Essential Skills for E-mail Correspondence NETIQUETTE TYPES

Essential Skills for E-mail Correspondence

NETIQUETTE TYPES OF E-MAILS Netiquette - the unwritten rules of behaviour on the Internet, especially related to the use of e-mail, chat rooms and newsgroups. E-MAILS formal informal

General Tips 1. Make the organization of your writing clear 2. Use short paragraphs, short sentences — and short words Prefer this Now Start Show Finish Speed up Use Place to this Currently Initiate Indicate Finalize Move along Utilize Put position

3. Use plain English even on technical subjects 4. Make your writing active — and personal Passive, impersonal Active, personal It is recommended We recommend He should be told Get Alice to tell him 5. Use down-to-earth language Buzzword Down-to-earth To interface Discuss, meet, work To impact To affect, to do to Modality Style Method Incent Motivate Skill set Skills, abilities Solution set Solutions

6. Avoid unnecessary jargon 7. Be specific Our adult program was a great success. We attracted more students from more places than ever before. Our enrollment doubled to 560. Students came from Wyoming and twenty-seven other states, and from Germany and Canada. 8. Choose the right word Affect – Effect Principal – Principle Foreword – Forward 9. Keep in mind what your reader doesn’t know Give examples or explanations 10. Punctuate carefully

E-mail structure To: p-vogel@mply. de From: s. griffrn@travelexpress. com Cc: Bcc: Subject: Sales Manager post (ref. 7672 P) Dear Mr Vogel Thank you for your e-mail expressing interest in the above vacancy. Please confrrm whether you would prefer to receive an application form and further details by e-mail (Word XP, approximately 551() or in hard copy by post. lf you have any questions, please do not hesitate to e-mail or phone me. Yours sincerely Stacey Griffrn Personnel Assistant s. g rif i n @trave lexpress. com Travel Express 35 Windmill Street Evesham EN 42 g. TR UK ret +44 (0)1 868 767565 (extn 392) Fax: +44 (0)1 868 767600 ******** The content of this e-mail and any attachments sent with it are confrdential and for the addressee only. Any unauthorised copying or distribution by anyone else is prohibited. Please delete this e-mail if you have obtained it in error. Sender Receiver Subject line Importance option Attachment Link Signature Disclaimer

Greetings Dear Sir or Madam Dear Mr Smith Dear Mrs/Ms Wade Dear Dr Young Dear clients/ colleagues Dear Team/ Dear All Dear Sophie * Hello, Sophie * Hi, Sophie * Hello, * Hi everyone * Ms or Mrs? Ms is used more frequently in the meantime as this term does not disclose the marital status. Only if the addressee refers to herself as Mrs, do you assume this salutation. The English Miss is out of date

Referring to previous contact I am writing with regard/with reference/in reply to your recent email/phone call. . . Ø Further to your last email, … Ø Referring to your request for information, … Ø Thank you for your phone call/message/reply… Ø I am writing in response to your advertisement… Ø I saw your advertisement in (local paper…)… Ø I’m writing with reference to order number KULIP 1 Ø We understand from your e-mail that … Ø I am mailing this via the ‘Contact us’ link on you webshop… Ø Your name was given to me by … Ø

Giving the reason for writing Informing Thanking Apologizing Requesting Complaining Making an appointment Inviting Greeting Reminding Refusing a request I’m writing to/ in order to/ in connection with/ in reply to/with regard to … Our reason for contacting you is the following… We would like to… We wish to…

Informing I am writing to inform you about/that… We would like/wish to inform you about … We would like/wish to draw your attention to the following: … It is our pleasure to inform you of … As we agreed during … As requested in your email of …

Requesting Formal I wonder if you could … ? Do you think I could have … ? I’d be grateful if you could … I would like to know … We’re interested in finding out … We would like to receive. . . I wonder if you could … Would you mind …? I would be grateful if you could… Could you perhaps attach … Please send us information about… Please send full details of. . . Less formal Can you tell me a little more about … ? Can I have … ? Please could you … ? Please send me … Just a quick note to remind you to …

Refusing a Request We regret to inform you that … With regard to your request, unfortunately we are not able to … Explanation There appears to have been a misunderstanding. I have spoken to my line manager, and unfortunately we aren’t able to … As we are bound by regulations of the … Alternatives But I am sure we can find an acceptable compromise. I suggest you contact a@b. c to arrange this matter. We are however prepared to let you have the requested goods on credit. We could replace the damaged goods with … Goodwill ending We offer you our sincere apologies for this. I very much hope you will continue to use our services in

Making an appointment To ask for an appointment I’m writing to arrange a time for our meeting… Could we meet on (Friday, June 26, in the afternoon at 3 p. m. )? We would be very pleased if you could come (to a meeting here on 1 April). Your presence at the meeting will be most useful. Please everyone let me know if you will be able to attend… Confirming proposals Yes, I think I should be able to make next Friday morning at The Savoy. I’ll get back to you later today to confirm our appointment. Just to confirm my visit to you, on Friday 13 at 10 a. m Looking forward to meeting you next week. Please let me know if there’s anything I can prepare Refusing / postponing/ cancelling an appointment I’m afraid I can’t manage next Friday. I’m not available for lunch on either day, but would 3 p. m on Friday suit you? I’m out of the office until 11 p. m. , but any time after that would be fine. This is to let you know, that I will not be able to attend the meeting in Berlin. Please accept my sincere apologies for cancelling our appointment on such short notice. I had an unavoidable emergency that prevented me from keeping our appointment. Owing to circumstances beyond our control, we will unfortunately need to … Regrettably, due to unexpected events Dr. Doğan must cancel the lecture of June 26. Mr Jorritsma sends his sincere apologies for his absence from the conference, and …

