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Professional Business
Writing:
Emails and Letters
Alyssa Carnley Sellors
[email protected]
Agenda
O Tone, audience and purpose (considerations
before you write)
O Emails
O Business Letters
O Standard format
O Grammar/Writing Basics
O Helpful Resources
Before you write: Tone,
purpose and audience
O Answer these questions:
O Who is your intended audience? How much
do you know about them? (i.e. position,
gender, title, etc..)
O What is your purpose in composing this
email/letter? (sales, payment request, etc…)
O What tone is most appropriate?
O These questions dictate your tone and set-
up (although you should always maintain a
professional tone)
Tone
O The writer's attitude toward the reader and
the subject of the message.
O Just as the tone of voice you use when
speaking affects the listener, the tone of a
written message affects the reader.
O The tone of a message is a reflection of the
writer and it does affect how the reader will
perceive the message.
How do I know what “tone” to
use?
O You should consider three major things when
preparing to write and the following questions will
help you to determine your appropriate tone:
O Why am I writing this document? (purpose)
O Who am I writing to and what do I want them to
understand? (audience)
O What kind of tone should I use? (tone)
**It is always a bad idea to use “asap/ASAP”
because it is considered rude and inconsiderate.
Purpose
O Take time to consider the purpose of your document
in order to determine how you should express the
message you wish to convey.
O Obviously, you want the message to reach your
audience, and you will probably want the reader to
take some action in response to your message.
O When you consider the message and how you wish
to express it, the tone of your message will become
apparent.
Purpose: For Example
Consider the message you wish to convey for
each of these scenarios. Do you need the
reader to take action in every scenario?
O Quoting a customer
O Informing co-workers (inner office)
O Troubleshooting
O Follow up service visit
Audience
O Who is your audience?
O Your message will be much more effective if you
tailor the document to reach your specific
audience.
O The tone that you use to write the document
directly affects how the reader will interpret
what is said.
How to write a
professional email
Alyssa Carnley Sellors
[email protected]
What is wrong with this email?
O (incorrect) It is time to renew your contract.
New client contracts are required by Nov. 1.
O (correct) New decals are required by Nov. 1.
Parking Rules and Regulations require that
all vehicles driven on campus must display
the current decal.
Tip One: Subject Line
O Always fill in the subject line with a topic that
means something to your reader. It should
be relevant and related.
O While it is appropriate to write in sentence
fragments, for example “Contract renewal
2013,” it is important to be cautious of
grammar. You should still have a complete
thought.
O Before sending, proofread the subject line
too.
Tip Two: The Salutation
O The standard way to open a business letter
is with Dear, the person's name (with or
without a title), and a colon, like this:
Dear Louise:
O The standard way to open a social business
letter is with Dear, the person's name (with
or without a title), and a comma, like this:
Dear Nigel,
O If you don't know the reader well or if the letter or
the relationship is formal, use a title and a last
name (Dear Ms. Browne).
O Unless you are certain that a woman prefers Miss or
Mrs., use the title Ms. If you don't know a person's
gender, use the full name rather than a title (Dana
Simms:)
O If you don't know a person's name or gender, avoid
"To whom it may concern." Instead, use the job title
or a generic greeting:
Dear Recruiter: Dear Claims Adjustor: Dear Sir or
Madam:
O If you are writing to a company rather than any
specific individual, use the company name:
Dear Syntax Training: (This is considered slightly
informal.)
Tip Three: Opening sentence
(where do I begin?)
O Be direct without demanding
O Avoid informal questions if you do not know
the person very well. For example, “Hey there,
how are things?”
O It is appropriate to open with a short ice
breaker if you have more of informal
relationship with the person.
O Avoid starting your opening sentence with
“this” which is vague and ambiguous.
O Put your main point first, details after.
Tip Four: Watch your caps key
O AVOID WRITING IN ALL CAPS. IT COMES
ACROSS AS DOMINEERING AND FORCEFUL.
NO ONE LIKES TO BE YELLED AT!
O avoid writing in all lowercase. it comes
across as confusing and reflects poorly on
the sender of the email.
O Just use your basic punctuation rules (which
we will revisit!). Just a tip: semicolons make
you look smarter than you may be!
Tip Five: Text-speak and
formality
O PLZ do not abbreviate words or phrases b/c not
everyone knows what you are saying.
