Chapter 6: Emails, Memos and Letters – Fundamentals of Business Communication

It is also important to remember to keep your public persona online as professional as possible and to familiarize yourself with the privacy settings of the social media platforms you use.

Whatever digital device you use, written communication in the form of brief messages, or texting and instant messaging, have become a common way to connect. They are useful for short exchanges, and are a convenient way to stay connected with others when talking on the phone would be cumbersome. Texting and instant messaging are not useful for long or complicated messages, and careful consideration should be given to the audience.

Many companies have adopted texting and messaging apps for in house communication as there are several benefits. According to (Kashyap, 2020), these benefits include:

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Tips for Effective Business Texting and Instant Messaging

Adhere to company policy. Learn what the rules are for texting and messaging in your company and follow them. For example, contacting someone too frequently can border on harassment. Texting is a tool. Use it when appropriate but don’t abuse it.
Know your recipient; “? % dsct” may be an understandable way to ask a close associate what the proper discount is to offer a certain customer, but if you are writing a text to your boss, it might be wiser to write, “what % discount does Murray get on $1K order?”
Anticipate unintentional misinterpretation. Texting and messaging often use symbols and codes to represent thoughts, ideas, and emotions. Given the complexity of communication, and the useful but limited tool of texting and messaging, be aware of their limitations and prevent misinterpretation with brief messages.
Know what information to send. Not all information should be conveyed through texts or instant messages. For example if you need to give bad news or send sensitive information or private data, it is best to use another form of communication.
Unplug yourself once in awhile. Do you feel constantly connected? Do you feel lost or “out of it” if you don’t have your cell phone and cannot connect to people, even for fifteen minutes? Sometimes being unavailable for a time can be healthy—everything in moderation, including texting.
Don’t text and drive. Research shows that the likelihood of an accident increases dramatically if the driver is texting behind the wheel (Houston Chronicle, 2009). Being in an accident while conducting company business would reflect poorly on your judgment as well as on your employer.

Using Social Media Professionally

Review sites, blogs, tweets, and online community forums are some of the continually developing means of social media being harnessed by business and industry to reach customers and other stakeholders. People’s comfort in the online environment forces businesses to market and interact there or risk a massive loss in sales and interest. Though most users learn how to use social media as an extension or facilitator of their social lives, using the same platforms for professional reasons requires some change in behaviour.

First, recognize that every modern business or organization should have a social media presence in the sites they expect their customer base to frequent, especially popular sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Messaging here must be consistent across the platforms when alerting the customer base of important information such as special events, deals, and other news.

Next, follow expert advice on how to properly take advantage of social media in detail to promote your operation and reach people. Large companies will dedicate personnel to running their social media presence, but small businesses can do much of it themselves if they follow some decent online advice such as the following pages:

Know also that social media is a constantly evolving environment. Stay on trend by continually searching out and implementing the latest advice similar to the above.

Finally, always consider how the sites you access and what you post represent you and your employer, even if you think others don’t know where you work or who you are. Internet service providers (ISPs) are required by law to archive information concerning the use and traffic of information that can become available under subpoena. Any move you make leaves digital footprints, so you will have to answer for any misstep that brings shame upon you or your company.

Writing Memos

A memo (or memorandum, meaning “reminder”) is normally used for communicating policies, procedures, or related official business within an organization. It is often written from a one-to-all perspective (like mass communication), broadcasting a message to an audience, rather than a one-on-one, interpersonal communication. It may also be used to update a team on activities for a given project or to inform a specific group within a company of an event, action, or observance.

Memos can be tricky because they often communicate to multiple audiences who have different levels of knowledge about the context. For example, if you are communicating a new company policy, different types of employees will want to know exactly how the policy impacts them.

