WRD 202 | Marta Shcherbakova | Winter 2020 External Correspondence Packet Writing a Marketing Letter and a Networking Email Overview: In this assignment you need to craft two separate documents: 1. a marketing letter inviting a distinguished guest to a campus event and 2. a networking email contacting an internship program or an international company. Please study the scenarios provided below to determine the audience, style, tone, and structure of each document. Background Knowledge: Review the Power Point on writing successful letters and emails that we discussed in class (also available on our D2L page). Also, review Chapter 4 “Preparing Correspondence” (only pages 98-133) and Chapter 3 “E- Communications at Work” from Successful Writing at Work (pp. 76-94). Learning Outcomes Transferable Skills  Craft documents that address specific audiences  Compose documents that use appropriate style choices for the genre (and/or rhetorical situation)  Produce documents that use standard conventions of business genres  Compose documents that are grammatically and mechanically sound  Plan/ organize/ prioritize  Resourcefulness  Ethical reasoning and judgment  Professionalism  Multicultural Competence  Information Technology Application  Written Communication Writing a Marketing Letter The background. Businesses often invite prominent people to participate in activities that promote the organization’s interests: fund-raising events, product promotions, groundbreaking ceremonies, professional conferences, and so on. A major challenge is that the invitee may not be rewarded monetarily, or may be given only a small honorarium. And if the invited person is rich, famous, or busy enough, even substantial compensation might not be enough to get him or her to participate in your high-profile people to contribute their time and energy. In this application, you are charged with inviting a local distinguished person to participate in a campus event for your team, group, club, fraternity, sorority, or some other organization of your choice. You would like this person either to join a discussion on a particular topic or to formally present his or her views on an issue of interest to your group. (You can make up an appropriate group if you don’t actually belong to one, but be sure to select an actual person as your invitee- perhaps someone of renown.) Assume that the invitee is busy with other obligations and probably receives many similar requests to contribute time and expertise. Your group has $500 WRD 202 | Marta Shcherbakova | Winter 2020 available for an honorarium or for other activities to support the planned event (for example, a lunch or dinner meeting with the invited guest). The purpose. You goal is to gain the interest of the invited person, to help the invitee feel a connection to your group’s interest and purposes, and to feel that she or he has the ...

1. WRD 202 | Marta Shcherbakova | Winter 2020
External Correspondence Packet
Writing a Marketing Letter and a Networking Email
Overview: In this assignment you need to craft two separate
documents:
1. a marketing letter inviting a distinguished guest to a campus
event and
2. a networking email contacting an internship program or an
international company.
Please study the scenarios provided below to determine the
audience, style, tone, and
structure of each document.
Background Knowledge: Review the Power Point on writing
successful letters and
emails that we discussed in class (also available on our D2L
page). Also, review
Chapter 4 “Preparing Correspondence” (only pages 98-133) and
Chapter 3 “E-
Communications at Work” from Successful Writing at Work
(pp. 76-94).
Learning Outcomes Transferable Skills

2. audiences
appropriate style choices for the
genre (and/or rhetorical situation)
conventions of business genres
grammatically and mechanically
sound
fessionalism
Application
Writing a Marketing Letter
The background. Businesses often invite prominent people to
participate in activities that
promote the organization’s interests: fund-raising events,

3. product promotions, groundbreaking
ceremonies, professional conferences, and so on. A major
challenge is that the invitee may not
be rewarded monetarily, or may be given only a small
honorarium. And if the invited person is
rich, famous, or busy enough, even substantial compensation
might not be enough to get him or
her to participate in your high-profile people to contribute their
time and energy.
In this application, you are charged with inviting a local
distinguished person to participate in a
campus event for your team, group, club, fraternity, sorority, or
some other organization of your
choice. You would like this person either to join a discussion on
a particular topic or to formally
present his or her views on an issue of interest to your group.
(You can make up an appropriate
group if you don’t actually belong to one, but be sure to select
an actual person as your invitee-
perhaps someone of renown.) Assume that the invitee is busy
with other obligations and
probably receives many similar requests to contribute time and
expertise. Your group has $500
WRD 202 | Marta Shcherbakova | Winter 2020
available for an honorarium or for other activities to support the
planned event (for example, a
lunch or dinner meeting with the invited guest).
The purpose. You goal is to gain the interest of the invited
person, to help the invitee feel a

