Transcript International Trade Theory

Business communication
Chapter 3
Basic patterns
of business
messages
Contents
Introduction to Message and the
writing process
Directness(直接地） in Good-News and
neutral messages
Indirectness in Bad-News and Neutral
messages
Business communication. Swust. Shirley Miao
A.Introduction to Message and the
writing process
a message is information which is sent from
a source to a receiver.
7 C's of effective business message writing:
 Be clear
 Be complete
 Be concise（简明的）
 Be creative
 Be considerate
 Be correct
 Be credible
Business communication. Swust. Shirley Miao
Message
Text
messages
E-mail
business
letters
Memorandums
Business communication. Swust. Shirley Miao
1.Text message
Text messaging refers to the
exchange of brief written messages
between mobile and portable devices
（手提设备） over networks。
While the original term was derived
from referring to messages sent using
the Short Message Service (SMS), it
has since been extended to include
messages containing image, video,
and sound content.
Business communication. Swust. Shirley Miao
 Text messaging is most often used between
private mobile phone users, as a substitute
for voice calls in situations where voice
communication is impossible or undesirable.
（不合需要的）
 As companies seek competitive advantages,
many employees turn to new technology,
collaborative applications, and real-time
messaging like SMS, instant messaging, and
mobile communications.
Business communication. Swust. Shirley Miao
 Some practical uses of text messaging
include the fuse of SMS for confirming
delivery or other tasks, and for instant
communication between a service provider
and a client and for sending alerts. （警惕）
 Besides, advertisers and service providers
use texts to notify mobile phone users about
promotions, payment due dates and other
notifications.
Business communication. Swust. Shirley Miao
2.E-mail
E-mail is the term used to describe the tool
which allows one computer user to send a
message to one or more other computer
users over a computer network in a digital
form.
TO. Cc. Bcc. Subject.
Attachment. The message
Writing E-mail & Replying E-mail
Business communication. Swust. Shirley Miao
Writing E-mail:
 Write well-structured e-mail and use
short,descriptive subjects
 Company e-mail style are informal.this
means that sentences can be short and to
the point.you can start your e-mail with”Hi”
or “Dear”.message can be ended with “Best
regards”.
 Users must check all mails prior to
transmission
Business communication. Swust. Shirley Miao
 Do not send unnecessary attachments
 Do not write e-mails in capitals
 If you forwars mails,state clearly what
action you expect the recipient to take
Business communication. Swust. Shirley Miao
Replying to E-mail:
E-mail should be answered within at
least 8 working hours,but user must
endeavor(尽力） to anser priority email with 4 hours.
Priority e-mail are e-mails from
existing customers and business
partners.
Business communication. Swust. Shirley Miao
3.business letters
Letters are the traditional form of
business messages.
Types of business letter:
1.Apology letter/thank-you letters
2.Invitation letters
3.Congratulation letters
4.Complaint letters
5.Recommendation（推荐） letters
6.Resignation（辞职） letters
Business communication. Swust. Shirley Miao
Complaint letters
There may be a situation where you are
dissatisfied with a product and have been
asked to put it in writing.
Tips of writing a complaint letter:
 Include your name,address,and home and
work numbers
 Make sure your letter brief and to the point
Business communication. Swust. Shirley Miao
 State exactly what you want done about the
problem.
 Include all documents regarding your
problem(copies)
 Avoid writing an angry,sarcastic （讽刺）,or
threatening（威胁的） letter
 Keep a copy of the letter for your records
Business communication. Swust. Shirley Miao
Your address
Your City, State, Zip Code
Date
Name of contact person (if available)
Title (if available)
Company name
Cumsumer Complaint Division (if you have no
specific contact)
Street address
City, State, Zip CODE
Dear (contact person)
On (date), I (brought,leased,rented,or had
repaired) a (name of the product) at
(location,date and other important details of
the transaction)
Unfortunately,your product has not performed
well because (state the problem). I am
disappointed because (explain the problem)
To resolve the problem, I would appreciate
your (state the specific action you want
money back,charge card credit, repair,
exchange,etc).Enclose are copies of my
records.
Thank you for taking the time to read this
latter. I look forward to your reply and a
resolution to my problem. Please contact me
at the above address or by phone at (home
or office number with area code)
Sincerely,
Your name
4.Memo
Memo is a short official note typically
used for communication within a
company.It is designed to be read
quickly and passed along rapidly.
The memo should be clear and
informative.Use caution in negative
situations,and always keep in mind
that you need to be professional.
Business communication. Swust. Shirley Miao
A tipical memo includes 5 major parts:
 The recipients (To)
 The sender (From)
 Date
 The subject
 The body of the memo
Business communication. Swust. Shirley Miao
Memo
To: Zhang Qi, Sales manager
(NOTE: you should omit addresses such as
Dr.,Mr.,Mrs.,and so on.Write down the name
of the recipient and his/her job title,if necessary)
From: Tracy Wang
Date: 19 December,2009
(NOTE: most memos now use this form for the
date)
Subject: Phone Call about Delivery of Shoes
(NOTE: Title of Memo in initial capitals,the
subject should be accurate(精确的）,specific and
informative)
Mr. Zhang, a phone call came in from John
Mill, New York.He says they have received
your letter together with price
list,catalogues and sample pairs of
shoes.The quality is up to standard,the price
satisfactory and the designs rather modern.
He says our shoes will be welcomed by their
customers.He has chosen six patterns.He
would like to know how long it will take to
deliver goods when we receive their order
accompanied by their L/C. I have ansered
him that we can deliver our goods within
15-30 days according to the volume of
goods.
You need not call him back.But he leaves his
number(212)290-1717.
Please call me at extension number 249 if
you have any questions.
（NOTE：the standard memo should contain
three parts:
1.for the introduction,start with one clear
sentence that states the subject and
provides a summary of the topic.
2. the middle may contain several sentences
of explanation
3.the ending makes a request or a
recommendation)
Attachments:
(NOTE: if needed,you can attact
lists,graphs,talbes,etc.at the end of
your memo.Be sure to refer to your
attachments in your memo and add a
notation about what is attached
below your closing)
Business communication. Swust. Shirley Miao
Have a try!
Please write a memo according to the
following instructions:
２０１０年３月２５日，人事部告知全体员工，任
命李杰先生为本公司人力资源部经理．李先生已在
本公司工作５年．之前，他曾就职于长城工业公
司，任人力资源开发部经理，负责组织规划，人才
选拔，管理开发等工作．
Business communication. Swust. Shirley Miao
The process of writing
 Begins with Planning
determine the objective.
predict you reader’s reaction
 Gather the Information Needed
find past correspondence.
consult with others.
obtain records, warranties, etc..
 Analyze and Organize the Information
in the direct order if positive or neutral
reaction expected
in the indirect order if negative reaction is
anticipate
Business communication. Swust. Shirley Miao
 Write the Message
follow preceding chapters’ clear writing
instructions.
present in good format.
 Rewrite
rewrite, rewrite, and rewrite.
get input from others.
Edit, Polish, and Present!
Business communication. Swust. Shirley Miao
Reference
商务英语应用文模板大全 程斌 山东科学技术出
版社
实用商务英语写作教程 徐仁凤 东南大学出版社
Business communication. Swust. Shirley Miao