Global Business Emails Powerful Business Email Skills for

Global Business Emails Powerful Business Email Skills for English as a Second Language (ESL) Writers 1 Professor Dave Jaye www. davejaye. com 82 -19 -807 -9024

Welcome to Global Business Emails Professor Dave Jaye www. davejaye. com 82 -19 -807 -9024 davejaye 55@yahoo. com 2

Benefits of Emails l l l Emails break down barriers Email eliminates phone tag and charges associated with phone calls Speed of communication 247 24 hours a day 7 days a week 3

Benefits of Emails l 1. 2. 4 Email accelerates Team Work Using email you and your co workers can easily work together and collaborate. You can send files with text, graphics, photos and sound. You can keep different people updated on your progress.

Benefits of Emails l 1. 2. 5 Email keeps businesses in touch with customers Electronic newsletters, price changes, e auctions, product changes, e shopping, e billing Distance education and training like our class.

Email concerns l l 6 Lack of Privacy You can be fired by your company for emails and Blogs with unflattering messages about bosses. SPAM: Unsolicited e junk mail. Too much wasted time playing games, reading useless emails and surfing the internet.

Why is email etiquette important? l l 7 People interact with printed words as though email has a personality. That ‘personality’ makes positive and negative impressions upon us. Your document can easily be misinterpreted by your reader, so it is crucial that you follow the basic rules of etiquette to construct an appropriate tone.

The elements of email etiquette l l 8 General format Writing long messages Attachments The curse of surprises l l Flaming Delivering information Delivering bad news Electronic Mailing Lists

General Format: The Basics l l 9 Write a subject line for each new email. Try to keep the email brief (one screen length). Return emails within the same time you would a phone call. Check for punctuation, spelling, and grammatical errors.

General Format: The Basics l l l 10 Use Capital Letters when appropriate. Format your email for plain text rather than HTML. Use a font that has a professional or neutral look. Many Westerners use Times New Roman 12 point.

General Format: Get English email For this Business English class and Global Business communications, use Google, Yahoo or Hotmail. Many Korean email servers screen out my emails as spam. Some of my Korean students messages don’t get to my email site. 11

General Format: Character Spacing l l l 12 Try to keep your subject line length at 80 characters or less. If your message is likely to be forwarded, keep subject line to 60 characters or less. Set your email preferences to automatically wrap outgoing plain text messages.

General Format: Lists and Bullets When you are writing directions or want to emphasize important points, number your directions or bullet your main points. 13

General Format: Lists and Bullets For example, You should start this project by placing paper materials in the drawer labeled A. Then after you place the paper materials in drawer labeled A, you should then go and click the button labeled green to start the machine. 1. 2. 14 Place the paper in drawer A. Click the green “start” button.

General Format: Lists and Bullets We have to achieve major corporate goals this year. Firstly, to improve customer satisfaction is our goal. Secondly we should empower our employees so they feel ownership and commitment. • • 15 Improve customer satisfaction. Empower employees.

General Format: Tone Write in a positive tone “When you complete the report. ” instead of “If you complete the report. ” • • 16 Avoid negative words that begin with “un, non, ex” or that end with “less” (useless, non-existent, ex-employee, undecided).

General Format: Tone Do not use smiles , winks ; ), and other graphical symbols one business letters, only personal letters. 17

18

General Format: Tone In every form of business writing your tone is your personality on paper. Email is a serious business tool. Conduct your academic emails to Professors the same formal way of business writing. 19

General Format: Tone l l Keep the message short and simple Use active tone, not passive Select positive words Be courteous, direct, brief You will learn more about tone of English language later. 20

Best way to deliver the message? Sometimes you should not write, especially if you are angry or very tired. A phone call or personal visit is sometimes better. 21

When is it best to deliver message l 22 Some messages are too late. If it is noon and a meeting is at 1 pm don’t email, phone call people.

