Lesson 3

Writing E-mails and Memos, Instant messaging and texting; Social media

Henan University of Technology

Transfer Abroad Undergraduate Programme

Learning Objectives

1. Writing electronically and on paper

2. E-mails

3. Memos

4. Messaging and texting

5. Social media

Writing Electronically and on Paper

Electronic messages:

• E-mail• Instant messaging• Text messaging• Blogs• Social networking

Paper-based messages:

• Business Letters

• Memos

1

E-mails, Memos and Letters

•Emails: Inside and Outside organization

•Memos: Inside organization

•Letters: Outside organization (usually)

E-Mail Is Not Going Away

•Preferred channel for most business messages.

•Medium costing businesspeople two hours or more each day.

•Replacement for paper memos inside organizations.

•Substitute for some letters to external audiences

2

Complaints About E-Mail

• Workplace e-mails are confusing and poorly written.

• Many business school graduates lack writing skills.

• Poor texting and social media habits affect e-mail skills.

• The number of daily e-mails is overwhelming.

Complaints About E-Mail

• E-mail is blurring the line between work and leisure.

• Messages are permanent and can be used against you.

• Face-to-face and phone conversations are richer than e-mail.

When E-Mail Is Appropriate

Short, informal messages requesting

information or responding to

inquiries

Effective for multiple recipients and messages that must be archived

Cover document when sending

longer attachments

Writing Plan for Informational E-Mails

Subject Line

•Summarize the main idea in condensed form.

•Avoid meaningless words such as Help, Important, or Meeting

E-mail Subject Line

Email programs have To and Subject boxes for you to fill in. The date is automatically added.The “look” varies by program.

Writing Plan for Informational E-Mails

Opening

•Include salutation.

•Reveal the main idea immediately but in expanded form.

E-mail Opening

•Emails also require Salutations, although these are less formal than a letter’s “Dear Mr. or Ms. ______:”

•You can use that, but, unless it’s very formal, you may use Hello, Mr. or Ms. _________, (with a comma) or, if you know the person, “Hello, Nate,” or “Hello, Kara,” instead.

•Using “hey,” or “yo,” or no Salutation is NOT professional.

Writing Plan for Informational E-Mails

Body

•Explain and justify the main idea.•Group similar ideas together. •Use headings, bulleted lists.•Avoid wordiness but don’t sacrifice clarity.

E-mail Body•As always, a message needs an Introduction, a Body, and a Closing.

•Use one blank line between paragraphs to avoid “Wall of Text” Syndrome!

Writing Plan for Informational E-Mails

Closing

•Conclude with the following information as appropriate:•Action statement with due dates or deadlines•Summary of the message

•Include contact information and signature.

E-mail Closing

•Use the complimentary close “Sincerely,” if the email is formal. You can also use “Thank you.”

•Most professionals use an automatically inserted “Signature,” which appears at the end of emails.

Common E-mail Mistakes

•Expecting an instant response.

•Thinking no one else will ever see your e-mail.

•Forgetting to check for spelling and grammar.

•Responding when angry.

•Forgetting a subject line.

•Including inappropriate content (e.g., jokes and other statements you will later regret).

•Not personalizing your message (e.g., skipping the salutation).

When to Write Memos

•A message is too long for e-mail.

•A permanent record is required.

•Formality is needed.

•Employees may not have e-mail.

3

Similarities in Memos and E-Mails

•Have guidewords calling for a subject line, dateline, and identification of the sender and receiver.

•Organized with headings, bulleted lists, and enumerated items whenever possible for readability.

•Carry no sensitive information that may be organized directly with the main idea first.

Memo Formatting Example

DATE: September 30, 2015

TO: Ray Charles, Marketing Manager

FROM: Bruce King, Events Manager BK

SUBJECT: CONFERENCE PLANNING

Memo Formatting Example

Benefits of Instant Messaging and Texting

Real-time communication with colleagues anywhere in the world is possible.

Immediate sharing of information allows for quick decisions.

Messaging avoids eliminates the downtime associated with personal phone conversations.

Message allows coworkers to locate each other, even when out of the office.

Productivity grows because users get answers quickly and can multitask.

4

Texting and Business Etiquette

Social Media by Numbers

Facebook2.2 billion

users

WeChat1 billion users

LinkedIn500 million members

QQ861 million active users

5

Qzone632 million

users

Social Media Etiquette for Personal and Business Accounts

•Don’t mix business and pleasure.

•Use caution posting and tagging photos.

•Be self-centered in small doses.

• Understand that your sense of humor Isn’t universal.

•Avoid over-sharing.

•Don’t misrepresent yourself.

Group Assignment

Time to write!