Topic X Memos, E-mails

8
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

and Faxes

LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to: Name the different types and parts of a memo; Use appropriate language in e-mail; Describe the format, style and layout in faxes; Write good memos, e-mail and faxes; and Practise rules of subject-verb agreement.

INTRODUCTIONG

This topic will introduce you to the different styles and layout used in memos, e-mails and faxes. It explains some of the fundamental differences between memos and business letters, and describes common practices when sending email and faxes. The topic also contains activities and exercises to give you practice in using subject-verb agreement involving singular and plural subjects.

8.1

MEMORANDUM

A memo or memorandum is a form of written business communication. Memos are circulated within a company, and rarely go out to clients. However, a government department may use memos to communicate with other government departments or authorities. It is less formal than a letter, which is regarded as a serious document that must be carefully filed. A memo may communicate information, explain new procedures, announce changes, make requests, confirm results or offer advice. The format, style and

TOPIC 8 MEMOS, E-MAILS AND FAXES

145

organisation of memos vary enormously, mainly because of the influence of corporate culture and also because they can be used to communicate with one or many people who may be of similar or very different status.

8.1.1
(a) (b) (c) (d)

Advantages of a Memo

A memo has several advantages, which are detailed below: The same message is communicated accurately to many people at the same time; It takes little time to construct because it is informal yet provides a written record for filing and reference; It allows the writer to convey detailed or difficult information logically; and It indicates, by the companys letterhead, that it is an internal piece of communication and part of company procedure.

8.1.2
x x x x

Parts of a Memo

A memo comprises the following parts: Heading (To, From, Date, Subject); Body (written in short paragraphs, blocked to the left margin); Reference initials (optional); and Attachment notation.

8.1.3

Distribution List

This is a list comprising the names of people to whom the memo will be sent. It is used when a memo is sent to a group rather than an individual. The names are listed at the bottom of the memo in alphabetical or rank order and indented to the first tab.

146

TOPIC 8 MEMOS, E-MAILS AND FAXES

Figure 8.1: Parts of a memo

TOPIC 8 MEMOS, E-MAILS AND FAXES

147

ACTIVITY 8.1
1. The following are some basic rules about memos. Compare these rules to those for writing a business letter. How do they differ?
SOME BASIC RULES ABOUT MEMOS A B C D E F G H I J K L Heading: To Heading: From Date Subject heading/subject line Only about one subject Body should be aligned to the left margin Should not be longer than one page Names kept brief e.g. M. Ismail or even Ismail Position of receiver and sender No addresses No full greetings or closings Initialled by sender, not signed in full

2.

The different parts of a memo are listed below in a jumbled-up state. Rearrange the parts and list them down in their correct order. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f ) (g) (h) (i ) (j ) (k) body of the memo name(s) of anybody else who will receive a copy of the memo conclusion or recommendation date deadline name of the person sending the memo initials of the sender request for cooperation name of the person to whom the memo is sent brief introduction to the memo, either giving background information or the main point of the memo subject heading

148

TOPIC 8 MEMOS, E-MAILS AND FAXES

3.

Read the following request memo. Briefly describe the content of the different parts of the memo numbered 1 to 7.

8.2

TYPES OF MEMO

There are many types of memos that are routinely sent out in an organisation. Some of the most common types include:

8.2.1

Directive Memo

A directive memo states a policy or procedure that you want your co-workers to follow. The body of the memo starts with a clear, concise sentence that states the purpose of the memo, for example: The purpose of this memo is to let all members of the ABC department know that doughnuts will be provided every Friday morning at 8am. You then explain the rationale for such a decision or procedure.

TOPIC 8 MEMOS, E-MAILS AND FAXES

149

8.2.2

Response Memo

The response memo responds to a request for information. It comprises four parts the purpose statement, summary, discussion and action. It always starts with a short paragraph stating the purpose, followed by a summary of the information requested, a discussion of the important points, and the action you are going to take or feel should be taken.

8.2.3

Trip Report Memo

This is usually sent to a supervisor after an employee returns from a business trip. It follows the same format as the response memo. In the action section, include relevant information that you may have come across after returning from the trip or recommendations that you might want to make.

8.2.4

Field Report Memo

A field report memo highlights a problem and reports on the procedures taken to resolve the problem. It has the following sub-sections purpose, summary, problem leading to the decision to perform the procedure, methods, results, conclusions and recommendations.

8.2.5

Transmittal Memo

This is the first document in a report package. The functions of the transmittal memo include announcing the release of a report (giving the date, by whom the report was authorised and the general purpose of the report). It also summarises conclusions and recommendations, credits the project team for their work, and notes special points of interest.

8.2.6

Announcement Memo

This type of memo issues an announcement to all staff members at the same time.

8.2.7

Instruction Memo

This type of memo gives instructions that need to be complied with by the staff.

