Successful college writing, Eighth edition - Kathleen T. McWhorter 2020

Multimedia presentations and business writing
Academic and business applications

In this chapter you will learn to

✵ prepare and deliver multimedia presentations

✵ create a résumé and job application letter

✵ use electronic media for workplace communication

Writing Quick Start

ANALYZE

The photograph on this page depicts a speaker making a presentation on the topic of refugees entering countries via boat. Imagine you are making a presentation on this issue. What information would you need to speak clearly and effectively to your audience?

WRITE

Draft a list of questions that you would need answered before preparing your presentation.

CONNECT

In addition to questions about refugee immigration, you would need to define your purpose and understand the makeup of your audience. You might also ask what multimedia options are available. Success in college and on the job depends on your ability to speak effectively to your audience and to communicate clearly, correctly, and concisely. In college, your professors may use oral presentations to assess their students’ understanding of a topic or issue. On the job, presentations are used to sell products, make proposals, and respond to issues and problems. In this chapter you will learn to make effective multimedia presentations. You will also learn other important business-related skills, including creating a résumé, writing a job application letter, and using electronic media in the workplace.

Both college and the workplace demand strong oral and digital communication skills. In college, your grades may depend on them; in the workplace, your career success may hinge upon them.

MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATIONS

IN COLLEGE AND THE WORKPLACE

✵ For a sociology class, you conduct field research on college students’ attitudes about a particular trend and report your findings.

✵ For a public speaking class, you make a presentation about learned helplessness, an important concept in your first-year psychology class.

✵ As a sales representative for a Web site design company, you create and give a presentation to a group of restaurant owners to demonstrate how revamping their Web sites with photographs and customer reviews can increase their visibility and profitability.

Develop and Deliver Multimedia Presentations

A multimedia presentation is a presentation to an audience — either face-to-face or online — using visual aids. The visual aids may be a simple prop or poster or presentation slides that may include graphics, video, sound files, animation, and other media. By learning to give a presentation to an audience, you will gain self-confidence and become a more effective communicator.

Plan Your Presentation

The more carefully you plan your presentation, the more comfortable you will be in delivering it. The sections that follow detail the steps to follow in planning a presentation.

Select your topic

First, make sure you understand the assignment and the type of presentation you are to give. Then consider your audience: What topics are important to your listeners and will sustain their interest? Here are a few suggestions for choosing a topic:

For more on choosing and narrowing a topic, see Chapter 4.

✵ Choose a topic that you find interesting or know something about. You will find it easier to exude and generate enthusiasm if you speak about a topic that is familiar and that you enjoy.

✵ Choose a topic that is appropriate and of value to your audience. Learning how to choose a day care center may be of value to young parents, but you may have difficulty sustaining the interest of average college students with such a topic. Trivial topics such as how to create a particular hairstyle or a report about characters on a soap opera are unlikely to have sufficient merit for college instructors.

✵ Choose a topic you can explain fully in the time allotted. If your topic is too broad, your presentation will go over time, or you may resort to generalities that lack supporting evidence.

Identify your purpose

For more information on determining your purpose, see Chapter 4.

Determine whether your purpose is to express, inform, or persuade. Then define your purpose more specifically. For a persuasive presentation, for example, do you want to convince the audience that a change in policy is needed or simply to encourage them to consider the issue with an open mind?

Research your topic

For more on researching, see Chapters 21 and 22.

Unless your presentation is to be based on your personal knowledge or experience, you will need to research your topic.

Consider what type of visual aids are appropriate

Visual aids, from maps and photographs to Prezi or PowerPoint presentation slides with embedded sound and video files, add interest to your presentation and can be used to reinforce your message and make your ideas clear and concrete. Use flip charts or presentation slides to show your main points in outline form, which may make your presentation easier to follow. Presentation programs also allow you to integrate sound, photo, and video files into your presentation seamlessly. Ask your instructor what is permissible and what media are available for classroom use.

To learn more about using presentation slides effectively, see the section “Create Presentation Slides” later in this chapter.

