business writing Communicating with clients and coworkers can be intimidating, but it doesn t have to be. This handout will present several strategies for simple, effective business writing. Consider Your Audience General Advice Before you begin to write, think about your audience. Ask, Who will be reading this? Strive to be a reader-focused writer, and move past the it made sense in my head mentality. To better meet your audience s needs, consider the following questions: Who is my audience? What does my audience want? What questions does my audience want answered? Why does my audience care about the issue? What does my audience know about the issue? What doesn t my audience know about the issue? If your audience doesn t know much about your subject, you may need to include some background information. Get to the Point Few people read business communications for fun so don t waste your readers time. Get to your point as quickly as possible. Example: Due to our funding shortfall, we need to meet to discuss strategies for recouping lost wages. Example: The University will be closed during the month of January for winter break. If you must include background information, keep it as short as possible. Example: Several of you have written me to ask about the final exam. The final will be posted on Blackboard next week. So What? What Now? Make sure your readers know what you want them to do after reading your message. You can do this by Version 2.0 1
including a clear call to action. Example: Please complete and return the attached survey by noon on Friday. Example: Please email me your decision by the end of the day. Use Short, Focused Paragraphs When reading on a computer screen, people typically scan documents instead of reading each word. This means that you will need to use short, focused paragraphs to quickly convey your ideas. Make sure that each paragraph has a strong topic sentence that announces what the paragraph is about. When you move on to a new idea, start a new paragraph. Example: The focus of next week s staff meeting will be client retention. Please bring ideas with you or email them to me beforehand. Example: Starting next week, all users will need a new username and password. The IT Office should have emailed you your new username last week. Using this username, you can log into our website and create a new password. Favor Simpler Sentence Structures Within paragraphs, favor simpler sentences. Instead of cramming each sentence with as many ideas as possible, try to limit your sentences to one or two main ideas. Break longer, complex sentences into simpler ones. Bad Example (One long, complex sentence): Once you have received your username, which the IT Office should have sent you, as instructed by the chief information officer, you will need to log into the company s new website, which went live last week, and create a new password, preferably one that is different than your previous password and that contains letters, numbers, and special characters in order to prevent another hacking incident, which could once again compromise our clients privacy, an incident that we surely don t want to repeat. Good Example (Several shorter, simpler sentences): The IT Office should have emailed you your new username last week. Using this username, you can log into our website and create a new password. This password should be different than your previous one. Make sure it contains a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters. This combination will help prevent another hacking incident and protect our clients privacy. Avoid ALL CAPS Avoid typing in all capital letters since it is the electronic equivalent of shouting. Proofread Example: WHERE IS THE RELAXATION ROOM? Everyone makes mistakes, which is why you need to proofread your document. The time you spend proofreading a document should correspond to its importance. There s no point fretting over a low-stakes email to a close coworker. Know Your Audience Be aware of any communication conventions (such as timing or frequency of emails) or often-used/oftenavoided phrasings, greetings, or sign-offs in the field you re working in. 2
Purpose Emails Email is less formal than memos and letters. It is best used for low-stakes information that needs to be communicated quickly to a large number of people. Generally, you should not use email to communicate high-stakes information such as firing, resignation, death, etc. This information is better communicated in person or through a letter. Subject Line The subject line is the most important part of your email. Many readers determine whether or not they will read an email based solely on the information in the subject line. Make sure you subject line quickly conveys the content of your message. Opening Bad Subject Line: Library Good Subject Line: Extended Library Hours Start 12/14 Open your email by using the recipient s name or a simple greeting such as Hi or Hello. Dear is typically too formal for an email. If you are writing to several people, using Hello or the group name is sufficient. Closing Traditional letter closings such as Sincerely or Yours Truly are typically too formal for an email. Instead, try simple closings like Thanks or Best or omit the closing entirely. Signature Your email signature should contain key contact information, such as your name, your title, your phone number, and your email address. Example: John Doe Associate Vice President Big Important Company (555) 555-5555 jdoe@bic.com Avoid cutesy quotations or clipart in your signature. Example: John Doe Associate Vice President Big Important Company (555) 555-5555 jdoe@bic.com ~~ Reach for the moon... If you miss, at least you ll be among the stars. ~~ 3