Invitations Inviting Accepting / declining an invitation I’m writing to invite you to… We would be glad if you could invitation. I would be delighted to come… attend the … We would very much like to invite and I take great pleasure in It would be a pleasure to receive accepting it. you at our … I would like to take this opportunity to invite you for… May I thank the board for their kind invitation to … on May 22 you for… Thank you for your kind I’m very sorry that I will miss the meeting. Please accept my apologies.

Indicating date and time in Months January February March April May June July August September October November December Days on Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Ordinal numbers 1 st first 2 nd second 3 rd third 4 th fourth 5 th fifth 6 th sixth 7 th seventh 8 th eighth (only one ‘t’) 9 th ninth (no ‘e’) 10 th tenth 11 th eleventh 12 th twelfth (‘f’ not ‘v’) 20 th twentieth 21 st twenty first etc. Dates 26 June, reads as: the twenty sixth of June 26, reads as: June twenty sixth. 26 th June, reads as: June, the twenty sixth. 2009, reads as: two thousand nine. Time At 5 o’clock a. m. /p. m. In the morning/in the evening Till 6 o’clock Before 7 o’clock After 6 o’clock

Apologies Formal style We apologise for … I was very concerned to learn about your problems. We’re doing everything we can to resolve this issue. Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience caused. This was due to circumstances beyond our control. I will look into the matter immediately and get back to you within the next few days. To compensate for the inconvenience caused by this, I would like to suggest … We realise this is disappointing news to hear, and we apologise for the inconvenience we have caused you. We are sending you a … as a gesture of goodwill … More personal style Please accept my sincere apologies for cancelling our appointment on such short notice. I had an unavoidable emergency that prevented me from keeping the appointment. An urgent matter at the head office came up that I just had to deal with immediately. On behalf of ABC Gmb. H, I offer sincere apologies to you for … I’m afraid I had completely misunderstood the situation. The fault was entirely mine and I really regret that it occurred.

Complaints We regret to write you that the products we received Friday, 13 th were below the standard we expected. Please replace the broken goods as soon as possible. We wish to point out an error in the consignment we received yesterday. I hope that you will deal with this matter promptly, as it is causing us considerable inconvenience.

Congratulations I was very happy to hear about your promotion. I congratulate you heartily. I would like to convey my sincere congratulations on winning … I am delighted to see that all your work has been recognised in this way. Please accept my warmest congratulations on your promotion to. . . Once again my very best wishes. Season’s greetings We wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Here is wishing you a happy holiday season and all the best in the New Year.

Thanks Formal style Ø We would like to thank you for… Ø Our company is very grateful for the trouble you have taken to … Ø I’m writing to let you know how pleased Muster Gmb. H was with … Ø If the occasion arises, I hope you will allow us to return the favour. More personal style I wanted to thank you again for. . . I am just writing to say what an excellent job you did… Many thanks again for your help…

Techniques to make emails better structured Enumerations Extra remarks Temporal indications Summarising First(ly) Second(ly) Third(ly) In the first place To begin with First of all Another Then there is Next Finally Last(ly) Furthermore, … Additionally, … What is more, … Moreover, … …as well as … On another point, In addition, … Besides, … On top of that, … Then, … Later, … In the end, … Prior to this, … Subsequently, Eventually, … To conclude, … To sum it up, … In conclusion, Summarising, To recap briefly, All in all, … In other words, That’s to say, …

Attachments Enclosed please find the necessary technical specifications. We are happy to enclose … You will find particulars of … A route description has been enclosed. For the general terms please refer to the attachment. Please see our prices on enclosed price list. Enclosed please find our latest catalogue. Please find enclosed some low resolution jpg images. Please find attached my report. I’m sending you our general conditions as a PDF file.

Ending an Email Referring to future contact Timed closing remarks Offering further information or service Announcing activities ØI look forward to hearing from you soon. Ø We look forward to welcoming you to… Ø I look forward to receiving your advice on this matter. Ø We should be glad to receive this information. Ø We hope we have been of help to you. Ø We trust to have furnished you with all the necessary Øinformation. ØWe hope for an early reply. Ø I look forward to receiving this information as soon as possible. Ø I would appreciate a reply asap. Ø Please deal with this matter urgently. ØCan I expect a reply from you by tomorrow morning, please? ØShould you need any further information about … Øwe will be happy to assist you. Ø If you’d like any more details, just let us know. Ø Should you have any further questions, we stand readily at your disposal. Ø If we can be of service in any way? ØI hope I may contact you later on this matter. Ø Mr/Mrs … will contact you at an early date to explain the details. Ø We’ll inform you on a weekly basis about Ø We will forward the report as soon as possible. Ø We’ll be glad to provide you with further details. Ø We shall inform you as soon as we have the requested products in stock again.

Closing Formal Yours faithfully Yours sincerely Sincerely (yours) Cordially yours Best regards With best regards Informal With best regards Kind regards Best wishes

Thank you for your attention