Some speakers find that using visual aids builds their confidence and lessens their apprehension. Such aids distract speakers from thinking about themselves and how they look, and lessen concerns that speakers will forget what they were planning to say to their audience. However, presentation slides must be used effectively to avoid “Death by PowerPoint.”

Draft Your Presentation

Once you have made a plan, begin drafting your presentation.

Develop a thesis and generate supporting ideas

Based on your research, create a working thesis. Use idea-generating strategies to develop a variety of supporting reasons, and consider which will be most effective, given your purpose and audience.

For idea-generating strategies, see Chapter 4; for more about developing and supporting a thesis, see Chapter 5.

Organize your presentation

For more on organizing, see Chapter 7. Also see the chapters in Part 3 for planning presentations using one of the patterns of development.

Using one of the patterns of organization from Parts 3 and 4 will make your presentation easier for your audience to follow and for you to remember the order of your main points. For example, you could use classification to organize a presentation on types of procrastinators, providing four main categories of procrastinators with descriptive details to explain each. When organizing, consider saving your most convincing evidence or examples for last, as audience members are likely to recall the end of your presentation more clearly than the beginning.

Draft the body of your presentation

When you write an essay, your readers can reread if they miss a point. When you give a presentation, your listeners do not have that option, so reiterate your thesis frequently to make your presentation easier to follow, and use plenty of transitions to ensure that your listeners do not get lost. (Presentation slides showing your main points in the order you present them can also help your audience follow along.)

To learn more about emotional appeals, see Chapter 19.

Select evidence that your audience would find convincing. Including different types of evidence that reinforce one another, such as statistics to support the examples you include, will help listeners recall your main points. Emotional appeals can be more memorable for an audience than statistics, but reinforce any emotional appeals you make with concrete evidence. Including meaningful evidence adds credibility to your presentation.

Work references to your sources into your presentation

To learn more about using signal phrases and integrating quotations, see Chapter 23.

Use signal phrases to incorporate references to authors or works (or both), and include background information about the author or work, to provide context. If you use quotations, avoid tedious expressions such as “I quote here” or “I want to quote an example.” Instead, integrate your quotations into your speech as you would integrate quotations into an essay.

Draft your introduction and conclusion

To learn more about writing introductions and conclusions, see Chapter 7.

Your introduction should grab your audience’s attention, introduce your topic, and establish a relationship between you and your audience. To build a relationship with your audience, try to make connections with them. You might mention others who are present; refer to a shared situation (a previous class or another student’s presentation); or establish common ground by referring to a well-known event, personality, or campus issue.

Your conclusion is a crucial part of your presentation because it is your last opportunity to leave a strong impression on your audience. You should summarize your speech and let the audience know your presentation is ending. The conclusion should also remind listeners of the importance of your topic. Consider closing with a powerful quotation or anecdote that reinforces your main point.

Create Presentation Slides

Presentation software, like PowerPoint and Prezi, allows you to list or summarize your main points and to embed multimedia evidence — audio, video, and image files — in support of your claims. While PowerPoint allows a linear presentation of electronic slides, Prezi allows zooming in and out of specific parts of your presentation. (Hint: To create a presentation using Prezi, start by drawing an idea map and use that map to plan an easy-to-follow path through the presentation.)

✵ Use presentation software to aid understanding. Project key words or concepts you want to emphasize or provide an outline so your audience can follow your main points.

✵ Use a design template that suits your audience and purpose. A simple color scheme with a sharp contrast between text and background will be easiest to read. Avoid using reds and greens if differences between the two colors are significant, because color-blind members of the audience will not be able to differentiate between them. Use subdued color schemes and easily readable fonts (such as Arial or Verdana) for business or academic presentations. For PowerPoint slides, use just a few animation schemes (how text enters and leaves a slide) consistently.

✵ Format your slides so they are easily readable. Use a large point size (usually 24 points or greater) so everyone in the audience can read the text easily. Keep the number of words per slide low: Slides crammed with text are difficult to read, and if audience members are busy reading lengthy slides, they are not listening to what you are saying. A good rule of thumb is to use no more than six bullet points per slide, with no more than six words per bullet point. (If you can do so clearly, use just words and phrases rather than complete sentences.)