Common Memo Writing Situations

Memos are used in a variety of workplace communication situations, from documentation of procedures and policies to simple announcements. Below are some common types of memos:

Policies (changes and new)
Instructions
Procedures
Announcements
Trip reports

Format

Memos are distinguished by a header that includes DATE, TO, FROM, and SUBJECT lines. Other lines, such as CC or BCC, may be added as needed. An RE (“Reference”) line may be used instead of SUBJECT, but this use is becoming rarer as “RE” is often mistaken as “Reply” because of its use in email.

DATE: List the date on which the memo is distributed.
TO: List the names of the recipients of the memo. If there are several recipients, it’s acceptable to use a group name, such as “All Employees” or “Personnel Committee Members.”
FROM: List the name and job title of the writer(s).
SUBJECT: Think of the SUBJECT line as the title for the memo. Make it specific so that readers can immediately identify the topic.

These headings may be double- or single-spaced, and the SUBJECT line is sometimes written in all capital letters. Furthermore, the order of the items can vary. Many organizations have their own style preferences on these issues. If not, the order listed above, double-spaced, is the most common. The text of memos typically uses block format, with single-spaced lines, an extra space between paragraphs, and no indentions for new paragraphs.

Organization

Professional memos are organized according to one of two strategies: Direct and indirect.

The direct organization strategy presents the purpose of the document in the first paragraph (sometimes the first sentence) and provides supporting details in the body.
The indirect organization strategy opens with relevant, attention-getting details that do not directly state the purpose of the document. The purpose is revealed in the body of the message, usually sandwiched between supporting details.

The direct approach is used for good news or routine communication; the indirect approach is used for persuasive, sales, or bad news messages. A directly stated purpose is welcome in good news or routine messages but could be viewed as abrupt or insensitive in a bad news or persuasive message. When the audience is not receptive to the message, it is best to lead up to the purpose gradually.

In both types of organization, action information (such as deadlines or contact information) or a courteous closing statement is placed in the last paragraph.

Figure 6.3 provides an example of a direct memo.

Memorandum

Date: March 18, 2019

To: Department Managers

From: Safiyya Dev, Store Manager

Subject: Customer Service Excellence Nominations

Please submit your nominations for the quarterly Customer Service Excellence Award by April 8. Help us identify great employees!

Do you have an employee who you feel fortunate to have in your department? Does this employee show a positive and professional attitude when helping customers? Do you get frequent comments about this person’s friendliness and helpfulness? Now, you have an opportunity to give this employee the recognition they deserve.

According to the nomination criteria, nominees must:

demonstrate excellent customer service consistent with Variety Craft Supplies’ policies;
have worked at Variety Craft Supplies for at least six months;
work 20 or more hours per week;
not have received the Customer Service Excellent Award within the last year; and
have a record clear of oral and written warnings for the last six months.

The winner of the award will receive a framed certificate and a $100 check.

A nominating form is attached. Please complete and return it to me by Monday, April 8. Thank you for your help in identifying and rewarding excellent customer service representatives.

Figure 6.3 | Sample Direct Memo

As you can see, this memo has a direct and concise opening that states the purpose of the memo. The body paragraph provides the award criteria, which will help managers follow through on the request. The conclusion provides action information, a deadline and a courteous closing message. We can contrast this organization to Figure 6.4 below.

Memorandum

Date: Feb. 25, 2019

To: All Employees

From: Jaspreet Kaur, Operations Manager

Subject: Change in Operating Hours

Our call centre has been experimenting with a half-day Friday work schedule over the last year, and we’ve recently conducted an evaluation to determine how well the program is working.

When a client calls to order their diabetic supplies on Friday afternoon, our messaging system directs them to complete their order on our company website. While many customers are willing and able to do this, many do not have Internet access (hence the reason for their call in the first place). Their only other option is to wait until Monday to place the order, and if a customer is already low on supplies, this may be untenable. Customers who are calling with questions or to resolve issues with an order must also wait for Monday.

We have received positive comments, especially from our West Coast customers, about the extended hours we are open in the evening. We have determined that to continue to offer quality service, we must also reinstate working on Friday afternoons.

