Writing Business Emails

1
Writing Business Emails
2
Genre Analysis
3
Headings

• originated from memos
• follows memo format
• varies according to email program
• FROM
• TO
• CC
• BCC
• DATE
• ATTACHMENTS

4
Headings

• FROM generated automatically
• TO put in principal receivers email
• CC (Carbon Copy) put other receivers here. No
  limit.
• BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) use to protect privacy
  of receivers or when sending a copy to a superior
  without receivers knowledge
• DATE generated automatically
• ATTACHMENTS generated automatically

5
Headings

• FROM generated automatically
• TO put in principal receivers email
• CC (Carbon Copy) put other receivers here. No
  limit.
• BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) use to protect privacy
  of receivers or when sending a copy to a superior
  without receivers knowledge
• DATE generated automatically
• ATTACHMENTS generated automatically

6
Headings

• FROM generated automatically
• TO put in principal receivers email
• CC (Carbon Copy) put other receivers here. No
  limit.
• BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) use to protect privacy
  of receivers or when sending a copy to a superior
  without receivers knowledge
• DATE generated automatically
• ATTACHMENTS generated automatically

7
Headings

• FROM generated automatically
• TO put in principal receivers email
• CC (Carbon Copy) put other receivers here. No
  limit.
• BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) use to protect privacy
  of receivers or when sending a copy to a superior
  without receivers knowledge
• DATE generated automatically
• ATTACHMENTS generated automatically

8
Headings

• FROM generated automatically
• TO put in principal receivers email
• CC (Carbon Copy) put other receivers here. No
  limit.
• BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) use to protect privacy
  of receivers or when sending a copy to a superior
  without receivers knowledge
• DATE generated automatically
• ATTACHMENTS generated automatically

9
Headings

• FROM generated automatically
• TO put in principal receivers email
• CC (Carbon Copy) put other receivers here. No
  limit.
• BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) use to protect privacy
  of receivers or when sending a copy to a superior
  without receivers knowledge
• DATE generated automatically
• ATTACHMENTS generated automatically

10
Headings Subject Line

• Which is best? Whats wrong with the others?
• SUBJECT Testing of fire alarm
• SUBJECT Testing of Fire Alarm
• SUBJECT The Test of the Hotels Fire Alarm

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Body

• Similar to memos
• Main Point (bottom-line statement)
• Necessary Details
• Statement or Request

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Signature Group

• Basil Fawlty Name
• Hotel Manager Position
• Fawlty Towers Hotel Business Organization
• 13 Main Street, Torquay Physical Location
• 555-398-0966 Phone Number
• bfawlty_at_fawltytowers.com Email Address
• www.fawltytowers.com Website

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How and why is this different?
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Keeping it Neutral/Informal

• Most business email should be neutral or
  informal.
• In some cases, formality is desired but you may
  want to send letter as an attachment.
• Send messages meant to be printed as attachments.

15
Keeping it Neutral/Informal

• Use conversational language
• NOT...
• May I take this opportunity to thank you for
  your kind communication of recent date.
• BUT...
• Thank you for writing.

16
Keeping it Neutral/Informal

• Use conversational language.
• NOT...
• May I take this opportunity to thank you for
  your kind communication of recent date.
• BUT...
• Thank you for writing.

17
Keeping it Neutral/Informal

• Use conversational language.
• NOT...
• We are in receipt of your letter.
• BUT...
• We have received your letter.

18
Keeping it Neutral/Informal

• Use conversational language.
• NOT...
• We are in receipt of your letter.
• BUT...
• We have received your letter.

19
Keeping it Neutral/Informal

• Use conversational language.
• NOT...
• We are in receipt of your letter.
• BUT...
• We have received your letter.

20
Keeping it Neutral/Informal

• Use conversational language.
• NOT...
• We are in receipt of your letter.
• BUT...
• We have received your letter.

21
Keeping it Neutral/Informal

• Focus on the reader.
• NOT...
• I want to use my computer knowledge in this
  job.
• BUT...
• Your company will benefit from my knowledge
  of computers.

22
Keeping it Neutral/Informal

• Focus on the reader.
• NOT...
• I want to use my computer knowledge in this
  job.
• BUT...
• Your company will benefit from my knowledge
  of computers.

23
Keeping it Neutral/Informal

• Focus on the reader.
• NOT...
• Our store is open until 10 every night.
• BUT...
• You can shop until 10 every night.

24
Keeping it Neutral/Informal

• Focus on the reader.
• NOT...
• Our store is open until 10 every night.
• BUT...
• You can shop until 10 every night.

25
Keeping it Neutral/Informal

• Use more active than passive.
• NOT...
• We are happy to announce that a new chef has
  been hired.
• BUT...
• We are happy to announce that we have hired a
  new chef .

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Keeping it Neutral/Informal

• Use more active than passive.
• NOT...
• We are happy to announce that a new chef has
  been hired.
• BUT...
• We are happy to announce that we have hired a
  new chef .

27
Keeping it Neutral/Informal

• To form the passive.
• Start with the OBJECT (the recipient of the
  action)
• We hired a manager. becomes
• A manager...

28
Keeping it Neutral/Informal

• To form the passive.
• Add the verb TO BE (in the right tense)
• We hired a manager. becomes
• A manager was...

29
Keeping it Neutral/Informal

• To form the passive.
• Add the PAST PARTICIPLE (what comes after I
  have...)
• We hired a manager. becomes
• A manager was hired.

30
Keeping it Neutral/Informal

• To form the passive.
• We fired him.
• We have fired him.
• He was stealing things.
• We are investigating it.
• We will find a new manager.

31
Keeping it Neutral/Informal

• To form the passive.
• We fired him. He was fired.
• We have fired him. He has been fired.
• He was stealing things. Things were being stolen
• We are investigating it. It is being
  investigated.
• We will find a new manager. A new manager will
  be found.

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Keeping it Neutral/Informal

• Write sentences to be changed to...
• ...conversational language
• We are in receipt of your letter.
• ...a reader focus
• Our store is open until 10 every night.
• ...active
• A manager was hired.