✵ Use presentation software to display visuals and graphics. Photos, cartoons, graphics, and embedded videos can convey your message in a memorable way. They also keep your audience interested and alert. But keep graphics simple, so the audience can take them in at a glance, and use visuals and graphics only when they are relevant to your point, not just as decoration.

✵ Edit your slides carefully. Check for errors in spelling, grammar, and formatting as well as other kinds of typos. Run the entire slide show for yourself several times before presenting it to correct any errors you find.

On the next page is a sample Prezi presentation designed by student Nicholas Destino, whose research project appears in Chapter 23. He used his research to create this presentation for his first-year composition class. This introductory slide shows all the slides at once; as he navigates through his presentation, the Prezi zooms in on each circle, enlarging it, so audience members can easily read the text. Destino included a list of works cited at the end of his presentation to document the sources he used.

Rehearse Your Presentation

Practice is the key to comfortable and effective delivery. The following tips can help you rehearse effectively:

✵ Practice giving the entire presentation, not just parts of it. Rehearse at least three or four times, using your visual aids. Try to improve your presentation with each rehearsal.

✵ Time yourself. If you are over or seriously under the time limit, make necessary cuts or additions, and edit your presentation slides accordingly.

✵ If possible, rehearse the presentation in the room in which you will give it. This will make you more comfortable on the day of the presentation and gives you an opportunity to find out in advance if the room can support the technology you plan to use.

✵ Rehearse in front of an audience of a few friends or classmates. Ask them for constructive criticism. Some students record their presentations on their smart phones to build their confidence and identify areas that need improvement.

Overcome Stage Fright

Many students are nervous about making presentations. Often called stage fright, this apprehension is normal. You can often overcome presentation anxiety by following these suggestions:

✵ Prepare thoroughly. Knowing you have put together a solid, interesting presentation can build your self-confidence.

✵ Practice, practice, practice. To reduce the newness of the task, practice your presentation several times. (See the previous section on rehearsal.)

✵ Use desensitization. If someone is afraid of snakes, a therapist might begin by showing the person a photograph, then a video, then a small snake at a distance, and so forth, gradually building up the person’s tolerance. You can use the same technique to overcome your fear of oral presentations. Begin by asking or answering a question in class. Then try practicing your speech on a group of friends. Eventually you will become more comfortable with public speaking and ready to make a presentation to the class.

✵ Use visualization. Visualization involves imagining yourself successfully completing a task. For a presentation, create a mental recording that begins with your arrival at the classroom and takes you through each step: confidently walking to the front of the room, beginning your presentation, engaging your audience, handling your notes, and so on. Visualize the presentation positively, and avoid negative thoughts, to create the image of yourself as a successful speaker. Review your visualized performance often, especially on the day of your presentation. As you give your presentation, try to model the look and feel of your visualization.

✵ Imagine a friend in the audience. If you feel conspicuous, try to imagine that you are talking to one friend or one friendly and supportive classmate. Looking directly at one member of the audience at the beginning of your presentation can help.

