Letters: The Indirect Approach

Week 3, Part 1

Reminder

1. Slideshare.net/janegriffith

Today

1. Indirect letter (con’t)2. Practice indirect letter

Grammar-rama

7Cs constructive courteous clear and concise concrete and specific complete coherent correct

Grammar-rama: Courteous

Using friendly format Being personal Being tactful

Grammar-rama: Courteous

Using friendly format Font size—easy to read Traditional margin sizes—easy to read Short paragraphs Minimum jargon White space Documentation Table of Contents

Grammar-rama: Courteous

Being personal Reader-centred (not writer-centred) Not the same as casual More “you” and “your,” and less “I” and “me” Use the proper name in the salutation

Exception: I will be happy to answer any questions Any questions you may have will be happily

answered.

Being tactful

Thank you for agreeing last month to attend our boardmeeting today to hear how your company can support

us in the good work that we do in the community. Attached herewith is our draft funding proposal.

Please review it before our 3:00 meeting today. Page 15, which gives three funding scenarios, should be of particular interest to you.

I look forward to seeing you later today.

Best Regards,

Sadie Bean

Hi Glen, I got this year’s draft funding proposal half an hour ago and have attached the Executive Summary for your review. This review should save us considerable time at our 3:00 meeting because it answers key questions. For example, it includes three funding scenarios.

I look forward to seeing you later today. Regards,

Sadie Bean

Courteous: Being Tactful

Appropriate language: Gendered language People First movement Specific language Knowing your audience

Grammar-Rama

Chairman Mailman

Clergyman Mankind

Congressman Manpower

Fireman Policeman

Foreman Salesman

Workman Weatherman

Grammar-Rama

Gendered Agreement errors: using “he” as general

pronoun

Grammar-Rama

People First

http://www.laddc.org/main/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/kathie-snow-people-first-article.pdf

Grammar-Rama

Handicapped She’s autistic He’s crippled She’s confined to a wheelchair Normal Handicapped parking

Grammar-Rama

Be specific—don’t stereotype! Know your audience!

Indirect Approach

How do you deliver bad news?

Body Paragraphs

Be constructive Make the bad news/refusal clear Present alternatives Close constructively

Assignment Details

Peer edit due: January 25 Final version: January 27 Write a letter using format discussed today Letter should be 200 words Choose ONE scenario:

#1-5 on page 66-67 Change scenario slightly: you already know

the person, you have already made the request, and now you are delivering bad news that it will cost more/take more time.

Feedback from Direct Letters More Content Rephrase the scenario Erase tired/filler sentences How to add another page www. slideshare.net/janegriffith

Page 2

Left corner: reader’s name and the date underneath

Right corner: page number First page: no page number Bottom of page: no page number