ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi
School of Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering
ME 2004 Business English
2017 Spring Semester
Lecturer:
Ömer Necati Cora (Ph.D, Assist. Prof. ),
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Room #: 320 E-mail: [email protected]
Correspondence : E-mail, Memo,
Opening & Closing Statements
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ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Correspondence
Correspondence, which includes all types of notes, memos, and letters as well
as electronic mails and messages, provides a record of transactions.
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ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
E-mails
Email can be convenient to use for
communicating because email is fast, cheap
and easy to use.
Consider these guidelines when writing email:
Use appropriate formality, depending on the formality of the organization or
people you are communicating with.
Observe how formal others are in the organization. In general, if you are not
sure, it is best to be too formal and then let someone tell you to be less formal.
Take care. Informality is NOT the same as being inarticulate (unclear). Even if
you are informal, your message needs to be clear and without spelling errors.
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ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Email is permanent and is not private
DO NOT forget that
- An e-mail may have been archived even If you
delete it.
- Special softwares to bring the deleted e-mails
back.
- In court cases, email is treated like other forms of
written communications.
- The receiver may forward your email to people
you did not anticipate reading your email.
- The system administrator
usually has access to all
emails.
- There are computer
hackers that can intercept
email or find email on your
computer.
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ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Keep messages brief.
Use a professional user ID.
As a student at KTU you are provided a User ID with the address
[email protected]. (aren’t you?).
Many students also have an email account on hotmail, gmail, yahoo or others.
Your email is more likely to be read on campus and off campus by
professionals if it shows the ktu.edu.tr address.
Consider the two email addresses below. Which of the two is more likely
to be identified as spam and which seems to be a university student?
Another advantage for using your KTU ID is that you can use it on resumes.
Which of the two addresses would you put on your resume?
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ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Use the subject line to tell people what the message is about
People use the subject line to decide if your message is urgent.
Sign your email
Many students fail to put their names at the end of an email. Some email
addresses are cryptic and it can be difficult to determine the sender without a
signature. Consider adding an automatic footer at the end of all emails that
contains your name and contact information. Most email packages can do this
action for you automatically.
Use simple text
Avoid using ALL CAPITALS OR ELSE IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE YELLING
(cry out). Also avoid using italics or bold, as some email packages do not read
this information.
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ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Do not use email when feeling angry
Studies say that more than 70% of our communication is nonverbal. If you have
something emotional to say, you will convey it better in person, rather than via
email. Flaming (on fire ) is the practice of writing email that has an angry or overly
critical tone. Flaming is considered to be inappropriate. If you think someone has
said or done something inappropriate, find a professional tone to convey that
perspective and when possible, tell the person how you feel face to face. Do not
flame.
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ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Do not send jokes to professional colleagues.
Students should not use email class lists to send jokes to other students and
faculty.
Avoid sending file attachments unless they are requested from the
receiver.
Many instructors will not accept your file attachment unless you have a previous
arrangement to exchange file attachments.
When sending email to a long list of addresses, use BCC (blind carbon
copy) to hide the list of emails to recipients.
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Some Emailing Softwares
Microsoft Outlook
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Mozilla Thunderbird
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ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Memos
Memos are a type of informal report. Memos should be clear and concise
documents.
The purpose of your memo should be clearly stated.
Headings can be used to make your memo clearer.
In some memos, especially longer memos, it may be appropriate to
summarize your message before going into a detailed discussion related to the
purpose of your memo.
Your memo should clearly state what you expect to happen next. You should
either provide a recommendation or a suggested action.
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ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Microsoft Word has Memo
Templates (Note) that can assist
you with the overall format of your
memo. After Word is open, under
File, choose New. You should get a
dialog box asking you what kind of
document you would like to create.
Look for the tab that says Memos.
You will see that Word provides a
selection of styles of memos.
Choose the one that best suits you.
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Memo Format
ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
This example
memo uses
Word's Elegant
Memo format.
