Chapter 8 Routine Messages and Memos Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Copyright © 2003

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 2 Characteristics of Successful Messages and Memos Headings: Date, To, From, Subject Single topic Conversational tone Conciseness Graphic highlighting

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 3 The Writing Process Analyze and anticipate Research and compose Revise, proofread, and evaluate

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 4 Analyze and Anticipate Do I really need to write? What is my purpose? How will the reader react?

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 5 Research and Compose Check files; collect information. Study relevant documents. Make an outline. Write first draft.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 6 Revise, Proofread, and Evaluate Revise for clarity. Revise for correctness. Plan for feedback.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 7 Organization of Memos Subject line Opening Body Closing

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 8 Subject Line Summarize the main idea. Example: Budget Meeting June 3, 10 a.m.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 9 Opening Start directly; restate and amplify the main idea. Indirect (ineffective) opening: This is to inform you that we must complete the annual operating budgets shortly. Over the past two months many supervisors have met to discuss their departmental needs. Direct (effective) opening: All supervisors and coordinators will meet June 3 at 10 a.m. to work out the annual operating budgets for their departments.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 10 Body Explain and discuss the topic. Use graphic highlighting to facilitate reading, comprehension, and retention. Consider columns, headings, enumerations, bulleted lists, and so forth.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 11 Closing Request action, including an end date. Summarize the message or provide a closing thought.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 12 Formatting Hard-Copy Memos Leave side margins of about 1¼ inches. Line up all heading words with those following Subject. Indent lines following bulleted or enumerated lines. Use ragged line endings, not justified. Don’t include complimentary close or signature.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 13 Leave side margins of about 1¼ inches. DATE:Current TO:Rob Montaine FROM:Heidi Chan SUBJECT:FORMATTING AND STATIONERY FOR MEMOS Welcome to Multimedia, Rob! I’m pleased to be able to answer your questions about formatting and stationery for memos in the organization. Please examine the enclosed samples and call me if you have additional questions. Enclosures DATE:Current TO:Rob Montaine FROM:Heidi Chan SUBJECT:FORMATTING AND STATIONERY FOR MEMOS Welcome to Multimedia, Rob! I’m pleased to be able to answer your questions about formatting and stationery for memos in the organization. Please examine the enclosed samples and call me if you have additional questions. Enclosures 1¼ inch margin 1¼ inch margin

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 14 Line up all heading words with those following Subject. DATE:Current TO: Rob Montaine FROM: Heidi Chan SUBJECT: FORMATTING AND STATIONERY FOR MEMOS Welcome to Multimedia, Rob! I’m pleased to be able to answer your questions about formatting and stationery for memos in the organization. Please examine the enclosed samples and call me if you have additional questions. Enclosures DATE:Current TO: Rob Montaine FROM: Heidi Chan SUBJECT: FORMATTING AND STATIONERY FOR MEMOS Welcome to Multimedia, Rob! I’m pleased to be able to answer your questions about formatting and stationery for memos in the organization. Please examine the enclosed samples and call me if you have additional questions. Enclosures

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 15 Indent lines following bulleted or enumerated lines. Interoffice memo stationery may be used by any employee. Plain paper or letterhead stationery may also be used for memos, so long as the headings TO, FROM, DATE, and SUBJECT are included. Interoffice memo stationery may be used by any employee. Plain paper or letterhead stationery may also be used for memos, so long as the headings TO, FROM, DATE, and SUBJECT are included.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 16 Don’t include complimentary close or signature. Welcome to Multimedia, Rob! I’m pleased to be able to answer your questions about formatting and stationery for memos in the organization. Please examine the enclosed samples and call me if you have additional questions. Enclosures Sincerely, Welcome to Multimedia, Rob! I’m pleased to be able to answer your questions about formatting and stationery for memos in the organization. Please examine the enclosed samples and call me if you have additional questions. Enclosures Sincerely,

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 17 Don’t include complimentary close or signature. Welcome to Multimedia, Rob! I’m pleased to be able to answer your questions about formatting and stationery for memos in the organization. Please examine the enclosed samples and call me if you have additional questions. Enclosures Sincerely, Welcome to Multimedia, Rob! I’m pleased to be able to answer your questions about formatting and stationery for memos in the organization. Please examine the enclosed samples and call me if you have additional questions. Enclosures Sincerely,

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 18 Don’t include complimentary close or signature. Welcome to Multimedia, Rob! I’m pleased to be able to answer your questions about formatting and stationery for memos in the organization. Please examine the enclosed samples and call me if you have additional questions. Enclosures Welcome to Multimedia, Rob! I’m pleased to be able to answer your questions about formatting and stationery for memos in the organization. Please examine the enclosed samples and call me if you have additional questions. Enclosures

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 19 Formatting Messages Enclose the receiver’s address in angle brackets. Include a salutation (such as Dear Dawn, Hi Dawn, or Greetings), or weave the receiver’s name into the first sentence. Use word-wrap rather than pressing Enter at line endings. Single-space within paragraphs and double-space between paragraphs.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 20 Formatting Messages Write in complete sentences, and use upper and lowercase letters. Include a signature block, especially for messages to outsiders.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 21 Formatting Messages

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 22 Kinds of Memos Procedure and Information Memos Request and Reply Memos Confirmation Memos

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 23 Procedure and Information Memos These routine messages usually flow downward; they deliver company information and describe procedures. Tone is important; managers seek employee participation and cooperation.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 24 Request and Reply Memos Memo requests for information and action follow the direct pattern. Memo replies are also organized directly with the most important information first.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 25 Confirmation Memos Also called “to-file” reports or “incident” reports. Record oral decisions, directives, and discussions. Include names and titles of people involved. Itemize major issues and request confirmation from the receiver.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 26 The phenomenal growth of and use of the Internet mean that today’s communicators need special skills. Communicating in the New World of

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 27 Communicating in the New World of To succeed, you must be able to: Express yourself concisely and quickly. Compose at the keyboard. Understand the ethics, courtesy, and privacy issues relating to e- mail.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 28 Communicating in the New World of Develop confidence in using systems. Think globally.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 29 Smart Practices Get the addresses right. Avoid misleading subject lines. Be concise. Don’t send anything you wouldn’t want published. Don’t use to avoid contact. Never respond when you’re angry.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 30 Smart Practices Care about correctness. Resist humor and tongue-in-cheek comments. Use design elements to improve readability of longer messages. Consider cultural differences. Assume that all business is monitored.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 31 The Six Most Common Mistakes in Sending 1. Address goofs 2. Lengthy messages or attachments 3. Misleading subject lines 4. Inappropriate content (such as delivering bad news)

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 32 The Six Most Common Mistakes in Sending 5. Instant indiscretions (angry or thoughtless statements) 6. Reckless copying

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 8, Slide 33 End