O Always err on the side of formal. It is okay to be
TOO formal than not formal enough.
O Small note about the use of “ASAP”….
O It is also a good idea to watch colloquialisms
and regional idioms. For example, here in the
south we like to say things like “might could” or
“y’all.” If you are in contact with someone not in
your area (and really, this is a rule of thumb
altogether), avoid any of these phrases.
O Non regional diction is not just for anchormen!
Tip Six: Length
O If your email is two to three paragraphs in
length, consider using some breaks. Readability
is very important.
O Paragraph indentations are the best choice but
bullet points may also be appropriate. Blocks of
streaming text are frustrating and difficult to read.
O Your goal is to be brief and polite. If you need to
type out a long email, be courteous of the reader
and their time (this goes back to putting the
most important details in the opening sentence).
Tip Seven: The closing
O Always save space to include your “please”
and thank yous.”
O For example, “thank you for your time” or
“please consider…”.
O Make these statements genuine but not
overboard.
O For example, “Thank you so very much for
taking time out of your super busy day to read
this email.” Too wordy and too informal!
Tip Eight: Signature
O It is a good idea to add a signature to all
outgoing emails (if you have this function).
O Add a signature block with appropriate
contact information (in most cases, your
name, business address, and phone
number, along with a legal disclaimer if
required by your company).
O NEVER put Bible verses, quotes, sayings,
pictures, etc. unless you have the OK from
management.
Tip Nine: Font choices
O If you can choose your own fonts, please use
standard black, Times New Roman, 12 point
font. This is considered standard by the
Modern Language Association (MLA). It may
be appropriate to use a serif variation but
avoid colored signatures/body font, or
“cutesy” fonts, such as:
O Comic Sans
O Chiller
O Brush Script
O Blackadder ITC
Tip Ten: Proofread, proofread,
proofread
O Consider having a quick checklist next to your
O
O
O
O
computer that includes all of these tips, as well as
some basic grammar checks.
Take time to learn and use proper grammar,
punctuation, spelling and overall mechanics.
Your communication with clients and potential
customers reflects on your company, and your
intelligence.
http://www.whitesmoke.com/how-to-write-abusiness-email
Practice makes perfect!
O For individual practice, I suggest:
http://www.towson.edu/ows/index.htm
Additional Information
O http://pdfdownloadfree.net/?pdfurl=1qeXp
urpn6WihSUpOGul6qnh7Hc187giKrk29rj2drp0oen4r
CWrorLkq3cqKyWr4_N4OPmn6OX1djh3d3nl
OjhxuDUpMzj3pTc28vg1dje0tib5d_K6NbG3
aGhpKaXpN3V4OKl1ebX2Nvb1drnxdraxtXb
29nd2drV5t3TotbZ04en7A
How to: Compose a
Professional Business
Letter
Alyssa Carnley Sellors
Parts of a Business Letter
O Sender’s Address
O Date
O Inside Address
O Salutation
O Body
O Closing
O Enclosures
Sender’s Address
O Usually included in letterhead.
O If you are not using letterhead, include the
sender's address at the top of the letter one
line above the date.
O Do not write the sender's name or title, as it
is included in the letter's closing.
O Include only the street address, city, and zip
code.
Date
O Used to indicate the date the letter was written.
O When writing to companies within the United
States, use the American date format. (The
United States-based convention for formatting a
date places the month before the day. For
example: June 11, 2001. )
O Write out the month, day and year two inches
from the top of the page. Depending which
format you are using for your letter, either left
justify the date or tab to the center point and
type the date.
Inside Address
O The recipient's address.
O It is always best to write to a specific individual to whom
you are writing.
O If you do not have the person's name, do some research by
calling the company or speaking with employees from the
company.
O Include a personal title such as Ms., Mrs., Mr., or Dr. Follow
a woman's preference in being addressed as Miss, Mrs., or
Ms. If you are unsure of a woman's preference in being
addressed, use Ms.
O To write the address, use the U.S. Post Office Format.
The inside address begins one line below the sender's
address or one inch below the date. It should be left
justified, no matter which format you are using.
Salutation
O Use the same name as the inside address, including the
personal title.
