Business Communications (Quick Study Business) [Lam Rfc Cr ed.] 1423216350, 9781423216353

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BarCharts, Inc.®

WORLD’S #1 QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

General Principles three important things to tell you. First of all…” By stating a basic outline for your listener, you increase the likelihood that the entire message will be heard

Tone

• In general, your tone should be professional, pleasant, and direct • Your tone and style of communication are some of the ways in which you project a specific image about yourself professionally; you do not want the image that comes from sloppy work, rude communication, or a passive, weak style of communication • Know what you are talking about; it is way too common for people to send out an email, make a phone call, or put together a presentation with a clear lack of understanding of what they are talking about; you do not have to know everything, but you should never be seen as a person who does not have a clue

Sarcasm

• Avoid sarcasm; this is a principle violated often in business communication and usually with poor results • There is no universally accepted way to let your reader know that a line in your email or memo was purposefully sarcastic; many times these comments will be interpreted as overly critical, harsh, or personally insulting; even if you consider this “your sense of humor,” you should use sarcasm infrequently, if at all

Connection

Audience

• We often conduct business with people who are on the other side of the city, state, or world; remember one of the basic business tenets: “People want to do business with people they like” • Seek, where possible and appropriate, to create some sort of connection (even if it is just through being polite to another person) with your audience; as communication becomes less personal, a personal touch becomes that much more unique and important

• Keep in mind that there is an excellent chance that your communication will ultimately be viewed by someone other than your original audience; make sure you never send anything that would embarrass you or others if seen • Voicemails are sometimes listened to on a speakerphone, emails are often forwarded with the entire “conversation” attached for the next party’s review, and written letters may be left on one’s desk for others to see • If you are thinking of complaining about someone, challenging the “status quo” in your company in written form, or leaving a harsh voicemail, remember that strongly worded communication is often passed around— sometimes as a learning tool for an organization, but often as a way to show how inappropriate the sender was • Proceed as if you are going to have to discuss this communication with your boss or attorney because you very well may have to if you go too far

Level of Confidentiality

• Do not divulge personal or private material in any business communication; in addition to being in poor form, you could potentially be in violation of a confidentiality agreement or personal promise that your boss or colleague made to another person

Responsibility

• If your recipient feels your words, tone, or style is inappropriate, you should apologize and review the situation; often, it is ill-advised humor or a “throwaway” comment you made that the other party finds unacceptable • Ask yourself what you are presenting; are you trying to persuade, inform, lead, or warn? Your style and words will be informed by your goals • Remember that ultimately you are your own brand in some capacity; what do you want “Brand You” to represent? Sloppy, ill-prepared communication says something very clear about the speaker; so, too, does an excellent and well-prepared style • Proofread and rehearse; even a cursory read will generally reveal a few typos or stylistic changes that you would like to make; try to slow down just a little and put your best self forward to your audience

Frequency of Communication

• There is a fine line between being persistent and being annoying; it is even possible to make a client or prospect feel harassed in certain extreme situations • Is the client used to regular communication with you and your team? If so, then repeated emails and phone calls are not overwhelming • Most people understand that cold calling and business prospecting are part of being in business; however, if your recipient is nonresponsive after 2 or 3 attempts using a variety of methods, you should probably not try to contact him/her again, at least for 1 or 2 months • Occasionally, people will have a personal or business issue that makes them uncommunicative

Word Choice

Humor

• Use as few words as possible to get your point across, especially if it is an important point • People usually read closest the first sentence and the last sentence of a letter, email, or memo; as they say in the newspaper business, “Don’t bury your lead”; do not place the sentence that encapsulates the point of the communication somewhere in the middle of the letter/memo; place it in the first sentence or two; occasionally, it may make sense to underline or boldface an important secondary sentence that is in the middle of the communication • Clear and concise word choice should be used in verbal communication as well; if you are in the habit of leaving long, rambling voicemails, you should be aware that your audience may well be deleting them after the first 10 or 15 seconds; either leave more concise messages or leave a message that says something like “Joe, sorry this is a bit of a long voicemail. I have

• In business, humor is rarely the best way to get your point across • Most people are not as funny as they think they are; if you are a regular jokester in your office, ask a friend or candid colleague for an honest assessment of your style