However, that does not mean that we cannot continue to offer employees some scheduling perks. In fact, the addition of later hours Monday through Thursday provides us with more leeway in scheduling employees.

We will have a staff meeting on Monday, March 4 at 8:00 a.m. to discuss new scheduling procedures. To the extent possible, we wish to accommodate employees’ preferences in scheduling, so it is important to attend this meeting to have your voice heard.

Figure 6.4 | Sample Indirect Memo

As you can see, the introduction is relevant to the subject but doesn’t directly state the bad news, which is that the popular early weekend schedule is ending. Instead, the writer uses a buffer that lists the reasons for the change to prepare the reader mentally for it. The bad news is then clearly stated, but it’s sandwiched between two positive statements. Note that the bad news is at the end of the paragraph since the writer doesn’t want readers to skim the memo and miss this important information. The memo then ends with action information and a forward-looking statement.

Style and Tone

While memo reports and policy memos have a more formal tone, most memos will have a conversational style—slightly informal but still professional. The audience of memos are coworkers, so the writing style usually assumes a relationship with them (and therefore a certain lack of formality). Just keep in mind that the relationship is a professional one, so the writing should reflect that. Furthermore, as with all workplace documents, the audience may contain a variety of readers, and the style and tone should be appropriate for all of their technical and authority levels. Figure 6.5 highlights various levels of formality.

Too Informal
Too Formal, Stuffy-Sounding, Wordy
Appropriate Balance

Hi, everyone. Hope you had a great weekend. You know those awards we give out every so often? It’s time for those again!
Variety Craft Supplies’ mission is to provide customers with affordable, quality supplies with superb customer service. Excellent customer service includes being knowledgeable about the supplies, but it also goes beyond that. It’s about having the right attitude about helping customers. It’s time to reward employees who have a customer-oriented outlook.
Please submit your nominations for the quarterly Customer Service Excellence Award by April 8. Help us identify great employees!

Figure 6.5 | Levels of Formality

Possible Memo Structure

Date: List the date on which the memo is distributed.
To: List the names of the recipients of the memo.
From: List the name and job title of the writer(s).
Subject: Summarize the main idea.
Introductory Paragraph: Explain your reason for writing, add background information.
Body: Add supporting details for reason stated in the opening.
Closing: Add a closing thought, any required action or summarize the information.

Tips for Writing Effective Memos

Audience Orientation: Always consider the audience and their needs when preparing a memo. An acronym or abbreviation that is known to management may not be known by all the employees of the organization, and if the memo is to be posted and distributed within the organization, the goal is clear and concise communication at all levels with no ambiguity.
Professional Tone: Memos are often announcements, and the person sending the memo speaks for a part or all of the organization. While it may contain a request for feedback, the announcement itself is linear, from the organization to the employees. The memo may have legal standing as it often reflects policies or procedures, and may reference an existing or new policy in the employee manual, for example.
Subject Emphasis: The subject is normally declared in the subject line and should be clear and concise. If the memo is announcing the observance of a holiday, for example, the specific holiday should be named in the subject line—for example, use “Thanksgiving weekend schedule” rather than “holiday observance.”

Letters

As one of the most formal documents you can send, a letter conveys a high degree of respect to its recipient. Sending a letter is your way of saying that the recipient matters. Letters are usually one- to two-page documents sent to people or organizations outside of the organization from which they’re sent, whereas memos are equivalent documents for formal communications within an organization.

Common Letter Writing Situations

Though we use email for many of the occasions that we used to send letters for before the twenty-first century, letters are still sent rather than emails for several purposes:

Cover letters to employers in job applications
Thank-you letters and other goodwill expressions
Letters of recommendation (a.k.a. reference letters)
Letters of transmittal to introduce reports or proposals
Campaign initiatives, such as for fundraising or political advocacy
Official announcements of products, services, and promotions to customers
Claims and other complaints sent to companies to lay down a formal paper-trail record as evidence in case matters escalate into the court system
Formal rejection notices to job or program applicants
Collection notices to people with overdue payments

In these cases, letters offer the advantage of formality, confidentiality (it’s illegal to open someone else’s mail), and a record of evidence.