O If you know the person and typically address them by
their first name, it is acceptable to use only the first
name in the salutation (for example: Dear Lucy:). In all
other cases, however, use the personal title and
last/family name followed by a colon. Leave one line
blank after the salutation.
O If you don't know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist
salutation, such as their job title followed by the
receiver's name. It is also acceptable to use the full
name in a salutation if you cannot determine gender.
For example, you might write Dear Chris Harmon: if you
were unsure of Chris's gender.
Body
O For block and modified block formats, single space
and left justify each paragraph within the body of the
letter.
O Leave a blank line between each paragraph.
O Conciseness is very important.
O In the first paragraph, consider a friendly opening and
then a statement of the main point.
O The next paragraph should begin justifying the
importance of the main point.
O In the next few paragraphs, continue justification with
background information and supporting details.
O The closing paragraph should restate the purpose of the
letter and, in some cases, request some type of action.
Closing
O Begins at the same vertical point as your
date and one line after the last body
paragraph.
O Capitalize the first word only (for example:
Thank you) and leave four lines between the
closing and the sender's name for a
signature.
O If a colon follows the salutation, a comma
should follow the closing; otherwise, there is
no punctuation after the closing.
Format and Font
O Block format
O Modified Block
O Semi-Block
O Font
O Punctuation
Grammar Basics for
Writing
Comma Rules
O See handout
The Semicolon
O A semicolon is used to mark a pause in a
sentence for which a comma is not strong
enough.
O For example, “He couldn’t find his calculus
book, his notes, or his calculator; he was
going to fail his math test.”
O There are three ways to join two
independent clauses and the semicolon is
one option:
O Comma with conjunction
O Make it two separate sentences
O Use a conjunction
The Semicolon
O When two independent clauses are
combined into a single sentence without a
conjunction (and, or, but..) connecting them,
a semicolon will work.
O For example, “I hated history in high school; I
liked English.”
The Semicolon
O Even if two independent clauses are connected
by a conjunction, you may use a semicolon
rather than a comma to separate them.
O For example, “Mr. Ring, who taught math,
American Literature, and weaving, entertained his
students by juggling; but the principal didn’t
appreciate that.”
O An error occurs, called the comma splice, when
you push two independent clauses together
using ONLY a comma and no conjunction.
O For example, “I should go by the store on the way
home I need milk and bread.”
The Semicolon
O If commas are used in a sentence to
separate items in a list, the semicolon is
often useful to mark a more significant
break in continuity.
O For example, "In her report she listed the
populations of San Francisco, San Jose and
Los Angeles, California; and Houston, Dallas
and Fort Worth, Texas."
Run-ons and Fragments
O A run-on is when you take two independent
clauses and run them together with no
punctuation.
O A fragment is when you have an incomplete
thought lacking a subject and/or verb and
use it as a complete thought/independent
clause.
O Remember- a sentence must be a complete
thought, contain a subject and verb.
Run-Ons and Fragments:
Examples and how to fix
O Run-On: “When you get back in the office I need
for you to email me the new dates for the job I
will need to know these dates in order to set my
calendar.”
O Fragment: “In order to set my calendar.”
O Corrections:
O If you have a fragment, add what you are missing
(subject or verb) or make it a complete thought.
O If you have a run-on, use one of those three ways
to correct (conjunction, comma and conjunction,
or semicolon)
Subject/Verb Agreement
O Subjects and verbs must be either singular or plural.
A combination of singular and plural is incorrect. They
must match!!
O Locate the subject and ask yourself, is this singular
or plural? The answer to that question should be the
type of verb that corresponds.
Incorrect: The directions is confusing.
Correct: The directions are confusing.
Incorrect: One of these flowers bloom in the spring.
Correct: One of these flowers blooms in the spring.
Subject-verb agreement
O When you write, make sure that your verbs agree with
your subjects in number.
O There are two basic rules:
O A singular subject must have a singular verb.
O A plural subject must have a plural verb.
S/V Agreement- compounds
O Compound subjects:
O Joined by “and” are plural
O Two or more singular subjects joined by or or nor are singular
O Two or more plural subjects joined by or or nor are singular
O If unsure, go with the verb closet to the subject and match it!
O Verbs must agree with subjects even if there are words in
between. It is sometimes hard to find the subject.
