Writing correspondence

1. • Four major formats used for producing workplace
correspondence: letters, memos, e-mails, and
microblogs. Throughout this chapter, the word
correspondence refers to all these forms.

2. Understanding the Process of
Writing Correspondence
• The process of writing correspondence is essentially like that
of writing any other kind of workplace document.
• The more formal the correspondence, the more time you are
likely to spend on each of these steps.

3. Selecting a Type of Correspondence
• Letters. Because letters still use centuries-old conventions such as the
salutation and complimentary close, they are the most formal of the
four types of correspondence and are therefore most appropriate for
communicating with people outside your organization or, in some
formal situations, with people within your organization.

4. • Memos. This type of correspondence is moderately formal and
therefore appropriate for people in your own organization.
• E-mail. This type is best for quick, relatively informal communication
with one or many recipients. Recipients can store and forward an e-
mail easily, as well as capture the text and reuse it in other
documents. In addition, the writer can attach other files to an e-mail.

5. • Microblogs. Microblog posts such as Twitter tweets or Facebook
status updates can be useful for quick questions addressed to a
group. This is the most informal type of correspondence.

6. The process of Writing
Correspondence
• Analyze your audience
• Analyze your purpose
• Gather Information about your subject
• Choose a type of correspondence
• Draft the correspondence
• Format the correspondence
• Revise, edit, and proofread the correspondence
• Send the Correspondence

7. Presenting Yourself Effectively
In Correspondence
When you write business correspondence, follow these five
suggestions for presenting yourself as a professional:
• Use the appropriate level of formality.
• Communicate correctly.
• Project the “you attitude.”
• Avoid correspondence clichés.
• Communicate honestly.

8. 1. Use the appropriate Level of formality
• Too informal: Our meeting with United went south right away when
they threw a hissy fit, saying that we blew off the deadline for the
progress report.
• Moderately formal: In our meeting, the United representative
expressed concern that we had missed the deadline for the progress
report.

9. Cont.…
However, you don’t want to sound like a dictionary.
• Too formal: It was indubitably the case that our team was successful
in presenting a proposal that was characterized by quality of the
highest order. My appreciation for your industriousness is herewith
extended.
• Moderately formal: I think we put together an excellent proposal.
Thank you very much for your hard work.

10. 2. Communicate Correctly
• One issue closely related to formality is correctness.
• Correct writing is free of grammar, punctuation, style, usage, and
spelling errors. The most problems with correctness arise when
people use e-mail and microblogs.

11. 3. Project the “You Attitude”
• Correspondence must convey a courteous, positive tone
• “You attitude” — that is, looking at the situation from the reader’s
point of view and adjusting the content, structure, and tone to meet
his or her needs

12. Cont.…
• Following are two examples of thoughtless sentences, each followed
by an improved version that shows the “you attitude.”
• ACCUSING: You must have dropped the engine. The housing is badly
cracked.
• BETTER: The badly cracked housing suggests that your engine must
have fallen onto a hard surface from some height.
• Sarcastic: You’ll need two months to deliver these parts? Who do you
think you are, the post office?
• Better: Surely you would find a two-month delay for the delivery of
parts unacceptable in your business. That’s how I feel, too.

13. 4. Avoid Correspondence Clichés
Letter clichés
• attached please find
• enclosed please find
• pursuant to our agreement
• referring to your (“Referring to
your letter of March 19, the
shipment of pianos . . .”)
Natural equivalents
• attached is
• enclosed is
• as we agreed
• “As you wrote in your letter of
March 19, the . . .” (or
subordinate the reference at the
end of your sentence)

14. Letter clichés
• wish to advise (“We wish to
advise that . . .”)
• the writer (“The writer believes
that . . .”)
Natural equivalents
• (The phrase doesn’t say
anything. Just say what you want
to say.)
• “I believe . . .”

15. Letter containing clichés
Dear Mr. Smith:
Referring to your letter regarding the problem
encountered with your new Trailrider Snowmobile,
our Customer Service Department has just submitted
its report.
It is their conclusion that the malfunction is caused
by water being present in the fuel line. It is our
conclusion that you must have purchased some bad
gasoline. We trust you are cognizant of the fact that
while we guarantee our snowmobiles for a period of
not less than one year against defects in
workmanship and materials, responsibility cannot be
assumed for inadequate care. We wish to advise, for
the reason mentioned hereinabove, that we cannot
grant your request to repair the snowmobile free of
charge.
Permit me to say, however, that the writer would be
pleased to see that the fuel line is flushed at cost,
$30. Your Trailrider would then give you many years
of trouble-free service.
Enclosed please find an authorization card. Should
we receive it, we shall perform the above-mentioned
repair and deliver your snowmobile forthwith.
Sincerely yours,
Letter in natural language
Dear Mr. Smith:
Thank you for writing to us about the problem
with your new Trailrider Snowmobile.
Our Customer Service Department has found
water in the fuel line. Apparently some of the
gasoline was bad. While we guarantee our
snowmobiles for one year against defects in
workmanship and materials, we cannot assume
responsibility for problems caused by bad
gasoline. We cannot, therefore, grant your
request to repair the snowmobile free of
charge.
However, no serious harm was done to the
snowmobile. We would be happy to flush the
fuel line at cost, $30. Your Trailrider would then
give you many years of troublefree service. If
you will authorize us to do this work, we will
have your snowmobile back to you within four
working days. Just fill out the enclosed
authorization card and drop it in the mail.
Sincerely yours,

16. • The letter on the right side avoids clichés and shows an understanding
of the “you attitude.” Instead of focusing on the violation of the
warranty, it presents the conclusion as good news: the snowmobile is
not ruined, and it can be repaired and returned in less than a week for
a small charge.

17. 5. Communicate Honestly

18. Writing Letters
• Letters are still a basic means of communication between
organizations, with millions written each day. To write effective
letters, you need to understand the elements of a letter, its format,
and the common types of letters sent in the business world.

19. i. Elements of a Letter
• Most letters include a heading, inside address, salutation, body,
complimentary close, and signature. Some letters also include one or
more of the following: attention line, subject line, enclosure line, and
copy line.

20. ii. Format of a Letter
Two typical formats are used for letters:
• Modified block
• Full block.

21. Writing Memos
• Like letters, memos have a characteristic format, which consists of the
elements:
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:

22. Writing E-mails
• Before you write an e-mail in the workplace, find out your
organization’s e-mail policies. Most companies have written policies
that discuss circumstances under which you may and may not use e-
mail, principles you should use in writing e-mails, and the monitoring
of employee e-mail.

23. Guidelines (E-mail)
When you write e-mail in the workplace, adhere to the following netiquette
guidelines. Netiquette refers to etiquette on a network.
• Stick to business.
• Don’t waste bandwidth.
• Use appropriate formality.
• Write correctly.
• Don’t flame.
• Make your message easy on the eyes.
• Don’t forward a message to an online discussion forum without the
writer’s permission.
• Don’t send a message unless you have something to say.

24. Writing Microblogs
• Microblogs are different from letters, memos, and e-mail in that they
are often extremely brief and quite informal in tone. Usually, you do
not revise microblogs extensively. You just proofread and send them.

25. Writing Correspondence
to Intercultural Readers
These differences fall into three categories:
• Cultural practices.
• Language use and tone.
• Application choice and use.