When is it best to deliver message Some messages are sent too early and people will forget or won’t give the issue much consideration. 23

Delivery Who should receive a copy of this message? Do you send copies because they need to see your paper or because you are Covering Your Anatomy (CYA), defending yourself against future criticism. 24

Information Overload Be considerate and send messages only to people who need to receive them. If you send people only the information they need to do their jobs well and don’t contribute to their overload, they will approach your messages with respect. 25

Your Subject line is Key The subject line determines if the reader reads your message. If the subject lines doesn’t jump off the screen and shout READ ME!, your message may not get read. Make your subject lines informative, direct and brief. 26

Telling a story with Email Headlines 27

28

Your Subject line is Key The subject line of a letter, memo or email message is the most important headline because it gives your reader the big picture. Subject: Sales soar 25% Subject: Yes we can honor your request for 25 SM& cars Subject: HR Staff Meeting 2/15 Room 214 10 am 29

Good news subject lines are easy Subject lines are the main headlines. If your reader doesn’t have time to read your entire message, she can look at the subject line and get all the information they need to know. Subject: Cean Ho, New VP of MIS Subject: Employee annual bonus of 5% salary 30

Your Subject line is Key There are 80 spaces on the Subject line of your email messages. Use the 80 spaces to convey information not: Hello Professor! It’s Me! How are you? This is Kim Better: Homework chapter 3 from Steven Kim 31

Your Subject line is Key Which would inspire you to read the message? 1. There’s going to be a meeting of MIS 2. MIS Meeting 3. MIS: Urgent Mtg. May/20/2005 32

Your Subject line is Key 1. There’s going to be a meeting of MI The last word got cut off. Even if the ‘S’ were visible, this subject line doesn’t give much information and wastes words 33

Your Subject line is Key 2. MIS Meeting This line is a little better, no wasted words. But this subject line gives little information and is not compelling. 34

Your Subject line is Key 3. MIS: Urgent Mtg. 5/20 This subject line gives you critical information. You know the meeting is Urgent and the date. However a room number, location and time should be added. 3. MIS: Urgent Mtg. May/20/2005 14: 00 Rm 303 HSBC HQ 35

Subject Line Key Words Using a key word at the beginning of your subject line helps when forwarding a message or trying to locate an old message. IT, HR (Human Resources) Billing, New Products are key words. 36

Subject Line Key Words People who get lots of email messages often look for key words to determine what and when to read emails. 37

Subject Lines can be the message l The staff meeting scheduled for June/2 is being moved to June/3. All other information (time, location and agenda) remains the same. Use the subject line: Staff mtg chg to June/3. All else same-END 38

Subject Lines can be the message You want to remind your team about the kick-off meeting on Friday, April 3, at noon, 4 th floor conference room. Use the subject line: Kick-off mtg, Apr/3/05 noon, 4 th floor conf rm-End 39

Subject Lines can be the message You’ve attached a 15 page report that outlines the sales forecast for the second quarter. Even though you’re sending an attachment, you use the subject line: Sales to increase 15% Q 2, 2005 -End The reader doesn’t need to read the report. 40

Subject Lines can be the message l 41 What if your system won’t send a message that doesn’t have a message? Type a single character into the message section. The subject line will let the reader know your message is complete.

Use English not Hangul as your personal header for Global Emails 여현진 RE: syllabus for Fall Business. . . 안선영 about tomorrow (Sunyoung Ahn) 여 현진 This is Hopper in KHU 42

Use English not Hangul as your personal header for Global Emails l 43 Some Westerners will delete Hangul email as spam mail. Most Westerners cannot read Hangul and will wait until the end of the day to answer a Hangul Prefix. Businesses have a choice with whom they do business with. Non Koreans will choose an English message first.

Use an English first name for business Plus your Korean Last Name. Or English name in quotes “Richard” Shim. If you use just your first initials ‘S. K. ” Westerners cannot understand if you are a man or woman. Westerners have trouble pronouncing and remembering Korean names. Some Westerners confuse Korean first and last names. 44

Many English Names to select www. babynames. com There are formal, informal and baby-Irish. Southern USA versions of the same name of men. An unusual cultural tradition in the Western Christian culture is for fathers to give their oldest sons their identical names! 45

Many English Names to select Girls are not usually named after their mother so there are fewer informal versions of the same female name. 46

Patterns of English Names 47 David Dave Davy Richard Richy Thomas Tommy Robert Robby Bobby William Willy Billy James Jimmy (Jimmy Carter former USA President)

Always use MS Word not Hangul 48 Hangul has some editing problems and lacks a complete English dictionary. Composing letters and messages on email boards is unstable. You may lose a lot of time retyping letters lost with system crashes. It is easier to store and retrieve documents on MS Word than in email.

