Lecture notes on business communication. Учебное пособие

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6. Use of mobile phone nowadays. Write a short composition of no less than 250 words for the above topic. The following questions may help you to brainstorm your writing:

1)How did people communicate with one another in the past? How about now?

2)Why do people use mobile phones?

3)Do different age groups use mobile phone for different purposes?

4)What are the benefits of using mobile phones?

5)Do you think mobile phone has become a daily necessity?

6)How do you feel if you forget to bring the mobile phone?

7)Are there any disadvantages of using mobile phones?

8)Do you think mobile phone is a great invention? Explain.

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LECTURE 6. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1.Define the essential elements of business letter, memo and report.

2.Determine the parts of CV.

3.Discuss the main types of contracts.

6.1. Business letters

While speaking, you can help your interlocutor using the elements of body language and other means of nonverbal communication. Here the listener recognizes that you wish to be pleasant in conveying your message. A person reading a letter cannot see your smile, hear your voice, or observe your gestures. The message is complete when it leaves your hands; you can’t change the strategy if the reader reacts unfavorably. Therefore there is a need to draft a business letter very carefully.

A business letter is usually a letter from one business organization to another, or between these organizations and their customers and other parties involved. The style of letter depends on the purpose and relationship between the parties concerned. A business letter can sometimes be extremely useful as it produces a permanent written record, and may be taken more seriously by a recipient than other forms of communication.

In this chapter we shall discuss standard form and contents of a business letter, style of writing it, and tips to make good business letters.

The structure of a business letter

In spite of the latest technological advancements, the importance of a business letter is still high. In order to write a successful business letter we should get acquainted with the main components of it.

1. Letterhead.

Together with other printed materials like business cards a letterhead is a visual representation of any business. Since the first contact with a company is usually made through its letterhead, companies spend considerable time, effort and money on getting it designed. It usually contains a company logo,

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tagline, the name and address of the registered office, corporate office of the company, Corporate Identity Number (CIN), contact numbers, and website and e-mail addresses of the company. Sometime the letter head carries the addresses of the various offices of the company.

2. Reference Number

A reference number helps us to find and retrieve the letter at a later stage if needed. It may contain the initials of a letter writer, the department from which the letter is sent, and the distinctive number allotted to it. It depends on the organization what contents of a reference number should be. Some business letters show the reference numbers of both correspondents.

3. Date

The date must be written in full without abbreviating the name of the month. For example, 1.6.2019 may better be written as 1 June, 2019. This removes the possibility of any misunderstanding as Americans get used to reading the date given in numerals as 6th of January, 2019. The date may be written either below the reference number or to its right.

4. Special Markings

A few spaces below the date, one may show special markings such as Confidential, Air Mail, through Registered Post/Courier/Speed Post etc.

5. Inside Address

The complete name and address of the recipient is written below the special markings. It must be ensured that the inside name and address is exactly the same as that used on the envelope.

6. Attention Line

If the letter is addressed to a company or one of its departments but the sender wishes it to be received by a particular person, then an attention line may be inserted above or below the inside address. This may read like:

For the Attention of Mr. Petrov, Manager (IT department) 7. Salutation

The choice of a salutation depends on the extent of formality a person wants to observe. The following list shows different salutations in descending order of formality:

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Sir

Dear Sir/Madam

Dear Mr./Ms X

‘Dear Sir/Madam’ may be used as a standard salutation. The use of first name was traditionally avoided in business letters but salutations in business now are becoming increasingly direct. The use of “Respected Sir” should also be avoided, as the word respected is grammatically unacceptable.

8. Subject Heading

It is useful to have a subject heading in longer letters. This helps the reader find out the contents of the letter. The usual place for a subject heading is either above or below the salutation. In brief letters, a subject head may be not necessary. It can be of help in case when it is addressed to a large organization with a central department where all mail is received and sorted. 9. Main Body

The main body of a letter may be divided into three parts. Most business letters begin with a brief introduction, which states the purpose of the letter. This is followed by a longer middle section, which presents relevant facts in a logical manner. This section may be divided into several paragraphs, each having a separate point and written coherently. The conclusion is a polite rounding off. It may mention the feedback required.

10. Complimentary Close

The complimentary close should match the salutation in terms of formality or lack of it. Common phrases for complimentary close are: Truly/Sincerely yours, Mr. Ivanov.

