{"id":626,"date":"2018-08-29T11:18:53","date_gmt":"2018-08-29T15:18:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businesswritingessentials\/chapter\/8-1-information-shares-action-requests-and-replies\/"},"modified":"2022-04-26T16:33:23","modified_gmt":"2022-04-26T20:33:23","slug":"8-1-information-shares-action-requests-and-replies","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businesswritingessentials\/chapter\/8-1-information-shares-action-requests-and-replies\/","title":{"raw":"Chapter 7: Information Shares, Action Requests, and Goodwill Messages","rendered":"Chapter 7: Information Shares, Action Requests, and Goodwill Messages"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Learning Objectives<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Learn to write messages to share information<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Understand how to respond to requests<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Identify how to write effective instructional messages<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Examine the importance of goodwill messages for business<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nAsk any professional what kinds of messages they spend the majority of their sit-down time at a computer writing and responding to. They will likely tell you that they\u2019re requesting information or action and replying to those with answers or acknowledgments. Though you\u2019ve probably written many of these yourself, you may need to polish your style and organization to meet a professional standard. After all, the quality of the responses you get or can give crucially depends on the quality of the questions you ask or are asked. Let\u2019s look at several such scenarios in detail.<b><\/b>\r\n<h2>Information Shares<\/h2>\r\nPerhaps the simplest and most common routine message type is where the sender offers up information that helps the receiver. These may not be official memos, but they follow the same structure, as shown in Figure 7.1 below.\r\n<table class=\"text-structure\" style=\"height: 234px\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 14px\">\r\n<th style=\"height: 14px;width: 1084.06px\"><\/th>\r\n<th style=\"height: 14px;width: 283.062px\"><\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 57px\">\r\n<td style=\"height: 57px;width: 1084.06px\">Date: May 28, 2019\r\n\r\nTo: Karin Jones\r\n\r\nFrom: Shradha, Supervisor\r\n\r\nSubject: Funding Opportunity<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"height: 57px;width: 284.062px\"><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 29px\">\r\n<td style=\"height: 29px;width: 1084.06px\">Hi, Karin,\r\n\r\nI just saw a CFP for a new funding opportunity you can apply for via the Ministry of Agriculture.\r\n\r\nFind it on the Greenbelt Fund\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.greenbeltfund.ca\/local_food_literacy_grant_stream\">Local Food Literacy Grant Stream<\/a> page. If you haven\u2019t already been doing this, you should also check out the Ministry\u2019s general page on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.omafra.gov.on.ca\/english\/food\/industry\/funding-prog-index.htm\">Funding Programs and Support<\/a> to connect with any other grants etc. relevant to the good work you do.<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"height: 29px;width: 284.062px\"><strong>Opening: <\/strong>Provides a context for writing.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Body:<\/strong> Information context and further details<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 33px\">\r\n<td style=\"height: 33px;width: 1084.06px\">&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIt looks like the deadline for proposals is at the end of the week, though, so you might want to get on it right away.<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"height: 33px;width: 284.062px\"><strong>Closing<\/strong>: Action regarding the information. Ends the communication on a positive note.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 14px\">\r\n<td style=\"height: 14px;width: 1084.06px\"><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"height: 14px;width: 284.062px\"><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 87px\">\r\n<td style=\"height: 87px;width: 1084.06px\">&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGood luck!\r\n\r\nShradha<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"height: 87px;width: 284.062px\"><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><sup>Figure 7.1 | Information Sharing Message<\/sup><\/p>\r\nNotice here how the writer made the reader\u2019s job especially easy by providing links to the recommended webpages using the hyperlinking feature in their email.\r\n\r\nReplies to such information shares involve either a quick and concise thank-you message or carry the conversation on if it\u2019s part of an ongoing project, initiative, or conversation. Recall that you should change the email subject line as the topic evolves. Information shares to a large group, such as a departmental memo to 60 employees, don\u2019t usually require acknowledgement. If everyone wrote the sender just to say thanks, the barrage of reply notifications would frustrate them as they try to carry on their work while sorting out replies with valuable information from mere acknowledgments. Only respond if you have valuable information to share with all the recipients or just the sender.\r\n<h2>Information or Action Requests<\/h2>\r\nManagers, clients, and coworkers alike send and receive requests for information and action all day. Because these provide the recipient with direction on what to do, the information that comes back or action that results from such requests can only be as good as the instructions given. Such messages must, therefore, be well organized and clear about expectations, opening directly with a clearly stated general request \u2014unless you anticipate resistance to the request \u2014and proceeding with background and more detailed instruction if necessary as we see in Figure 7.2 below.\r\n<table class=\"text-structure\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th><\/th>\r\n<th><\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>To:mohammed@trindustries.ca\r\n\r\nFrom: makiko@trindustries.ca\r\n\r\nSubject: Adding new hires personnel page<\/td>\r\n<td>&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Hello, Mohamed,\r\n\r\nCould you please update the website by adding the new hires to the personnel page.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWe\u2019ve hired three new associates in the past few weeks. With the contents of the attached folder that contains their bios and hi-res pics, please do the following:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Proof the bios using Track Changes and send them to me.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Post the proofed bios on the site right away and call me as soon as they\u2019re up. I\u2019m sure your edits will be fine, but I\u2019d like to just quickly read them and suggest further edits over the phone if need be since time is of the essence here.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Downsize the pics to 72dpi and crop them so they\u2019re the same dimensions as the other portraits on that page before posting them along with the bios.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td><strong>Opening: <\/strong>Main question or action request.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Body:<\/strong> Information or action request context, plus further details<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Sorry for the short notice, but could we have this update all wrapped up by Monday? We\u2019re meeting with some investors early next week, and we\u2019d like the site to be fully up to date by then.<\/td>\r\n<td><strong>Closing:<\/strong> Deadlines and\/or submission details<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Sincerely,\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMakiko Hamimoto<\/td>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><sup>Figure 7.2 | Direct Information or Action Requests<\/sup><\/p>\r\nNote that, because you\u2019re expecting action to come of the request rather than a Yes or No answer, the opening question doesn\u2019t require a question mark. Never forget, however, the importance of saying \u201cplease\u201d when asking someone to do something. Notice also that lists in the message body help break up dense detail so that request messages are more reader-friendly. All of the efforts that the writer of the above message made to deliver a reader-friendly message will pay off when the recipient performs the requested procedure exactly according to these clearly worded expectations.\r\n<h2>Instructional Messages<\/h2>\r\nEffective organization and style are critical in requests for action that contain detailed instructions. Whether you\u2019re explaining how to operate equipment, apply for funding, renew a membership, or submit a payment, the recipient\u2019s success depends on the quality of the instruction. Vagueness and a lack of detail can result in confusion, mistakes, and requests for clarification. Too much detail can result in frustration, skimming, and possibly missing key information. Profiling the audience and gauging their level of knowledge is key\u00a0to providing the appropriate level of detail for the desired results.