We understand that being able to write in a clear and professional style is important to your business. That is why we have developed the Business Writing Institute and the Effective Business Writing seminar. This practice-driven business writing workshop will significantly improve your ability to write in English, so that your readers will receive a clear, concise, effective message. Most professionals spend at least 15-20% of their time writing for business; emails, memos, business letters, reports and other business correspondence. Our customized approach guarantees an improvement in business communication skills that will increase your productivity, success and job satisfaction.
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Benefits of business writing training classes:
- learn how to write a business letter
- discover the skills of writing a business letter
- learn to create clear business correspondence
- understand the difference of writing for business
- improve overall business communication
Business Writing Training: Writing Business E-Mails
Communicating via e-mail can create the illusion of familiarity and informality. This can become a major liability in business communication, where focus is often placed on speed rather than accuracy or professionalism. The result is poorly considered messages that appear unprofessional. Not only are these quick, slapdash e-mails often badly written and poorly spelled, but they can be inefficient, as they fail to effectively convey their message and necessitate repeated exchanges to answer questions. If your message is poorly communicated or incomplete you may end up writing half a dozen more as your inbox fills up with requests for clarification. Taking a moment to think about and carefully compose your e-mail will actually save time in the long run!
While e-mail tends to be less formal in tone than other forms of messaging such as business letters, it is inappropriate to be overly casual when communicating with clients, prospects, business associates or superiors. There are also certain concerns unique to e-mail that should be taken into account when using it for business purposes.
When composing business e-mail, consideration should be given to each of the following components:
- The Recipients
- The Subject Line
- The Greeting
- The Message
- The Closing
- The Signature
The Recipients
Before you start, decide who will be receiving the message, and always double check the “To:” and “CC:’ lines before you send. Make sure you’re sending the message to the right people, especially if your address line auto-fills or if you use lists. E-mail can easily get you into trouble if you accidentally send to the wrong person!
Don’t send a message to people who don’t need the information – all it will do is clutter up their inbox and possibly confuse them. In an exchange of e-mails, if the subject moves to areas that are only of concern to certain parties on the list, remove those who aren’t involved.
The Subject Line
Make this relevant and descriptive of the message’s content. This will help direct your recipients’ attention, and make the e-mail much easier to file and to locate later on. Don’t leave the subject line blank!
If the subject shifts during an exchange of e-mails, alter the subject line to match the new topic of discussion.
The Greeting
Depending on who you’re e-mailing, your opening may need to be more or less formal and more or less inclusive. For clients, prospects, and superiors, it’s advisable to use titles and last names unless or until you’re on a first-name basis. For colleagues, team members and employees first names are usually fine, especially given the inherently lower degree of formality of e-mail.
The letter standard, “Dear X,” is almost always appropriate, but other common e-mail greetings include “Hello X,” “Good morning/afternoon,” or -- less formally -- simply the recipient’s name followed by a comma or dash. Once an exchange is underway the parties may dispense with greetings entirely and continue as though conversing.
The Message
Proper communication of your message requires some planning. When reading e-mail, people tend to skim messages that are too long or verbose, so make it short and to the point, but not at the expense of completeness. Be certain to include the basic answers to what, why, when, where and how and to clarify what you want the recipients to do about or with the information.
When you’re done, read back over the message and make sure all your sentences and thoughts are complete. Run a spell check. Proofread it – and if it’s really important, have someone else proofread it too. Fresh eyes will often catch mistakes you missed.
The Closing
Again, this will depend on context. The letter standard “Sincerely, X” is always safe. The informal nature of e-mail allows for a range of possible closings, particularly when dealing with associates and employees. In an exchange or in informal situations they may be dispensed with entirely.
The Signature
Generally, your signature will include your name, title, company name, and contact information. Phone numbers, alternate e-mail addresses, or websites may be included. If your signature includes a disclaimer or privacy message, it can become unwieldy in exchanges; you may wish to save an alternate signature format without the addendum.
In general, your tone and structure should be more formal when communicating with clients, prospects and superiors. Colleagues, associates, team members and employees may not require a high level of formality but are still due respect, and it’s in your best interests to appear professional at all times.
Always remember that anything you write in an e-mail can’t be taken back. Refrain from sending inflammatory, offensive or inappropriate messages; don’t post when you’re highly emotional, and always check the address before you click that “send” button. It will save you a world of trouble and help protect your professional image.
Source: Amy English link
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