11. Signatory

After leaving four to five spaces for the signature, the name of the sender may be written in capitals within brackets followed by the designation as shown below:

(IVAN ORLOV)

Product Manager

12. Enclosures/Copies Circulated

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List of enclosures or details may be given below the designation of the sender. In some cases, copies of the letter may also be required.

13. Annexures

If we wish to annex some documents with the letter, then information about these is usually listed at the end.

Types of Business Letters

Business Letters are basically of two types:

1.Formal Business Letter. Formal business letters are standard business letters intended for official correspondence. They include letters about business deals, order, claim, dispute settlement, agreements, information request, sales report and other official matters.

2.Informal Business Letter. Informal Business Letter is used for casual correspondence but doesn’t necessarily has a casual tone of language. These letters include memorandums, appraisals, interview, thanks, reference letters, cover letter, customer complaint letters, e-mails and others that are less important or regular.

Characteristics of a good business letter

The following points are considered as the essentials of a good business letter and before writing any letter, they should be observed.

• Completeness

The letter must be complete in itself. It should contain all the information required by the addressee. The important and relevant matter should not be left out. If a letter is incomplete, an unnecessary delay is caused in seeking clarifications. The writer should try to grasp all the necessary facts and arrange them in a logical and systematic order.

• Clarity

The writer must be clear about what he wants to convey and express it in simple language. Clear writing and thinking should go together, and person who thinks straight is usually able to write this way. Before writing, the writer should plan the message which helps to produce the orderly kind of letter leading to a good impression because the message is clear.

• Simplicity

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Business letter should be in a plain and simple style, clear and easily understood. The language of business letters should be very simple. The use of high sounding phrases should be avoided.

• Accuracy

A business letter should not give any false or misleading information. Mistakes, however small, should be avoided, as they cause much inconvenience and trouble. All facts and figures should be accurate and documents like bills of exchange, invoices should be prepared and checked.

• Brevity

In a business letter unnecessary words should be avoided. As brevity in letter is the heart of business correspondence, a writer must see that every sentence he has written conveys an appropriate meaning.

• Courtesy

In a business letter courtesy should be present everywhere, as it pacifies anger. Courtesy means that the general tone of the letter should be mild. Rude letters have no place in business. Discourteous and unpleasant language should be avoided even when writing letters of complaint or refusal.

• Style

The words used in a business letter and the way in which they are used express the writer’s personality. Style in writing is a feature peculiar to the individual. It is determined by background, training, experience of a person and the way he thinks. If one writes with naturalness and ease, the letter will reflect the personality of the writer.

The ‘You’ attitude in Business Writing

The ‘you attitude’ is a writing style that emphasizes readers rather than the writer. To write a good business letter the writer should not focus or put our self in the place of receivers. However the desires, problems, circumstances, emotions and probable reactions of the recipient are to be taken into consideration.

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Business letter must be written from ‘you viewpoint’ instead of ‘I viewpoint’. ‘You’ viewpoint emphasizes reader’s interest and helps to win the reader’s mind and attention, e.g.:

‘I’ attitude: We are sure that our new discount policy will attractive to you. ‘You’ attitude: You will surely appreciate new discount policy.

‘I’ attitude: I am happy to hear that you have selected our Company. You attitude: Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you. ‘I’ attitude: I will give you 10% discount on credit card purchase. ‘You’ attitude: You can get 10% discount on credit card purchase.

Thus we can state that by adopting ‘you’ viewpoint the following pluses can be received:

•Creation of friendly atmosphere

•Motivating the reader

•Establishment of mutual trust

•Creating a favorable outcome even in a bad-news situation

•Accomplishment of the goal of the letter

To summarize, the ‘you attitude’ is not only important but also essential for effective letter writing and business messages.

6.2. Memos and emails

A memo (or memorandum, that means “reminder”) is usually used for communicating procedures within one 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 be used for different purposes, such as to update activities for a given project, or to inform a group within a company of some event, or action.

Memo Purpose

A memo’s purpose is usually to inform, but it occasionally includes an element of calling to some action. Memos often represent business or organization’s interests. They may also include statements that align

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business and employee interest, and underscore common ground and benefit.