Formal vs. Informal Business Communication

• We work and live in an increasingly informal world; although some formality is totally appropriate in business, consider your style as well as your audience • Many younger employees use written communication and social media regularly and may feel less comfortable leaving voicemails; however, other employees may not feel as comfortable with these mediums

The Writing Process – How to Stay Out of Trouble • If your company or boss has a habit of making promises and then not delivering, you should either do everything you can to do things differently or consider changing jobs

The “Desk Drawer” Approach

• If you have written something that you think may be difficult for your recipient to receive, consider writing the letter or email and then setting it to the side for a few hours or, ideally, overnight; review the letter or email the following day; chances are, you may want to “soften the blow” upon a reread of the letter • If you still feel that the letter is an accurate reflection of your views, you can then send it; just be prepared for the ramifications

Nonverbal Communication

• Most interpersonal communication that takes place in person is nonverbal; if you choose your words carefully but often find that your recipients mistake your meaning or intention, you should carefully evaluate your nonverbal signals • Nonverbal communication is not just your facial expressions but also your tone, how you hold your arms and hands, the way you stand, and how much space you keep between yourself and the other person

Don’t Say Things You Don’t Mean, Don’t Make Promises You Can’t Keep

• This is part of “Brand You”; you do not want to be seen as a person who does not live up to commitments 1

The Writing Process (continued)

• You can improve your nonverbal signals by talking to a friend or loved one honestly; often, it is helpful to tape yourself giving a presentation and then show that tape to another person with the volume off; ask the person for his/her initial impressions and quick, off-the-cuff comments; you might be doing something that you did not even realize was off-putting • One key item that creates a sense of approachability and trust in business dealings is eye contact; although there are cultural differences, in general, making regular eye contact is a key part of connecting with another person • If you are stressed out and angry, it will be very difficult for you to convey a warm and calm tone to a listener; consider taking a vacation or a break if you notice your stress level climbing—chances are that your listener has already noticed

Email Communication Beginning an Email

• Make sure the email is going to whom you intended; use the “Reply All” option very sparingly; few things are more annoying than seeing multiple individual responses to a sent mass email • The email should be written like a letter; it should begin with “Dear Bill” and end with “Sincerely, Jane Robertson,” or similar language; it should contain paragraphs and space breaks if longer than 5 or 6 sentences; it is difficult to read a “wall of text” that contains no proper punctuation and paragraph breaks

Ending an Email

• Many people have a standard signature block with their name, company, and contact information listed at the bottom of the email; this is a simple way to give a uniform, professional look to all of your emails; you may wish to consider adding your corporate logo to the signature block as well • Many companies have standard confidentiality and legal disclaimers at the end of their emails; check with your human resources department to find out if you need to add such language to your emails

What to Never Do or Say in an Email

• When possible, try to limit an email to one basic subject matter; many people “sort” emails by subject matter and put these emails into folders; if your email touches on multiple issues, it can be impossible to sort the email properly for future review; remedy this by simply sending multiple emails to your recipient with different subject lines; if you need to send several emails to one person, you may wish to space these emails out a bit so that you do not overwhelm your recipient • Using poor grammar or sentence fragments should be done rarely (if ever) and only with people you know very well and with whom you correspond frequently • Remember, the more cryptically your emails are written, the more likely it is that they will be misinterpreted; in addition, if you use sloppy language or structure, you are telling your recipient that you are too busy to give him/her a properly worded and structured letter, which is probably not the message you want to send to anyone • Use acronyms sparingly, as they create an email that can be difficult to read • Never send large attachments unless your recipient is expecting them and he/she knows you well; often, these attachments carry a heightened risk of containing a virus; for the same reason, you should not open an email attachment from a stranger without using virus detection software

Responding to an Email

• It is considered basic email etiquette to at least acknowledge the email by thanking the sender • Responding in ALL CAPS is akin to shouting in the online world and should be avoided • Tone can be difficult to communicate via email—sarcasm and irony are usually best avoided unless you know the other party very well; humor and pictures should be used sparingly

