Difference between revisions of "Writing for Business Success/Business writing in action/Email"
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==Writing an Internal Email== | ==Writing an Internal Email== | ||
| − | + | Refer to the learning materials in the [[Writing_for_Business_Success/Effective_business_writing/Overview_and_Objectives|Effective business writing]] learning pathway for the general principles of communicating successfully in writing. Principles such as word choice and tone, style, concision and clarity apply to email as much as to any other sort of business writing. | |
| − | + | For email, there are some additional steps you can take to ensure that your message is understood: | |
| − | + | * Organise the '''content''' of your message carefully: | |
| + | ** Briefly state your purpose for writing the email in the very beginning of your message. | ||
| + | ** Be sure to provide the reader with a context for your message. If you’re asking a question, cut and paste any relevant text (for example, computer error messages, assignment prompts you don’t understand, part of a previous email message, etc.) into the email so that the reader has some frame of reference for your question. When replying to someone else’s email, it can often be helpful to either include or restate the sender’s message. | ||
| + | ** Use paragraphs to separate thoughts (or consider writing separate emails if you have many unrelated points or questions). | ||
| + | ** Finally, state the desired outcome at the end of your message. If you’re requesting a response, let the reader know what type of response you require (for example, an email reply, possible times for a meeting, a recommendation letter, etc.) If you’re requesting something that has a due date, be sure to highlight that due date in a prominent position in your email. Ending your email with the next step can be really useful, especially in work settings. For example, you might write “I will follow this e-mail up with a phone call to you in the next day or so” or “Let’s plan to further discuss this at the meeting on Wednesday.” | ||
| − | + | * '''Format''' your message so that it is easy to read: | |
| − | + | ** Put a blank line between each paragraph to create separate blocks of text - this use of 'white space' makes the text easier to read. | |
| − | + | ** Use bullet points for important details so that they are easy to pick out. | |
| − | + | ** Use bold face type to highlight critical information, such as due dates. | |
| − | + | Try reading your message out loud to help you catch any grammar mistakes or awkward phrasing that you might otherwise miss. | |
| − | + | ||
| − | + | ||
| − | + | ||
| − | + | ||
Here is the same message using some of the simple tips we suggest: | Here is the same message using some of the simple tips we suggest: | ||
Revision as of 23:38, 3 August 2020
Contents
Common Types of Internal Emails
In the past, the standard channel for inter and intra-office communication was the memorandum (often referred to the abbreviation 'memo'). According to Merriam-Webster, a memo is “a usually brief written message or report from one person or department in a company or organisation to another.” For all intents and purposes, the email has become the memorandum of modern business. Internal business emails can be used to communicate almost any and all types of information.
An internal email can be created in the form of a newsletter, event notification, company policy change, announcement, meeting request, status update, appreciation, etc. In other words, email can be used for any number of purposes. This is perhaps the reason that many employees today feel inundated with the daily barrage of email.
| Example: simple email advising of agend change for an upcoming meeting |
|---|
| From: John Jaurès [johnjon@productive.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2017 10:13 AM To: Team Members Subject: Changes to Agenda Hi Everyone, Here are some additions to the agenda for our meeting on Thursday:
If you have any additions, please let me know by the end of day tomorrow. Thanks, John |
| Example: internal email memo |
|---|
| From: daraujo@teamcloud.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2017 2:06 PM To: Eddie Bangston Subject: Team Cloud Employee Benefits WELCOME TO TeamCloud! Team Cloud is committed to providing our employees with the highest quality of benefits at an affordable price. In our efforts to make your orientation a pleasant one, we have implemented a web-based employee self-service system to assist you in completing the new hire process, including benefits enrolment. A personalised account has been created for you. To log in, please visit www.mybenefits.com and login using the User ID and Password provided at the end of this email. Before logging in, please be sure to disable any Pop-Up Blockers or adjust your settings to allow pop-ups from mybenefits.com. Also, it is helpful you have all your dependents’ social security numbers, birthdates, etc. Please log in as soon as possible. This system is designed to provide you with information regarding our benefit programs to make the enrolment process more efficient. If you need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Once again, welcome to TeamCloud! Best Regards, Derrick Araujo Human Resources Generalist 866.419.4111
User ID: ebangston Password: teamcloud1 |
The Structure and Format of Internal Emails
There are six primary features of an internal business email:
- Subject line
- Greeting
- Opening
- Body
- Closing
- Signature
Subject line
The subject line is one of the most important features of any business email message. It should quickly and concisely summarise the contents of the email in such a way as to make the recipient want to open the message (remember an inbox is a sea of subject lines- make yours stand out). Try to use verbs in the subject line wherever possible to get maximum attention: “Attend Friday’s call—Important,” “Respond to this customer ASAP,” “Your initiation is about to expire—Please get back to us!” There’s not always a viable verb, especially if your email covers multiple topics (“Changes in Management and New Produce Line”); however, you should still be concise: no one wants a full email in the subject line.