Memo Format

A memo has a header that clearly indicates who sent it and who the intended recipients are. Pay particular attention to the title of the individual(s) in this section. Date and subject lines must also be present. In a standard writing format, we can see introduction, body, and conclusion. All these are present in memo, and each part has a clear purpose. The declaration in the opening announces the main topic. The discussion lists major points associated with it, and the conclusion serves as a summary.

Email as a medium of communication has become an almost indispensable tool for business, educational, social and personal purposes. Its importance in the future will, in all likelihood, continue to grow at an almost exponential rate, despite the plague of spam that is choking the internet.

Email has the advantage over postal mail in that it is delivered into the recipient's mailbox for them to read and reply to at their convenience, but without the lengthy time delay. Email also has the advantage of being quick and easy. Using the phone to convey a simple message to a friend might involve a 10-15 minute conversation because no one wants to appear rude by hanging up too soon.

Email is an electronic version of a written Memorandum. Remnants of the Memo can be seen in the header where the To: Cc: and Subject: fields closely resemble that of a traditional memo.

Email Etiquette

There are no official rules governing electronic communication, though there have been attempts to establish some standards as default ones, there is no common agreement. As a general rule though, netiquette involves the same principles as plain old etiquette -- basic courtesy, respect and ethics.

By following the principles outlined below, the reader of your email will be more likely to read and reply to your email as fast as possible:

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1.Subject line to summarize the message. E.g., Instead of Subject: Exam, say Subject: Location of 1508INT Exam, 23 July 05.

2.Don't assume the reader knows background. Include enough contextual information at the beginning of the e-mail. If in doubt, put background information as well. E.g., don't say “Can I have an extension for my assignment?”, instead say “I refer to CIT3622 assignment 1 that I handed in late. I was ill and have a doctor's certificate. May I ask for an extension on that basis?”

3.Keep it concise. Keep messages brief. Delete any irrelevant text when an email has been back and forth several times. No one wants to scroll down through pages of text in order to reach the message they want to read..

4.Reply within 24 hours. Try to reply within 24 hours, less if possible. In fact, get in the habit of replying immediately as this is the polite thing to do, and the recipient will appreciate a prompt reply.

5.Use the BCC field when sending bulk email. If you're sending email to a whole list of people, put their email addresses in the BCC field. That way, the privacy of the recipient is respected, and spammers cannot harvest the email addresses for their dastardly purposes.

6.Don't shout at people. Don't use all capital letters, (UPPERCASE), or oversized fonts. The reader will likely feel they are being shouted at, or even threatened. Large sized fonts (greater than 12) are useful for people with visual impairment, but are not appropriate for general use.

7.Avoid emotions. Don't send or reply to email when you are angry. Wait until you have calmed down, and only after compose the email. Once written and sent, it can't be recalled.

8.Mind punctuation and grammar. Use punctuation in a normal manner. One exclamation point is just as effective as five !!!!!.

9.Layout message and structure it. Use spaces and breaks between paragraphs and long sentences to make it easier for the reader.

10.Don't Reply to All unless necessary. Think twice about sending a reply to everyone. Perhaps only selected people need to see your email. Sending it to everyone may be not necessary and hurt some people.

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11.Acronyms, abbreviations, and emoticons are OK within reason. Emoticons (for example ;-) are good when used in context. As a general rule, you probably shouldn't use them when talking to someone in authority.

12.Do not forget about attachments. If the reason to send email is to send a file, remember to include it. One strategy is to attach the file before writing the email.

13.Don't be over-familiar with the recipient. Many people are usually offended by strangers being over-familiar. As a rule, use the title or form of address that you would otherwise use in verbal communication.

14.Email is not confidential. It is almost extremely easy for the contents of your email to be read by others without your knowledge. So it can be wise to avoid saying anything you wouldn't be ready to share with others.

Acronyms & Emoticons

These are a popular way to express emotions in email. There are a growing number of them, but here are the basic ones that people use:

•ASAP: As Soon As Possible

•BTW: By The Way

•FYI: For Your Information

•2L8 -- too late

•AAMOF -- as a matter of fact

•AFAIK -- as far as I know

•B4N -- bye for now

•CMIIW -- correct me if I'm wrong

•CUL -- see you later

•IKWUM -- I know what you mean

•IMHO -- in my humble opinion

•KWIM -- Know what I mean?

•POV – point of view

•ROFL -- rolling on the floor laughing

•TIA -- thanks in advance

•TTYL -- talk to you later

•:) happy