List the Global time and date Most of Korea’s economy is based on overseas sales. Therefore it is very important to list the location of a due date. The offer is good up to 5 pm Friday Sept. 9 Korea time. The offer is good up to 5 pm Friday Sept. 9 EST (Eastern Standard Time). 49

List the Global time and date Utilize this great free web site: This site is the world time clock and time zones sorted by country and city name. http: //www. timeanddate. com 50

Write out the full date People can misunderstand urgent deadlines written in an abbreviated form. In order to save space people write April 5, 1999 as 5/4/99. Europeans and Koreans put the day of the week before the month. So the deadline was May 5, not April 4 th. Japanese put the year first. 51

Attachments l l 52 When you are sending an attachment tell your respondent what the name of the file is, what program it is saved in, and the version of the program. “This file is in MSWord 2000 under the name “Lab. File. ”

Attachments Confirm your reader can receive the file. There are differences in English and Korean operating systems and different program versions. If unsure, send a test file to the reader to check for compatibility. 53

Read your English Emails out loud Reading your English emails out loud before you send gives you an extra chance to practice English. Your brain will self correct your mispronunciations that it hears. Reading out loud exercises your mouth, tongue and lips in English. Reading a second language out load will not slow down your reading speed that much. 54

Before you send that email Print out a hard copy. Errors in format, type setting, layout and overlays of photos become more apparent. Spend the money and time to print out your documents. Your documents become your face, body and reputation. 55

Before you send that email Always spell and grammar check another time. 56

57

Before you send that email Make a copy of your important incoming and outgoing messages. Students are responsible for keeping copies of all your messages, not the professor. It is so easy to hit the delete key and loose valuable information and time. 58

Before you send that Email. Before you press the send button, ask yourself: l Is my subject line compelling and revealing? l Is my document visually appealing? l Have I established the right tone? l Have I proof read, proof read? 59

Writing a Draft copy It’s vital to always prepare a draft copy of your English email before you send a message. Spell and Grammar check must be completed on MS Word. The visual impact of your document must be checked. 60

Short messages A short message can be delivered on one or two screens. Give your reader the who, what, when, where, why and how on the first screen. 61

When your message is long l l 62 Create an “elevator” summary. Provide a table of contents on the first screen of your email. If you require a response from the reader then be sure to request that response in the first paragraph of your email. Create headings for each major section.

Elevator Summary An elevator summary should have all the main components of the email including purpose, scope, methods, results, conclusions, findings, next steps, recommendations etc. “Our profit margin for the last quarter went down 5%. As a result I am proposing budget adjustment for the following areas…” l 63

Table of Contents for long emails Table of contents “This email contains A. Budget projections for the last quarter B. Actual performance for the last quarter C. Adjustment proposal D. Projected profitability” l 64

Delivering Information About Meetings, Orientations, Processes l l l 65 Include an elevator summary and table of contents with headings. Provide as much information as possible. Offer the reader an opportunity to receive the information via postal mail or fax if the email is too confusing.

‘Good News’ letters are easy Subject lines are the main headlines. If your reader doesn’t have time to read your entire message, she can look at the subject line and get all the information they need to know. Subject: Cean Ho, New VP of MIS Subject: Employee annual bonus of 5% salary 66

Include supporting materials To support the subject line including who, what, when, where and how. Try answering the questions in the order that your reader would most likely ask the questions. 67

Delivering Bad News l l l 68 Create a buffer Explain the decision Avoid blaming statements. Avoid hedging words or words that sound ambiguous. End on a friendly, positive note.