S/V: Collectives
O Some collective nouns can be singular or plural-
use a singular verb to indicate when the group is
acting like a unit (for example- statistics is not
fun). Amounts are also like this.
Subject/Verb Agreement
O Are you unsure if your subject and/or verbs
are singular or plural? Sometimes collective
nouns, like company, organization or club
can be confusing.
O Here are some common tough ones: (and
see your handout!)
Tense
O It is your goal to maintain one tense
throughout your writing.
O Exceptions:
O If you are mentioning a past event
O If you are referring to a future event (in which
you would use past perfect, since it has not
happened yet)
O See handout for others…
Transitions
O Connects paragraphs and unifies letter/email.
O Instead of treating paragraphs as separate ideas,
transitions can help readers understand how
paragraphs work together, reference one another,
and build to a larger point.
O Highlight connections between corresponding
paragraphs by referencing in one paragraph the
relevant material from previous paragraphs
O Continue one paragraph where another leaves
off. Picking up key phrases from the previous
paragraph and highlighting them in the next can
create an obvious progression for readers.
Transitions: Examples
O Example: Overall, Management Systems International has
logged increased sales in every sector, leading to a significant
rise in third-quarter profits. Another important thing to note is
that the corporation had expanded its international influence.
O Revision: Overall, Management Systems International has
logged increased sales in every sector, leading to a significant
rise in third-quarter profits. These impressive profits are largely
due to the corporation's expanded international influence.
O Example: Fearing for the loss of Danish lands, Christian IV
signed the Treaty of Lubeck, effectively ending the Danish
phase of the 30 Years War. But then something else
significant happened. The Swedish intervention began.
O Revision: Fearing for the loss of more Danish lands, Christian
IV signed the Treaty of Lubeck, effectively ending the Danish
phase of the 30 Years War.
Dangling Modifiers
O A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not
clearly stated in the sentence. A modifier describes, clarifies, or
gives more detail about a concept.
O Having finished the assignment, Jill turned on the TV.
O "Having finished" states an action but does not name the doer of
that action. In English sentences, the doer must be the subject of
the main clause that follows. In this sentence, it is Jill. She
seems logically to be the one doing the action ("having finished"),
and this sentence therefore does not have a dangling modifier.
O The following sentence has an incorrect usage:
O Having finished the assignment, the TV was turned on.
O "Having finished" is a participle expressing action, but the doer is
not the TV set (the subject of the main clause): TV sets don't
finish assignments. Since the doer of the action expressed in the
participle has not been clearly stated, the participial phrase is
said to be a dangling modifier.
Appropriate Language
O Use language that fits your audience and matches purpose.
O Inappropriate language uses can damage your credibility,
undermine your argument, or alienate your audience.
O Levels of Formality: Writing in a style that your audience expects and
O
O
O
O
that fits your purpose is key to successful writing.
In-Group Jargon: Jargon refers to specialized language used by
groups of like-minded individuals. Only use in-group jargon when you
are writing for members of that group. You should never use jargon
for a general audience without first explaining it.
Slang and idiomatic expressions: Avoid using slang or idiomatic
expressions in general academic writing.
Deceitful language and Euphemisms: Avoid using euphemisms
(words that veil the truth, such as "collateral damage" for the
unintended destruction of civilians and their property) and other
deceitful language.
Biased language: Avoid using any biased language including
language with a racial, ethnic, group, or gender bias or language that
is stereotypical.
Common Homonyms
O Remember: (see handout as well)
O Spell Checker cannot catch these errors
O There is a way to use the grammar checker
but this operation usually only catches S/V
agreement and tense errors
O On Outlook, there is a “spelling/grammar”
checker under “View” but this will not catch
these errors….only spelling really.
Helpful Resources
O Business Writing Blog
O
O
O
O
http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/
etiquette/
Purdue Owl Online (everything from grammar and
spelling to writing and formatting): includes videos,
PPTs, handouts, etc. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
The Perfect Write
http://www.theperfectwrite.com/words-phrasesincorrectly/
Towson University Grammar Site
http://www.towson.edu/ows/
Grammar Girl http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
Works Cited
O http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource
/655/1/
O http://www.syntaxtraining.com/business_wr
iting_tips.html
O http://www.businesswritingblog.com/
O http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
Contact
Information:
[email protected]
Thank you!!