\r\n\r\nLook at any assembly manual and you\u2019ll see that the quality of its readability depends on the instructions being organized in a numbered list of parallel imperative sentences. As opposed to the indicative sentences that have a grammatical subject and predicate (like most sentences you see here), imperative sentences drop the subject (the doer of the action, which is assumed to be the reader in the case of instructions). This omission leaves just the predicate, which means that the sentence starts with a verb. In Figure 8.3 below, for instance, the reader can easily follow the directions by seeing each of the six main steps open with a simple verb describing a common computer operation: Copy, Open, Type, Paste (twice), and Find.\r\n\r\nIf you begin any imperative sentence with a prepositional (or other) phrase to establish some context for the action first (such as this imperative sentence does), move the adverb after the verb and the phrase to the end of the sentence. (If the previous sentence followed its own advice, it would look like this: Move the adverb after the verb and the phrase to the end of the imperative sentence if you begin it with a prepositional (or other) phrase to establish some context for the action first.) Finally, surround the list with a proper introduction and closing as shown in Figure 7.3 below.\r\n<table class=\"text-structure\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th style=\"width: 1130px\"><\/th>\r\n<th style=\"width: 243px\"><\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 1130px\">Date: September 10, 2019\r\n\r\nTo: Communications Team\r\n\r\nFrom: Nolan Driver, Team Leader\r\n\r\nSubject: How to find date webpage was last edited<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 244px\">&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 1130px\">Hi team,\r\n\r\nWould you like to learn a nifty little hack that can help you find information you need for properly crediting your sources? Please find below instructions for how to discover the date that a webpage was posted or last updated if it doesn\u2019t say so itself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSometimes you need to know when exactly a webpage was posted or updated, but it either doesn\u2019t say or has a copyright notice at the bottom with the present year, and you know it was posted years ago, so that\u2019s not accurate. Rather than indicate \u201cn.d.\u201d (for \u201cno date\u201d) when citing and referencing a source in APA style, you can instead find out the actual date with a clever little trick.<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 244px\"><strong>Opening: <\/strong>Explains reader benefits.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Context:<\/strong> Provides a context for the procedure.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 1130px\">To find the exact date that the webpage was posted or last updated, please follow the procedure below in your Google Chrome browser:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Copy the entire URL (web address) of the webpage you would like to find the date for by keying <em>Alt. + D<\/em> and <em>Ctrl. + C<\/em>.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Open up a new tab in the Google Chrome browser.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Type \u201cinurl:\u201d in the \u201cSearch Google or type URL\u201d field in the middle of the page.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Paste (Ctrl. + V) the webpage URL immediately after \u201cinurl:\u201d (with no space between them) and hit the <em>Enter<\/em> (or <em>Return<\/em>) key; the web address will move up into the address bar and, after hitting <em>Enter<\/em>, you will see a list of search results, the top result of which should be the webpage you\u2019re looking for.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Paste &amp;as_qdr=y15 at the very end of the search results page web address with no space between the URL and the above code, then hit the <em>Enter<\/em> key again.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Find the date in grey text on the third line of the first result of the new search results page, just below the title of the page in purple on the first line and URL in green on the second.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Adjust the controls (e.g., the date range so that it starts at a date earlier than 15 years ago) above if the results page says \u201cYour search - [URL] - did not match any documents.\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 244px\">&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Instructions<\/strong>: Introductory clause and numbered list, each with an imperative sentence (beginning with a verb)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 1130px\">If you encounter a webpage where this hack doesn\u2019t work at all, go with the year given in the copyright notice at the bottom or \u201cn.d.\u201d in your citation and reference if it doesn\u2019t even have a copyright year.<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 244px\"><strong>Closing<\/strong>: Specific action request, closing thought, summary, or deadline with a reason<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 1130px\">Good luck,\r\n\r\nNolan<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 244px\"><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><sup>Figure 7.3 | Instructional Message<\/sup><\/p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThough helpful on its own, the above message would be much improved if it included illustrative screenshots at each step. Making a short video of the procedure, posting it to YouTube, and adding the link to the message would be even more effective.\r\n\r\nCombining <em>DOs<\/em> and <em>DON\u2019Ts<\/em> is an effective way to help your audience complete the instructed task without making common rookie mistakes. Always begin with the <em>DOs<\/em> after explaining the benefits or rewards of following a procedure, not with threats and heavy-handed DON'Ts. You can certainly follow up with helpful <em>DON\u2019Ts<\/em> and consequences if necessary, but phrased in courteous language, such as \u201cFor your safety, please avoid operating the machinery when not 100% alert or you may risk dismemberment.\u201d<b><\/b>\r\n<h2>Indirect Information or Action Requests<\/h2>\r\nIf you expect resistance to your request because you\u2019re asking a lot of someone, or perhaps because you know what you\u2019re asking goes against company policy, an indirect approach is more effective. Ideally, you\u2019ll make such persuasive pitches in person or on the phone so that you can use a full range of verbal and non-verbal cues. When it\u2019s important to have them in writing, however, such requests should be clear and easy to spot, but buffered by goodwill statements and reasonable justifications, as shown in Figure 7.4 below.<b><\/b>\r\n<table class=\"text-structure\" style=\"height: 290px\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 14px\">\r\n<th style=\"height: 14px;width: 1143.06px\"><\/th>\r\n<th style=\"height: 14px;width: 224.062px\"><\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 72px\">\r\n<td style=\"height: 72px;width: 1143.06px\">To: mikeb@redmondheating.ca\r\nFrom: belinda@residentialservices.ca\r\nSubject: Problem with the furnace<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"height: 72px;width: 225.062px\"><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 44px\">\r\n<td style=\"height: 44px;width: 1143.06px\">Hello, Mike,\r\n\r\nWe\u2019ve been nothing but impressed by the furnace and air conditioner installed by Redmond Heating &amp; Air five years ago. We\u2019ve recommended you to several friends because of your exceptional customer service.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nA few days ago, however, our furnace suddenly stopped working. It\u2019s a bit of a mystery because we\u2019ve been changing the filter regularly every month for the past five years and had you in here for regular check-ups every year, as per the terms of the warranty. When we checked the warranty, however, we saw that it expired a week ago. Talk about bad timing!<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"height: 44px;width: 225.062px\"><strong>Opening: <\/strong>Buffer pleasantries.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Context<\/strong>: Background justification.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 44px\">\r\n<td style=\"height: 44px;width: 1143.06px\">Given that we\u2019ve been such responsible and loyal customers, and that we\u2019ve sent business your way a few times, we\u2019re wondering if we can still get you out here to repair the furnace under the terms of the warranty.<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"height: 44px;width: 225.062px\"><strong>Main Point:<\/strong> Information or action request, to which you will expect some resistance<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 29px\">\r\n<td style=\"height: 29px;width: 1143.06px\">I know this must be a busy time for you and we\u2019re asking a lot already, but since it\u2019s starting to drop below zero outside and probably won\u2019t take long to do the same inside here, could you please come within the next two days?<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"height: 29px;width: 225.062px\"><strong>Closing:<\/strong> Deadlines and\/or implementation details. Ends the communication on a positive note.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 87px\">\r\n<td style=\"height: 87px;width: 1143.06px\">We\u2019d be forever in your debt if you could help us out here!