Things to Remember

• You cannot un-send an email - Always take a quick glance over the email to check for basic things: › Did you spell the name of your recipient correctly? › Did you run a spell-check? › Is there a contact on the email chain that you did not mean to attach? › Is there a subject line so that the recipient can easily determine what the email is about? - Emails are generally intended to be somewhat short; sending a 10-page email almost certainly means the other party will not read the email in its entirety; anything longer than 1–2 pages should likely be put in a Word document and included as an attachment • The email may be forwarded with your name attached - Once the email is sent, you no longer have control of the information you put in it; if information is sensitive or hurtful, you probably should not send it via email (if at all), as the probability that it will end up being public or semipublic information could be higher than you realize • The email may be used in litigation in the future - A general rule of thumb: “Do not send anything in your work email account that you would not want to discuss openly with your boss or human resources manager” - Remember that your work email account may be legally monitored and almost all large companies (as well as many smaller ones) have technology that “watches” emails for certain key words, pornography, obscenities, and other inappropriate things - Your company may have an email policy in its “Policies and Procedures” manual that you should review 2

Telephone Communication How Cell Phones Have Changed the Game

• Almost every cell phone has caller ID and voicemail; this means that you are able to screen calls and so is your recipient; calling a client or coworker over and over again will be apparent in his/her phone history and usually makes one look either desperate or unprofessional • Never answering your business cell phone may grow tiresome for your callers over time; for example, you might want to indicate on your voicemail that you do not take phone calls during meetings but that you will call back as soon as you are free; you might also put the direct phone number of your assistant or coworker on the outgoing message if you think some of your callers might need assistance immediately • Many employees have a cell phone as their primary contact point; it is becoming increasingly popular for people to leave outgoing voicemail messages that give their specific availability for that day; for example, one might leave a message that says, “Good morning, you have reached the voicemail of Joe Smith. It is Tuesday, December 6, and I will be in meetings most of the morning; however, I will be returning phone calls in the early afternoon”; this type of message minimizes the frustration for people who may not have their call returned immediately

When Not to Make a Business Call

• Do not return a call in which the caller has left you a voicemail message without listening to the message first; many people find this a time waster and an annoyance • Do not make a business call from places that have loud or unpleasant background noises; talking to your friend while walking down the street is appropriate, but your clients do not want to hear a police siren in the background when they are trying to speak with you • If you are making calls from home, try to keep noise from family pets or children to a minimum; calls from a bathroom, loud restaurant/bar, or public transportation are never appropriate in a business setting for anything other than an absolute emergency

Speaking to Someone’s Administrative Assistant

• Part of a professional approach to business is in the manner in which you speak to administrative assistants and secretarial help; many times a boss will ask his/her assistant how a client, vendor, or prospect acted toward him/her on the phone or upon exiting a meeting • It is appropriate to ask an administrative assistant for assistance on a business matter related to your meeting or call, but any such request should be simple and asked with courtesy • Remember that the administrative assistant already has a boss and his/her loyalty is to that individual; if, for example, you request the cell phone number for an individual who is out of the office and the assistant is reluctant to give it out, he/she may be under specific instructions as to when and to whom to give such information; it is not to your benefit professionally to pressure the assistant to do something he/she was instructed not to do, regardless of circumstance; consider offering an alternative (e.g., asking the assistant to give the message to the individual next time they speak)

Voicemail How to Make Sure You Get a Return Phone Call

Pressing “Zero” for Assistance

• Pay attention to the outgoing message; occasionally there will be instructions about how to leave messages that are important • Some people strongly prefer being contacted via email or text and will say so in their outgoing message; you should heed this preference when possible • At the beginning of the message, leave your full name, the company you work for, and your phone number; the information should be left somewhat slowly and articulated clearly • State your basic message in a concise manner, and avoid stating anything personal or private as people will often listen to their voicemail messages over a speakerphone • Keep your tone upbeat, and avoid background noise; this is especially true if you are a salesperson calling a prospective client; your message should be considered part of your sales process • Remember that people generally only listen carefully to the first 15–20 seconds of a message, so make sure you say something that will induce a return call • Your message should not contain detailed or specific information that the other party wants (such as a long order number or several phone numbers) unless no other option for communication exists; this type of information is best saved for an email • Tell the other party what you want him/her to do—politely; if you would like him/her to return the call, say so; if you intend to call back at a specific time, say so • Repeat your name and phone number