150

TOPIC 8 MEMOS, E-MAILS AND FAXES

8.2.8

Authorisation Memo

This type gives the green light for an action to be taken.

ACTIVITY 8.2
Read the following extracts taken from different types of memo. Identify the types of memo that you think these extracts belong to. Check your answers. You will notice that the function of the information contained in these extracts reflect the names of the memos. (a) The statistics on half-year expenditure which you asked for are attached. To ensure the photocopier is used properly, bear in mind the following procedures: Use the machine for only up to 30 minutes at a time; and Allow the machine to cool off for at least five minutes before the next photocopying session.

(b)

(c)

Please order the Accounting Computing Packages from the supplier identified and arrange for their installation as soon as possible. Employees are entitled to a 15% discount on our products at any of our branches.

(d)

TOPIC 8 MEMOS, E-MAILS AND FAXES

151

8.3

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

There are many rules on subject-verb agreement. Study the following rules and examples carefully: 1. When two or more subjects are connected by or or nor, the verb must agree with the subject closest to it. S S Example: (a) Either the head of department or the section leader V has to attend the meeting. S S V (b) Neither the representatives nor the members are absent today. S S (c) Either the union representatives or the section head V has to leave the meeting. S S V (d) Neither the manager nor the employees are to be blamed.

2.

Each of the words in the following list goes with a singular verb. every each one everyone anyone someone anybody somebody nobody

singular verb e.g. is, was, has, does, takes, walks

152

TOPIC 8 MEMOS, E-MAILS AND FAXES

ACTIVITY 8.3
Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the verb given in brackets. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Each and every one of the employees for promotion. Somebody, if not all, travel for the company. (is/are) eligible (has/have) to volunteer to (has/have) to

Either the brochure or the work samples be enclosed in the mail. Neither the new models nor the old ones (prove/proves) to be cost effective. One of the machines more than we budgeted for.

(cost/costs) RM13,420.00, which is

8.4

E-MAILS

Electronic communication is one of the fastest growing communication trends in the world today. Electronic mail (e-mail) enables an individual to create a message within a mail application on a computer and then, with the push of a button, send it to the electronic mailbox of another individual. It is sent via intranet (LAN) and via the World Wide Web (www). Mail applications offer a number of options, depending on their sophistication and/or knowledge of the user. For example, messages can be spell-checked, stored without being sent, copied, sent to multiple receivers, forwarded to other users, printed and have replies automatically generated, delivery confirmed or files attached.

8.4.1

Netiquette

Netiquette refers to etiquette on the Net. It maintains and promotes goodwill between the writer and the recipient. A professional e-mail message should be courteous and confident.

TOPIC 8 MEMOS, E-MAILS AND FAXES

153

Netiquette Dos Be polite and civil Keep e-mail short and brief Respect privacy Stay on topic Reply promptly

Netiquette Donts Use capital letters (shouting) Post flame bait Use emotional language Send out unsolicited mass e-mails Claim e-mail as urgent when they are not

ACTIVITY 8.4
1. 2. Do you enjoy sending e-mails? Why? With reference to netiquette, what are some of the dos and donts when it comes to sending and receiving e-mails?

8.4.2

Net Addresses

Each part of a Net address has a specific purpose appropriate to the writer and the reader. Net addresses must be accurately written. One incorrect digit or letter will send the e- mail to the wrong location. The general rule for Net addresses is that it must be presented in lowercase. A Net address contains the users ID at a site or domain. The domain identifies the organisation running the site and the kind of site. The organisation suffix at the end of the e-mail address identifies the type of organisation, as indicated by the following. Com Org Edu Gov Net Commercial business Non-profit organisations Educational institutions Government organisations Companies or organisations that run large networks

8.4.3

Addressing E-mails

By pointing and clicking the mouse, or by using arrow keys and then pressing the enter key, one or more names can be selected from our address book and automatically entered into the to field. Your own name or computer account will automatically appear in the from field. Date is also automatically generated by the application. It is optional but highly advisable to supply a subject line. E-mails generally take the format of a standard memo.

154

TOPIC 8 MEMOS, E-MAILS AND FAXES

An e-mail or Internet address consists of specific parts. It typically takes the following form: name@machine name.organisation.type of organisation.country An example of an e-mail address is: hezrim@yahoo.com.my

8.4.4

Layout

The layout of an e-mail message is the frame for your message. The acceptable minimum parts for an e-mail message are as follows: x x x x x x x Recipient s name Sender s name Subject Date Body E-mail address At least one other option, apart from the e-mail address, of contacting the sender

8.4.5

E-mail Abbreviations

Abbreviations are sometimes used in e-mails. The following are some examples: btw (by the way), fyi (for your information), imho (in my humble opinion), fwiw (for what its worth), hth (hope this helps) and afaik (as far as I know).

