Overview

In the future, (and right now), Business Letters and Email will most likely be the most common form of business communication so it’s important to get it right and understand how they work. Although emails usually aren’t as formal as letters, they still need to be professional to present a good image of you and/or your future company. Don't even think of emailing the way you text!!!  lol, brb, btw, skibidy, ohio, rizz..  you get the idea

Business Letters

To start, open the following PDF on Business Letter format 

TASK 1: (/10)

• • Open and make a copy of the following Sample Letter. 

  • Then rename it so it reads: "Sample Letter - [first name last name]"

  • Now edit it so it matches the Business Letter Format (do not include "enclosure" since you are not enclosing any additional documents). Be sure to fix spelling errors too!

  • When done, submit it through the Google Classroom assignment: Letter & Email

How to write a formal email 

The To, Cc and Bcc Fields (http://www.writebetteremails.com/to-cc.htm)

You should always make sure you e-mail the right people, in the right way. The To, Cc and Bcc fields allow you to indicate how your message should be read by the people that receive it.

The To field is for people that the message directly affects, and that you require action from. If you expect someone to do something, they should be in the 'To' field.

It's also a good idea to include all the people you put in the 'To:' field in your opener line. This lets the others know who is involved in the conversation.

Hi Bill, Ted, Mary, Suzy,

If you are sending to more than four people, don't bother with this and just start with Hi all or Hello team.

The 'To 'field can be used for as many addresses as you like - some people mistakenly think the Cc line is for multiple addresses.

The Cc (or carbon copy) field is for people you want to know about the message, but are not directly involved. It's mainly for people that do not need to act or reply to the message, but to keep them informed.

For those of you born after the 1980's, the term "Carbon Copy" comes from when typewriters were used to write letters. You would put two pieces of paper in a typewriter at the same time, with a piece of carbon paper in between. The letters would press through the carbon paper, leaving an extra copy of the text on the sheet at the back.

The CC field can be used for a number of reasons.

• It keeps other people "in the loop" on certain issues (often used to keep managers up to date on issues).

• It lets people know if they are expected to take action, or if they are just being informed.

• It allows you to make the receiver aware that other people know what is going on (in case you want them to take the content more seriously, or treat it as more important or urgent).

Finally, the Bcc field (Blind Carbon Copy) is used when you want other people to receive the message, but you don't want the other recipients to know they got it.

When people get an e-mail, they'll also see all the people in the To and Cc lines - but not Bcc.

One good use of Bcc is when sending an e-mail to hundreds of people. You don't want them all to see each other's e-mail addresses so you use this field, rather than the To or Cc lines.

The Email (https://englishlive.ef.com/blog/career-english/write-perfect-professional-email-english-5-steps/)

Follow these five simple steps to make sure your emails are perfectly professional.

• Begin with a greeting

• Thank the recipient

• State your purpose

• Add your closing remarks

• End with a closing

1. Begin with a greeting

Always open your email with a greeting, such as “Dear Lillian”. If your relationship with the reader is formal, use their family name (eg. “Dear Mrs. Price”). If the relationship is more casual, you can simply say, “Hi Kelly”. If you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to, use: “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam”. Please don't use Sup, Yo, Waddup... ok...no one says that anymore. Sigh... I'm old

2. Thank the recipient

If you are replying to a client’s inquiry, you should begin with a line of thanks. For example, if someone has a question about your company, you can say, “Thank you for contacting ABC Company”. If someone has replied to one of your emails, be sure to say, “Thank you for your prompt reply” or “Thanks for getting back to me”. Thanking the reader puts him or her at ease, and it will make you appear more polite.

3. State your purpose

If you are starting the email communication, it may be impossible to include a line of thanks. Instead, begin by stating your purpose. For example, “I am writing to enquire about …” or “I am writing in reference to …”.

Make your purpose clear early on in the email, and then move into the main text of your email. Remember, people want to read emails quickly, so keep your sentences short and clear. You’ll also need to pay careful attention to grammar, spelling and punctuation so that you present a professional image of yourself and your company.

4. Add your closing remarks

Before you end your email, it’s polite to thank your reader one more time and add some polite closing remarks. You might start with “Thank you for your patience and cooperation” or “Thank you for your consideration” and then follow up with, “If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to let me know” and “I look forward to hearing from you”.

5. End with a closing

The last step is to include an appropriate closing with your name. “Best regards”, “Sincerely”, and “Thank you” are all professional. Avoid closings such as “Best wishes” or “Cheers” unless you are good friends with the reader. Finally, before you hit the send button, review and spell check your email one more time to make sure it’s truly perfect!

Signature or No Signature? (https://www.yesware.com/blog/email-signature/)

A strong email signature is attention-getting, but professional. It’s not flashy, but it’s not bland either.

Here are five hints (follow the links to more on these hints):

• 1. Limit your signature to three or four lines of text

• 2. Don’t put your email address in your email signature

• 3. Include an image (and don’t shy away from color)

• 4. Try “Sent from my iPhone”

• 5. Try one of these 3 free email signature generators 

TASK 2: (/10)

• • Write an email to a person of your choice (use the example above as possible recipients and topics).  Can be a real person or a fictional person. But please make it 'school related'

  • Follow all the parts of a formal email format. Please include a signature line at the bottom (not just your name)

  • Take a screenshot of your final email (do not send it)

  • Open a Google Doc in your Letter & Email folder in Tech 10 Classroom.

  • Rename it: "Email - [first name last name]"

  • Paste the screenshot so it fits the first page completely. You may have to change the page layout to: "landscape"

  • When done, submit it through the Google Classroom assignment: Letter & Email