Although E-mail is a valuable communication tool, its widespread use in academic and business settings has introduced some new challenges for writers. Because it is a relatively new form of communication, basic social conventions for writing and responding to e-mail are still being worked out. Miscommunication can easily occur when people have different expectations about the e-mails that they send and receive. In addition, E-mail is used for many different purposes, including contacting friends, communicating with professors and supervisors, requesting information, and applying for jobs, internships, and scholarships. Depending on a person's purposes, the messages a person sends will differ in their formality, intended audience, and desired outcome. Finally, the use of E-mail for advertising purposes has clogged communication channels, preventing some E-mails from reaching their intended audience. Writers are challenged to make their Email stand apart from "spam" and to grab and hold the attention of their audience.no
E-mail is one of many available communication technologies in the workplace but it is not always the most appropriate one. When considering the method of communication, one needs to consider his a her message, his or her audience's likely reaction to the information, and the size of his or her audience. In general, E-mail is good for positive or neutral news, and sharing information. Sometimes other methods of communication (face-to-face, phone, instant messaging. video conferencing, etc.) may be more appropriate.
Essential E-mail Components:
Conventionally. E-mail components should be left-justified (i.e., not indented). The exception is for bulleted or numbered lists, which should be offset in order to make it easier for the reader to see important information. An important design concept in workplace communication is graphic highlighting, which means that sender should use white space and bulleted numbered lists to make important or detailed information easier to access. E-mails are meant to be concise, so you should avoid lengthy sentences and paragraphs.
➡️ Subject Line
The subject line of E-mail should offer reader the purpose of the Email, but it should also be brief. If the subject line is vague, people may ignore E-mail, or it may be sent to the junk/spam folder.
Vague: Exam Specific:Final Exam Schedule of B.Ed. Students (Semester - 1)
➡️ Greeting
Choosing a greeting may appear to be an easy task, but you have to gauge the appropriate level of formality. E-mailing a co-worker with whom you are friends to ask a brief question is different from E-mailing your supervisor with a work-related request. Below are some greetings that straddle different levels of formality:
More Formal: Dear (Name). Less Formal: Hi (Name). Hello (Name). Hey (Name).
Good morning/aftemoon (Name).
ð Body
Depending on how audience will react to the information in E-mail, sender will need to decide whether to structure his or herE-mail body using the direct or indirect method of communication. Either way, para. graphs in an E-mail, when there is more than one should be clear and concise. They are generally much shorter than paragraphs in an academic essay, for example.
➡️ The Direct Method of Communication
Except in the cases listed below, use the direct method of communication when constructing an E-mail. This method is used when the reader is already informed about the subject and/or will already be supportive of the information provided. The content of E-mail will provide the following pieces of information, in this order.
• Main point/decision/request
• Background or context for the main point of the E-mail (if required)
• Closing paragraph - summary, action items, polite closing
➡️ The Indirect Method of Communication
While a sender wants to avoid delivering really bad news by E-mail (face-to-face is the preferred method for sensitive subjects), if he or sheis delivering information that his or her reader may not immediately support or that they need to be educated about, sender's E-mail should be structured according to the indirect method of communication. This gives the reader time to consider rationale or background before encountering the main message:
➡️ Background or context for the main point of the E-mail (always included in the indirect method)
➡️ Main point/decision/request
➡️ Closing paragraph - summary, action items, polite closing.
The level of formality in sender's tone will vary based on the recipient of sender's message. In general, E-mails in the workplace are less for mal than academic writing but more formal than spoken conversation, While first-person references and contractions are usually acceptable in E-mails, jargon and stang should be avoided (as should humour, which may be misinterpreted).
Sign-off
As with the greeting, sender needs to choose an appropriate sign-off for your audience
More Formal: Sincerely, Less Formal: Talk soon,
Thanks/Thank you,
See you,
All the best
Best regards,
Kind regards,