Away Message As a professional courtesy, set an away message or automatic reply if you are going to be out of the office for an extended period of time. Make sure that your notification includes when you will return and who the writer should contact in case of an emergency. Example: I will be out of the office until Monday, December 7. If you need immediate assistance, please contact Jane Doe at (555) 555-5555. Replying to Group Emails People typically hate being included on long, irrelevant email chains. When replying to group emails, consider whether or not the entire group needs to read your response. If so, select Reply All. If not, only reply to select members. Purpose Note: To see how the elements above work together, please see the sample email at the end of this handout. Memos Memo is short for memorandum, which means thing to be remembered in Latin. Accordingly, memos are used to remind or inform readers of policies, meetings, changes, events, etc. They are more formal than emails but less formal than letters. Special Formatting Memos include a heading containing four sections: TO, FROM, DATE, and SUBJECT. Opening Do not open with a salutation. Instead, get right to the point. Closing Example: Big Important Company will extend its business hours during the month of December. Example: The senior leadership retreat will be held on Wednesday, December 2, 2015. Memos typically do not have a signature line, but they still conclude with a call to action. Purpose Example: Once you have updated your forms, please bring them to HR in Rm 304. Example: If you have any questions, please contact the Help Desk at (555) 555-5555. Note: To see how the elements above work together, please see the sample memo at the end of this handout. Business Letters Business letters are the most formal type of business communication, and they are used to communicate important information, such as hiring, promotion, firing, etc. 4
Special Formatting Included below are formatting instructions for generic business letters. You should always check your company s standards for letters to see if a specific template or letterhead should be used. Margins and Spacing Letters are typically single spaced, with an extra space between paragraphs. Margins are typically set to 1 or 1 ½ inches. Alignment and Indentation Left align all elements in your letter. Do not indent your paragraphs. Sender s Address If it is not already included in a letterhead, the sender s address is the first element of the letter. If the letterhead contains the address, the date is the first element. Date Write out the name of months for the date. Example: September 6, 2015 Inside Address Include the inside address (i.e., the recipient s address) after the date. Include the recipient s name and title with the address. Example: Jane Doe Director of Marketing Big Important Company 123 Main Street Baltimore, MD 21211 Older style guides recommend including honorifics like Mr. or Ms. before the recipient s name. However, you may want to avoid including these gender-based honorifics unless you are absolutely sure how the individual identifies. Opening (Salutation) Open your letter with the word Dear and the name of the recipient. If you know the gender of the person, use an honorific and the last name. If you do not know the gender, use the first and last name. Use a colon after the salutation. Example: Dear Ms. Doe: Example: Dear Pat Doe: Avoid the phrase To whom it may concern. Always try to find the name of the person who will be reading your letter. If after searching you still cannot find a name, use the job title of the person or persons who will be reading the letter. Example: Dear Search Committee: Example: Dear Customer Service Representative: 5
Closing (Valediction) End your letter with a simple closing like Sincerely or Thank You. Signature Four lines below your closing, type your name and title. Sign your name in pen above the typed name. Enclosures Indicate enclosures with the word enclosures and the number of items enclosed. Example: Enclosures: 1 If you only have a few enclosures, consider naming them. Example: Enclosures: Resume Example: Enclosures: (2) CV and Final Transcript Note: To see how the elements above work together, please see the sample business letter at the end of this handout. References Maggio, R. (2009). How to say it: Choice words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs for every situation. New York, NY: Prentice Hall. 6
RE: Extended Library Hours Start 12/14 Doe, Jessie Sent: Mon 4/27/2015 11:19 AM To: Doe, Jane; DL-AllStudents CC: Doe, Jack Hello, Starting Monday, December 14, 2015, the library will extend its hours until 2 a.m. Monday through Friday. Our regularly scheduled weekend hours will remain in effect during this time. To schedule an appointment with a research librarian, please email researchhelp@university.edu. Thanks, Jessie Doe Head Librarian University of Somewhere (555) 555-5555 jessie.doe@university.edu email
MEMORANDUM TO: Senior Leadership at Big Important Company FROM: CEO of Big Important Company SUBJECT: Senior Leadership Retreat DATE: December 2, 2015 The senior leadership retreat will held on January 6, 2016 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The retreat will be held on site in the Dudeck Room. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. In preparation for the retreat, please collect the following pieces of data for your area: Sales forecasts Inventory Customer satisfaction scores Employee satisfaction scores If you are unable to attend for any reason please contact John Doe at (555) 555-5555. memo
John Doe Big Important Company 123 Main St., Suite 12 Baltimore, MD 21211 October 2, 2015 Julie Smith Account Manager Other Company 456 Center St. Baltimore, MD 21201 Dear Julie Smith, On behalf of Big Important Company, I am pleased to offer you the full-time position of Senior Account Manager. We would like you to start on 11/02/15 at which time you will need to attend an orientation with Human Resource Services (HRS) at 8:30 a.m. If you accept this offer, HRS will send you a welcome letter detailing the orientation. In recognition of your responsibilities, your initial compensation will be $50,000 per year. Cost of living and merit increases will be available consistent with company policy. In addition to your compensation, you will receive the benefits that are offered to all full-time employees. This offer of employment, if not previously accepted by you, will expire on October 16, 2015. To accept this offer, please sign the enclosed form and return the executed copy to HRS. We look forward to having you on our team. Sincerely, John Doe Associate Vice President letter Enclosure: 1