Electronic Messages and Digital Media Chapter 5 Electronic Messages and Digital Media

Communication Technology Today Information is exchanged electronically and on the go. The Web is a dynamic, interactive environment. More data are now stored on and accessed from remote networks (cloud computing). Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 2

Flow of Information in Organizations Two prevailing technological trends today: Mobile communication Cloud computing Today’s workforce must stay connected at all times. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 3

Flow of Information in Organizations Skills expected of business communicators: Transmit information electronically Use communication technology, including e-mail, instant messaging, text messaging, and corporate blogs Understand how businesses use podcasts, wikis, and social media Prepare effective digital messages Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 4

Written Messages at Work Paper-based messages Business letters Interoffice memos Reports Proposals Manuals Brochures Electronic messages E-mail Instant messaging Text messaging Podcasts Blogs Wikis Social media Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 5

Advantages WRITTEN MESSAGES ELECTRONIC MESSAGES Carry more weight Taken more seriously in certain situations Can be more attractively formatted Advantages ELECTRONIC MESSAGES Delivered instantaneously Promote faster feedback Considered a standard form of communication within organizations Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 6

Useful for Creating a permanent record WRITTEN MESSAGES Projecting formality Displaying confidentiality and sensitivity Useful for ELECTRONIC MESSAGES Sending short informal messages Reaching multiple receivers Saving and archiving messages Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 7

Components of E-Mail Messages and Memos  Subject Line  Opening  Body  Closing Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 8

Informational E-Mails and Memos Writing Plan  Subject Line Summarize the main idea Avoid meaningless one-word subject lines such as Help or Urgent. Type in upper- and lowercase letters—never in all upper- or lowercase. Do not write as a complete sentence. NEVER leave the subject line blank. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 9

Informational E-Mails and Memos Writing Plan  Subject Line Instead of these: Urgent! we will meet this week Try these: Expense Form Due by Friday at 5 p.m. Task Force Meeting Thursday, May 28 Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 10

Informational E-Mails and Memos Writing Plan  Opening Frontload: reveal main idea immediately in expanded form. Instead of this: Several employees have requested we set up a vanpool. Try this: We will meet this Friday at 2 p.m. to discuss a possible company vanpool. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 11

Informational E-Mails and Memos Writing Plan  Body Explain and justify the opening. Organize information and explanations logically. Cover just one topic. Use headings and numbered and bulleted lists to add high “skim value.” Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 12

Informational E-Mails and Memos Writing Plan  Closing End with one or more of the following: Action information, dates, or deadlines Summary of the message Closing thought Avoid overused expressions such as Please don’t hesitate to let me know if I may be of further assistance. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 13

Informational E-Mails and Memos Writing Plan  Closing Instead of this: Thank you for your cooperation. Try this: Please let me know your answer by Monday, June 2. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 14

Formatting E-Mail Messages Guide Words To: Ann Jones<ajones@peach.com> From: Entered automatically Date: Subject: Meaningful Topic Summary Cc: Receiver of copy Bcc: Receiver of blind copy Attached: Name of file attached Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 15

Formatting E-Mail Messages Salutation Options No salutation Ann, Dear Ann:, Hi, or Good morning! Include name in first line “Thanks, Ann, for your help . . .” Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 16

Formatting E-Mail Messages Body Use standard uppercase and lowercase letters. Cover just one topic. Try to keep total message under three screens in length. Double-space between paragraphs. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 17

Formatting E-Mail Messages Closing Consider a complimentary closing such as Warm regards or Cheers. Always type your name at the bottom. Include full contact identification when needed– especially for messages to outsiders. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 18

Model E-Mail Message Matt: Two interns will work in your department from September 20 through November 30. As part of their supervision, you should do the following:  Develop a work plan describing their duties. To: From: Date: Subject: Cc: Attached: Matt Ferranto mferranto@qualcom.com Brooke Johnson bejohnson@qualcom.com August 31, 201x Supervising Two Assigned Interns Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 19

Model E-Mail Message  Supervise their work to ensure positive results.  Assess their professionalism in completing all assigned work. Please examine the packet we are sending you. It contains forms and additional information about the two students assigned to your department. Call me at Ext. 248 if you have questions. Warm regards, Brooke Brooke Johnson Human Resources & Development E-mail: bjohnson@telecom.com Phone: (425) 896-3420 Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 20

Formatting Company Memos Guide Words Bold and double-space DATE, TO, FROM, SUBJECT. Type guide words in all caps or with only initial letter capitalized. Align all words after the colon following “Subject.” Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 21

Formatting Company Memos Margins and Spacing on Plain Paper Set 1-inch top and bottom margins and right and left margins of 1.25 inches. Type the company name 1 inch from the top. Double-space below the company name and type Memo or Memorandum. Use “ragged-right” margins. Single-space the body; double-space between paragraphs. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 22

