BUSINESS LETTERS AND MEMOS Recipients Letters External Audience
BUSINESS LETTERS AND MEMOS
Recipients Letters External Audience Internal Audience Memos X Emails X X X
Common Letter Formats Block Format Modified Block Format Simplified Format Organization – specific format
Format comparison
Block Format
Modified Block
Simplified
Required items and terms ■ Letterhead ■ Margins: – Left: 1 -1. 5 inches – Right: ¾ to 1 inch ■ Salutation: – Formal: Dear Mrs. Clinton – Informal: Dear Hillary ■ Complimentary closes: – Formal: Sincerely, Best regards… – Informal: Cordially, Thank you, Ciao… ■ Reference line ■ Inside address (plus envelopes) ■ Enclosure ■ CC ■ BCC
Business Writing Style Casual • Conversational • Note to a friend • Instant message Business Formal • Personal • Direct • Legal document • Contract • Term Paper
Business Writing Style • Achieve balance of the casual and formal, because style is not concrete • Strive for clarity: your goal is to be understood • Many ways to facilitate this endeavor
Affectation • Use of language that is more formal, technical, or showy than necessary to communicate information to the reader • Makes the reader work harder to understand • Don’t use a big word if a diminutive one will suffice
Simplify • finalize→ • ameliorate→ improve • initiate→ • commence→ start • optimal→ • compel→ force • prioritize→ • comprises→ is • proceed→ • employ→ use • procure→ • endeavor→ try • rendezvous→ • fabricate→ make • terminate→ • facilitate→ help • utilize→ end begin best rank go get meet end use
Affectation • Poor: “It is the policy of the company to provide internet access to enable employees to conduct the online communication necessary to discharge their responsibilities; such should not be utilized for personal communications or non-business activities. ” • Effective: “Employee internet access should be used only for appropriate company business. ”
Jargon • Highly specialized slang that is unique to an occupational or professional group • Investors Public ? ? ? • Yield Management • ROI Politics • P/E ratio • Super PAC • Tourism • Rev. PAR • Fam Trip • Incentive Tour • • Lame duck Primaries Bailout Greenwashing Insiders
Buzzwords and Cliches • Cash cow • Ducks in a row • Synergize • Leverage (verb) • Thinking outside the box • Green ______ • Sustainability • Smart ______ • Ecofriendly • It is what it is • Core competency • Robust • Slam dunk • Giving it 110%
Idioms A group of words that has a special meaning apart from its literal meaning “Run for office” has nothing to do with exercise • meet • “run into” • “run out of” • deplete supply • “watch out” • be careful • “give up” • quit • “hear it through the • hear a rumor grapevine” • to hear something from the • “Straight from the horse’s mouth” original source
Active Construction Actor Action Object / effect • Action flows from front of sentence to back • Represent the chronological order of events • “The state agencies implemented the program. ”
Passive Constructions Object/Effect Action Actor Action flows from back of sentence to front “The program was implemented by the state agencies. ” Vs “The state agencies implemented the program. ”
Passive Constructions • Generally avoid it, but can be useful 1. To conceal the doer, subordinate unpleasant news, • • or soften refusals Authorization for your leave was denied. Examination of our accounting procedures cannot be permitted because of security reasons 2. To emphasize the action, not the agent • The data have been compiled by our research department
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