Chapter 2 - Understanding the writing process and the main forms of business messages. After studying this chapter, you should be able to: Describe the writing process and effective writing strategies, describe the current usage of the business letter, describe the purpose and forms of memorandums, understand the appropriate use of email,. | McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2012 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. “As people move up, they write more critical documents.” two Understanding the Writing Process and the Main Forms of Business Messages The Writing Process: The Three Main Stages Letters The oldest form of business messages Usually for external readers Usually relatively formal Has standardized components/forms Memorandums (Memos) Usually for internal communication Fast being replaced by email Typically have a distinctive form: Date, To, From Subject Sometimes Department, Territory, Store Number, Copies to Structure of Email (1 of 3) Standardized elements To Cc Bcc Subject Attachments Message Structure of Email (2 of 3) The beginning Name of recipient (first name if acquainted) Generic greeting sometimes used (“Greetings”) Letter salutations rarely used Purpose, company sometimes useful Structure of Email (3 of 3) Message organization As a general rule, most important . | McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2012 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. “As people move up, they write more critical documents.” two Understanding the Writing Process and the Main Forms of Business Messages The Writing Process: The Three Main Stages Letters The oldest form of business messages Usually for external readers Usually relatively formal Has standardized components/forms Memorandums (Memos) Usually for internal communication Fast being replaced by email Typically have a distinctive form: Date, To, From Subject Sometimes Department, Territory, Store Number, Copies to Structure of Email (1 of 3) Standardized elements To Cc Bcc Subject Attachments Message Structure of Email (2 of 3) The beginning Name of recipient (first name if acquainted) Generic greeting sometimes used (“Greetings”) Letter salutations rarely used Purpose, company sometimes useful Structure of Email (3 of 3) Message organization As a general rule, most important information first, with the rest in descending order. More complex messages organized by the plans to be studied. Can resemble business reports. Formality of Email Writing Conciseness in Email Make the sentences short—only the essentials. Use words economically. Paraphrase previous messages concisely. Quote selectively. Clarity in Email Clarity begins with your subject line. To write a clear message, use the techniques discussed in Chapter 4. Courtesy in Email Even among colleagues, courtesy is appreciated. Avoid “flaming” (anger displays). Practice the you-viewpoint (as discussed in Chapter 4). Correctness in Email Email’s fast pace often leads to incorrect writing. Errors in writing distract the reader’s attention. Error-filled writing reflects poorly on you and your company. Closing the Email Message Usually just the writer's name is sufficient. In more formal messages, closing statement may be appropriate (“Thanks,” “Regards”). Traditional letter closes .