\r\n\r\nMany thanks,\r\n\r\nBelinda<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"height: 87px;width: 225.062px\"><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><sup>Figure 7.4 | Information or Action Request<\/sup><\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2>Replies to Information or Action Requests<\/h2>\r\nWhen responding to information or action requests, simply deliver the needed information or confirm that the action has been or will be completed unless you have good reasons for refusing. Stylistically, such responses should follow the 6 Cs of effective business style (clarity, conciseness, coherence, correctness, courtesy, and conviction), especially courtesies such as prioritizing the \u201cyou\u201d view, audience benefits, and saying \u201cplease\u201d for follow-up action requests. Such messages are opportunities to promote your company\u2019s products and services. Ensure the accuracy of all details, however, because courts will consider them legally binding, even in an email, if disputes arise\u2014as the Vancouver Canucks organization discovered in a battle with Canon <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mondaq.com\/canada\/x\/395584\/Contract+Law\/When+Does+An+Email+Form+A+LegallyBinding+Agreement+Ask+The+Canucks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(Smith, 2015)<\/a>. Manager approval may, therefore, be necessary before sending. Organizationally, a positive response to an information request delivers the main answer in the opening, proceeds to give more detail in the body if necessary, and ends politely with appreciation and goodwill statements, as shown in Figure 7.5 below.\r\n<table class=\"text-structure\" style=\"height: 315px\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 14px\">\r\n<th style=\"height: 14px;width: 1150px\"><\/th>\r\n<th style=\"height: 14px;width: 223px\"><\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 57px\">\r\n<td style=\"height: 57px;width: 1150px\">To: r.prendergast@rbscorporation.ca\r\nFrom: r.killarney@vancouvermarriott.ca\r\nSubject: Re: Questions about conference capability<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"height: 57px;width: 224px\">&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 29px\">\r\n<td style=\"height: 29px;width: 1150px\">Dear Mr. Prendergast,\r\n\r\nThank you so much for choosing the Vancouver Marriott for your spring sales conference. We would be thrilled to accommodate 250 guests and set aside four conference rooms next May 25 through 29.\r\n\r\nIn answer to your other questions:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Yes, all 250 of your guests can dine together in our Nootka Banquet Hall in a variety of table configurations to suit your needs.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Certainly, you can choose from among six conference rooms with 100-seat capacities, as well as a variety of other smaller rooms. Each has a large screen with a podium equipped with an audio-visual presentation console; presenters can either plug their USBs into the Windows-based console computer or connect their laptops with the HDMI cable.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Every guest suite has wifi and each of our hotel\u2019s 30 floors has a business lounge equipped with 10 computer work stations (5 PCs and 5 Macs), multifunctional phone\/faxes, and printer\/copiers.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Yes, we have a fleet of five shuttles that can transport 10 guests (plus luggage) at a time from the airport as flights arrive and back as they depart.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"height: 29px;width: 224px\"><strong>Opening<\/strong>: Provides main information or action confirmation\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Body<\/strong>: Responds to request in details<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 114px\">\r\n<td style=\"height: 114px;width: 1150px\">You can visit our website at www.vancouvermarriott.com for additional information about our facilities such as gyms, a spa, and both indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Call us at 1-604-555-8400 if you have additional questions.\r\n\r\nPlease book online as soon as possible to ensure that all 250 guests can be accommodated during your preferred date range. For such a large booking, we encourage you to call also during the booking process.\r\n\r\nAgain, we are very grateful that you are considering the Vancouver Marriott for your conference.<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"height: 114px;width: 224px\">&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Closing:<\/strong> Highlights deadlines and\/or action details. Ends the communication on a positive note, looking towards the future.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 14px\">\r\n<td style=\"height: 14px;width: 1150px\"><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"height: 14px;width: 224px\"><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 87px\">\r\n<td style=\"height: 87px;width: 1150px\">We look forward to making your stay memorable.\r\n\r\nRufus Killarney\r\n\r\nBooking Manager\r\n\r\nVancouver Hilton<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 224px;height: 16px\"><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><sup>Figure 7.5 | Positive Replies to Information or Action Requests<\/sup><\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2>Goodwill Messages<\/h2>\r\nGoodwill messages are as essential to healthy professional relationships as they are in personal ones. Thank-you, congratulatory, and sympathy notes add an important, feel-good human touch in a world that continues to embrace technology that isolates people while being marketed as a means of connecting them. The goodwill that such messages promote makes both the sender and receiver feel better about each other and themselves compared with where they\u2019d be if the messages weren\u2019t sent at all. In putting smiles on faces, such notes are effective especially because many people don\u2019t send them\u2014either because they feel that they\u2019re too difficult to write or because it doesn\u2019t even occur to them to do so. Since praise for some can be harder to think of and write than criticism, a brief guide on how to do it right may be of help here.<b><\/b>\r\n<h3>The 5 S\u2019s of Goodwill Messages<\/h3>\r\nWhether you\u2019re writing thank-you notes, congratulatory messages, or expressions of sympathy, follow the \u201c5 S\u201d principles of effective goodwill messages:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Specific:<\/strong> Crafting the message around specific references to the situation that it addresses will steer such messages away from the impression that they were boilerplate template statements that you plagiarized.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Sincere:<\/strong> A goodwill message will come off as genuine if it\u2019s near to what you would say to the recipient in person. Avoid clich\u00e9 Hallmark-card expressions and excessive formality such as <em>It is with a heavy heart that I extend my heartfelt condolences to you in these sad times.<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Selfless:<\/strong> Refer only to the person or people involved rather than yourself. The spotlight is on them, not you. Avoid telling stories about how you experienced something similar in an attempt to show how you relate.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Short:<\/strong> Full three-part messages and three-part paragraphs are unnecessary in thank-you notes, congratulatory messages, or expressions of sympathy. Don\u2019t make the short length of the message deter you from setting aside time to draft it.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Spontaneous:<\/strong> Move quickly to write your message so that it follows closely on the news that prompted it. A message that\u2019s passed its \u201cbest before\u201d date will appear stale to the recipient and make you look like you can\u2019t manage your time effectively (Guffey et al., 2016, p. 144).<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Thank-you Notes<\/h3>\r\nIn the world of business, not all transactions involve money. People do favours for each other, and acknowledging those with thank-you notes is essential for keeping relations positive. Such messages can be short and simple, as well as quick and easy to write, which means not sending them when someone does something nice to you appears ungrateful, rude, and inconsiderate. Someone who did you a favour might not bother to do so again if it goes unthanked. Such notes are ideal for situations such as those listed in Figure 7.6 below.\r\n<table style=\"width: 100%;height: 224px;border-collapse: collapse\" border=\"1\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 16px\">\r\n<th style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Sender<\/th>\r\n<th style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Recipient<\/th>\r\n<th style=\"width: 60%;height: 16px\">Favour<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 32px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 32px\">Employer<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 32px\">Employee<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 60%;height: 32px\">The employee went above and beyond the call of duty, perhaps under exceptionally difficult circumstances.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 16px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Employee<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Employer<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 60%;height: 16px\">The employer gave the employee an opportunity for promotion.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 16px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Employee<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Coworker<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 60%;height: 16px\">The employee mentored the co-worker so that the latter looked good to customers and management.