Components of Business Emails

在如今的全球化時(shí)代，商務(wù)電郵溝通摒棄了以往的正式用語，表達(dá)用語比較口語化，商務(wù)電郵的寫作呈現(xiàn)出直截了當(dāng)、親切、自然的溝通特點(diǎn)。

1. Subject line 主題欄

郵件主題越具體越好，同時(shí)像報(bào)紙的大標(biāo)題一樣簡(jiǎn)單明了顯眼，目的就是為了引起收件人的注意，以便讓郵箱的主人打開郵件閱讀。

【Example】

（a）Subject：Information

（b）Subject：Information on Order 123 Shipping Status

（a）過于簡(jiǎn)略，（b）則清楚地指出此郵件的主要事情。

2. Salutation and complimentary close 稱呼語和結(jié)尾敬語

商務(wù)電郵的稱呼語（salutation）可以用信件里用的正式稱呼Dear Mr. Marshall，也可以用平時(shí)見面打招呼的口語表達(dá)Hi/Hello Andrew，取決于雙方之間的熟悉程度。

結(jié)尾敬語（complimentary close）的正式與否和稱呼保持一致，比較親密的結(jié)語可用Regards，Best regards，自然的很常用的結(jié)尾敬語可用Sincerely，Yours sincerely，很正式的結(jié)語比如Yours faithfully，Yours respectfully等在電郵中使用不多。

3. Paragraphs 段落

郵件的開始部分應(yīng)親切自然，感謝讀者是郵件開場(chǎng)白的好辦法。感謝讀者能讓對(duì)方感到高興，特別是之后你有事相求的情況下會(huì)很有幫助。

【Example】

（a）I received your email yesterday.

（b）Thanks for your yesterday's email.

（c）Thanks for your raising concerns about the packing.

（a）句中的開頭語不帶感情色彩，（b）和（c）句中的表達(dá)更親切些，不管是回復(fù)壞消息還是好消息，開頭語都顯得更為積極。

寫郵件正文的時(shí)候最好忠實(shí)于一個(gè)主題，使用簡(jiǎn)短的段落，便于收件人閱讀和回應(yīng)郵件。如果有多個(gè)主題需要與收件人溝通，最好一封郵件一個(gè)主題地發(fā)送，便于收件人進(jìn)行有效的回復(fù)。

由于電子郵件往來頻率較快，趨向于口語體，如果很長(zhǎng)的段落可能會(huì)增加收件者的閱讀時(shí)間，和電子郵件的快捷簡(jiǎn)短的溝通特點(diǎn)不符。如果一封郵件有一個(gè)主題，每個(gè)段落則圍繞這個(gè)主題的一件事來寫。

在正文寫作中，也可以借助項(xiàng)目符號(hào)使得結(jié)構(gòu)一目了然，便于收件人把握郵件要點(diǎn)。

不論郵件包含的是感謝的內(nèi)容還是道歉的內(nèi)容，或是談判紛爭(zhēng)的內(nèi)容，在郵件的結(jié)束部分最好積極地展望一下雙方未來良好的合作。即使以后不合作了，也應(yīng)該對(duì)對(duì)方未來的發(fā)展表示祝愿。常用的結(jié)尾表達(dá)有：

We look forward to hearing from you.

Good luck on your future endeavors.

I hope that we have satisfactorily addressed your concerns.

Thank you for your understanding.

4. Emoticons and abbreviations 表情符號(hào)和縮略語

在商務(wù)電郵中盡量避免隨意的表情符號(hào)（emoticons or emojis）和不普及的縮略語。表情符號(hào)的使用有特定的群體之分，不同的群體使用的表情符號(hào)不同，盡量不用。縮略語固定下來的并不多，比如RSVP表示“敬請(qǐng)回復(fù)”，ASAP表示“盡快”，這樣的表達(dá)已經(jīng)廣為商務(wù)人士使用，但是新的縮略語層出不窮，在商務(wù)溝通中盡量選用規(guī)范的表達(dá)，不能太隨意。

Sample Email

Re：Product Catalog

Dear Mr. Andover,

Thanks for your email of December 1st.

