Transcript The Internet and Business Communication

Business Communication and the Internet
A presentation by:
Kenneth Joe Galloway
CEO - Knowledge, Growth & Support, Ltd.
[email protected]
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Business Communication and the Internet
Communication and the Internet,
It’s a blessing and a curse.
Kenneth Joe Galloway
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Business Communication and the Internet
Benefits of the Internet for Business Communication
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Quick
Attach Documents
Multi-Recipients
Cheap
Storage
Organization of Mail (filing)
Quick Searches
Read when desired
Can be shared easily
No limit (long or short) on
length of communication
• Cuts Costs
• Easily forward messages
• Automated Email Responses
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Business Communication and the Internet
Benefits of the Internet for Business Communication
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Environment Friendly
Easy to Prioritize
Use of Graphics
Advertising Tool
Can respond to emails from most any location
Can respond to emails from many devices
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Business Communication and the Internet
Bottom Line
To do business today, you must use the Internet.
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Business Communication and the Internet
How to ensure your career survives in the Internet age
What to be aware of
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Business Communication and the Internet
How Business Communications used to function
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Business Communication and the Internet
How Business Communications used to function
• Business person writes out a letter long
handed or dictates it.
• Secretary types out the letter
• Secretary reviews the letter for mistakes
• Business person reads the letter to ensure
correctness, and then signs the letter
• Secretary places in envelope and mails.
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Business Communication and the Internet
How Business Communications used to function
What was the benefit of this?
• Business person writes out a letter long
handed or dictates it.
• Secretary types out the letter
Document reviewed
• Secretary reviews the letter for mistakes
Document reviewed
• Business person reads the letter to ensure
Document reviewed
correctness, and then signs the letter
• Secretary places in envelope and mails.
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Business Communication and the Internet
Consider this.
The “old” techniques enforced a methodology of proofreading,
and proofreading by multiple sources.
It also meant that communication occurred in an official office
setting.
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Business Communication and the Internet
Consider this.
Email cuts out the old proofreading routine.
Instead of ensuring multiple rounds of review, the
responsibility for accuracy resides completely on YOU.
We write emails, when we are tired, late at night, at home,
after a drink or two.
We feel pressured to respond QUICKLY.
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Business Communication and the Internet
Consider this.
What will a client or customer remember, if a email took 30
minutes instead of 15 to receive, or if the email sent was
sloppy, incorrect, or had errors.
What will hurt your company’s reputation, a few minutes
longer to receive an email or incorrect information, or an email
that is not well written.
Proofread.
Do not be afraid to seek opinions.
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Business Communication and the Internet
Accept it: There is no security
Keep your own backup of your important emails.
• You do not know where or how or if your emails are being backed up. One server
crash can wipe out all of your email records.
• Several major email services are known to have lost vast numbers of emails.
• Companies the operate their own email systems, frequently lose emails.
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Business Communication and the Internet
Accept it: There is no security
Never write anything you can’t afford for the world to see
• You send a funny email to your best work friend, making fun of the boss, a year
later that person is mad/upset/grouchy/having a bad day, and forwards your old
mail
• You share client information with a good customer, good customer decides to cut
you out.
• You are angry and send an email to the person you are angry with, that person
forwards that mail to everyone in the office, and in your life.
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Business Communication and the Internet
Accept it: There is no security
Never write anything you can’t afford for the world to see
When you received a business letter, you were the only person
that received that letter. An email can be intercepted by a
hacker, be delivered to an incorrect email address, taken from
your machine when you are in the bathroom, accessed from the
server room. The receiver of your email can also have their mail
taken, or forwarded. There might even be an auto forward
system that the receiver does not know about, (ask my
daughters about that) so that your email goes to someone you
never heard of. Your sensitive information and messages are
accessible to many.
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Business Communication and the Internet
Accept it: There is no security
Whoops
Spam and Viruses
A friend or customer has a brand new virus, everyone in their contact list is emailed by
the virus. You click on the link or attachment in the email, and there you go, you are
infected. With a virus you can lose your contacts, your emails, annoy your clients,
damage your PC or your system, and ruin your company’s reputation.
Ensure all your machines are WELL protected.
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Business Communication and the Internet
Accept it: There is no security
Whoops 2
Spam and Viruses
A friend or customer sends you an important email. You never reply. Why, because you
THINK you never received it. The client feels you are not providing good client service,
your friend feels neglected. The problem is the Anti-Virus software moved the mail into
your SPAN folder.
