Business
Communication
Chapter 7
Writing Memos, E-mail, and
Letters
Copyright 2010 South-Western Cengage Learning
2
7.1 Business Correspondence
 SWBAT:
 Describe
types of business correspondence
 Name purposes for business
correspondence
 Plan and organize effective business
correspondence
 Essential Question- What are the differnet
types of business correspondence?
3
Types of Business
Correspondence
 Memos
and e-mails
 Letters
 Other
documents
© Comstock Images / Jupiter Images
E-mail can be sent and received on a PDA.
7.1 Business Correspondence
4
Types of Business Correspondence
 Memo-
(memorandum) is an informal
document that is sent to someone within your
company or group.

Usually sent by interoffice mail
 E-mail-
(electronic mail) is an informal
message written, sent, and received on an
electronic device.
 Memos were once most common; now emails
are
5
Types of Business Correspondence
 Letter-
a document used to send a written (or
typed) message to someone outside an
organization
 Also used to send formal written messages to
employees or members within an organization
 Considered more formal than memos or email.
 Other Documents:
 Invoice- a bill for items or services purchased
from a company.
6
Purposes for
Correspondence
 Provide
a record
 Advise, direct, or state a policy
 Inform
 Request information or reply to requests
 Persuade
 Promote goodwill
7.1 Business Correspondence
7
Planning and Organizing
Messages
 Planning




messages
Identify the objective
Determine the main idea
Choose supporting details
Adjust the message for the receiver
 Organizing


messages
Direct order
Indirect order
7.1 Business Correspondence
8
Confused and Misused
Words
 Words
used incorrectly
 Unknown words
 Building vocabulary to improve reading speed and
comprehension
7.1 Business Correspondence
9
7.2 Memos
SWBAT:
 Compose
effective memos
 Format, edit, and publish memos
 Essential Question: Why are
memos effective for business
communication?
10
Writing Memos
 Heading




lines
To line
From line
Date line
Subject line
 Body7.2 Memos
of a memo contains the paragraphs
11
Writing Memos
 Notations





Reference initials- the initials of the person who keyed
the memo
Attachment notation – tells the recipient that another
separate document is attached to the memo.
Enclosure notation- tells the recipient that a document
is included with the memo but not attached to it
Copy notation – indicates that a copy of the memo is
being sent to the person(s) named.
Blind copy notation- indicates that a copy of the
memo is being sent to the person(s) named without
the recipient’s knowledge.
 Second
7.2 Memos
page headings
12
Editing and Publishing
Memos
 Edit
the memo carefully
 Check for the 5 Cs
 Proofread the final draft
 Publish by interoffice
mail or U.S. Mail
© Digital Vision / Getty Images
Check each memo carefully before sending it.
7.2 Memos
13
Memo Templates
 Provide
a layout and standard parts
for memos
 Available with many word processing
programs
 Questions
1.
2.
What do the templates you viewed have in
common?
Which template would you prefer to use for
memos? Why?
school.cengage.com/bcomm/buscomm
7.2 Memos
14
7.3 E-mail and Instant
Messaging
SWBAT:
 Compose
effective e-mail messages
 Describe business uses for instant
messages
 Essential question: how are e-mails and
instant messages effective for business
correspondence?
15
E-mail
 Parts





of an e-mail message
To line
Cc and bcc lines
From line
Date line
Subject line
 Spam-

unsolicited
junk email messages
Body
7.3 E-mail and Instant Messaging
16
E-mail
 Work-friendly


features
Address book
Signature file
 Attachment
 Draft
 Reply and reply all
 Forward
 Priority
 Return receipt
7.3 E-mail and Instant Messaging
17
E-mail Netiquette
 Netiquette-
a set of informal guidelines for behaving
courteously online
 Assign a high priority only when truly needed
 Ask for approval before sending a large
attachment
 Do not send confidential or sensitive information
 Do not use all capital letters – considered yelling
 Do not send flames—angry or insulting messages
 Do not send spam
 Do not use emoticons in business e-mails
 Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
7.3 E-mail and Instant Messaging
18
E-mail Netiquette (cont’d)
 Do
not send spam
 Do not use emoticons in business e-mails

Emoticon (e.mo.ti.con)- combination of keyboard
characters or icons used in messages to indicate
emotion.  
 Use
correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
7.3 E-mail and Instant Messaging
19
Instant Messaging
 Instant
messaging (IM)- is a means of
communicating electronically via text messages
with one or more people in real time
 IM basics
 Buddy, contacts, or friends list

Contact list- list of people with whom you
communicate
 Chat
window
 Worker-friendly IM features
7.3 E-mail and Instant Messaging
20
IM
Netiquette
 Do not use all capital letters
 Remember
that other users may have slower
systems
 Do not send confidential or sensitive information
 Be brief
 Use status options
 Use an appropriate level of formality
 Do not leave other people waiting for your response
 Learn about and use the security features
7.3 E-mail and Instant Messaging
21
7.4 Letters
SWBAT:
 Format,
edit, and publish letters
 Prepare envelopes for business letters
 Essential Question – What is the proper
way to format a business letter?
22
Writing Letters
 Standard







parts
Date
Letter address
Salutation
Body
Complimentary close
Writer’s name and title
Reference initials
7.4 Letters
23
Writing Letters
 Optional




letter parts
Attention line
Reference line
Subject line
Postscript
7.4 Letters
24
Editing and Publishing
Letters
Block
letter formats:
 Personal
business
 Business
 Modified
 The
block format
only difference between Personal
and Business letters is the letterhead!!
7.4 Letters
25
Open/Mixed Punctuation
Open:
Mixed:
Dear Mr. Delaney
Dear Mr. Delaney:
Body text
Body text
Sincerely
Sincerely,
26
Using Mail Merge
 Available
on many word processing programs
 Allows users to create mailings efficiently
 Main document
 Data source
 Field codes
 Merged documents
A wizard makes using mail merge simple.
2.1 Diversity at Work
27
Vocabulary
attachment notation
blind copy notation
body
contacts list
copy notation
e-mail
emoticon
enclosure notation
flame
instant messaging (IM)
invoice
letter
memo
mixed punctuation
netiquette
open punctuation
postscript
reference initials
spam
subject line