Chapter 1: Drafting a Professional Email
Chapter Summary
Key Takeaways
- Emails have a wide range of purposes. If you’re sending a longer email, consider using an email frame that tells the reader why you’re writing, provides follow-up details, then ends by telling the reader what to do next.
- When using instant messaging in the workplace, use clear, plain language and don’t say anything that you wouldn’t be comfortable with someone else reading. Be aware of the conventions of different instant messaging channels.
- The rules of netiquette are important to foster a positive and respectful online environment, promoting effective communication and collaboration among colleagues.
Activities for Further Reflection
- Consider how you would instant message the following people: your parent, your boss, your child, your best friend, your coworker. Reflect on what is different about the way that you would communicate to these people?
- Draft an email to one of your peers explaining an upcoming assignment. Be sure to include all elements of a professional email.
- Set up an email signature for your student email including all elements discussed in this chapter.
References
Bovee, C., & Thill, J. (2010). Business communication essentials: A skills-based approach to vital business English (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Guffey, M. (2008).Essentials of business communication(7th ed.). Mason, OH: Thomson/Wadsworth.
Shea, V. (1994).Netiquette. San Francisco, CA: Albion Books.
Attribution
This chapter contains material taken from Introduction to Professional Communications is (c) 2018 by Melissa Ashman and is licensed under a Creative Commons-Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.
This chapter also contains material taken from Memos, which is published on WritingCommons.org. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
