Rules of Business Writing Apply to Online Correspondence.

By Deborah Willoughby, Montgomery Advertiser, Ala. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Jun. 22--The structure of a formal business letter is well known, but sometimes it feels like all bets are off in the world of business e-mail.

The Internet is a fairly recent development, and guidelines governing its use are still evolving. People in the business world sometimes treat e-mail the way they would a scribbled note on a piece of scratch paper when they would be better off treating their messages with the care they would give a formal business letter on company stationery.

Training manager Doug McCarty said there's a growing demand for excellence in business writing.

"It's one of those rediscovered skills that people realize is very important to their reputations and their companies' reputations," McCarty said. "Because it's so important, companies and leaders within the business world are willing to invest in more training."

Libby Christensen teaches a business writing class for professionals through Auburn University Montgomery's School of Continuing Education. She has noticed an upswing in the demand for training in business communications, including e-mail etiquette.

When Christensen teaches business communications, she reviews the basics that many people learned in high school or college and also delves into e-mail.

Among the biggest changes of the computer age has been the extent to which high-level managers do their own typing, rather than dictating correspondence to a secretary. Thus, a manager's correspondence -- e-mail correspondence in particular -- may be sent without ever having been reviewed by a colleague.

Many of Christensen's students understand the basics of writing and grammar, even if they can't actually explain the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs. But many people feel insecure about their writing skills, and they worry about how the rules may have changed in recent years.

"Things have changed a lot. Grammar rules do change, and some teachers are stricter than others," Christensen said. Those rule changes can lead to workplace disagreements about grammar and punctuation. "I tell my students, 'When all else fails, do what your supervisor says.'"

The basic rules of business writing apply to e-mail correspondence. Christensen focuses on accuracy, brevity and clarity. Here are her tips for e-mail etiquette:

1. Treat it like a business letter.

E-mail tends to be more conversational than a formal business letter, but that doesn't mean anything goes, either in terms of style or content.

"What you're saying will represent your office, not just you," Christensen said. "If you feel the need to share jokes or personal anecdotes with someone, do it at home, on your own computer, on your own time."

2. There's no such thing as privacy.

"There are a lot of problems with e-mail not being as personal as you think it's going to be," Christensen said. "There have been many cases of messages being forwarded -- intentionally and otherwise -- to third parties."

Don't put anything in an e-mail that you wouldn't want your boss to read. Remember that recipients may be quick to forward your message to other parties. Be extremely alert when you reply to a message that has been forwarded to you.

Most workplaces have horror stories of e-mails gone awry. Don't think it can't happen to you.

3. Use spell check.

"It's not perfect, but sometimes it's all we've got," Christensen said. "Mistakes reflect poorly on yourself and your company."

4. Reread your work.

"Sometimes we're good spellers but not good typists," she said. For important letters, consider asking someone from your office to take a look, too, for content as well as for grammar and punctuation.

"If you're upset about something, be careful, because e-mail is very quick," Christensen said. Many people have angrily fired off a quick e-mail to their deep regret. Wait until you're calm before sending an e-mail.

5. Supply contact information.

The recipient may want to drop something in the mail or give you a call. Provide your name, address and telephone number in a business-related e-mail.

6. Keep it short.

"If something is long, it's better to make an attachment and let the other person download the attachment," Christensen said.

7. Stick to the plain fonts.

Christensen suggests Times New Roman, and black or blue type, not some colorful, flowery script, for business e-mail.

8. Don't use all capital letters.

It's the e-mail equivalent of yelling.

COMMUNICATIONS CLASSES

Auburn University Montgomery's School of Continuing Education offers contract courses, both at AUM and at individual businesses. Business communications courses, including Business Writing for the Professional, are offered. For details, call AUM Continuing Education at (334) 244-3341 or visit www.aum.edu.

To see more of the Montgomery Advertiser, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com.

(c) 2004, Montgomery Advertiser, Ala. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.