• Often, a phone system will have an option to “push zero for an operator or assistant”; occasionally, it is acceptable to reach the assistant to ask if the individual is available to be paged; this option is usually saved for strong vendor/client or colleague relationships and can be considered somewhat aggressive; it should be used sparingly and only when you feel certain that your contact would not find this inappropriate

Following Up

• If your voicemail message is not returned, it is acceptable to leave another voicemail message, but wait a few days to do so; often, such a message might refer to the fact that you left an earlier message; however, do not be overly aggressive or rude but offer alternative ways (e.g., an email address) for the recipient to get in contact with you; if this call is not returned, you should not leave a third message unless you have a strong relationship with the recipient

Handling Your Incoming Voicemails

• Your outgoing message should be short and clear and instruct your caller if you are out of town or inaccessible for an extended period of time • If you receive a large number of incoming voicemails but are often in places where listening to voicemails is inappropriate, consider services like SpinVox or Jott that convert voicemails to email or text messages and then send them to you; these systems are not perfect, and many technical terms and names are often misstated in the voice-to-text transfer, but they still perform a solid service for those interested

Text Message Etiquette

Instant Message Etiquette

Benefits

Benefits

• Texts are quick and quiet; they are perfect for sending a short message to another party when all that is necessary (because of the nature of your relationship or the type of information required) is context-free and informal • One of the main benefits of a text is that it is, by nature, brief • Texts can often be a way to communicate in “real time” with another party when voice communication is not preferred

Drawbacks

• Texts are often used inappropriately; remember that a text is basically the lowest form of written communication; there is no greeting (usually), and there is often little room for explaining the background of a comment or request • Texts are often seen as more personal than business in nature because of this level of informality • Make certain that you are not crossing any lines with clients or coworkers with humor, pictures, or links sent via text message

• Instant messaging is an excellent way to quickly communicate something in real time to a coworker with whom you have an ongoing and strong relationship • For example, instant messaging allows you to ask a question of a coworker while you might be on the phone with a client

Drawbacks

• The ability to send something to someone with no ability to “pull it back” can be dangerous • A momentary impulse to insult a client or boss or to make a joke or a criticism of your company might occur to you throughout the day but, upon reflection, is not appropriate for the workplace— and certainly not appropriate to be put in a written form; instant messaging does not allow for this reflection, and therefore can be dangerous if used improperly

Presentations • Avoid using excessive graphics, animations, and slide transitions; often, these techniques can be distracting to your audience and detract from your topic • Make sure your appearance and dress are appropriate to the forum; in general, you should be equal to or a step up in dress from your audience when making your presentation, depending on what you are trying to project; for example, if you are a banker and are making a presentation to a client who generally dresses in business casual, you should be in a suit, as you are trying to project a professional and serious style; if, however, you are in human resources at your company and are presenting to a group of new hires and trying to make them feel comfortable, you might wish to dress similarly to them • Consider your voice and volume level when talking; if you tend to be a quiet person and are presenting in a large room, consider a small amplifier and microphone; if you have a strong voice and project easily, try to provide some distance between yourself and the front row of your audience so that you do not blow them away with your volume

Overview

• You should try to have “a hook” or something that will engage your audience and compel them to pay attention; it could be an anecdote that makes your topic more relevant or perhaps a spin on a common theme that makes it more interesting to the audience • Have a thesis statement that is clear, concise, and stated early in your presentation; you should repeat your thesis at the end of your presentation (in a slightly different way) - Tell your audience what you are going to tell them - Tell them - Then tell them what you told them • Practice your delivery; this is especially crucial if you are not a strong and polished speaker; remember that almost everyone is uncomfortable speaking in front of groups; strong presenters usually practice until they feel comfortable • Limit humor, especially canned jokes; they rarely go over well; a brief anecdote about the topic is more likely to generate the level of interest you seek without the probable awkwardness of a failed joke

Teleconferencing

• Give the dial-in information to your recipients early and in a clear fashion; if you have not used that particular dial-in before, you might wish to do a trial run to make certain it works correctly • You should distribute an agenda if there are several topics and/or the audience is large; many times people will be listening to the call and sending emails concurrently because only a portion of the call will apply to them; an agenda alerts them to topical transitions as well as when they really need to pay attention • At the beginning of the call, state your name, the topic for the call, as well as your title, if appropriate