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 32px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 32px\">Applicant<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 32px\">Employer<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 60%;height: 32px\">The employer is considering hiring the job applicant, who sends a thank-you message within 24 hours after a job interview.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 16px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Applicant<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Previous employer<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 60%;height: 16px\">The job applicant sends their previous employer a thank-you note for endorsing them as a reference.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 16px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Business<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Customer<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 60%;height: 16px\">The customer ordered products or services.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 32px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 32px\">Business<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 32px\">Customer<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 60%;height: 32px\">The customer complained about the service, enabling the business to improve and better meet customer expectations.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 16px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Business<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Another business<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 60%;height: 16px\">One business endorsed another, directing customers their way.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 16px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Customer<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Employee<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 60%;height: 16px\">The employee (e.g., restaurant server) demonstrated exceptional customer service, perhaps under difficult circumstances.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 16px\">\r\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">One person<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">another<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 60%;height: 16px\">One person\u2019s act of kindness, including kind words said or sent, gifts given, or hospitality extended, was appreciated.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><sup>Figure 7.6 | Common Reasons for Expressing Thanks in Professional Situations<\/sup><\/p>\r\nIn most situations, email or text is an appropriate channel for sending thank-you messages. Sending a thank-you note within 24 hours of interviewing for a job is not just extra-thoughtful but close to being an expected formality. To stand out from other candidates, hand-writing a thank-you card in such situations might even be a good idea.\r\n\r\nFollowing the 5 S\u2019s of goodwill messages given above, a typical thank-you email message for a favour might look like the example in Figure 7.7.\r\n<table class=\"text-structure\" style=\"height: 234px\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 14px\">\r\n<th style=\"height: 14px;width: 1110px\"><\/th>\r\n<th style=\"height: 14px;width: 263px\"><\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 57px\">\r\n<td style=\"height: 57px;width: 1110px\">To: alanna.m@activelife.ca\r\nFrom: jeremy@virtualdesign.ca\r\nSubject: Thank you for the recommendation<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"height: 57px;width: 264px\"><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 29px\">\r\n<td style=\"height: 29px;width: 1110px\">Hi, Alanna,\r\n\r\nI just wanted to thank you for putting in a good word for me with your manager. She told me today that I came highly recommended, and I knew right away who that came from- only the most kind and thoughtful person I\u2019ve ever had the pleasure of working with! I really appreciate all the help you\u2019ve given me over the years, but especially for bringing me this opportunity. It means a lot to me and my family.<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"height: 29px;width: 264px\"><strong>Opening: <\/strong>Provides a context for writing.\r\n\r\n<strong>Body:<\/strong> Information context and further details<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 33px\">\r\n<td style=\"height: 33px;width: 1110px\">If there\u2019s anything I can help you with in return\u2014anything at all\u2014you name it. I owe you one.<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"height: 33px;width: 264px\"><strong>Closing<\/strong>: Ends the communication on a positive note.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 14px\">\r\n<td style=\"height: 14px;width: 1110px\"><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"height: 14px;width: 264px\"><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr style=\"height: 87px\">\r\n<td style=\"height: 87px;width: 1110px\">Many thanks,\r\n\r\nJeremy<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"height: 87px;width: 264px\"><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><sup>Figure 7.7 | Thank-you Message<\/sup><\/p>\r\nNotice that this message is short, specific to the situation that prompted it, sincere, relatively selfless, and spontaneously sent the day of the incident that prompted it. It would certainly bring a smile both to the recipient and sender, strengthening their professional bond.\r\n<h3>Congratulatory Messages<\/h3>\r\nCelebrating the successes of your professional peers shows class and tact. It\u2019s good karma that will come back around as long as you keep putting out positive energy. Again, the 5 S\u2019s apply in congratulatory messages, especially selflessness. Such messages are all about the person you\u2019re congratulating. You could say, for instance, <em>I really admire how you handled yourself with such grace and poise under such trying circumstances in the field today.<\/em>\r\n<h3>Expressions of Sympathy<\/h3>\r\nFew situations require such sincerity and care with words as expressions of sympathy. Misfortune comes upon us all, and tough times are just a little more tolerable with the support of our friends, family, and community\u2014including those we work with. When the loved-one of a close associate dies, for instance, expressing sympathy for their loss is customary, often with a card signed by everyone in the workplace who knows the bereaved. You can\u2019t put an email on the mantle like you can a collection of cards from people showing they care.\r\n\r\nWhat do you say in such situations? A simple <em>I\u2019m so sorry for your loss<\/em>, despite being a stock expression, is better than letting the standard Hallmark card\u2019s words speak for you (Guffey et al., 2016, p. 147). In some situations, laughter\u2014or at least a chuckle\u2014may be the best medicine, in which case something along the lines of Emily McDowell\u2019s witty <a href=\"https:\/\/emilymcdowell.com\/collections\/empathy-cards\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Empathy Cards<\/a> would be more appropriate. McDowell\u2019s <em>There Is No Good Card for This: What to Say and Do When Life Is Scary, Awful, and Unfair to People You Love<\/em> (2016) collaboration with empathy expert Kelsey Crowe, PhD, provides excellent advice. Showing empathy by saying that you know how hard it can be is helpful as long as you don\u2019t go into any detail about their loss or yours. Remember, these messages should be selfless, and being too specific can be a little dangerous here if it produces traumatic imagery. Offering your condolences in the most respectful, sensitive manner possible is just the right thing to do.\r\n<h3>Replying to Goodwill Messages<\/h3>\r\nIt wouldn\u2019t go over well if someone thanked you for your help and you just stared at them silently. The normal reaction is to simply say <em>You\u2019re welcome!<\/em> Replying to goodwill messages is therefore as essential as writing them. Such replies must be even shorter than the messages that they respond to. If someone says a few nice things about you in an email about something else, always acknowledge the goodwill by saying briefly \u201cThank you very much for the kind words\u201d somewhere in your response.\r\n<div id=\"slug-9-1-text-e-mail-and-netiquette\" class=\"chapter standard\">\r\n<div id=\"mclean-ch09_s02_s02\" class=\"section\">\r\n<div id=\"mclean-ch09_s02_s02_s01\" class=\"section\">\r\n<h2>Summary<\/h2>\r\nSharing information, requesting information or action are some of the most common types of business messages sent daily. Follow best practices when sharing information, requesting information or action, and replying to such messages. Sending goodwill messages creates a good impression, but remember to write your messages with sincerity.\r\n<h2><strong>End of Chapter Activities<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<h3><span style=\"color: #800000\"><strong>7a. Thinking About the Content<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\r\nWhat are your key takeaways from this chapter? What is something you have learned or something you would like to add from your experience?\r\n<h3><span style=\"color: #800000\"><strong>7b. Discussion Questions<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Discussion Questions<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<ol id=\"mclean-ch06_s02_s06_l02\" class=\"orderedlist\">\r\n \t<li>Do you have experience writing messages to share information or action requests?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>When was the last time you wrote a thank-you message?