Delivering Bad News Avoid blaming: “Please understand that the unions, weather, currency, raw materials caused us problems. But what can I do to help? ” 69 Avoid hedging. Examples of hedging are: Intents and purposes Possibly, most likely Perhaps, maybe

Sequencing for Bad news Your intention is to keep your customer happy while sending unfavorable information. Remember that you are trying to persuade the reader that your news is fair, even though contrary to her request. Be diplomatic with your words 70

Diplomatic vs. Rude headlines Diplomatic Headlines: Where to find Information “The warranty is good for 30 days. However, on page 2 of the instructions you received…” Impolite Headlines: The warranty expired “If you had read the instructions that came in your package, you would have noticed that our warranty is only good for 30 days. 71

Diplomatic vs. Rude headlines Avoid mentioning company rules: Company policies won’t calm down the reader. Customer benefit reasons will help. In order to keep health insurance premiums down for all customers, we cannot fund cosmetic surgery at this time. 72

Diplomatic vs. Rude headlines Diplomatic headline: Timing is Everything “Thank you for giving us a chance to consider a loan to finance your proposed home purchase. We regret, however, that we are unable to grant you a loan at this time. Perhaps at a later date…” Rude Headline: Company Policy “It’s against company policy to grant loans to people in your income bracket. 73

Planning a Bad News letter 1. l l 74 Begin with a buffer: We agree with you. Thank you for bringing this to our attention You have an excellent record We’re happy to grant part of your request

Planning a Bad News letter 2. Explain the decision l This is how we may help you l With your best interests in mind l Won’t you accept this as a substitute? l May we offer a suggestion? 75

Planning a Bad News letter 3. End on a Friendly, Positive Note l You’re a valued customer l Won’t you try (possibly a sales promotion item) l We look forward to being of help next time. 76

Positive Spin Bad news Headlines l l l 77 You’re a valued customer thank them for their business Mention the strength of your company Decisions aren’t always easy We’d love to say “Yes” However… Keeping your costs down Offer to be of help in the future

Writing a complaint 78

Writing a complaint 79 • You should briefly state the history of the problem to provide context for your reader. • Explain the attempts you made previously to resolve the problem.

Writing a complaint 80 • Show why it is critical for the problem to be resolved by your reader. • Offer suggestions on ways you think it can be resolved or how you are willing to help in the matter.

Writing a complaint Briefly state the history: “The current way we calculate hours worked does not include week days after 6 pm and weekend work. ” 81

Writing a complaint Show attempts made by you thus far to resolve the issue: “I have offered two alternatives for compensatory time off and flex time working but both have been rejected by the executive board. ” 82

Writing a complaint Show why it is important for your reader to get involved: “This is a problem for two reasons. First, I am concerned that the high level of employees quitting is robbing us of key talent decreases morale and productivity. Second, there have been a number of complaints from our customers about inexperienced case works, which weakens customer loyalty. ” 83

Writing a complaint Ask for help and offer a resolution: “Please let me know what other options I may have overlooked. I am willing to meet with the department head and the executive board to seek out a solution that is fair to the members and is good for the business of the organization. ” 84

Do not take your reader by surprise or press them to the wall • • 85 Do not wait until the end of the day to introduce a problem or concern via memo or email. Avoid writing a litany of concerns that you have been harboring for a long period of time.

Don’t send an email if you are upset Always give yourself a day to cool down. Sometimes it is helpful to write a negative letter and then just throw it away. Remember when you send an email, it lasts forever and you cannot get the email back. 86

Taking Professors By Surprise l l l 87 Communicate with your professors and class president via email. Complaints about grades and projects should generally be discussed in person. Post your concerns or questions in a timely manner in both Korean and English.

Taking Professors By Surprise l. There will be time for mid course corrections after the midterm. l. We will schedule a class meeting in September and before the Final Exam. l. Maintain class deadlines. 88

Any strong objections to using your emails in class discussions? If you strongly object to me using your emails and documents in class let me know by September 9, 2005. Without written notice I will operate under implied consent from students about discussing their emails in the classroom. I will white out student names. 89

Flaming in emails • • 90 Flaming is a virtual term for venting or sending inflammatory messages in email. Avoid flaming because it tends to create a great deal of conflict that spirals out of control.

Flaming in emails • • 91 Flame fights are the equivalent of food fights and tend to affect observers in a very negative way. What you say cannot be taken back. Your email messages last forever; it is in black and white.