Figure 8.2: Abbreviations used in e-mails

TOPIC 8 MEMOS, E-MAILS AND FAXES

155

ACTIVITY 8.5
1. Complete this e-mail using expressions contained in the previous sample given, that convey the same meaning as the underlined expressions. Jaya, thanks for your plans on reducing the budget of the sales department. I would be grateful if you could (1) send copies to Sarah Ismail of any e-mails you send to me. (2) With this email, you will find a Word document with my comments. Please let me know if, for any reason, you cannot open the (3) document that comes with this e-mail. (4) I am sending your proposals to all members of the board. (5) Greetings, Devi

2.

Complete the extracts from these e-mails, using the abbreviations previously introduced. (i) (ii) I am not sure about this, but _________ there seems to be a reorganisation going on in the company. You asked about sales figures for three years. Please see the attached document.________. Good luck in preparing next years budget.

8.5

FAXES

Faxes are a well-established means of communication in modern business and are widely used because of their speed, convenience and flexibility. They are as fast as a telephone call and relatively cheap. They are more convenient than e-mail because any sheet of paper can be put through a fax machine and they can be used by companies with no Internet connection. The format used varies widely but will mainly be dictated by a companys preferences or the software used to generate the faxes. However, there are certain practical considerations which affect some aspects of the layout e.g. the need to know how many pages are being sent and the need to specify senders and recipients telephone numbers in case of failed transmission. The style of text in faxes may sometimes be much more informal than in a letter.

156

TOPIC 8 MEMOS, E-MAILS AND FAXES

8.5.1
Tan: Chan: Tan:

Sending Faxes
Yes, I think you will be interested in our latest designs Can you send them by fax? Sure. I will fax you right now. What is your fax number? 02 for Singapore followed by 3976 3421. OK. I have got that. Can you also fax the specifications that you think we need? I will fax you everything we have. There are about 17 pages. If you could fax it now, that would be great!

Adeline Chan in Singapore is on the phone with Tan Sim Hock from Kuala Lumpur.

Chan:
Tan:

Chan:
Tan:

Chan:

8.5.2

Layout of Faxes

The following is a layout of a fax cover sheet:

FAX COVER SHEET1 Date: 19 November 2010 To: Adeline Chan To fax number: +02 3976 3421 From: Tan Sim Hock

Number of pages including this cover sheet: 17 Dear Adeline, It was good to hear from you again. The following pages give details of the latest additions to our range. If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Best regards, Tan Sim Hock This fax may contain confidential information2. If you are not the intended recipient3, advise the sender4 and destroy this document. If you do not receive all pages, or if any pages are illegible, please phone (6) 03-2284 6545 immediately.

Key: 1. 2. 3. 4. Cover sheet: The first page of a fax showing who it is from. Confidential information: Things that others should NOT know. Intended recipient: The person who should receive the fax. Advise the sender: Tell the person who sent it.

TOPIC 8 MEMOS, E-MAILS AND FAXES

157

8.5.3

Receiving Faxes
Did you get my fax? You are not going to believe this, but the paper got stuck and the machine jammed. No problem. I will send it again.

Tan: Adeline: Tan:

15 minutes later Tan: Adeline: Tan: Did the fax go through this time? Yes but pages 6 and 11 were not legible. I could not read them. No problem, I will resend them.

ACTIVITY 8.6
Tan Sim Hock sends a fax to Milan. The person receiving the fax phones Tan. Read what is said and complete the statements using expressions from the last section of the sample fax cover sheet given in the previous page. 1. Milan Auto Exec here. We have received a fax from you to a company called Milan Fashion House. Our fax numbers are very similar. There must be some mistake. Milan Auto Exec (MAE) is not the___________ ___________, and so they tell the person sending the fax. They___________the___________. 2. The designs you received are top secret. Could you please tear them before throwing them away? The information is ___________. Tan to___________the fax so that no one else sees it. 3. wants MAE

Do not worry. There is something wrong with our fax machine so we cannot read most of the pages anyway. The person cannot read the fax: the fax, including most of the ___________ ___________, is ___________.

158

TOPIC 8 MEMOS, E-MAILS AND FAXES

Apart from letters, business organisations use documents such as memos, emails and faxes. These forms of business communication are taken seriously and therefore ought to be unambiguous and well presented. The important aspects of memos, e-mails and faxes such as format, layout and style are covered in this topic. A memo is a form of written business communication which is circulated within a company. Memos communicate information, explain new procedures, announce changes, make requests, confirm results or offer advice. E-mails usually comprise the following components the recipients name, senders name, subject, date, body of the email and the e-mail address. Ideally, it should also contain at least one other option, apart from the e-mail address, of contacting the sender. Netiquette refers to etiquette on the Internet, and aims to maintain and promote goodwill. The main advantages of faxes are speed, convenience and flexibility.

x x x x

x x

Announcement memo Directive memo Response memo Field Trip memo

Netiquette Request memo Transmittal memo Trip Report memo