"The slide shows the fear of anthropomorphism (attributing human qualities to animals) has kept scientists from studying animal emotions (Bekoff, Emotional Lives 124 to 25) at the center. Surrounding this central statement a circle gives examples of different emotions and examples. The types of emotions animals display are grief, sympathy and caring, and joy. A further circle linked to the central one reads' But primatologist Frans de Waal calls this anthropodenial, the 'willfu' blindness to the human-like characteristics of animals ...' (65)"" Grief: Examples: Elephants mourning the death of Tina, a herd member (Bekoff, Emotional Lives), and the chimpanzee Flint mourning his mother Flo (Goodall 196 to 97). Veterinarian Susan Wynn: ""[They] definitely exhibit grief when they lose an owner or another companion animal ... Signs of grief vary widely, including lethargy, loss of appetite, hiding ...” [5] and a photo of an elephant in mourning after another elephant died at Emmen Zoo in the Netherlands, in 2009. Sympathy and Caring: Examples: Chimps consoling the loser of a fight or trying to restore peace (Wilford), Barn owls sharing food with smaller, hungrier owls (Angier), and Jack, the goat, leading Charlie the blind horse and getting help when Charlie was trapped. It is further divided into three points: Does genetic altruism explain these examples? No: Animals sometimes help others who are not of their own species; Does mutual altruism explain these examples? No, animals sometimes help others even when the recipient of the help could not reciprocate (swimmers protected by dolphins, for example); A photo of Jack the goat leading Charlie, a blind horse (from ""Animal Odd Couples,"" 27 to 23, Nature, P B S, 7 Nov. 2012). Joy: Examples: Chimpanzee “panting” when being tickled (Matsusaka), Dog laughter soothing other dogs (Bekoff, Emotional Lives 56), and Rats emitting high-frequency chirps when tickled (Panksepp 62), which includes a quote which reads, “Sentient animals have the capacity to experience pleasure and are motivated to seek it . .”--John Webster, University of Bristol (q t d. in Bekoff, Emotional Lives 55). Works Cited: Angier, Natalie. “The Owl Comes into Its Own.” The New York Times, 25 Feb. 2013, w w w dot n y times dot com forward slash 2013 forward slash 02 forward slash 26 forward slash science forward slash long hyphen cloaked hyphen in hyphen mystery hyphen owls hyphen start hyphen coming hyphen into hyphen full hyphen —view dot h t m l question mark. “Animal Odd Couples.” Nature, P B S, 7 Nov. 2012, w w w dot p b s dot org forward slash w net forward slash nature forward slash animal hyphen odd hyphen couples hyphen full hyphen episode forward slash 8009 forward slash . Bekoff, Marc. “Animal Emotions: Exploring Passionate Natures.” Bioscience, vol. 50, no. 10, Oct. 2000, p p. 861 to 70, bioscience dot oxford journals dot org forward slash content forward slash 50 forward slash 10 forward slash 861 dot full. ---. The Emotional Lives of Animals. New World Library, 2007. de Waal, Frans. Primates and Philosophers. Princeton U P, 2006. Goodall, Jane. Through a Window: My Thirty Years with the Chimpanzees of Gombe. Houghton Mifflin, 1990. Matsusaka, Takahisa. “When Does Play Panting Occur during Social Play in Wild Chimpanzees?” Primates, vol. 45, no. 4, Oct. 2004, p p. 221 to 29. SpringerLink, d o i colon 10.1007 forward slash s 10329-004-0090-z. Panksepp, Jaak. “Beyond a Joke: From Animal Laughter to Human Joy?” Science, vol. 308, no. 5718, 1 Apr. 2005, p p. 62 to 63. J S T O R, d o i colon 10.1126 forward slash science dot 1112066. Wilford, John Noble. “Almost Human, and Sometimes Smarter.” The New York Times, 17 Apr. 2007, w w w dot n y times dot com forward slash 2007 forward slash 04 forward slash 17 forward slash science forward slash 17 chimp dot h t m l question mark underscorer equals 0. Wynn, Susan G. “The Treatment of Trauma in Pet Animals.” Homeopathy Online, vol. 5, no. 1 (1998), homeopathy online dot org."

Deliver an Effective Presentation

The delivery of your presentation ultimately determines its effectiveness. Use the suggestions below, as well as Table 26.1, to improve the delivery of your presentation:

✵ Avoid using too many notes or a detailed outline. Instead, construct a key-word outline that will remind you of major points in the order you wish to present them.

✵ Make eye contact with your audience. Make the audience part of your presentation.

✵ Move around a little rather than standing stiffly. Use gestures to add an expressive quality to your presentation.

✵ Speak slowly. Speaking too fast is a common mistake, but try not to overcompensate by speaking so slowly that your audience loses interest.

