1. BUSINESS COMMUNICATION ENGB213
Unit 8
Electronic mail

2. Overview The evolution of e-mail Advantages of e-mail
Top 10 complaints about in practice
How to create electronic rapport
Sample messages
Netiquette
The impact of the Internet on business
The impact of on business

3. The evolution of e-mail
Business today – highly competitive market in which high-speed communication and information transfer is essential.
Electronic mail ( ) has evolved as an effective, low-cost and instant method of communication with friends and colleagues all over the world.
With , messages are keyed into a computer workstation and then transmitted to the recipient. A single message may be sent simultaneously to many recipients.

5. Advantages of e-mail High speed send/ receive cycle
Direct input and retrieval from keyboard
Virtually instant despatch/ retrieval
Simultaneous circulation to pre-selected groups
Other files can be attached to s
Remember!
Once your message is sent, it may be read within seconds. Make sure it is right before you click ‘send’.

6. Advantages of
Although is quick and easy to use, don’t forget all the basic rules of good business writing.
Avoid using abbreviations which you may use when ing personal friends.
The way people use reveals quite a lot about us.
Poor communication skills will be exposed in messages: your thought processes are revealed for all to see.

7. Top 10 complaints about e-mail in practice
Readers with lots of every day will not open mail headed ‘urgent’ or ‘hello’.
Compose SMART subject line : Specific, Meaningful, Appropriate, Relevant, Thoughtful
1. Vague Subject Line
Plain courtesy to include a greeting at the beginning
Can be slightly more informal greeting : Hi Sally/ Hello John
2. No greeting
As a sign that message is finished
Just put your name at the end
3. No sign-off

8. Top 10 complaints about e-mail in practice
Message that goes on and one without any blank lines to show new paragraphs
Blank lines between paragraphs help sender and recipient
4. Poor formatting
Messages that you have no idea what the writer expects of you
Be clear in your writing
5. Vague messages
Guide the reader towards the response that is required
6. Tell me what to do

9. Top 10 complaints about e-mail in practice
Without the right tone, misunderstandings could easily happen
Good writers choose their words carefully and get the tone just right
7. Unfriendly tone
Only send a cc to people who need to know
Only when essential
8. CC to the whole world
As more people use , sloppy work is becoming a major annoyance
Remember that your says something about you and your organisation. Good impression matters
9. Bad grammar/ spelling/ punctuation

10. Top 10 complaints about e-mail in practice
Due to urgency to reply s, many people don’t take as much care with their writing
Rushed messages are garbled, unclear, unfocused, with poor structure, poor tone and poor spelling
10. Just plain sloppy

11. How to create electronic rapport

12. How to create electronic rapport
Try to ease reader into your message by giving some basic background info.
Be warm and friendly in opening
e.g: “It was good to speak to you this morning. I’m glad we were able to clarify this issue”
1. Don’t just dive into your message
Add texture to message by using emotive and sensory words
Showing empathy in message helps to form better bond with readers
e.g: “I appreciate your understanding.”
2. Show some feelings
Keep a positive attitude towards reader and maintaining a focus on their needs.
Try to be diplomatic, and never be afraid to apologise if something has gone wrong
3. Keep your message positive and focused

13. How to create electronic rapport
Be careful to tailor the tone of message accordingly.
Distinguish personal from business s
4. Tailor the tone of your message
Pay attention to what is being asked and respond clearly
5. Be precise and clear

14. Sample e-mail messages

15. Sample e-mail messages

16. Sample e-mail messages

17. Netiquette In e-mail we have netiquette – set of rules for e-mails
N – Never leave a response too long
E – addresses must be correct
T – Take off the caps lock
I – Informality is OK in s
Q – Question your subject heading
U – Use short sentences and short paragraphs
E – Enumerate with numbers or bullets
T – Tidy up long sentences
T – Take a pride in your finished message
E – Ensure everything is right before you hit ‘send’

18. The impact of the Internet on business
Digital traffic more than doubles in volume every year.
Hundreds of companies are going online every week.
Business are increasingly looking towards the Internet as a means of advertising, selling and distributing their services. E.g: book hotel rooms, hire a car, order clothes online, etc.

19. The impact of e-mail on business
is the most popular facility available through the Internet. It has made a lot of changes to the way businesses operate:
A secretary’s role could be quite frustrating unless a good understanding has been reached with employers.
Since many executives read their own mail it is often possible to contact powerful people directly. But remember not everyone is keen to receive info directly from anyone.
People might forget proper mail.
A lot of time spent dealing with .