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Imagine you have a classmate who has never used social media before. Write instructions on how to open a Facebook or Twitter account.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h3><span style=\"color: #800000\"><strong>7c. Applying chapter concepts to a situation<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Writing a thank-you letter<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nThe Northern University has an award program with over twenty awards that are sponsored by several benefactors. Among the awards is the David Rose Leadership Award, which is sponsored by David Rose, a Northern University alumnus. The award recipient must meet the criteria of being in good academic standing, an international student and someone who demonstrates leadership qualities in the school community.\r\n\r\nSam, who is an international student, lost his part-time job due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He has upcoming course fees for the summer semester that he can only cover by depleting all of his savings. As such, he applies for the David Rose Leadership Award since he fits the criteria for the ideal applicant.\r\n\r\nSam is the successful candidate of the award and receives a grant for five thousand dollars. He is grateful that he will be able to pay his upcoming fees on time and decides to write a thank you letter to Mr. Rose.\r\n\r\n<strong><em>What kind of information should he include in the opening, body and closing of this letter?\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3><span style=\"color: #800000\"><strong>7d. Writing Activity<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\r\nWatch this video from TED.com called. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_QdPW8JrYzQ\">This is what happens when you reply to spam email.<\/a> Summarize the video. Do you agree with James Veitch's response to spam email? What is the best way to respond to unsolicited business requests?\r\n<h2 id=\"mclean-ch09_s03_s02_s02_p01\" class=\"para editable block\"><strong>Attribution<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nThis chapter contains information from <em>Communication at Work<\/em>\u00a0by\u00a0Jordan Smith\u00a0is licensed under a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\" rel=\"license\">Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.<\/a>\r\n<h3>References<\/h3>\r\nGuffey, M. E., &amp; Almonte, R. (2016). <i>Essentials of Business Communication<\/i>. Toronto, Ontario: Nelson.\r\n\r\nSmith, C. L. (2015, May 8). Canada: When does an email form a legally-binding agreement? Ask the Canucks. Retrieved from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mondaq.com\/canada\/x\/395584\/Contract+Law\/When+Does+An+Email+Form+A+LegallyBinding+Agreement+Ask+The+Canucks\">http:\/\/www.mondaq.com\/canada\/x\/395584\/Contract+Law\/When+Does+An+Email+Form+A+LegallyBinding+Agreement+Ask+The+Canucks<\/a>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Learning Objectives<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<ul>\n<li>Learn to write messages to share information<\/li>\n<li>Understand how to respond to requests<\/li>\n<li>Identify how to write effective instructional messages<\/li>\n<li>Examine the importance of goodwill messages for business<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Ask any professional what kinds of messages they spend the majority of their sit-down time at a computer writing and responding to. They will likely tell you that they\u2019re requesting information or action and replying to those with answers or acknowledgments. Though you\u2019ve probably written many of these yourself, you may need to polish your style and organization to meet a professional standard. After all, the quality of the responses you get or can give crucially depends on the quality of the questions you ask or are asked. Let\u2019s look at several such scenarios in detail.<b><\/b><\/p>\n<h2>Information Shares<\/h2>\n<p>Perhaps the simplest and most common routine message type is where the sender offers up information that helps the receiver. These may not be official memos, but they follow the same structure, as shown in Figure 7.1 below.<\/p>\n<table class=\"text-structure\" style=\"height: 234px\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"height: 14px\">\n<th style=\"height: 14px;width: 1084.06px\"><\/th>\n<th style=\"height: 14px;width: 283.062px\"><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 57px\">\n<td style=\"height: 57px;width: 1084.06px\">Date: May 28, 2019<\/p>\n<p>To: Karin Jones<\/p>\n<p>From: Shradha, Supervisor<\/p>\n<p>Subject: Funding Opportunity<\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 57px;width: 284.062px\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 29px\">\n<td style=\"height: 29px;width: 1084.06px\">Hi, Karin,<\/p>\n<p>I just saw a CFP for a new funding opportunity you can apply for via the Ministry of Agriculture.<\/p>\n<p>Find it on the Greenbelt Fund\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.greenbeltfund.ca\/local_food_literacy_grant_stream\">Local Food Literacy Grant Stream<\/a> page. If you haven\u2019t already been doing this, you should also check out the Ministry\u2019s general page on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.omafra.gov.on.ca\/english\/food\/industry\/funding-prog-index.htm\">Funding Programs and Support<\/a> to connect with any other grants etc. relevant to the good work you do.<\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 29px;width: 284.062px\"><strong>Opening: <\/strong>Provides a context for writing.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Body:<\/strong> Information context and further details<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 33px\">\n<td style=\"height: 33px;width: 1084.06px\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>It looks like the deadline for proposals is at the end of the week, though, so you might want to get on it right away.<\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 33px;width: 284.062px\"><strong>Closing<\/strong>: Action regarding the information. Ends the communication on a positive note.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 14px\">\n<td style=\"height: 14px;width: 1084.06px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 14px;width: 284.062px\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 87px\">\n<td style=\"height: 87px;width: 1084.06px\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Good luck!<\/p>\n<p>Shradha<\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 87px;width: 284.062px\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><sup>Figure 7.1 | Information Sharing Message<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>Notice here how the writer made the reader\u2019s job especially easy by providing links to the recommended webpages using the hyperlinking feature in their email.<\/p>\n<p>Replies to such information shares involve either a quick and concise thank-you message or carry the conversation on if it\u2019s part of an ongoing project, initiative, or conversation. Recall that you should change the email subject line as the topic evolves. Information shares to a large group, such as a departmental memo to 60 employees, don\u2019t usually require acknowledgement. If everyone wrote the sender just to say thanks, the barrage of reply notifications would frustrate them as they try to carry on their work while sorting out replies with valuable information from mere acknowledgments. Only respond if you have valuable information to share with all the recipients or just the sender.<\/p>\n<h2>Information or Action Requests<\/h2>\n<p>Managers, clients, and coworkers alike send and receive requests for information and action all day. Because these provide the recipient with direction on what to do, the information that comes back or action that results from such requests can only be as good as the instructions given. Such messages must, therefore, be well organized and clear about expectations, opening directly with a clearly stated general request \u2014unless you anticipate resistance to the request \u2014and proceeding with background and more detailed instruction if necessary as we see in Figure 7.2 below.<\/p>\n<table class=\"text-structure\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><\/th>\n<th><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>To:mohammed@trindustries.ca<\/p>\n<p>From: makiko@trindustries.ca<\/p>\n<p>Subject: Adding new hires personnel page<\/td>\n<td>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Hello, Mohamed,<\/p>\n<p>Could you please update the website by adding the new hires to the personnel page.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve hired three new associates in the past few weeks. With the contents of the attached folder that contains their bios and hi-res pics, please do the following:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Proof the bios using Track Changes and send them to me.<\/li>\n<li>Post the proofed bios on the site right away and call me as soon as they\u2019re up. I\u2019m sure your edits will be fine, but I\u2019d like to just quickly read them and suggest further edits over the phone if need be since time is of the essence here.<\/li>\n<li>Downsize the pics to 72dpi and crop them so they\u2019re the same dimensions as the other portraits on that page before posting them along with the bios.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/td>\n<td><strong>Opening: <\/strong>Main question or action request.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Body:<\/strong> Information or action request context, plus further details<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sorry for the short notice, but could we have this update all wrapped up by Monday? We\u2019re meeting with some investors early next week, and we\u2019d like the site to be fully up to date by then.