1. © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 1 Chapter 10 Memos and Letters Strategies for Technical Communication in the Workplace Laura J. Gurak John M. Lannon

2. © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 2 Purposes of a Memo Memos are the major form of internal communication in most organizations. Memos serve to leave a paper trail of directives, inquiries, instructions, requests, recommendations, and daily reports for future reference.

3. © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 3 Memo Types Transmittal Memo The transmittal memo accompanies a package of material to sign. It signals that the information is being sent from one place to another. Summary or Follow-Up Memo The summary or follow-up memo provides a written record of a meeting or conversation. Informational Memo The informational memo contains some type of announcement or update.

4. © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 4 When a Letter Is Better than a Memo or Email Use a letter when you need to:  Personalize your message  Convey a dignified, professional impression  Act as a representative of your company or organization  Present a carefully constructed case  Respond to clients, customers, or anyone outside your organization  Provide an official notice or record

5. © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 5 Parts of a Letter Heading / company name Date and inside address Salutation Body of letter Closing and signature Any notations

6. © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 6 Parts of a Letter  Sender’s Address  Date  Inside Address  Salutation  Body Text  Complimentary Closing  Signature

7. © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 7 Parts of a Letter Optional Parts  Typist notation  Enclosure notation  Copy notation

8. © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 8 Formats for Letters Block format  All letter parts are flush with the left margin. Modified block format  All parts are flush left, except date, return address, complimentary closing, and signature.

9. © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 9 Letter Tone  Establish and maintain a “you” perspective.  Be polite and tactful.  Use plain English.  Consider the needs of international readers.  Consider whether to be direct or indirect.

10. © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 10 Types of Letters  Inquiry letters  Claim letters  Routine  Arguable  Sales letters  Adjustment letters

11. © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 11 Inquiry Letters  Are sent to request information or services.  Can be solicited or unsolicited.  May not be useful if questions are too numerous or complex; consider an interview instead.  If unsolicited, may be considered less intrusive than unsolicited phone calls.

12. © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 12 Claim Letters Claim letters are used to request adjustments for defective goods or poor services.  Routine Claim  Straightforward because they are backed by a contract, guarantee, or company reputation  Arguable Claim  Used when you must persuade the recipient to grant a debatable claim

13. © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 13 Sales Letters Sales letters are written to persuade a current or potential customer to buy a product or service.

14. © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 14 Adjustment Letters To gain goodwill, companies generally grant any adjustments that seem reasonable.  Granting Adjustments:  Begin with good news.  Explain what went wrong and how the problem will be solved.  Never use employees as scapegoats.  Do not make any promises that can’t be kept.  End on a positive note.

15. © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 15 Adjustment Letters Companies must write refusals when customers have misused the product or are mistaken about policy.  Refusing Adjustments:  Use an indirect organizational plan.  Remain polite and professional.  Be ambiguous.  Avoid a patronizing or accusing tone.  Close the letter courteously and positively.

16. © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 16 Any questions? Any questions? For additional help reviewing this chapter, please visit the Companion Website for your text at http://www.pearsonhighered.com/gurak.