Your memo should
have at least 4 parts:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5Zyn9y_MDs
Youtube Video on How to Write a Successful Memo
ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Domino Effect of Correspondence
In this example,
- correspondence starts with a
complaint letter from customer to
field service office.
- Field service Office informs R&D
and engineering departments with
memo (company internal
communication)
- Those are followed with other
memos inside the company and
finally official letter from company
to customer, vendors etc.
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ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Complaint Letter from Customer
- To specific person (field service
manager in this example)
- Addresses the problem
- Expresses disappointment
- Asks necessary prompt action
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ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Official Letter to Customer
- Assure, and relaxes the
customer that the problem is
under investigation and will
be taken care of.
- Guarantees the
specifications initially asked
by the customer.
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ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Memo Regarding with the Problem
- From company field office
manager to specific person or
department
- Reminds the problem at first
instance.
- Enclose necessary document,
part for investigating the problem.
- Requires action
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Memo After Solving Problem
- A memo informing the related
persons or groups that problem is
solved.
- Congratulate the team.
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ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Opening and Closing Phrases / Statements in Correspondences
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ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely; Dear Sir or Dear Mr
we look at important phrases for writing letters and emails, such as when to
use Yours faithfully and Yours sincerely, Dear Sir, Dear Madam, and so forth.
In short, you want to give a professional image when you write to your customers
and business partners. To get you started, we’ve prepared some lists of standard
phrases:
How to begin with?
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ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
10 good opening lines
We need an opening line in a business letter or professional email:
to make reference to previous correspondence; to say how we found the
recipient’s name/address; to say why we are writing to the recipient.
• With reference to your letter of 8 June, I … .
• I am writing to enquire about … .
• After having seen your advertisement in … , I would like … .
• After having received your address from … , I … .
• I received your address from … and would like … .
• We/I recently wrote to you about … .
• Thank you for your letter of 8 May.
• Thank you for your letter regarding … .
• Thank you for your letter/e-mail about … .
• In reply to your letter of 8 May, … .
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ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
10 good closing lines
We need a closing line in a business letter or email:
to make a reference to a future event; to repeat an apology; to offer help
• If you require any further information, feel free to contact me.
• I look forward to your reply.
• I look forward to hearing from you.
• I look forward to seeing you.
• Please advise as necessary.
• We look forward to a successful working relationship in the future.
• Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact
me.
• Once again, I apologize for any inconvenience.
• We hope that we may continue to rely on your valued custom.
• I would appreciate your immediate attention to this matter.
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ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
‘Yours faithfully’ or ‘Yours sincerely’ in a business letter?
When the recipient’s name is unknown to you:
Dear Sir … Yours faithfully
Dear Madam … Yours faithfully
Dear Sir or Madam … Yours faithfully
When you know the recipient’s name:
Dear Mr Hanson … Yours sincerely
Dear Mrs Hanson … Yours sincerely
Dear Miss Hanson … Yours sincerely
Dear Ms Hanson … Yours sincerely
When addressing a good friend or colleague:
Dear Jack … Best wishes/Best regards
Addressing whole departments:
Dear Sirs … Yours faithfully
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ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
E-mail or Cover Letter Greetings
Since the greeting is the first thing the recipient will see when they read your
cover letter, it's important that you convey an appropriate level of familiarity and
respect.
Dear - Dear is appropriate when you know the person well, if they are a business
acquaintance, or a potential employer. If you know the person well, use their first
name only. For a potential employer, use Mr. or Ms. unless you have been asked
to use their first name. For a business acquaintance or associate, it will depend
on how well you know the person. If you are on a first name basis, use that. If
you aren't sure, use Mr./Ms. Lastname, or Mr./Ms. Firstname Lastname. If your
contact name is gender neutral (ie.Taylor Brown), and you are unsure, Dear
Taylor Brown is also appropriate.
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To Whom It May Concern:
Use To Whom It May Concern as a cover letter greeting where you don't
have a specific person to whom you are writing. You might use this when
making an inquiry, but you should make every effort to find the name of
someone in the specific department that you are interested in to contact.