Keep flaming under control • • 92 Before you send an email message, ask yourself, “would I say this to this person’s face? ” Calm down before responding to a message that offends you. Once you send the message it is gone. l Read your message twice before you send it and assume that you may be misinterpreted when proofreading.

Responding to a flame l l l 93 Empathize with the sender’s frustration and tell them they are right if that is true If you feel you are right, thank them for bringing the matter to your attention Explain what led to the problem in question

Responding to a flame Avoid getting bogged down by details and minor arguments l If you are aware that the situation is in the process of being resolved let the reader know at the top of the response l Apologize if necessary l 94

Complementary Closings Close your email message with Formal: Sincerely Yours, Cordially. Or informal: Thanks, THK (Thanks) or Regards. 95

General Tips for Electronic Mailing Lists l l 96 Avoid discussing private concerns and issues. It is okay to address someone directly on the list. Ex, “Hi Leslie, regarding your question” Change the subject heading to match the content of your message. When conflict arises on the list speak in person with the one with whom you are in conflict.

Don’t Use all CAPITAL LETTERS 97 I OFTEN GET MESSAGES DELIVERED IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. WHY DO PEOPLE DO THAT? HAVE THEY PRESSED THE CAPS LOCK KEY BY MISTAKE? WHEN I GET A MESSAGE IN ALL CAPS, I FEEL AS IF THE WRITER IS SHOUTING AT ME!!!

Don’t Use all small letters: wimpy the effect of all lower case letters is weak and wimpy, opposite of SHOUTING IN ALL CAPS. 98

Don’t use Underline too much Be careful of underscores: underscores tend to cut through descenders, small g, j, p, q, and y, making the text difficult to read. 99

KISS your email messages 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 100 Keep It Short and Simple Use the active voice Use positive words Be courteous, direct Be brief

Start your Email with Person’s title Do you say hello when you answer the phone and in person? An email with a ‘salutation’ or formal greeting is expected in business communications. 101

Identify yourself, your title, department and Company when sending emails outside of your company. Is T. S. A woman or man? 102

Use Abbreviations carefully Only use if you’re certain the reader will know what the abbreviation stands for. Always spell out the Acronym first before using it. Point of Sale (P. O. S. ) 103

Urgency Overload Some people designate every message as urgent because everything they send they think is urgent. What these people don’t realize is people weren’t reading those messages at all. 104

Urgency Overload Some day you will have a message that is truly urgent. You will need immediate feed back and no one responds. If something is truly urgent, consider making the phone call rather than risking the recipient won’t see the message in time. 105

Don’t Assume others know your deadlines If something is truly urgent, consider making the phone call rather than risking the recipient won’t see the message in time. 106

107

When Email Won’t Work l l 108 There are times when you need to take your discussion out of the virtual world and make a phone call. If things become very heated, a lot of misunderstanding occurs, or when you are delivering very delicate news then the best way is still faceto face.

Ten Ways to cut Information overload in Email world “We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge. ” John Naisbitt, America writer and social researcher. 109

1. Optimizing Delivery and Sending l 110 Is there a more appropriate way to deliver the message?

1. Optimizing Delivery and Sending Am I a selective sender? Send emails to only those who need to receive them. There’s a great tendency in an email environment to broadcast your message to almost everyone you’ve ever met. 111

1. Optimizing Delivery and Sending Are my mailing lists up to date? Delete names of employees who left the company. Promptly delete names of people who ask to be removed. Send messages to only those who need to read your messages. l 112

2. Maximizing Filing Capabilities Do you use file folders effectively? Do you clutter your metal file cabinets with papers that have no order? Or do you categorize the papers and place them in labeled file folders for easy retrieval. 113

2. Maximizing Filing Capabilities Rather than keeping all your e-messages in your inbox, create electronic file folders and label them as you do your paper file folders so you retrieve them easily. Filing electronically is quick and easy. You just drag and drop a message to the e file you want. 114

2. Maximizing Filing Capabilities Many companies and Universities have intranet bulletin boards and web pages where you can post a document for electronic viewing. 115

