writing & organising english emails
Post on 19-Oct-2014
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Here's a copy of a recent presentation we did on writing and managing emails in English. Part of our "Working In English" seminar seriesTRANSCRIPT
WRITING IN ENGLISHWHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
THE EVOLUTION OF
WRITTEN ENGLISH
GEOFFREY CHAUCER 1342 - 1400
Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote And bathed every veyne in swich licour, Of which vertu engendred is the flour; Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth Inspired hath in every holt and heeth The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne Hath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne, And smale foweles maken melodye,
CANTERBURY TALES - PROLOGUE
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 1562 - 1616
“Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. He hath bore me on his back a thousand times, and now how abhorr'd in my imagination it is! My gorge rises at it.”
Hamlet Act 5, scene 1
WINSTON CHURCHILL 1874 - 1965
EMAIL IS AN EVOLUTION OF THE BUSINESS LETTER
But less formal and simpler.
OVER THE LAST 10 YEARSEMAIL HAS GOT SHORTER AND MORE INFORMAL
Dear Chris, !
Thank you for your email. !
In answer to your points raised in your email I can confirm that we can go ahead with the project, but I think we will need the authority of our Singapore office before we can begin the project.
2001
Hi Chris, !
To answer your questions: !• Yes, we can go ahead with the programme. • We need authority from Singapore before rolling
out the new plan.
2014
Dear Fred, !Do you have time in the next two weeks for an update meeting? !My trip to visit my family this Christmas is booked and I shall be flying on the 19th December returning on the 2 January, so it would be nice to meet with you before I go. !Thursday this week around 3:30pm would be good, or next Monday (16th) anytime after 2pm. !Look forward to hearing from you !Andy
Thursday looks good !
Fred
THE PERFECT RESPONSE
HOURS TO REPLY
0
20
40
60
80
LETTER EMAIL
72 HOURS
24 HOURS
PREPARATION
QUESTION: DO YOU REALLY NEED TO SEND AN EMAIL?
Would a telephone call be better and faster?
NOBODY READS LONG EMAILS
When was the last time you read a 2000 word newspaper article?
USE “WHAT + WHY”
What do you want. Why do you want it.
USE “WHAT + WHY” Dear Pedro, !
Could you send me a copy of the management report for the last LUP? !
We would like to begin using the same strategy as you guys did in the Philippines.
LAYOUT
LOSE THE STRUCTURE GET TO THE POINT
• USE PARAGRAPHS FOR EACH POINT
• USE BULLET POINTS FOR EMAILS WITH A LOT OF POINTS.
• PUT A SPACE BETWEEN PARAGRAPHS.
“Mr Jobs, I humbly ask why Apple is so wonderfully attentive to the needs of students, whether it be with the latest, greatest invention or the company’s helpful customer service line, and yet, ironically, the media relations department fails to answer any of my questions which are, as I have repeatedly told them, essential to my academic performance.”
STUDENT’S EMAIL TO STEVE JOBS
“Our goals do not include helping you get a good grade. Sorry.”
LANGUAGE
“DEAR” v “Hi”
IF YOU KNOW THE RECEIVER WELL - “Hi” !IF YOU DON’T - “Dear”
ADVERBSWHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN:
URGENT VERY URGENT
This is urgent.
This is very urgent.
how much faster will you reply to “very urgent”?
REMOVE ADVERBS.
really much very
WHEN WRITING IN ENGLISH STOP THINKING IN KOREAN
The languages are so different. Korean is a very polite language. English is not.
고객님께In English this would be considered impolite
Dear Customer,
I AM NOT A CUSTOMER. I AM A PERSON !USE THE PERSON’S NAME
REQUEST FOR INFORMATIONDear CEO Mr Swain, !
I hope you are well and that you keeping warm in this cold weather. !
I was wondering if you might possibly have time to send me a copy of the AP Sales Breakdown Report for 2012? We need this AP Sales Breakdown Report for 2012 to help us put together our P of A for 2014. !
I am looking forward to hearing from you soon. Regards !
JiWon Park
REQUEST FOR INFORMATIONDear CEO Mr Swain !
I hope you are well and that you keeping warm in this cold weather. !
I was wondering if you might possibly have time to send me a copy of the AP Sales Breakdown Report for 2012? We need this AP Sales Breakdown Report for 2012 to help us put together our P of A for 2014. !
I am looking forward to hearing from you soon. Regards !
JiWon Park
This is “flowery” language
REQUEST FOR INFORMATIONDear CEO Mr Swain !
I hope you are well and that you keeping warm in this cold weather. !
I was wondering if you might possibly have time to send me a copy of the AP Sales Breakdown Report for 2012? We need this AP Sales Breakdown Report for 2012 to help us put together our P of A for 2014. !
I am looking forward to hearing from you soon. Regards !
JiWon Park
This is just waffle
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
Dear Mr Swain, !
Could you send me a copy of the AP Sales Breakdown Report for 2012? !