In-Person Presentations

• Make certain that your presentation is geared toward your audience; if they are expecting a short, informal explanation of a topic, do not subject them to a long dissertation • If using a slide show, limit the number of slides; you want the focus of the room to be on you and your topic, not an ever-changing slide show • Limit the amount of information on each slide; nothing is more tedious to your audience than a speaker reading each slide to them; your slide show should be a basic outline of your topic, not a block of text 3

Presentations (continued)

• Keep time zones in mind when scheduling the call - Provide a start and end time and begin on time - Expect that some people may be a bit late or have to leave early; have a way for these people to get any missed information at a later date; one excellent way to do this is to create a podcast that is saved somewhere and accessible to all recipients; if the subject is really important, this may be a very efficient way to transfer key information in the future to new hires, vendors, or clients • Remember, people can often hear what is going on in the background - Make every effort to keep background noise to a minimum - Using a headset (as opposed to a speakerphone) will help reduce the background noise • Send any germane documents ahead of time to people via email - If there is a document you will be discussing, allow your recipients an opportunity to review the document and come up with questions or comments - Send the agenda ahead of time and clearly address how questions and answers will be dealt with; if you will allow interruptions, say so; if you want to wait until the presentation is over to take questions, set that forth in the introductory email as well as at the beginning of the call • Close the call with a summary of the key points and action steps • Follow up the call with an email - This provides your listeners with another way of communicating with you - This should be done the day of the call so that, if one of your listeners has a question, it will not be forgotten • If you are a listener and not a speaker, it is permissible to use instant messaging to communicate with coworkers about the subject at hand - This is a great way for your team to make a broader topic more specific to your needs or issues - Make certain that you are not using a keyboard that can be heard by other listeners and that your topics of conversation and comments are respectful and appropriate

Videoconferencing

• The challenge of communicating via videoconferencing is that nonverbal signals are much more difficult to give or understand than they are if the people are in the same room - It may be confusing for your audience to understand to whom a question is addressed if no name is given at the beginning of the question - It can be challenging to determine if your viewers agree with you and whether you have a consensus on a topic • Recognize that many people will use the “mute” button to reduce or eliminate background noise - When asking a direct question, allow people 4–5 seconds to reach for the phone and “un-mute” the call before you restate the question • Be aware of the room you are in and what is “in the screen” for your audience - Do you have an inappropriate calendar or cartoon on your desk that your audience can see? It will be hard for them to concentrate on what you are saying if there is something distracting in the picture • You should wear clothes that are not distracting or inappropriate - Generally, blue and gray tones appear best on screen • Movement while speaking is very distracting - You should be seated or standing still and be certain not to engage in any nervous ticks, tapping, or gestures that will distract your audience - Using your hands or arms to convey a point more emphatically can be a good idea, but too much movement is counterproductive • Try to avoid yelling into the microphone - Generally, the technology is designed to pick up a normal voice level and anything louder than that can be irritating to your viewers and make you look out of touch • Try to look at the camera’s lens as opposed to the screen - If you look directly at the lens of the camera, it will appear to your viewers as if you are looking them in the eye—this will create a better sense of communication and closeness to your audience

How to Deliver Bad News or Criticism via Business Communication

Memos Overview

• A memorandum is used to convey one issue or idea to a limited audience - The idea is to be brief with the goal of explaining or informing your recipients on a topic or subtopic - Shorter is always better in a memo • A memo is generally not as formal as a business letter; however, it is not as informal as a personal letter or most emails - The tone should be either informative or persuasive depending on the thesis of the memo - The topic or thesis should be stated clearly to your recipients in the “RE” (“regarding”) portion of the header; see below for how to format a memo • Have a clear “takeaway” for your readers - Most likely you want them to do a certain thing or understand a topic in a different way - Do not be too subtle about the takeaway, and state it right away in your memo with the evidence or support for your point afterward • Use bullet points or an outline format when providing a list - Many times your colleagues will scan a memo - Action verbs give your audience clear steps you want them to take