Prepare and Deliver Online Presentations

At some point in your education or career, you may be asked to use an online meeting application, such as GoToMeeting or WebEx, which allows you to conduct virtual meetings with instructors, colleagues, clients, and vendors. These applications allow others to view what you have on your computer screen, so you can pull up documents, spreadsheets, presentation slides, and anything else for everyone to look at together in real time. You may communicate by phone, with Zoom, or via Google Hangouts or another online system. The following tips will help you give an effective Web-based presentation:

✵ Become familiar with the technology in advance. Your audience may become restless if you cannot resolve technical difficulties quickly.

✵ Review all documents and materials prior to the meeting. Be sure you know where to find the documents you need to display.

✵ Prepare thoroughly, but be ready to adjust your presentation in response to questions from the audience. You should know the content well enough to respond to a question or comment that draws you away from your prepared remarks.

✵ Turn off all notifications and programs that are running on your computer. You do not want an email from a friend popping up on your screen while you are delivering a presentation.

Create Effective Business Documents

Business writing will be an important part of your life after college. Good business writing is concise and correct. It is often more direct than some forms of academic or personal writing. Because you are judged on the business documents that you write, prepare materials that will present you and your accomplishments in the best light possible.

Prepare a Résumé and Job Application Letter

A résumé (Figure 26.1) is a complete listing of your education, training, and work experience in an easy-to-read format. A job application (or cover) letter (Figure 26.2) highlights the qualifications that make you right for the job and convinces the employer that you are an excellent candidate for the opening. Because your application packet will determine whether a potential employer will interview you, tailor each one to the job for which you are applying.

FIGURE 26.1 Sample Résumé

"The resume reads as follows. ""Martin Simms 20600 Main Street, Silver Spring, M D 20906 301-555-5555, martin dot simms at g mail dot com"" The corresponding annotation reads, “Contact information: Displayed at the top of the page.” ""Objective: A marine science internship at Phillips Wharf Environmental Center."" The corresponding annotation reads, “Headings: Boldfaced type used to make résumé easy to read.” ""Education: B. S., Biology (G P A 3.5) Expected May 2018, University of Maryland, College Park A. S., Science (GPA 3.7) May 2016, Montgomery College, Rockville Campus"" The corresponding annotation reads, “Organization: Reverse chronological order used for information under Education and Volunteer Experience, so most recent item listed first.” ""Volunteer Experience: Guide, Underground Railroad Experience Hike (2014-Present) Woodlawn Manor Culture Park Montgomery County, M D Coordinator, Green Club 2013 to 2014 Oak View Elementary School Silver Spring, M D"" The corresponding annotation to the next section Relevant Skills reads, “Student currently with little experience, so skills categorized by topic.” ""Relevant skills: Completed Science and Math Coursework: Proficient at applying mathematics in a laboratory setting. Completed calculus for life sciences, principles of genetics, principles of chemistry II (3.8 average). Work Well in a Group: Effectively collaborate with a diverse group of people. Ensure work is split equally and fairly among team mates. Maintain a constant pace when working with a group. Experience Interacting with the Public: Succinctly convey a message to people, regardless of their background knowledge. Ensure audience stays engaged by reading nonverbal cues from patrons. Remain positive when faced with a difficult patron. Tailor lessons to meet the needs of different audiences."" The corresponding annotation reads, “Key words: Key words from job advertisement used so skills and experience match words in employer’s electronic job database.” Work Well with Children: Vary content to suit a child’s age and interest levels Devise fun activities suitable to children of different ages The corresponding annotation reads, “Proofreading: Résumé proofread carefully to correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization errors.” References: Available on request"

