This document discusses best practices for business communication through email, memos, and letters. It provides guidance on appropriate uses of email, how to write compelling subject lines and professional greetings/sign-offs. The document also covers organizing emails effectively, controlling your inbox, writing memos and letters, and down-editing content. In summary, it offers tips for using major workplace writing channels like email, memos, and letters according to professional standards.

1. Business Communication
Emails, Memos, and Letters
Adapted from NETA PowerPoint for Essentials of Business Communication by
Lisa Jamieson

2. Email: Here to Stay
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3. Email: Pros and Cons
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4. When Is Email Appropriate?
• Short requests
• Multiple receivers
• Must be archived
• Cover for attachments

5. Professional Emails:
Compelling Subject Lines
• Specific language
• Main point
• Concise
Image source

6. Professional Emails:
Greetings and Sign-Offs
Greetings Sign-Offs
Friendly
Hi, Pat,
Thanks, Pat,
Good morning, Pat,
Formal
Dear Ms. Smith,
Unknown Recipient
Greetings,
Friendly
Cheers,
Best,
Formal
Regards,
Sincerely,

7. Professional Emails:
Signature Blocks

8. Professional Email:
Organization
• Open with main idea
• Organize body for readability
• Lists
• Paragraphs
• Headings
• Close effectively
• Action information
• Summary
• Concluding thought

10. How do you control your inbox?
• Check at set times
• Inform about response
time
• Use 2-minute rule
• Follow the 4 D’s
• Delete
• Do
• Delegate
• Defer
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11. Down-Editing
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12. Writing Memos
• Internal messages
• Permanent record
or formality

13. Writing Letters
• Permanent
record
• Confidentiality
• Formality
• Sensitivity
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14. Summary
• Learned about professional standards in the use
and formatting of major daily workplace writing
channels such as email, memos, and letters.

15. References
Guffrey, M. E., Loewy, D., & Almonte, R. (2019). Essentials of business communication (9th Canadian Edition). Nelson.
Jamieson, L. (2019). Chapter 1: Communicating in the digital-age workplace [PowerPoint slides]. Nelson.

16. Image Sources
Ayazo, T. (2019, July 17). Format for a business letter [Illustration]. Reader’s Digest.
https://www.rd.com/article/business-letter-format/
Buttignol, M. (2020, September 18). [Woman checking email] [Animated illustration]. Lifewire.
https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-my-email-address-4143261
[Email in envelope] [Illustration]. [n.d.] Back Office Shared Services. https://boz.com.au/create-email-subject-
line/
[Man with emails flying in face] [Photo illustration]. (2015, October 21). eLearning Services.
http://roehamptonlearning.com/too-many-emails-how-to-do-as-much-with-less/
[Woman weighing pros and cons of email] [Illustration]. [n.d.] BBC Bitesize.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zghfr82