Hello:
Hello is appropriate only in email correspondence, and should be used
primarily with people you know well, or in very casual circumstances.
Hi:
Hi is appropriate only in casual email correspondence with people you know
well.
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ME 2004 BUSINESS ENGLISH KARADENİZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
E-mail or Cover Letter Closing Examples
Sincerely
Sincerely yours
Regards
Best regards
Kind regards
Yours truly
Most sincerely
Respectfully
Respectfully yours
Thank you
Thank you for your consideration
Follow the closing with a comma, a space, and then your name and your
contact information, if you're sending an email message. For
example:Best regards,
Your Name
Your LinkedIn Profile URL
Your Email Address
Your Phone Number
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Step by Step Instructions on How to Write a Formal Email !
1. Use a neutral Email address:
Your Email address should be a variation of
your real name, not a username or nickname.
Use periods, hyphens, or underscores to
secure an e-mail address that's just your
name, without extra numbers or letters, if you
can. Never use an unprofessional email
address. No one will take you seriously if your
reply-to is
monsignor.harry.manback@slip’nslides.net
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2. Use a short and accurate subject header:
Avoid saying too much in the subject header, but
make sure it reflects the content of your Email to a
person unfamiliar with you. If possible, include a
keyword that will make the Email content easier to
remember and/or search for in a crowded inbox. For
example, “Meeting on March 12th” is specific enough
that the email topic won’t be mistaken for anything
else but not so specific as to be distracting (ex.
“Schedule, Guest List, Lunch Requests, and Meeting
Overview for March 12th").
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3. Use a proper salutation:
Addressing the recipient by name is preferred.
Use the person's title (Mr. Mrs. Ms. or Dr.) with
their last name, followed by a comma or a colon.
Optionally, you can precede the salutation with
"Dear..." (but "Hello..." is acceptable as well).
Using a last name is more formal and should be
used unless you are on first-name terms with the
recipient. If you don't know the name of the
person you're writing to (but you really should try
to find one) use "Dear Sir/Madam" or "Dear Sir or
Madam" followed by a colon.
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4. Introduce yourself in the first paragraph
(if necessary) and state your purpose
Also include why you're writing, and how you
found that person's Email address, or the
opportunity you're writing about.
Ex.My name is Earl Rivers. I'm contacting
you to apply for the administrative assistant
position listed on CareerXYZ.com.
• My name is Arlene Rivers. I am writing
about the traffic citation I received on
December 31, 2009. I obtained your Email
address from the Westchester County Clerk
website.
“I am writing to enquire about
…” or “I am writing in reference to
…”.
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5. Write the actual message
Be sure to get your point across without rambling; if
it's fluffed up, the reader may glance over the
important details. Try to break up the message into
paragraphs by topic to make your message more
logical and digestible. The email should be no more
than 5 paragraphs long and each paragraph should
be no more than 5 sentences long.
•Insert a line break between each paragraph;
indenting isn't necessary and will likely be lost during
the email transfer anyway.
•Be sure to avoid informal writing.
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6. Use the correct form of leave-taking
This will depend on your level of intimacy with the
recipient. Examples include: Yours sincerely,
•Yours cordially,
•Respectfully,
•Best,
•Your student,
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7. Sign with your full name
If you have a job title, include that in the
line after your name, and write the
company name or website in the line after
that. If you do not have a job title but you
have your own blog or website related to
the content of the e-mail, include a link to
that below your name. If the e-mail is about
a job, only include a career-related website
or blog, not hobbies or interests.
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8. Proofread your message for content
Make sure you haven’t omitted any important
details (or repeated yourself). Reading your
email aloud or asking someone to proofread it is
a great way to get a different perspective on
what you’ve written.
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9. Proofread your message for spelling and
grammar
If your email provider doesn’t already provide
spelling and grammar options for you, copy and
paste your email into a word processor, revise it
if necessary, and copy and paste it back into your
email.
Reference: http://www.wikihow.com
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Example Letter