4. connection to your group’s interest and purposes, and to feel
that she or he has the right
background to make a useful contribution.
The audience. Most people you will want to invite are very
busy, often in demand for similar
groups and events. Sure, you need to flatter the person invited,
but primarily you need to arouse
his or her interest in your group’s purposes. The invitee needs
to feel prepared to contribute the
requested information and ideas. You also need to show
scheduling flexibility to accommodate
the guest’s busy calendar.
The communication strategy. Use a respectful tone throughout
the communication, a tone
that reflects your admiration for the invited person and your
appreciation for his or her
considering you request. Also, make sure to do the following:
· Identify the nature and interests of the group you are
representing, giving the invited person
enough information to decide whether he or she has the right
background to meet your
needs.
· Give examples of any related activities your group has
sponsored.
· Let the invitee know exactly when and where the event will
occur, possibly offering
alternative dates.
· Tell the invitee whether there will be other presenters; how
long she or he should speak,
respond to questions, or both; and who will be in the audience

5. (undergraduate students?
Faculty? The general public?).
· Stipulate the honorarium if you intend to use some or all of
your group’s $500 for this
purpose.
· Close with a thank-you and a date by which you need a reply.
· Provide your contact information and express your readiness
to discuss any of the details.
Writing a Networking Email (choose one scenario)
Scenario 1:
Find an internship program in the field of your interest.
Research about the program:
overview, requirements, person(s) to contact regarding the
application. Then following
the guidelines below, compose your networking email.
WRD 202 | Marta Shcherbakova | Winter 2020
Scenario 2:
Find an international company in the field of your interest.

6. Research about the
company: history, ratings, latest news. Choose a position you
would like to apply for and
the person you can contact regarding an informal interview.
Then following the
guidelines below, compose your networking email.
Guidelines for writing a Networking Email:
• (1)Your first few sentences need to compel the person to read
on. To introduce
yourself, provide relevant information that connects you to the
person and their
career field. Such information may include: your interests
(career, personal, or
academic), a person you know in common, your Hamilton
connection, etc. For
example, you might say that you became interested in their
career field as a
result of a specific course or extra-curricular activity.
• “As a result of economics courses I’ve taken at Hamilton, I’ve
become interested
in “microfinancing”. I’d like to explore how I could use that
interest within a
nonprofit organization.” Don’t start off by saying "My name
is..." because it’s not
necessary - they'll see your signature at the end of the letter.
• (2) Explain your motivation for contacting them - what you
want to accomplish by
speaking with them. Communicate to them what you already
know about their

7. career field or organization and what kind of information you
are seeking. While it
may feel more comfortable to ask generally for “any help you
can provide,” don’t
be vague about what you need. This puts too much pressure on
the reader to
figure out what you want.
• (3) Request either a face-to-face meeting or a scheduled phone
conversation to
conduct your informational interview. Give specifics about your
availability - days
or times of the week that you are generally available (during
business hours). If
no dates are provided, the reader is more likely to put the
email/letter aside.
• (4) Mention that you are attaching a copy of your resume so
that the contact can
get a sense of your background. Once you have drafted an
email/letter, review it
by putting yourself in the shoes of the reader; imagine how you
would respond. If
you don’t feel compelled to reply, then you need to rewrite.
Draft #1 – Thursday, January 30, before class (upload to D2L)
Draft #2 – Sunday, February 2, midnight (upload to D2L)

8. WRD 202 | Marta Shcherbakova | Winter 2020
Grading Rubric
Criteria Excellent Good Inconsistent Below Average Poor
Clarity 10 points 8 points 6 points 4 points 2 points /10
Conciseness 10 points 8 points 6 points 4 points 2 points /10
Comprehensiveness 10 points 8 points 6 points 4 points 2 points
/10
Honesty/Accuracy 5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point
/5
Document Specific Concerns 5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points
1 point /5
Rhetorical Awareness 10 points 8 points 6 points 4 points 2
points /10
Total /50