Professional E-Mail Messages Getting Started Try composing offline. Type the receiver’s address correctly. Avoid misleading subject lines. Apply the top-of-the-screen test. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 23

Professional E-Mail Messages Content, Tone, and Correctness Be concise. Don’t send anything you wouldn’t want published. Don’t use e-mail to avoid contact. Care about correctness and tone. Resist humor and sarcasm. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 24

Professional E-Mail Messages Netiquette Never send blanket copies or “spam.” Use capital letters only for emphasis or for titles. Don’t forward without permission Beware of long threads. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 25

Professional E-Mail Messages Reading and Replying Scan all messages before replying. Print only when necessary. Acknowledge receipt. Don’t automatically return the sender’s message. Revise the subject line if the topic changes. Provide a clear, complete first sentence. Never respond when you are angry. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 26

Professional E-Mail Messages Personal Use Don’t use company computers for personal matters unless allowed by your organization. Assume that all e-mail is monitored. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 27

Professional E-Mail Messages Other Smart Practices Use design to improve readability of longer messages. Consider cultural differences. Double-check before hitting the Send button. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 28

Instant Messaging and Texting Best Practices Learn about your organization’s IM policies. Are you allowed to use IM? Don’t text or IM while driving. Make yourself unavailable when you need to complete a project or meet a deadline. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 29

Instant Messaging and Texting Best Practices Organize your contact list to separate business contacts from family and friends. Keep your messages simple and to the point. Don’t use IM or text to send confidential or sensitive information. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 30

Instant Messaging and Texting Best Practices Be aware that instant messages can be saved. If personal messaging is allowed, keep it to a minimum. Show patience by not blasting multiple messages to coworkers if response is not immediate. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 31

Instant Messaging and Texting Best Practices Keep your presence status up-to-date. Beware of jargon, slang, and abbreviations. Respect your receivers by using proper grammar, spelling, and proofreading. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 32

Business Podcast Basics May consist of audio and video files. Can be downloaded or streamed on a Web site. May be used by media outlets, in education, and by organizations for such activities as training and marketing. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 33

Creating Business Podcasts Download software. Obtain hardware. Organize the message. Choose an extemporaneous or scripted delivery. Prepare and practice. Publish and distribute your message. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 34

Professional Blogs and Twitter Blogs: Web sites with journal entries written by one person Feedback left by readers Help companies interact with customers Help keep employees informed Twitter: Microblogging service Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 35

Professional Blogs and Twitter How Businesses Use Blogs and Twitter For public relations, customer relations, and crisis communication For market research To create online communities For internal communication and recruiting Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 36

Professional Blogs and Twitter Tips for Creating a Professional Blog Identify your audience. Find a home for your blog. Craft your message. Make “blogrolling” (linking to related sites or blogs) work for you. Attract search tools by choosing the right keywords. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 37

Professional Blogs and Twitter More Tips for Creating a Professional Blog Blog often. Monitor the traffic to your site. Seek permission from your employer. Stay away from inappropriate topics. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 38

Wiki Basics Wiki: A Web site with collaborative software that allows users to create documents that can be updated and edited Used for collaborating across time zones and distances Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 39

Wikis and Collaboration How Businesses Use Wikis To share information between headquarters and satellite offices To create a knowledge base To facilitate meetings To create a highly interactive environment for projects To document projects Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 40

Wikis and Collaboration How To Be a Valuable Wiki Contributor Be polite and show respect. Avoid improper or ambiguous language. Don’t attack or harshly criticize another contributor. Pay attention to grammar and spelling. Verify your facts. Give credit where credit is due. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 41

Social/Professional Networking The Basics Businesses connect with customers and employees, share company news, and exchange ideas on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Recruiters looks for talent on professional networking sites such as LinkedIn. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 42

Social/Professional Networking How Businesses Use Social Networks For brainstorming and teamwork To boost brand image To provide a forum for collaboration To create buzz To get feedback from customers Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 43

Social/Professional Networking How To Use Social Network Sites and Keep Your Job Exercise caution and think before you post. Don’t share sensitive or inappropriate information or photos. Be careful when blocking colleagues or turning down friend invitations. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 44

Social/Professional Networking How To Harness the Potential of Professional Networking Sites Use as a valuable source for referrals and recommendations. Keep your profile “clean.” Highlight awards, professional goals, and accomplishments. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 45

“More companies are discovering that an über-connected workplace is not just about implementing a new set of tools—it is also about embracing a cultural shift to create an open environment where employees are encouraged to share, innovate and collaborate virtually.” -- Karie Willyerd and Jeanne C. Meister HarvardBusiness.org Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 5, Slide 46

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