There are two main types of letters: block-style letters and modified-block style. The block style used by organizations has a company letterhead at the top, whereas modified-block letters are typically written independently by individuals. Regardless of the type of letter you need to write, it can contain up to fifteen elements. While you may not use all the elements in every case or context, they are listed in Figure 6.6.

Content
Guidelines

1. Return address

This is your address where someone could send a reply.
If your letter includes a letterhead with this information, either in the header (across the top of the page) or the footer (along the bottom of the page), you do not need to include it before the date.

2. Date

The date should be placed at the top, right or left justified, five lines from the top of the page or letterhead logo.

3. Recipient’s contact information

This is the contact information of the recipient.
It is always a good idea to address your letter to a specific person within an organization.
If you do not have the person’s contact information, do some research by using the company website or by contacting the company directly.

4. Reference (Re:) *optional

Like a subject line in an email, this is where you indicate what the letter is in reference to, the subject or purpose of the document.

5. Opening Salutation

A common salutation may be “Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms. + (last name).” If you are unsure about titles (i.e., Mrs., Ms., Mr., Mx., Dr.), you may simply write the recipient’s name (e.g., “Dear Cameron Rai”) followed by a colon.
A comma after the salutation is correct for personal letters, but a colon should be used in business.
The salutation “To whom it may concern” is appropriate for letters of recommendation or other letters that are intended to be read by any and all individuals. If this is not the case with your letter, but you are unsure of how to address your recipient, make every effort to find out to whom the letter should be specifically addressed.
For many, there is no sweeter sound than that of their name, and to spell it incorrectly runs the risk of alienating the reader before your letter has even been read.
Avoid the use of impersonal salutations like “Dear Prospective Customer,” as the lack of personalization can alienate a future client.

6. Introduction

This is your opening paragraph, and may include an attention statement, a reference to the purpose of the document, or an introduction of the person or topic depending on the type of letter.
An emphatic opening involves using the most significant or important element of the letter in the introduction.
Readers tend to pay attention to openings, and it makes sense to outline the expectations for the reader up front.
Just as you would preview your topic in a speech, the clear opening in your introductions establishes context and facilitates comprehension.

7. Body

If you have a list of points, a series of facts, or a number of questions, they belong in the body of your letter.
You may choose organizational devices to draw attention, such as a bulleted or numbered list.
Readers may skip over information in the body of your letter, so make sure you emphasize the key points clearly.
This is your core content, where you can outline and support several key points.
Brevity is important, but so is clear support for main point(s). Specific, meaningful information needs to be clear, concise, and accurate.

8. Conclusion

An emphatic closing mirrors your introduction with the added element of tying the main points together, clearly demonstrating their relationship.
The conclusion can serve to remind the reader, but should not introduce new information.
A clear summary sentence will strengthen your writing and enhance your effectiveness.
If your letter requests or implies action, the conclusion needs to make clear what you expect to happen.
This paragraph reiterates the main points and their relationship to each other, reinforcing the main point or purpose.

9. Closing Salutation

“Sincerely” or “Cordially” are standard business closing statements.
Closing statements are normally placed one or two lines under the conclusion and include a hanging comma, as in “Sincerely,”

10. Signature Block

Five lines after the close, you should type your name (required) and, on the line below it, your title if appropriate.

11. Enclosures (attachments)

Just like an email with an attachment, the letter sometimes has additional documents that are delivered with it.
This line indicates what the reader can look for in terms of documents included with the letter, such as brochures, reports, or related business documents.
Only include this line if you are in fact including additional documentation.

12. Logo and contact information

A formal business letter normally includes a logo or contact information for the organization in the header (top of page) or footer (bottom of page).

Figure 6.6 | Elements of a Business Letter

Some of these elements are represented in the sample letter in Figure 6.7.

