Reading Part 3: Business and Technial Correspondence

Talking points

how as email affected our lives?
-personal
-school
-work
what are some problems with email?
- ettiquette? whats right?
- shortcuts?
- so easy (oversend)

How tone is lost in writen communication
-my tone is often miscommunicated. When I IM i can put littly smiley faces and lol but in email, memos, and letters these are not appropriate.



Business and Tech. Correspondence:

2 traditional forms:
- letter - went out
- memo - went in
New Form
- email

David Lewis

Making your correspondence get results

-letters, memos and emails
1) Write for him, not to him
2) Personalize your letters
3) Mastering Tone (your personality)
4) Write (more) the way you talk-

Allan A. Glatthorn

"I have some bad news for you"

1) The successful manager is people sensitive and able to empathize with others
2) Remember that bad news is best delivered face to face
3) Remember that everyone values honesty and forthrightness

Indirect Message of Bad News
Thanks-->Because-->Sorry-->Thanks
-you want further contact with the petitioner
-you want to project the image of a caring individual
-you believe that the petitioner won't be able to handle a more direct statement

Direct Message of Bad News
Thanks-->Sorry-->Because-->Thanks
-you want to slam the door shut, discouraging any other request from that petitioner
-you want to project an image of toughness and directness
-you are addressing an individual who prefers forthrightness and equates indirectness with softness or dishonesty

Harold K. Mintz

How to Write Better Memos

Organization should ensure answers to three basic questions concerning its subject:
1) What are the facts?
2) What do they mean?
3) What do we do now?
*organization is imortant in grabbing reader's attention

John S. Fielden and Ronald E. Dulek

How to Use Bottom-Line Writing in Corporate Communications

length and efficeinecy of the memos plays a role or problem-

the key to it all is comprehension time
Principle 1: State your purpose first unless there are overriding reasons not to do so
Principle 2: State your purpose first, even if you believe your readers need a briefing before they can fully understand the purpose of your communication
Principle 3: Present information in order of its importance to the reader
Principle 4: Put information of dubious utility or questionable importance to the reader into an appendix or attachment
Principle 5: In persuasive situations, where do you not know how your reader will react to what you ask for, state your request at the start
Principle 6: Think twice before being direct in negative messages upward*we have been raised to be indirect, direct reactions are looked to as rude and inappropriate

Janis Fisher Chan

Email: Presenting a Professional Image

*use active, concise, specific language and plain English that communicate clearly and accurately
*write grammatically correct sentences that convey complete thoughts and flow smoothly
*use gender-neutral language when possible-use plural instead of singular pronouns-eliminate the pronoun altogether-speak directly to your reader-structure the sentence so you can use "who"
*avoid common errors of punctuation