Greetings
The greeting is really just a matter of good etiquette. Your goal is to sound professional yet friendly. If the recipient is a teammate or colleague, a less-formal, friendly greeting is appropriate: “Hi John”; “Good Morning Shilpa.” If your audience is outside your department, in a different location, etc. you would be more formal, “Dear Cathy.”
Openings
You might need an opening paragraph if the message is a long one with many details. Make sure you make it clear to the recipients why they are receiving this email. Think of an executive summary where you are condensing down to the gist of the message without all of the details. This is especially helpful for messages to senior management, who may not be interested in all of the finer points.
Body of the Message
The body of your message should be concise and to the point. As with any writing, always keep your audience in mind. It is common for people not to read all the way though long emails or only read with half of their attention. Ask yourself whether you are conveying your message in a way that will be best understood and minimise misinterpretation. Are there plentiful facts, background information, or documentation that must be included? Since emails are generally short, you must decide what information should be included to write a complete and accurate message and what information would be best suited as an attachment.
As you write the body of your message, you might notice how challenging it is to include as much information as possible while also trying to keep the email short. Are you writing in long, compound sentences? Take note of your sentence structure and make sure each sentence has one clear idea or connected ideas to make the sentences more digestible. To summarise information, you can also use bullet points in your message to keep it brief but thorough.
Note: If you find that your email is becoming too long, with multiple pages of information, consider re-writing your email as a memo or report. You can then send your longer report or memo as an attachment with a short email introducing the attachment and its context.
Closing
The close of your message should include a call to action with specific desired outcomes and dates. Ask yourself why you wrote this message in the first place. Why is this message important and what do you want the reader to do? By when? For example you may want a response from the recipient such as “Please confer with Jane and respond to the team no later than June 2nd.”
Signature
Your signature should contain full contact information including your name, title, address, phone number, and email address. Remember, this message is not a personal note, it is from the organisation.
We are going to see a host of email examples in the next sections.
xxxxxxxxx
Writing an Internal Email
Refer to the learning materials in the Effective business writing learning pathway for the general principles of communicating successfully in writing. Principles such as word choice and tone, style, concision and clarity apply to email as much as to any other sort of business writing.
For email, there are some additional steps you can take to ensure that your message is understood:
- Organise the content of your message carefully:
- Briefly state your purpose for writing the email in the very beginning of your message.
- Be sure to provide the reader with a context for your message. If you’re asking a question, cut and paste any relevant text (for example, computer error messages, assignment prompts you don’t understand, part of a previous email message, etc.) into the email so that the reader has some frame of reference for your question. When replying to someone else’s email, it can often be helpful to either include or restate the sender’s message.
- Use paragraphs to separate thoughts (or consider writing separate emails if you have many unrelated points or questions).
- Finally, state the desired outcome at the end of your message. If you’re requesting a response, let the reader know what type of response you require (for example, an email reply, possible times for a meeting, a recommendation letter, etc.) If you’re requesting something that has a due date, be sure to highlight that due date in a prominent position in your email. Ending your email with the next step can be really useful, especially in work settings. For example, you might write “I will follow this e-mail up with a phone call to you in the next day or so” or “Let’s plan to further discuss this at the meeting on Wednesday.”
- Format your message so that it is easy to read:
- Put a blank line between each paragraph to create separate blocks of text - this use of 'white space' makes the text easier to read.
- Use bullet points for important details so that they are easy to pick out.
- Use bold face type to highlight critical information, such as due dates.
Try reading your message out loud to help you catch any grammar mistakes or awkward phrasing that you might otherwise miss.
Here is the same message using some of the simple tips we suggest:
xxxxxxxx [H5P here?]
Acknowledgements
The content on this page was adapted from Internal Emails and Memos, authored by Robert Danielson and provided by Lumen Learning under a CC-BY-4.0 licence. The content is part of the online course Business communication skills for managers.
