E-mail Writing

BusinessEnglishWritingTrainingWritingBusinessE-mailsTrainer&Writer:MichaelHahnMBATrainingContentConcepts&ProcedureWritingKeys:Style&ToneGuide/ChecklistExamplesEffectiveWritingTipsUsefulPatternsExercisesCommonErrorsComplaints(dealingwithcomplaints)TestyourUnderstandingQuestion:1)Ane-mailshouldideallyberespondedtowithin...a)...24-hours.b)...severaldays.c)...lessthanone-week.d)...lessthanone-month.Question:1)Ane-mailshouldideallyberespondedtowithin...a)...24-hours.b)...severaldays.c)...lessthanone-week.d)...lessthanone-month.a)...24-hours.Question:2)Whenreplyingtoane-mail,youshoulddeletethetextthatthesendertyped.a)True.b)False.Question:2)Whenreplyingtoane-mail,youshoulddeletethetextthatthesendertyped.a)True.b)False.b)False.Question:3)Whatshouldyoualwaysdowhenreplyingtoane-mail?a)Answerallquestionswithinthee-mail.b)Readyourresponsebeforesendingit.c)Requestareadreceipt.d)Both(a)and(b).Question:3)Whatshouldyoualwaysdowhenreplyingtoane-mail?a)Answerallquestionswithinthee-mail.b)Readyourresponsebeforesendingit.c)Requestareadreceipt.d)Both(a)and(b).d)Both(a)and(b).Question:4)Whichistrueaboutputtingsomeone’se-mailaddressinthe“cc:”field?a)Thee-mailappearstobemoreurgent.b)Youshouldnotputsomeoneinthe“cc:”fieldunlesstheyknowbeforehand.c)Itwillensurethataresponsetothee-mailwillhappensooner.d)Thisactionencouragesthepersoninthe“cc:”fieldnottoopenthee-mail.Question:4)Whichistrueaboutputtingsomeone’se-mailaddressinthe“cc:”field?a)Thee-mailappearstobemoreurgent.b)Youshouldnotputsomeoneinthe“cc:”fieldunlesstheyknowbeforehand.c)Itwillensurethataresponsetothee-mailwillhappensooner.d)Thisactionencouragesthepersoninthe“cc:”fieldnottoopenthee-mail.b)Youshouldnotputsomeoneinthe“cc:”fieldunlesstheyknowbeforehand.Question:5)Whatshouldane-maildisclaimercontain?a)Thedisclaimershouldhaveafamousquote.b)Thedisclaimershouldhaveastatementtodefinehowtoreply.c)Thedisclaimershouldhavestatementsthatdiscusslegalconcerns.d)Thedisclaimershouldhavestatementsusedformarketingpurposes.Question:5)Whatshouldane-maildisclaimercontain?a)Thedisclaimershouldhaveafamousquote.b)Thedisclaimershouldhaveastatementtodefinehowtoreply.c)Thedisclaimershouldhavestatementsthatdiscusslegalconcerns.d)Thedisclaimershouldhavestatementsusedformarketingpurposes.c)Thedisclaimershouldhavestatementsthatdiscusslegalconcerns.Question:6)Doeswritingalongere-mailmeanitismorelikelytogetread?a)Yes,becauseitwillbetakenmoreseriously.b)No,becauseitmightrequiretoomuchtimeandattentionfromabusyrecipient.c)Yes,becauselongermessagesusuallycontaininformationthatismoreuseful.d)Howlongane-mailisdoesn’tdetermineifthereaderwillreadit.Question:6)Doeswritingalongere-mailmeanitismorelikelytogetread?a)Yes,becauseitwillbetakenmoreseriously.b)No,becauseitmightrequiretoomuchtimeandattentionfromabusyrecipient.c)Yes,becauselongermessagesusuallycontaininformationthatismoreuseful.d)Howlongane-mailisdoesn’tdetermineifthereaderwillreadit.b)No,becauseitmightrequiretoomuchtimeandattentionfromabusyrecipient.Question:7)E-mailsarelessformalthanotherformsofwriting,sowhyisitstillvitaltopaycarefulattentiontogrammarandspelling?a)Itisimportantbecauseanyoneinthecompanycouldreadthee-mail.b)Itisimportantbecausepoorlywrittenemailscandetractfromthewriter’sprofessionalism.c)Itisimportantbecauseincorrectlyspelledwordsandimpropergrammarmaygivecauseindividualsnottotakethee-mailoryourcompanyseriously.d)Alloftheabove.Question:7)E-mailsarelessformalthanotherformsofwriting,sowhyisitstillvitaltopaycarefulattentiontogrammarandspelling?a)Itisimportantbecauseanyoneinthecompanycouldreadthee-mail.b)Itisimportantbecausepoorlywrittenemailscandetractfromthewriter’sprofessionalism.c)Itisimportantbecauseincorrectlyspelledwordsandimpropergrammarmaygivecauseindividualsnottotakethee-mailoryourcompanyseriously.d)Alloftheabove.d)Alloftheabove.BusinessE-mailsConcepts&ProcedureBusinessE-mailsareanexternalwrittenformofcommunication,anddemandstheuseoftheInternet.TheGoldenRuleistowriteSHORTE-mails,suchas1to3paragraphs,thatareconcise(givesasmuchinformationaspossibleusingfewerwords).Usebulletpointsoralist(usingnumbersorletters)toorganizeyourthoughtssothereadercanunderstandyourmeaningclearly.Underline,boldorCAPITALIZE,toemphasizeimportantinformation.DoNOTexcessivelyusepunctuationtoshowurgency!BusinessE-mailsConcepts&Procedure(continued)Contractionsandabbreviationsareacceptablebutlimittheirusage.Forexample:ASAPisOK(assoonaspossible)AFAIKisNOTOK(asfarasIknow)BTWisOK(bytheway)TIAisNOTOK(thanksinadvance)TKSisOK(thanks)IWCYATisNOTOK(Iwillcontactyouagaintomorrow)TTYLisOK(talktoyoulater)DWATisNOTOK(don’tworryaboutthat)FYIisOK(foryourinformation)DITYBisNOTOK(didItellyoubefore)The“RuleofThumb”forabbreviationusageis:Anyabbreviationisacceptableifitiscommonlyused(known).BusinessE-mailsConcepts&Procedure(continued)Ingeneral,ane-mailshouldbewrittenlikeapostofficeletter,butshorterinlength.Businesspeoplereceivemanye-mailseachdaysokeepinmindthereaderdoesnothavetimetoreadeache-mailcarefully.Thus,youshouldeliminate“smalltalk”andbedirect(totheheart