This happens to me on occasion as well.
There is not much you can do about that, just be aware that it can happen. When it
does, frankly explain what happened to the client or friend. They will understand, it is
happening to us all.
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Business Communication and the Internet
Be Professional
It is Business. Remember TONE
It is very easy to treat all emails as causal conversation. Stay away from slang terms.
Forget jokes, jokes don’t always translate well, and a hurried client might actually be
upset by jokes.
Email recipients cannot see each other, emails do not carry a vocal tone or emotion.
Take time to write professionally and carefully. Emails do not have any voice inflection
or emotion that can help with proper interpretation. Stay professional.
Be Polite. Thank you for your email. Thank you for your time. I would like…. It is my
pleasure… I am pleased…..
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Business Communication and the Internet
Be Professional
It is Business. Remember TONE
Don’t Bluff. You get tested once and your credibility is lost forever.
Always be honest. Lies are usually discovered and mean the end of a relationship. The
fact you were not honest can be posted to review sites on the Internet. Stay
professional.
Don’t make promises you can not keep. The fact you did not hold up your end of the
contract can be posted to review sites on the Internet. Stay professional.
Bad behavior can easily be shared, bad emails can be forward all across the world.
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Business Communication and the Internet
Short and Sweet
A short well written document will always receive attention over a long winded
narrative.
Be known for short, to the point, well written issues that have a point and come to it
quickly. Emails from this type of person are always read first. The reviewer knows this
writer is not going to waste their time.
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Business Communication and the Internet
Extra Email Reminders for Students
We interact more and more with the written word.
With large classes and impersonal lectures it becomes harder
to discuss questions or problems with teachers in the
classroom.
Without immediate feedback, it’s easy to be misunderstood.
Extra Email Reminders for Students
Basics
Tone
Attachments
Complaints
Good topics for email
Bad topics for email
Extra Email Reminders for Students
•When mailing a
Example
teacher, ALWAYS
include your full name, Jane Zhou, Monday 8:3010:20 a.m.
class day and time.
Include your class and
what the email is
Subject:
regarding in the subject.
English Writing: Project
1 Proposal
THE BASICS
•Think about whether or not the content of your email is
appropriate for email correspondence. Remember, once you hit
Send, anyone might be able to read it.
•Try to keep the very email brief. Respond to emails
within the same time span you would a phone call or
text.
•Check for spelling, punctuation and grammar errors
before clicking Send.
•Use a professional font.
Tone
TONE
Write in a positive tone.
 “When I complete the assignment” versus “If I complete the
assignment”
Avoid using negative words.
 Words that begin with “un, non, or ex” or end with “less”
Use smiles , winks ;-) and other graphical symbols only
when appropriate!
Use contractions to add a friendly tone.
ATTACHMENTS
When you are sending attachments, include in the email the
filename, what format it is in, and the version of the program.
Attached: “Project1Proposal.doc” This file is in Microsoft Word 2007.
Consider sending files in rich text format (rtf) or portable
document format (pdf) to ensure compatibility.
Complaints
COMPLAINTS
You should briefly state the history of the problem to
provide context for the problem.
Explain the attempts you made previously to resolve the
problem.
Show why it is critical for the problem to be resolved by
your reader.
Offer suggestions on ways you think it can be resolved or
how you are willing to help in the matter.
Complaints
COMPLAINTS
•Example
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Dr. Jones:
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The review that we had the period before the final was not
accurate. As a result, the grades we received could have been incorrect. The
T.A.s who led the review gave incorrect information. I would like to suggest
that you ask students who were at the review which information the T.A.s
gave incorrectly and account for those errors in our grades. There have been
a number of complaints from fellow classmates who feel the same way.
Please take this into consideration. Thank you.
GOOD TOPICS FOR
EMAIL
•You should email your teacher if:
You have an easy question that can be answered in a paragraph or
less.
You have an assignment that you are allowed to submit via email.
BAD TOPICS FOR
EMAIL
•There are some rules that it’s best to follow, such as:
 Don’t try to turn in an assignment through email if your teacher has
specified against it.
 If you have to get an extension for an assignment, do it in person.
 Don’t bring up any topic that will require continuous conversation.
 If things become heated, there is a large risk for misunderstanding, so it’s
best to talk face-to-face.
The End