Format

• Many basic software packages have stock memo templates for your use; some of these allow for your corporate logo to be used to make the memo look more professional or formal • The general format for addressing a memo is as follows: To: All recipients of the memo should be listed here From: Your name and title, if necessary Date: Today’s date RE: Short for “regarding”; this is your subject matter or thesis statement

• A memo sent electronically may also include:

CC: Carbon Copy should be used to copy bosses or lateral individuals who may have a passing interest in the subject matter but are not the direct audience; often the “file” will be carbon copied to keep a permanent record of certain key information that may be referenced in the future BCC:  Blind Carbon Copy; occasionally, you will want to make an individual aware of the memo without telling the persons on the “To” or “CC” list; this is sometimes used to send something to a “boss of a boss” who is keeping tabs on a direct report or subject but doing it quietly 4

First Things First

• Make sure the information is correct and not just speculative; few things are more embarrassing than telling someone off only to find out that you are misinformed

Prep People Individually for the News If the Number Is Manageable

• In general, people prefer to react to bad news privately • Tipping your hand to people beforehand allows you to understand who has objections and why • This also allows you to state your message slightly differently if people react poorly to a certain phrase or word you used privately • It allows you to be more personal, which shows that you are listening to people’s concerns and “get it”

Never Lie to Your Employees

• If you cannot divulge certain facts or truths, you should be careful with your language but never state incorrect information • Your coworkers or employees will never trust what you say again if they find out you lied; saying “I can’t get into that right now” is frustrating to employees but far preferable to hearing something incorrect • Do not assume that just because the news is complicated that your audience cannot handle it; work hard to explain the issues or concepts clearly; your coworkers, clients, or employees will appreciate that you respect their intelligence enough to give them “the real answer”

Deliver Bad News in Person

• Emails or texts have a level of impersonality that can add insult to injury for your audience • There is often a sense of disrespect that comes from not having the ability to express one’s disappointment or anger in response to bad news, which can make a challenging situation spiral out of control; stand up to the task, offer apologies (if appropriate), and tell people the hard news in a straightforward manner

Social Media • Your blog could potentially lead to legal issues; make certain that if your company has a legal department that it has signed off on your blog; perhaps your company has some standard language that it wishes to have attached to your blog; make certain that you avoid libelous or slanderous posts in your blog • Your voice in the blog should be as close as possible to the “real you”; if you tend to be a lighthearted person, an overly stuffy blog will come off as hollow and false; hard work and a good editor are critical to making a strong, readable blog

Overview

• Most social media is viewed as a customer communication tool as opposed to a customer acquisition tool • When opening a social media account, one helpful way to look at this type of communication is as very different from your personal media accounts; your clients are generally not interested in the minutiae of your personal life, nor should the accounts be used as an opportunity to rant or complain • It is best to figure out what you are an expert at and approach your social media from that voice; perhaps you are in product management and have successfully managed many complicated product processes; you do not need to know everything about this subject to be considered an expert but just enough to launch your social media initiative and begin the online conversation with customers, colleagues, vendors, and other interested parties

Facebook

• Facebook is an excellent way to get word out to lots of prospective clients, users, and employees throughout the country or world; with over 500 million users, Facebook is a powerful pulpit for your social media voice • Facebook is an excellent way to keep your brand and information in front of regular customers and thought leaders in your field; are you opening a new store or bringing a new product to market? Facebook will allow you to let interested parties know what is happening as it happens • Facebook is generally not seen as a great way to get new customers; it is difficult to track how many people are looking at a given “status update” on Facebook and even more difficult to see what these people might do with that information • Recognize that information can be transmitted very quickly via Facebook; a silly error can make you or your company look ridiculous within minutes; have control measures in place to avoid errors