I'm pleased to send you our comprehensive product catalog, attached in PDF format. The catalog includes pricing, shipping and warranty information.

If you have any further questions, I would be glad to answer them.

Regards,

Joe Smith

Notes

1. structure n. 結(jié)構(gòu) v. 安排

The house was a handsome four-storey brick structure.

You have begun to structure your time.

2. concise a. 簡(jiǎn)潔的

a concise explanation

The text is concise and informative.

3. positive a. 肯定的，積極的，正面的

a positive attitude

He is positive that he'll win.

He said that the agreement could be a positive sign.

4. plain a. 素色的，簡(jiǎn)明的

a plain fabric

to make one's meaning plain

plain English 簡(jiǎn)明英語

5. supportive a. 支持的

Her boss was very supportive and gave her time off work.

They were always supportive of each other.

6. appreciative a. 感激的，欣賞的

the applause of an appreciative audience

We are very appreciative of their support.

7. conversational a. 會(huì)話的

a conversational tone of voice

What is refreshing is the author's easy, conversational style.

8. courteous a. 禮貌的

He gave me a courteous but firm refusal.

Effective business messages have several traits in common. They are courteous, correct, concise, clear, and complete.

discourteous a. 無禮的

In business, no one can afford to be impolite or discourteous.

9. response n. 回答，回應(yīng)

There has been no response to his remarks.

We had hoped for a bigger response from the public.

10. replacement n. 替代品，替換的人選

Learn more about repair and replacement costs and how long it will take.

Applications for replacement certificates will be granted provided that you submit a signed statement confirming that the original certificate has either been destroyed or lost.

11. coupon n. 禮券，優(yōu)惠券

Browse through thousands of coupons for all your favorite brands from all your favorite stores.

Find official Dell coupon codes for deals on laptops, computers, monitors, ink and more.

12. promo n.（promotion的縮略語）促銷

Find best flights and our latest promo fares and exclusive deals for you.

Only one promo code can be used per order. Savings will be reflected in your shopping cart.

13. stability n. 穩(wěn)定

Financial stability has improved in advanced economies since April, but risks continue to rotate toward emerging markets.

It was a time of political stability and progress.

14. acquisition n. 收購，獲得

Mergers and acquisitions（M&A）are transactions in which the ownership of companies, other business organizations or their operating units are transferred or combined.

15. input v. & n. 輸入

Town officials are seeking input on improving the area.

Please input the information below：① Contract Category：Banking. Services; Audit Services; Card. Processing Services/Merchant services. ② Existing Supplier：…

16. run-on sentence（錯(cuò)用逗號(hào)的）連寫句

A run-on is a sentence in which two or more independent clauses（i.e. complete sentences）are joined without an appropriate punctuation or conjunction.

17. punctuation n. 標(biāo)點(diǎn)符號(hào)

You use punctuation marks to structure and organise your writing.

Commas and periods are the most frequently used punctuation marks.

18. qualified a. 合格的

I don't feel qualified to judge that.

Demand has far outstripped supply of qualified engineers.

19. reference n. 檔號(hào), 推薦信

The firm offered to give her a reference.

An index is included for ease of reference.

20. complimentary a. 表示敬意的，贈(zèng)送的

Guests enjoy a complimentary wine & hors d'oeuvres reception from 5 - 8pm on weekday evenings. Chicago airport transportation is easy when you take advantage of our 24-hour, complimentary shuttle service.

Writing Tips

When we write the first draft of an email, a letter, or any other piece of business writing, we should be more concerned with content than style. We should know how to avoid major errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word usage. But a technically correct message may still not achieve its objectives, because it may lack style.

Style refers to the effectiveness of words, sentences, paragraphs, and the overall tone of your message. A writer can apply the following tips to an effective writing style.