<\/td>\n<td><strong>Closing:<\/strong> Deadlines and\/or submission details<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sincerely,<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Makiko Hamimoto<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><sup>Figure 7.2 | Direct Information or Action Requests<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>Note that, because you\u2019re expecting action to come of the request rather than a Yes or No answer, the opening question doesn\u2019t require a question mark. Never forget, however, the importance of saying \u201cplease\u201d when asking someone to do something. Notice also that lists in the message body help break up dense detail so that request messages are more reader-friendly. All of the efforts that the writer of the above message made to deliver a reader-friendly message will pay off when the recipient performs the requested procedure exactly according to these clearly worded expectations.<\/p>\n<h2>Instructional Messages<\/h2>\n<p>Effective organization and style are critical in requests for action that contain detailed instructions. Whether you\u2019re explaining how to operate equipment, apply for funding, renew a membership, or submit a payment, the recipient\u2019s success depends on the quality of the instruction. Vagueness and a lack of detail can result in confusion, mistakes, and requests for clarification. Too much detail can result in frustration, skimming, and possibly missing key information. Profiling the audience and gauging their level of knowledge is key\u00a0to providing the appropriate level of detail for the desired results.<\/p>\n<p>Look at any assembly manual and you\u2019ll see that the quality of its readability depends on the instructions being organized in a numbered list of parallel imperative sentences. As opposed to the indicative sentences that have a grammatical subject and predicate (like most sentences you see here), imperative sentences drop the subject (the doer of the action, which is assumed to be the reader in the case of instructions). This omission leaves just the predicate, which means that the sentence starts with a verb. In Figure 8.3 below, for instance, the reader can easily follow the directions by seeing each of the six main steps open with a simple verb describing a common computer operation: Copy, Open, Type, Paste (twice), and Find.<\/p>\n<p>If you begin any imperative sentence with a prepositional (or other) phrase to establish some context for the action first (such as this imperative sentence does), move the adverb after the verb and the phrase to the end of the sentence. (If the previous sentence followed its own advice, it would look like this: Move the adverb after the verb and the phrase to the end of the imperative sentence if you begin it with a prepositional (or other) phrase to establish some context for the action first.) Finally, surround the list with a proper introduction and closing as shown in Figure 7.3 below.<\/p>\n<table class=\"text-structure\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 1130px\"><\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 243px\"><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1130px\">Date: September 10, 2019<\/p>\n<p>To: Communications Team<\/p>\n<p>From: Nolan Driver, Team Leader<\/p>\n<p>Subject: How to find date webpage was last edited<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 244px\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1130px\">Hi team,<\/p>\n<p>Would you like to learn a nifty little hack that can help you find information you need for properly crediting your sources? Please find below instructions for how to discover the date that a webpage was posted or last updated if it doesn\u2019t say so itself.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes you need to know when exactly a webpage was posted or updated, but it either doesn\u2019t say or has a copyright notice at the bottom with the present year, and you know it was posted years ago, so that\u2019s not accurate. Rather than indicate \u201cn.d.\u201d (for \u201cno date\u201d) when citing and referencing a source in APA style, you can instead find out the actual date with a clever little trick.<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 244px\"><strong>Opening: <\/strong>Explains reader benefits.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Context:<\/strong> Provides a context for the procedure.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1130px\">To find the exact date that the webpage was posted or last updated, please follow the procedure below in your Google Chrome browser:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Copy the entire URL (web address) of the webpage you would like to find the date for by keying <em>Alt. + D<\/em> and <em>Ctrl. + C<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>Open up a new tab in the Google Chrome browser.<\/li>\n<li>Type \u201cinurl:\u201d in the \u201cSearch Google or type URL\u201d field in the middle of the page.<\/li>\n<li>Paste (Ctrl. + V) the webpage URL immediately after \u201cinurl:\u201d (with no space between them) and hit the <em>Enter<\/em> (or <em>Return<\/em>) key; the web address will move up into the address bar and, after hitting <em>Enter<\/em>, you will see a list of search results, the top result of which should be the webpage you\u2019re looking for.<\/li>\n<li>Paste &amp;as_qdr=y15 at the very end of the search results page web address with no space between the URL and the above code, then hit the <em>Enter<\/em> key again.<\/li>\n<li>Find the date in grey text on the third line of the first result of the new search results page, just below the title of the page in purple on the first line and URL in green on the second.<\/li>\n<li>Adjust the controls (e.g., the date range so that it starts at a date earlier than 15 years ago) above if the results page says \u201cYour search &#8211; [URL] &#8211; did not match any documents.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 244px\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Instructions<\/strong>: Introductory clause and numbered list, each with an imperative sentence (beginning with a verb)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1130px\">If you encounter a webpage where this hack doesn\u2019t work at all, go with the year given in the copyright notice at the bottom or \u201cn.d.\u201d in your citation and reference if it doesn\u2019t even have a copyright year.<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 244px\"><strong>Closing<\/strong>: Specific action request, closing thought, summary, or deadline with a reason<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 1130px\">Good luck,<\/p>\n<p>Nolan<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 244px\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><sup>Figure 7.3 | Instructional Message<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Though helpful on its own, the above message would be much improved if it included illustrative screenshots at each step. Making a short video of the procedure, posting it to YouTube, and adding the link to the message would be even more effective.<\/p>\n<p>Combining <em>DOs<\/em> and <em>DON\u2019Ts<\/em> is an effective way to help your audience complete the instructed task without making common rookie mistakes. Always begin with the <em>DOs<\/em> after explaining the benefits or rewards of following a procedure, not with threats and heavy-handed DON&#8217;Ts. You can certainly follow up with helpful <em>DON\u2019Ts<\/em> and consequences if necessary, but phrased in courteous language, such as \u201cFor your safety, please avoid operating the machinery when not 100% alert or you may risk dismemberment.\u201d<b><\/b><\/p>\n<h2>Indirect Information or Action Requests<\/h2>\n<p>If you expect resistance to your request because you\u2019re asking a lot of someone, or perhaps because you know what you\u2019re asking goes against company policy, an indirect approach is more effective. Ideally, you\u2019ll make such persuasive pitches in person or on the phone so that you can use a full range of verbal and non-verbal cues. When it\u2019s important to have them in writing, however, such requests should be clear and easy to spot, but buffered by goodwill statements and reasonable justifications, as shown in Figure 7.4 below.<b><\/b><\/p>\n<table class=\"text-structure\" style=\"height: 290px\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"height: 14px\">\n<th style=\"height: 14px;width: 1143.06px\"><\/th>\n<th style=\"height: 14px;width: 224.062px\"><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 72px\">\n<td style=\"height: 72px;width: 1143.06px\">To: mikeb@redmondheating.ca<br \/>\nFrom: belinda@residentialservices.ca<br \/>\nSubject: Problem with the furnace<\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 72px;width: 225.062px\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 44px\">\n<td style=\"height: 44px;width: 1143.06px\">Hello, Mike,<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve been nothing but impressed by the furnace and air conditioner installed by Redmond Heating &amp; Air five years ago. We\u2019ve recommended you to several friends because of your exceptional customer service.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A few days ago, however, our furnace suddenly stopped working. It\u2019s a bit of a mystery because we\u2019ve been changing the filter regularly every month for the past five years and had you in here for regular check-ups every year, as per the terms of the warranty. When we checked the warranty, however, we saw that it expired a week ago. Talk about bad timing!