Developing a Social Media Strategy

• Use social media to create a buzz about a new product or service that your company is about to offer; you engender an “insider” feeling among your followers as well as get some low-cost public relations and marketing efforts • Remember that you should have a central message, style, and approach that follow your corporate logo, mission statement, and goals; if you consider your company to be an upscale, luxury brand, make certain that your various social media outlets have a designed and crisp look to them; if your company is cost-conscious, make sure that comes across in your social media campaign • Do not be too “salesy” when talking to your audience; remember, your audience is not interested in an endless infomercial; they are looking for useful thoughts, new ideas, and value propositions; yes, a coupon or big sale is news to your audience, but a steady diet of this will cause them to stop engaging with you • Be candid and honest with your audience as you communicate with them; some companies understand that the semi-anonymous nature of online communication will allow for a more candid and direct ongoing conversation with customers and employees; if your company made a mistake or did not handle something well, social media is a great way to communicate that you “get it” and are making adjustments • Give your loyal readers and audience a reward for their engagement; this could be information, special-invite events, limited-time coupons, etc.; the opportunity for creative ideas abounds with an engaged online audience • Do not be overly defensive; occasionally, unfair things are said online— perhaps by a disgruntled ex-employee or an overly critical customer; addressing mistakes honestly allows you to put to rest unfair statements as well as make certain you are not missing a valid issue • Remember that all kinds of people are potentially viewing your social media output (potential employees, industry experts, customers, clients, etc.)

Twitter

• Twitter is a great way to communicate ideas to a captive audience in short bursts (140 characters or less per “tweet”) • Talk about what you are paying attention to right now; if people are following you on Twitter, it is because they think you have something interesting to say; for example, if you are a real estate agent and you read a headline in today’s Wall Street Journal on how interest rates are likely to rise, add the link (so that your readers understand what you are reacting to) and state your spin on the topic; occasionally, you might be paying attention to a subtle point in the marketplace that others seem to be missing; it is permissible to talk about upcoming events, sales, or promotions, but do so sparingly lest your audience start tuning you out • One of your goals when using Twitter should be that your tweets are interesting enough to be “retweeted” by your followers or persons currently unknown to you; this is a good way to get new followers and transfer thoughts and information through the marketplace • Twitter is a great way to solicit and receive quick and candid opinions from your followers; not sure if the new logo is the right color? Flash it to your Twitter feed and receive real-time feedback; just make sure that you are ready to hear what people really think

LinkedIn

Your Corporate Blog

• LinkedIn is an excellent tool that is akin to an online Rolodex; LinkedIn allows you to track individuals even as they move from company to company • LinkedIn allows you to put an abbreviated form of your resume and achievements online to be read by prospective employers, clients, or vendors • LinkedIn allows you to be “introduced” to a contact of one of your contacts; this “degree of separation” style can be very effective by allowing one of your friends or colleagues to recommend you to another potential contact • LinkedIn allows you to publically laud and recommend business contacts as well as request the same from them; they can comment on your style or business acumen for others to read

• Blogging is an excellent way to discuss your (or your company’s) feelings on a specific topic; blogging tends to be informal and has a personal tone even when it is informative or persuasive about a specific topic • You should decide whether your blog will have a “comments” section; not only are comments a valuable way to get input and feedback from readers and prospective clients, but they also invite public criticism of your ideas or company • Blogging should generally be done on some type of calendar system (e.g., every week or twice a month); a corporate blog that is essentially abandoned by a lack of updates is a very public way to show that all is not right at your company; do not begin the process unless you or your company is committed to the timeconsuming process of creating regular and new content for your readers

In general, short reports include:

Reports

A memo heading: Summarizes why the report is being sent, what is included in the report, and what you hope the report will accomplish Body text: The language of the repo rt should be clear and concise; headings, bulleted lists, and/or visua ls should be used to help organize and present infor mation; begin with an introduction that outlines the purpose of the report and its contents Recommendations or conclusions: The report should end with a clear call to action or a summary of how the findings within the report support a particular position or conclusion

• Reports are written, formal documents used to present information to interested parties • Examples of short reports: project status reports, recommendation reports; examples of long reports: feasibility reports to determine the viability of a particular project or plan, research reports to assess new trends in a particular field or industry • The length and complexity of reports will vary depending on their purpose and audience; however, they should follow a clear and well-planned format 5

Reports (continued)

• Due to their scope and depth, long reports have a much more complex format than short reports; in addition to the information listed previously, long reports may also include: - Title page: Includes the title of the report, the names of the authors and their job titles, the date of the report, and the name of the individual or organization to whom the report is being given - Table of contents: Appears after the cover memo to outline the information in the report - List of figures: Lists the page numbers on which any figures, charts, or graphs appear - Executive summary/abstract: Gives a concise overview of the report, including its purpose, the major findings, and the conclusion and/or recommendation - Appendixes: Appear at the end of the report; they should include any documents or other supplementary materials that readers might need to reference as part of the report (e.g., interview transcripts, photographs, or pertinent laws) - Glossary: Includes any technical terms in your report that not all readers may understand - Works cited: Lists any outside sources included in the report, following your organization’s preferred reference-style format; should be the final page in your report