Regards !
JiWon Park
REPLY TO A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
Dear Seve, !
Please find attached a copy of the clinical trial results you requested.
REPLY TO A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
Dear Seve, !
I have attached a copy of the clinical trial results you asked for.
THE CHASEWHAT TO DO WHEN SOMEONE IGNORES YOUR REQUEST
THE CHASE
CALL THEM
I refer to my email dated 6 December. I note I have not received a reply. !
This matter is urgent and I would appreciate it if you could let me have the information as soon as possible.
THE FORMAL CHASE
I wonder if you have had time to find the information I asked for last week. !
This is urgently needed and I would be grateful if you could let me have it as soon as possible.
THE INFORMAL CHASE
PREPOSITIONS / ARTICLES
I SHALL BE AVAILABLE FOR A CONFERENCE CALL ON MONDAY AT 1:30PM
I HAVE ATTACHED A COPY OF THE SALES REPORT FOR LUP and Delta
EDITING
REPLACE THESE WORDS:
THEREFORE with SO THUS with SO HOWEVER with BUT IN ORDER TO with TO
AVOID BUSINESS JARGON
MSR / MR POA FTEs CRM DATA CFSS SAM
?
IF IT IS POSSIBLE TO CUT A WORD OUT, THEN CUT IT OUT
I wonder if you could send me a copy of the report.
you
v
“IF YOU HAVE AN IMPORTANT POINT TO MAKE, DON'T TRY TO BE SUBTLE OR CLEVER. USE A PILE DRIVER. HIT THE POINT ONCE. THEN COME BACK AND HIT IT AGAIN. THEN HIT IT A THIRD TIME - A TREMENDOUS WHACK.” !
WINSTON CHURCHILL
BEFORE HITTING SEND - CHECK YOUR EMAIL !!!
SIMPLIFYING
THE AVERAGE OFFICE WORKER RECEIVES
40
EMAILS PER DAY
THAT WORKS OUT AT
1 HOUR 30 MINS
Spent just looking at your mail each day
THAT’S WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO KEEP YOUR EMAIL SHORT
Think about the person
you are writing to!
Dear Fred,
Just a reminder with regards to the sales meeting in Dublin, Ireland on the 5 January 2014, which is coming up. We have not yet received your confirmation with regards to you attending to the meeting.
Please, note that the hotel needs to be booked by 31 December 2013 so, please, make your booking ASAP. To assist you, I have copied below the e-mail sent by the hotel last week with all the instructions for the booking.
Thank you in advance for your kind attention.
BAD
Dear Fred,
Are you coming to the sales meeting meeting on 5 January? If so please let me know asap! If you want a discounted room you need to reserve by 31 December (see enclosed information).
Hope to see you there!
GOOD
FIRST EMAIL - 84 WORDS SECOND EMAIL - 37 WORDS
LESS IS MORE!
SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY
MANAGING YOUR EMAIL
INBOX ZEROWHAT IS IT AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
How many of you have this?
INBOX ZERODO DELETE DEFER DELEGATE
less than 2 mins - DO IT NOW
If it has no purpose - DELETE IT
If it will take more time - DEFER IT
If someone else can do it better
For information materials, place then in a REFERENCE FOLDER
GMAIL, APPLE MAIL & OUTLOOK HAVE EXCELLENT SEARCH FUNCTIONALITY
You don’t need to have a lot folders in your email programme.
CHECKING IS NOT DOING
USE GMAIL KEYBOARD SHORTCUTSIT CAN SAVE YOU HOURS
“C” = Write new email “R” = Reply to an email “Y” = Delete “f” = Forward
BE AN EMAIL NINJA
learn the keyboard shortcuts
AUTO REPLYNEVER PUT ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION IN AN AUTO REPLY
that’s how spammers and hackers get your personal information
AUTO REPLY
Thank you for your email. I am away from the office and will return on Monday, December 16. If your message requires a reply, I will respond when I return. For immediate needs, please contact:
[NAME OF COLLEAGUE] [COLLEAGUE’s EMAIL ADDRESS]
Dear Mike, !
Thank you for the copy of the new Recruitment Policy. !
Regards
PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT
Dear Steve, !
Thank you for sending me a copy of the management accounts. They will be very useful. !
Regards
OF YOUR EMAIL WRITING IS FROM
THE SAME 10 RESPONSES
80%
CREATE A FOLDER IN EMAIL CALLED “TEMPLATES” SAVE ANY EMAILS YOU SEND REGULARLY TO THAT FOLDER.
TEMPLATES SAVE YOU HOURS
better still, use an application like Textexpander
WRAP UP
THINK ENGLISH NOT KOREAN WHEN WRITING IN ENGLISH
KEEP IT SHORT
SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY
WRAP UP
MANAGE YOU EMAIL - KEEP IT UP TO DATE
ADOPT THE INBOX ZERO METHOD
LEARN THE KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
CONTACT ME
www.fandcorp.com