FIGURE 26.2 Sample Job Application Letter

"The job application letter reads as follows. ""20600 Main Street Silver Spring, M D 20906"" The corresponding annotation reads, “Block style: Standard block style used (double line space between paragraphs, type aligned at left edge). Formatting: Return address appears at top of page.” The letter continues: ""February 29, 2017 Ms. Missy Cannon, Administrator Phillips Wharf Environmental Center 6129 Tilghman Island Road Tilghman, M D 21671"" The corresponding annotation reads, “Formatting: Inside address follows the date.” ""Dear Ms. Cannon:"" The corresponding annotation reads, “Salutation: Letter begins with salutation ('Dear Ms. Cannon:').” ""I am writing in response to your advertisement for a marine science intern. I believe that I am an ideal applicant: Not only am I a biology major, but I also have volunteer experience educating the public (both adults and children)."" The corresponding annotation reads, “Content: Opening paragraph identifies desired position; second and third paragraphs describe relevant details of Martin Simms’s volunteer experience, not everything in résumé.” The letter continues, ""As a volunteer on the Underground Railroad Experience Hike, I work closely with another guide to write and deliver a coordinated, professional presentation simulating the Underground Railroad experience. Our presentation explains how those seeking freedom found their way north and survived on the trail and is tailored to the audience. (We highlight different elements for an audience of Cub Scouts than we do to a group of seniors from Leisure World.) Interacting with children is a particular strength of mine: As coordinator of the Oak View Elementary School Green Club, I created entertaining activities for children in grades three through five that taught them about the importance of environmental preservation while also engaging their attention. I believe that my skills meet the needs of your internship, especially regarding my proven ability to work with children. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss at your convenience how my qualifications can meet your needs. I can be contacted at 301-943-2047 or at martin dot simms at g mail dot com."" The corresponding annotation reads, “Content: Fourth paragraph provides contact information.” The letter ends, ""Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Martin Simms (signature) Martin Simms"" The corresponding annotation reads, “Closing: The letter ends with standard closing: “Sincerely”; signature follows closing, with name typed below.”"

Most employers invite applicants to upload résumés and job application (or cover) letters to their Web sites or to send the application letter as an email message with the résumé attached. If you are sending a hard copy résumé and job application letter, print both documents on good-quality white paper.

Follow these tips when preparing your résumé:

✵ Tailor your résumé. Do not create a one-size-fits-all résumé. Instead, tailor it to the specific job you are applying for. Use key words from the advertisement (such as marine science intern) and active verbs (collaborate, devise) to show what you can do.

✵ Simple is best. Prepare your résumé as a document with an unlined, white background, as if you were going to print it on 8½- x 11-inch paper. Leave 1-inch margins on all sides. Do not include graphics, colors, or elaborate underlining and formatting. If possible, save your résumé in PDF format. Be sure to check it carefully before sending.

✵ Display your name, address, and contact information at the top of the page. Check that your contact information is correct. (A computer’s spell-check function will not identify such mistakes.)

✵ Fit your résumé onto a single page whenever possible. If providing a printed copy, use only one side of an 8½- x 11-inch sheet of paper. Write clearly and concisely, and use categories (such as “Education,” “Experience,” and “Skills”) so that potential employers can scan your résumé quickly.

✵ List education and experience, in reverse chronological order. Include dates you attended school or received a degree, listing your most recent education and experience first. If your relevant experience is scant (as it is for many new college graduates), include a section highlighting your skills.

✵ Specify how the employer can obtain your references. This is usually done by stating, “References are available on request,” but be prepared to supply references by asking instructors or previous employers whether they are willing to give you a good recommendation and whether you can share their contact information with prospective employers.

✵ Proofread carefully. Résumés must be clear, concise, and free of errors in grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and spelling.

For more about proofreading, see Chapter 9.

Follow these tips when writing a job application letter or email:

✵ Use standard business formats. Block-style business letters have one-inch margins on all sides and are single-spaced, with an extra line space between paragraphs. All type is aligned at the left edge of the page. (The sample job application letter in Figure 26.2 is in block style.) Use letterhead or list your address at the top of the page. The date should appear below your address, and the address of the person to whom you are writing should appear below the date. Job applications, like résumés, should be prepared with a white, unlined background.

✵ Include a formal salutation and closing. Begin with “Dear Ms.:” or “Dear Mr. :” and call the company for a name if you are unsure to whom you should address your letter. Close with “Sincerely,” or “Yours truly,” followed by your signature. Formal salutations and closings are appropriate, even when sending a job application by email.