General guidelines for well-writte

n reports:

Make sure there is a clear purpose: Iden you to carefully plan and organize tifying the goal of your report beforehand will help the contents of the document; have statement in mind as you begin to a clear purpose write your report Know your audience: Consider all the people who may read the report; typic read by several audiences, such as man ally, a report is important to keep each group of read agement, marketing, and peer group members; it is ers in mind as you decide what infor mation should or should not be included in the report Write clearly: Information shou ld be straightforward manner; you will likel presented to your audience in a clear and sure that it is as coherent as possible y need to write several drafts of the report to make Provide support: Research is a key aspect of report writing; however, knowing the report’s audience and purpose will enable you to select what information is needed to help your audience understand the issue you are presenting and to make a decis ion; make sure that all information you include is accu rate and reliable; your sources shou ld be reputable and free of bias Use clear headings: Avoid using amb iguous or general headings and subh a report; your audience should have a clear sense of what appears in each eadings within document based on the headings section of your Choose strong visuals: Visuals can help to illustrate information for your audience and make data easier to understand; how appear shortly after the text in whic ever, they should be used wisely; visuals should h they are referenced and have a (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.) title and number Number all pages: Beginning with the cover memo, number all page all front matter (memo, executive s in your report; summary) should be labeled with numerals; use arabic numerals for lowercase roman the report and back matter

Proposals

Handling Sensitive Business Correspondence

• Proposals are persuasive documents that are used to get an audience to do something— buy a product, take action on a particular problem, or approve a project • Proposals may be written for individuals inside or outside of your organization; types of proposals include grant proposals, planning proposals, or sales proposals • Proposals may be long or short, following the same general formats of a short or long report; other key components of proposals include: - Introduction: The introduction outlines the purpose of the proposal, what you are proposing, the length of time the proposed plan will take, and any costs associated with the project - Purpose statement: Although you may not be able to summarize it in one sentence, the purpose and objective of the proposal should be clear to your audience - Costs: Any costs associated with the proposal should be outlined clearly and concisely within the document • General guidelines for well-written proposals: - Write clearly: Make sure your writing is clear and to the point; your audience should understand exactly what you are proposing and be able to make an informed decision based on the information given - Highlight the benefits: Because this is a proposal, you want your audience to know exactly how your proposed plan will benefit them - Support your ideas: It is important to support your claims with research, facts, visuals, and other information that will convince your audience to agree to your proposal; however, be honest and truthful; being upfront with your audience about any drawbacks or shortcomings in your proposed plan will gain their trust - Be persuasive: Since this is a persuasive document, it is important to sound convincing; the language of your proposal should drive your audience to act in the way in which you want

• Examples of sensitive business correspondence include refusal messages and complaint letters • Writers must be able to state their points clearly, without ruining the professional relationship • Refusal messages are written in response to a request that you cannot or will not fulfill; complaint letters seek to get a resolution for an issue or problem • Tips for writing refusal letters: - Do not begin with the bad news: The last thing you want to do is to make your reader feel slighted; begin by establishing the subject of the correspondence, using a friendly yet professional tone - State the reasons for your refusal: Before stating your refusal, explain the reasons behind your decision; stick to the facts, but be sensitive to the reader - End on a positive note: After delivering the bad news, close the message in such a way as to show you want to preserve the relationship; wish the reader well and thank him/her for the offer • Tips for writing complaint letters: - Be polite and professional: Even though you may be angry or frustrated, you want to write a letter that ensures that your request will be taken seriously; give the reader the benefit of the doubt and assume that he/she has every intention of resolving the issue for you - Explain the problem: Tell the reader what the problem is and make sure to provide any relevant information that will help him/her to understand and resolve the issue (the product name, a copy of your receipt, the date when the issue occurred, etc.) - State what you need from the reader to make the situation right: Make clear to the reader what needs to be done to resolve the issue and preserve the relationship

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