Bubba’s Bean Barn

37 Bean Street, Vancouver, V1P-4G3 | [email protected] | 604-222-3333

January 15, 2020

Ms. Marge Gagnon
1111 Random St.
Vancouver, BC

Re: Offer of Employment at Bubba’s Bean Barn

Dear Ms. Gagnon,

This letter is to formally offer you employment as a Bean Counter at Bubba’s Bean Barn.

As a member of our bean-counting team, you will be responsible for using best practices in bean-counting to efficiently count a wide variety of beans and work effectively with a team of other bean counters. Your starting salary will be $65,000, including benefits, which have been outlined in the attached benefits package. You will start on March 1st, 2020 at 8:30 am.

On behalf of all of us at Bubba’s Bean Barn, welcome to our bean team! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,
Bubba Jean McBean

Enclosures: Benefits package, full job description.

Figure 6.7 | Sample Letter

Possible Letter Structure

Return Address or company letterhead: Write your address or use company letterhead
Date: List the date when the letter is written
Recipient’s contact information:

Include the name, title and company (if necessary) and address of the receiver
Opening salutation:

Include appropriate greeting
Body:

Write an introduction with the main idea, develop the main idea in body paragraphs, end with a closing paragraph
Closing salutation: Include appropriate closing
Name & Signature: Add name, signature and title

Tips for Effective Business Letters

be clear, concise, specific, and respectful;
each word should contribute to your purpose;
each paragraph should focus on one idea;
the parts of the letter should form a complete message;
revise the letter for errors.

Summary

Remember that many organizations have their own templates and can have their own rules for writing emails, memos, and letters. Check with your organization to make sure that your business writing reflects their standard.

End of Chapter Activities

6a. Thinking About the Content

What are your key takeaways from this chapter? What is something you have learned or something you would like to add from your experience?

6b. Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions

When is email inappropriate? Why?
In your experience, do people behave differently when they interact online as opposed to in person?
How many text messages do you send and receive every day? Do you think it’s too many?
Have you ever posted something online that you regretted?
Find a business letter you’ve received. Look for common elements and points of difference.

6c. Applying chapter concepts to a situation

Responding to online reviews

The Green Beans Café is a popular restaurant that is known for its sandwiches, salads, wraps and smoothies. It is rated #9 of 253 restaurants in Vancouver, and always receives raving reviews from its patrons. However, the cafe unexpectedly receives the following review on TripAdvisor:

“The worst restaurant in Vancouver”

“I’ve been to many restaurants in Vancouver, but this is the worst one I’ve experienced so far. The chicken wrap was absolutely disgusting! It had BONES, the lettuce was brown, and the cheese tasted like rubber. The servers weren’t even friendly and refused to smile while interacting with the patrons. If I could rate the restaurant less than one star, I would. Please do not waste your hard-earned money here.”

Sunita, the assistant restaurant manager, is tasked with responding to online reviews. She recalls the incident with the guest as she was on duty, and believes that this person is being untruthful. Sunita is disappointed as the cafe gave this guest a complimentary meal, but they still wrote a bad review.

As Sunita prepares to respond to the review, what should she keep in mind? Write an outline of her response.

6d. Writing Activity

Read this article from The Muse on how to respond to too many emails from your boss. Summarize the article. Do you agree with the advice? Is there a third alternative? How would you respond to email overload at work?

References

Kashyap, V. (2020, January 29). 14 Best Team Chat Apps (To Use in 2020): Who’s Here to Stay? Retrieved from https://www.proofhub.com/articles/team-chat-apps

Attribution

This chapter contains information from Business Communication for Success which is adapted from a work produced and distributed under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-SA) in 2010 by a publisher who has requested that they and the original author not receive attribution. This adapted edition is produced by the University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing through the eLearning Support Initiative, Business Communication For Everyone (c) 2019 by Arley Cruthers and is licensed under a Creative Commons-Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license and Communication at Work by Jordan Smith is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.