WORDS：Write clearly

Write concisely

SENTENCES：Use a variety of sentence types

Use passive and active voice appropriately

Use parallel structure

PARAGRAPHS：Keep paragraphs unified and coherent

Control paragraph length

TONE：Write confidently

Use a courteous and sincere tone

Use appropriate emphasis and subordination

Use positive language

Use non-discriminatory language

Useful Sentences

1. Be clear and straightforward in your letters and emails.

2. Don't use superfluous or repetitious words.

3. Avoid the use of pompous or inflated language in your letters or emails.

4. Stay away from vague words like "better," or "faster," whenever possible.

5. The tone of any business letter or email should be courteous and friendly, and written as if you were talking with the reader.

6. The "you attitude" insists that the focus of attention in your letters or emails be directed toward the reader, the "you" to whom you are writing.

7. If a woman's courtesy title is unknown, "Ms." should be used.

8. Don't conclude a letter or an email with new material.

9. Never write in all capital letters. It gives the impression you're shouting at the recipient.

10. State what you can do, instead of what you can't when you write a business message.

11. Don't be too informal. Remember that your message still reflects your professionalism.

12. Following the rules of grammar helps your writing to be consistent and understandable.

13. When a phrase doesn't clearly refer to the word it is modifying, it is said to be "dangling".

14. When you write a sentence that consists of a list or series of items, make sure they are written in the same grammatical form.

15. If you do not know when your reader is going to read your email message, choose a timeneutral salutation：Dear, Hello, Hi.

16. If your readers don't get the right information, the document will fail, no matter how perfectly the sentences are constructed.

17. Remember this maxim：Write to express, not to impress.

18. To ensure your writing is correct, use one space after a full stop or colon.

19. Spelling reflects credibility, professionalism, and ensures that your readers accurately understand the information you are trying to convey to them.

20. Don't make the email a substitute for in-person contact.

Exercises

I. Choose the appropriate word for each sentence

1. The report, with all of its attachments, ______（create, creates）a strong case for our position.

2. ______（Who, Whom）should I consult？

3. When you finish reading the newsletter, please ______（lay, lie）it on the shelf.

4. Mario Silver, ______（who, whom）most of the other employees admire as a hard worker, left early.

5. We were delighted at ______（his, him）taking the job.

6. Benito is more creative than ______（any, any other）advertising agent in the company.

II. Rewrite each sentence by making it more concise

1. The financial statement showed that computation of the annual revenues had been done properly.

2. Subsequent to the announcement he made, he held a news conference for approximately one hour of time.

3. Prior to commencing the project, they met to prioritize their objectives.

4. Susan ended the meeting by concluding that there were a number of mutually agreeable solutions that could be explored so that the new departments in conflict could peacefully coexist.

5. Last but not least, there was the issue of quality control that he wanted to emphasize in his speech.

6. The department must determine its aims and goals so that they can be included in the annual strategic plan produced by the Company for the year of 2018.

III. Rewrite each sentence for a more positive effect

1. I regret to inform you that we cannot refund your deposit unless you return the goods within a week.

2. I won't be able to confirm your airline reservations until you have decided on a final itinerary.

3. You failed to send your order to us before the new prices were introduced.

4. I regret the necessity of calling your attention to our letter of Sept 1.

5. Your negligence in this matter caused the damage to the machine.

6. You sent your complaint to the wrong department. We don't handle shipping problems.

IV. Correct the mistake in each sentence

1. In a little over two months time, the analysts finished their reports.

2. Whom did you ask to replace Francis and I？

3. The list of payments have to be approved by the boss.

4. Britney thought she had done good in her job interview.

5. You need more than a knowledge of technology; one also must be able to interact well with people.

6. We offer a money back guarantee.

V. Improve the following email

Dearest Mr. Knight,

It has been our greatest honor to help you with your service request, our team of engineers was pleased they could provide you with a solution for your IT needs.

We would be grateful if you could provide us with feedback by filling out the attached customer survey form. We treasure your thoughts and comments regarding the quality of service provided.

Wish you happy！

Best Wishes,

MARY Kely

Service Quality Specialist