<\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 44px;width: 225.062px\"><strong>Opening: <\/strong>Buffer pleasantries.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Context<\/strong>: Background justification.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 44px\">\n<td style=\"height: 44px;width: 1143.06px\">Given that we\u2019ve been such responsible and loyal customers, and that we\u2019ve sent business your way a few times, we\u2019re wondering if we can still get you out here to repair the furnace under the terms of the warranty.<\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 44px;width: 225.062px\"><strong>Main Point:<\/strong> Information or action request, to which you will expect some resistance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 29px\">\n<td style=\"height: 29px;width: 1143.06px\">I know this must be a busy time for you and we\u2019re asking a lot already, but since it\u2019s starting to drop below zero outside and probably won\u2019t take long to do the same inside here, could you please come within the next two days?<\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 29px;width: 225.062px\"><strong>Closing:<\/strong> Deadlines and\/or implementation details. Ends the communication on a positive note.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 87px\">\n<td style=\"height: 87px;width: 1143.06px\">We\u2019d be forever in your debt if you could help us out here!<\/p>\n<p>Many thanks,<\/p>\n<p>Belinda<\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 87px;width: 225.062px\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><sup>Figure 7.4 | Information or Action Request<\/sup><\/p>\n<h2>Replies to Information or Action Requests<\/h2>\n<p>When responding to information or action requests, simply deliver the needed information or confirm that the action has been or will be completed unless you have good reasons for refusing. Stylistically, such responses should follow the 6 Cs of effective business style (clarity, conciseness, coherence, correctness, courtesy, and conviction), especially courtesies such as prioritizing the \u201cyou\u201d view, audience benefits, and saying \u201cplease\u201d for follow-up action requests. Such messages are opportunities to promote your company\u2019s products and services. Ensure the accuracy of all details, however, because courts will consider them legally binding, even in an email, if disputes arise\u2014as the Vancouver Canucks organization discovered in a battle with Canon <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mondaq.com\/canada\/x\/395584\/Contract+Law\/When+Does+An+Email+Form+A+LegallyBinding+Agreement+Ask+The+Canucks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(Smith, 2015)<\/a>. Manager approval may, therefore, be necessary before sending. Organizationally, a positive response to an information request delivers the main answer in the opening, proceeds to give more detail in the body if necessary, and ends politely with appreciation and goodwill statements, as shown in Figure 7.5 below.<\/p>\n<table class=\"text-structure\" style=\"height: 315px\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"height: 14px\">\n<th style=\"height: 14px;width: 1150px\"><\/th>\n<th style=\"height: 14px;width: 223px\"><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 57px\">\n<td style=\"height: 57px;width: 1150px\">To: r.prendergast@rbscorporation.ca<br \/>\nFrom: r.killarney@vancouvermarriott.ca<br \/>\nSubject: Re: Questions about conference capability<\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 57px;width: 224px\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 29px\">\n<td style=\"height: 29px;width: 1150px\">Dear Mr. Prendergast,<\/p>\n<p>Thank you so much for choosing the Vancouver Marriott for your spring sales conference. We would be thrilled to accommodate 250 guests and set aside four conference rooms next May 25 through 29.<\/p>\n<p>In answer to your other questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Yes, all 250 of your guests can dine together in our Nootka Banquet Hall in a variety of table configurations to suit your needs.<\/li>\n<li>Certainly, you can choose from among six conference rooms with 100-seat capacities, as well as a variety of other smaller rooms. Each has a large screen with a podium equipped with an audio-visual presentation console; presenters can either plug their USBs into the Windows-based console computer or connect their laptops with the HDMI cable.<\/li>\n<li>Every guest suite has wifi and each of our hotel\u2019s 30 floors has a business lounge equipped with 10 computer work stations (5 PCs and 5 Macs), multifunctional phone\/faxes, and printer\/copiers.<\/li>\n<li>Yes, we have a fleet of five shuttles that can transport 10 guests (plus luggage) at a time from the airport as flights arrive and back as they depart.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 29px;width: 224px\"><strong>Opening<\/strong>: Provides main information or action confirmation<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Body<\/strong>: Responds to request in details<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 114px\">\n<td style=\"height: 114px;width: 1150px\">You can visit our website at www.vancouvermarriott.com for additional information about our facilities such as gyms, a spa, and both indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Call us at 1-604-555-8400 if you have additional questions.<\/p>\n<p>Please book online as soon as possible to ensure that all 250 guests can be accommodated during your preferred date range. For such a large booking, we encourage you to call also during the booking process.<\/p>\n<p>Again, we are very grateful that you are considering the Vancouver Marriott for your conference.<\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 114px;width: 224px\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Closing:<\/strong> Highlights deadlines and\/or action details. Ends the communication on a positive note, looking towards the future.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 14px\">\n<td style=\"height: 14px;width: 1150px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 14px;width: 224px\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 87px\">\n<td style=\"height: 87px;width: 1150px\">We look forward to making your stay memorable.<\/p>\n<p>Rufus Killarney<\/p>\n<p>Booking Manager<\/p>\n<p>Vancouver Hilton<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 224px;height: 16px\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><sup>Figure 7.5 | Positive Replies to Information or Action Requests<\/sup><\/p>\n<h2>Goodwill Messages<\/h2>\n<p>Goodwill messages are as essential to healthy professional relationships as they are in personal ones. Thank-you, congratulatory, and sympathy notes add an important, feel-good human touch in a world that continues to embrace technology that isolates people while being marketed as a means of connecting them. The goodwill that such messages promote makes both the sender and receiver feel better about each other and themselves compared with where they\u2019d be if the messages weren\u2019t sent at all. In putting smiles on faces, such notes are effective especially because many people don\u2019t send them\u2014either because they feel that they\u2019re too difficult to write or because it doesn\u2019t even occur to them to do so. Since praise for some can be harder to think of and write than criticism, a brief guide on how to do it right may be of help here.<b><\/b><\/p>\n<h3>The 5 S\u2019s of Goodwill Messages<\/h3>\n<p>Whether you\u2019re writing thank-you notes, congratulatory messages, or expressions of sympathy, follow the \u201c5 S\u201d principles of effective goodwill messages:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Specific:<\/strong> Crafting the message around specific references to the situation that it addresses will steer such messages away from the impression that they were boilerplate template statements that you plagiarized.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sincere:<\/strong> A goodwill message will come off as genuine if it\u2019s near to what you would say to the recipient in person. Avoid clich\u00e9 Hallmark-card expressions and excessive formality such as <em>It is with a heavy heart that I extend my heartfelt condolences to you in these sad times.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Selfless:<\/strong> Refer only to the person or people involved rather than yourself. The spotlight is on them, not you. Avoid telling stories about how you experienced something similar in an attempt to show how you relate.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Short:<\/strong> Full three-part messages and three-part paragraphs are unnecessary in thank-you notes, congratulatory messages, or expressions of sympathy. Don\u2019t make the short length of the message deter you from setting aside time to draft it.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Spontaneous:<\/strong> Move quickly to write your message so that it follows closely on the news that prompted it. A message that\u2019s passed its \u201cbest before\u201d date will appear stale to the recipient and make you look like you can\u2019t manage your time effectively (Guffey et al., 2016, p. 144).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Thank-you Notes<\/h3>\n<p>In the world of business, not all transactions involve money. People do favours for each other, and acknowledging those with thank-you notes is essential for keeping relations positive. Such messages can be short and simple, as well as quick and easy to write, which means not sending them when someone does something nice to you appears ungrateful, rude, and inconsiderate. Someone who did you a favour might not bother to do so again if it goes unthanked. Such notes are ideal for situations such as those listed in Figure 7.6 below.