3. Writing for the sake of visibility People haven’t heard from you for awhile and you feel it’s time you earned some ‘brownie’ or relationship points. Mistake, use the phone. People with non essential messages run the risk of no one paying attention even when you have something important to say. 116

4. Using Bozo Email Filters Bozo Filters zap out unwanted email messages. Bozo filters demand that you preload names of people from whom you want to receive mail and the filters prioritize incoming messages from people you have entered. You risk blocking out valuable information from people not on your list. Information can change the course of your career and bring opportunities. 117

5. Changing the Subject line of forwarded messages Before you forward a message to someone else, think! Even though you didn’t write the original document, you’re still sending information that can add to overload. 118

5. Changing the Subject line of forwarded messages If you forward a message with a subject line is ‘Tomorrow’s Meeting Canceled”. Someone might take your scheduled meeting with them off the calendar. Just sending an FYI might not be enough for to avoid confusion. Forwarding without modifying the subject line can send an inaccurate message. 119

6. Writing subject lines that limit Overload Are your headlines action packed? l Action requested, recommended, required l Person to contact (full name) l Deadline date l How to… l Next step(s) 120

6. Writing subject lines that limit Overload Do my subject lines shout: Read Me? 1. Does it get attention? 2. Does it provide key words? 3. Does it signal its level of importance? 4. Does it deliver the message? 121

7. Creating Visual Impact Headlines for almost every paragraph to focus your reader on major ideas. Sidelines for extra emphasis for persuasion 122

7. Creating Visual Impact Short Paragraphs (5 -6 lines) to avoid overwhelming readers, to attract speed readers Bulleted Lists to replace lists with sentences 123

7. Creating Visual Impact Numbered Lists: When sequence is important, listing steps in a procedure for ease in referring to the list during discussion and searches. 124

7. Creating Visual Impact White Space and Indentations To frame your ideas To improve readability 125

7. Creating Visual Impact Graphs, Charts or Tables To present numbers, dates, money or data Bar Pie 126 Line Area XY

7. Creating Visual Impact Deadlines and Action Items With: Underlining Bold ALL CAPITAL LETTERS Italics Different Fonts Different Size Fonts 127

7. Creating Visual Impact Is my formatting effective? l Using asterisks ** or dashes – l Leaving double spaces l l 128 Leaving lots of white spaces Boxing information

7. Creating Visual Impact If your document is longer than one screen, put all the key information: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How on the first screen. 129

7. Creating Visual Impact Long Documents: l Include a table of contents or Executive Summary on the first screen l Send the document as an attachment if longer than three screens l If you use a compression program, inform your reader l Post the document to intranet bulletin board or web page 130

8. Double Check Reply Lists l l 131 Check response lists and reply to only the person who needs to receive your response. Consider deleting the original message unless you need it for clarity and details

9. Ignore Chain Letters and Scams The junk emails contribute dramatically to information overload. Don’t forward time wasting information people probably heard on the TV or read in the newspaper. If you must forward a chain letter, delete the headers showing everyone else who received the message earlier. 132

10. Keep separate Academic, Business and Personal Accounts You must establish a separate English Yahoo, Hotmail or Google account for this class with an English Name header. Keep your personal emails outside of your company’s email net work. 133

Home work due by Sept 8, 2005 17: 00 hours to davejaye 55@yahoo. com 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 134 What are your strengths and weaknesses writing an email? Solve the informal and Irish-Southern USA-youngster versions of 51 -100 top USA names 2002. Select an English name for this class. Register an English email account. What are the top 10 ways to reduce Email overload? Tell me how often each month you write English, speak English or receive English emails? Do you have an electronic Korean-English dictionary? What are your plans to purchase one if you don’t? Do you think Koreans react differently to any colors than Westerns do as described on page 107?

For more information Contact Professor Dave Jaye in writing email davejaye 55@yahoo. com and scheduled appointments. I will respond to most emails within 48 hours or sooner. Or call 82 -19 -807 -9024. My phone is off during classes. 135

Questions, comments, opinions? Professor Dave Jaye www. davejaye. com 82 -19 -807 -9024 davejaye 55@yahoo. com Good Luck! 136