or a signature with additional details and contact
information. The recipient may want to communicate by means other than email.
 DON’TS
DON’T forget to check for spelling and grammar. If you think this form of
communication does not have to be letter perfect, think again! It represents you.
Poorly written messages may indicate a poor caliber of work in other ways. Use
proper capitalization, punctuation and usage, and always check your spelling.
DON’T write the great American novel. Email is intended to be a brief
communication. Keep the message short and concise. Use only a few, brief
paragraphs.
DON’T forward email without permission. Why take responsibility for passing along
something that was addressed only to you? Often, confidential information becomes
public knowledge because of someone’s lack of judgment. Unless you were asked to
forward something, don’t do so without permission!
DON’T “reply to all” unless you are sending a response appropriate for group viewing.
DON’T fill in the “TO” line until you’ve written and proofed/edited your message. Is the
information accurate? Grammatically correct? In an appropriate tone? If you enter the
“TO” information first, a slip of the finger can send a message before its time!
DON’T think that no one but the intended recipient will see your email. After a message
leaves your mailbox, you have no idea where it may go. Don’t use email to send anything
that you wouldn’t want to be seen in public.
 When you’re Initiating Email contact with someone new:

Very formal

“Might I take a moment of your time…” (to begin the email)

“Please may I introduce myself…” (to begin the email)
“Many thanks again for your time.” (to end the email)
More informal/friendly

“I’m just emailing to ask…” (to begin the email)

“I’m a friend of Bob’s…” (to begin the email)
“Just let me know if you have any questions.” (to end the email)
“Drop me an email, or give me a ring, if you want any more information.” (to end
the email)
 When you’ve answered someone’s question(s)

Very formal

“I trust the above resolves your queries. Should you have any further questions, please
do not hesitate to contact me.”
More informal/friendly
“I know that’s a lot to take in, so let me know if anything I’ve said doesn’t make sense.”
“Hope the above helps, but email again if you’re still having any difficulties.”
 When you’re asking the recipient to take some action 

Very formal

“I would appreciate your help in this matter.”

More informal/friendly
“Could you look into this?”
“Would you mind checking it out for me?”
“Thanks in advance.”
“Can you get back to me once you’ve had a chance to investigate?”
“I’d love to hear your advice on this one.”
 When you need a response (but not necessarily any action taking)

Very formal

“I await a response at your earliest convenience.”

More informal/friendly
“Can you drop me a quick word so I know you’ve received this?”
“Look forward to hearing from you.”
 When you’ve heard nothing back and want to chase up a reply

Very formal

“In reference to my email of June 20th …”

More informal/friendly
“Just wondered if you got my email (June 20th)?”
“When you get a moment, could you drop me a line about my last email?”
Do you have any favourite stock phrases that you use in your work emails? Add yours in the
comments!
 TASK 1

Complete the sentences with the right word. delete / send / attachment / open / CC / link :

You can _________ an email to one or more people. When you get an email, you must
_________ it before you can read it. With your email, you can include an _____________
(like a photo or document).
If you do not want to keep an old email, you can ___________ it.
You can include a ____________ to a website in your email. If you are sending someone
an email, and you want your manager to see it as well, you can ____________ your
manager.
THANK YOU