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PPTCH7.pptxEssentials of Technical Communication
Chapter 7: E-mails, Texts, Memos, and Letters
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Costs of Writing:
| Annual Salary | Hourly Wage (annual salary/2000 hrs) | Hourly Cost (includes benefits and overhead) | Cost to company of writing a single email message (5 min) |
| $40,000 | $20 | $30 | $2.50 |
| $60,000 | $30 | $45 | $3.75 |
| $80,000 | $40 | $60 | $5.00 |
Costs of Reading:
| Annual Salary | Hourly Wage (annual salary/2000 hrs) | Hourly Cost (includes benefits and overhead) | Cost to company of 5 people reading a single email message (1 min) |
| $40,000 | $20 | $30 | $2.50 |
| $60,000 | $30 | $45 | $3.75 |
| $80,000 | $40 | $60 | $5.00 |
Letters: Official, often formal; written to those outside an organization.
Memos: Short and informal; circulate within an organization, including clients.
Either can be attached to an e-mail.
Quick Tips
• Use clear subject line or opening sentence.
• Put the most important information in the opening paragraph.
• Use formatting to help readers recognize the organization, major points, and read your message rapidly.
• Be concise. Keep sentences and paragraphs short. Readers should grasp meaning in one reading.
• Keep to one page or screen.
• Use headings if your message is more than one page or screen.
• Keep a copy of every message for two years.
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The Six Cs
Concise
Concrete
Complete
Correct
Courteous
Clear
Appropriate Tone in E-mails, Texts, Letters, and Memos
Avoid
phrases that suggest the reader is careless, stupid, or dishonest.
wording that sounds insincere, arrogant, caustic, or sarcastic.
slang and abbreviations.
Adopt
a conversational style.
wording that is respectful of the readers and sensitive to their emotions.
professional look and sound.
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Guidelines for Quality
The sound of words, phrases, sentences convey emotion.
How your message looks reflects your organization skills.
Spelling and grammar errors suggest a lack of interest or sloppiness.
Slang or abbreviations show a lack of professionalism.
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Guidelines for Dealing with Tone
Allow more time when writing about sensitive issues.
Anticipate the effects of bad news.
Analyze readers carefully.
Read aloud what you have written.
Let your draft “cool” for a while before revising for clarity and courtesy.
10 Questions to Ask Yourself
1. How well do I know the readers?
2. How much do they know about the topic?
3. How will they respond? Can I build rapport for my organization?
4. What exactly am I trying to accomplish?
5. What is their level of knowledge?
6. What is their attitude toward me and my organization?
7. What previous dealings have we had?
8. How much and what kind of information should I include?
9. How technical can I be?
10. What strategies can I use to make my message clear?
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Common Reasons for Writing E-mails, Letters, and Memos
Report information
Provide instructions
Request information
Deliver favorable/unfavorable news
Urge action or approval
Reply to a request or complaint
Organizing a Memo, Letter, or E-mail
First Paragraph: state the purpose or the main information the reader needs. If delivering unfavorable news, use gentle and supportive opening.
Middle Paragraphs: support or develop the main topic in the first paragraph. 1 paragraph = 1 idea.
Final Paragraph: tell the reader what to do or what position to take. Provide appropriate ending comments.
Sample Complaint Message From Consumer Action
Template for a complaint email
Elizabeth Tebeaux and Sam Dragga Essentials of Technical Communication Oxford University Press