✵ Include key information in the body. If submitting your job application letter by email, use the subject line to identify the job you are applying for. In both job application emails and letters, identify the job you are applying for in the opening paragraph. You may also indicate where you learned about the position or where it was posted or listed. The middle paragraphs should briefly state the skills and experiences that make you especially qualified. (Do not repeat everything you have listed in your résumé.) At the end of the letter, indicate that you are available for an interview at the employer’s convenience or specify when you are available.

✵ Proofread carefully. If job application letters or emails are not clear, concise, and free of errors in grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and spelling, they are likely to wind up in the “reject” pile.

✵ Follow instructions for uploading your documents. If you are applying by email, be sure to double-check that you have attached your résumé before hitting “send.”

Use Electronic Media for Business Writing

In your career, you will likely use digital media — email (Figure 26.3) but perhaps also Slack, Twitter, LinkedIn, and interoffice information management systems — as your main means of communication. Follow the tips below to communicate effectively with supervisors, colleagues, clients, and other business contacts.

✵ Keep it brief and get right to the point. Typically the most important information is in the first paragraph. Paragraphs are usually only one to three sentences long, and wordiness is frowned upon. Messages overall are usually brief (just a few paragraphs), so they can be scanned quickly for important information. If more detail is required, supporting documents may be attached.

For more about writing concisely, see Chapter 9.

✵ Do not say anything you do not want shared. Online communications can easily be forwarded to others. Remember at all times that you are representing your employer and serving as the voice of your company. Do not say anything in an email that you would not say to your entire company and all your clients.

✵ Use a specific and relevant subject line. Using a specific and relevant subject line is crucial, not only so recipients can know how to prioritize the communications they receive, but also to locate important messages later. Without a subject line that clearly references a client, case number, file name, or other specific identifier, a message can be impossible to retrieve. Be particularly careful when replying that you adjust the subject line as needed.

✵ Write in complete words and sentences and with a moderately formal tone. Avoid online slang (such as LOL and OMG) and emoticons (such as the smiley face), avoid writing in all capital or all lowercase letters, and always reread messages to be sure the tone is cordial and professional. Abbreviations are acceptable, but only if your recipient will understand them.

For more about tone and level of diction, see Chapter 9.

✵ Copy only people who need to be informed about the topic. Do not automatically “carbon copy” (cc) your boss or everyone else in your company on every message. Avoid “Reply all” unless the content of your reply is truly relevant to “all.”

✵ Remember to attach relevant files. It makes more work for everyone if you forget to include the attachment.

✵ Use an automatic signature file. An automatic signature should include your name, title, company address, and telephone and fax numbers so that people can contact you easily. Some companies may also require the writer to include preferred pronouns.

✵ Proofread carefully. You are a representative of your business, so take the time to communicate concisely and professionally, and proofread your messages carefully before sending.

FIGURE 26.3 Sample Business Email

"The business email reads as follows. Ryan Sullivan Subject: Klenk Construction: Corrected Billing The corresponding annotation reads, “Subject line: Accurately reflects memo’s main point.” The mail body text reads ""Dear Mr. Sullivan: Attached please find the corrected billing for Klein Construction. My research indicated that we overbilled the project for lumber. I have included the correct numbers. Let me know if you need anything else on this matter."" The corresponding annotation reads, “Proofreading: Writer uses correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation and writes formally, as is appropriate in business correspondence.” ""Kaitlyn Boitano Kaitlyn Boitano; Office Assistant; T 555.212.2121; F 555.212.2122; Thompson Supply; 354 West End Avenue, Pittsburg, P A 12231."" The corresponding annotation reads, “Automatic signature: Includes sender’s complete name, title, company, address, and telephone and fax numbers.” Attach: Klein Corrected Billing dot p d f (60 K) The corresponding annotation reads, “Attachment: File mentioned in email message is attached.” (In the above message, writer uses correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. The email is written in a Tahoma tone, which is appropriate in business correspondence.)"