<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%;height: 224px;border-collapse: collapse\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 16px\">\n<th style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Sender<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Recipient<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 60%;height: 16px\">Favour<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 32px\">\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 32px\">Employer<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 32px\">Employee<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 60%;height: 32px\">The employee went above and beyond the call of duty, perhaps under exceptionally difficult circumstances.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 16px\">\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Employee<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Employer<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 60%;height: 16px\">The employer gave the employee an opportunity for promotion.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 16px\">\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Employee<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Coworker<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 60%;height: 16px\">The employee mentored the co-worker so that the latter looked good to customers and management.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 32px\">\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 32px\">Applicant<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 32px\">Employer<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 60%;height: 32px\">The employer is considering hiring the job applicant, who sends a thank-you message within 24 hours after a job interview.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 16px\">\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Applicant<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Previous employer<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 60%;height: 16px\">The job applicant sends their previous employer a thank-you note for endorsing them as a reference.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 16px\">\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Business<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Customer<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 60%;height: 16px\">The customer ordered products or services.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 32px\">\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 32px\">Business<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 32px\">Customer<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 60%;height: 32px\">The customer complained about the service, enabling the business to improve and better meet customer expectations.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 16px\">\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Business<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Another business<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 60%;height: 16px\">One business endorsed another, directing customers their way.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 16px\">\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Customer<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">Employee<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 60%;height: 16px\">The employee (e.g., restaurant server) demonstrated exceptional customer service, perhaps under difficult circumstances.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 16px\">\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">One person<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 20%;height: 16px\">another<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 60%;height: 16px\">One person\u2019s act of kindness, including kind words said or sent, gifts given, or hospitality extended, was appreciated.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><sup>Figure 7.6 | Common Reasons for Expressing Thanks in Professional Situations<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>In most situations, email or text is an appropriate channel for sending thank-you messages. Sending a thank-you note within 24 hours of interviewing for a job is not just extra-thoughtful but close to being an expected formality. To stand out from other candidates, hand-writing a thank-you card in such situations might even be a good idea.<\/p>\n<p>Following the 5 S\u2019s of goodwill messages given above, a typical thank-you email message for a favour might look like the example in Figure 7.7.<\/p>\n<table class=\"text-structure\" style=\"height: 234px\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"height: 14px\">\n<th style=\"height: 14px;width: 1110px\"><\/th>\n<th style=\"height: 14px;width: 263px\"><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 57px\">\n<td style=\"height: 57px;width: 1110px\">To: alanna.m@activelife.ca<br \/>\nFrom: jeremy@virtualdesign.ca<br \/>\nSubject: Thank you for the recommendation<\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 57px;width: 264px\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 29px\">\n<td style=\"height: 29px;width: 1110px\">Hi, Alanna,<\/p>\n<p>I just wanted to thank you for putting in a good word for me with your manager. She told me today that I came highly recommended, and I knew right away who that came from- only the most kind and thoughtful person I\u2019ve ever had the pleasure of working with! I really appreciate all the help you\u2019ve given me over the years, but especially for bringing me this opportunity. It means a lot to me and my family.<\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 29px;width: 264px\"><strong>Opening: <\/strong>Provides a context for writing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Body:<\/strong> Information context and further details<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 33px\">\n<td style=\"height: 33px;width: 1110px\">If there\u2019s anything I can help you with in return\u2014anything at all\u2014you name it. I owe you one.<\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 33px;width: 264px\"><strong>Closing<\/strong>: Ends the communication on a positive note.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 14px\">\n<td style=\"height: 14px;width: 1110px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 14px;width: 264px\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 87px\">\n<td style=\"height: 87px;width: 1110px\">Many thanks,<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy<\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 87px;width: 264px\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><sup>Figure 7.7 | Thank-you Message<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>Notice that this message is short, specific to the situation that prompted it, sincere, relatively selfless, and spontaneously sent the day of the incident that prompted it. It would certainly bring a smile both to the recipient and sender, strengthening their professional bond.<\/p>\n<h3>Congratulatory Messages<\/h3>\n<p>Celebrating the successes of your professional peers shows class and tact. It\u2019s good karma that will come back around as long as you keep putting out positive energy. Again, the 5 S\u2019s apply in congratulatory messages, especially selflessness. Such messages are all about the person you\u2019re congratulating. You could say, for instance, <em>I really admire how you handled yourself with such grace and poise under such trying circumstances in the field today.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Expressions of Sympathy<\/h3>\n<p>Few situations require such sincerity and care with words as expressions of sympathy. Misfortune comes upon us all, and tough times are just a little more tolerable with the support of our friends, family, and community\u2014including those we work with. When the loved-one of a close associate dies, for instance, expressing sympathy for their loss is customary, often with a card signed by everyone in the workplace who knows the bereaved. You can\u2019t put an email on the mantle like you can a collection of cards from people showing they care.<\/p>\n<p>What do you say in such situations? A simple <em>I\u2019m so sorry for your loss<\/em>, despite being a stock expression, is better than letting the standard Hallmark card\u2019s words speak for you (Guffey et al., 2016, p. 147). In some situations, laughter\u2014or at least a chuckle\u2014may be the best medicine, in which case something along the lines of Emily McDowell\u2019s witty <a href=\"https:\/\/emilymcdowell.com\/collections\/empathy-cards\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Empathy Cards<\/a> would be more appropriate. McDowell\u2019s <em>There Is No Good Card for This: What to Say and Do When Life Is Scary, Awful, and Unfair to People You Love<\/em> (2016) collaboration with empathy expert Kelsey Crowe, PhD, provides excellent advice. Showing empathy by saying that you know how hard it can be is helpful as long as you don\u2019t go into any detail about their loss or yours. Remember, these messages should be selfless, and being too specific can be a little dangerous here if it produces traumatic imagery. Offering your condolences in the most respectful, sensitive manner possible is just the right thing to do.<\/p>\n<h3>Replying to Goodwill Messages<\/h3>\n<p>It wouldn\u2019t go over well if someone thanked you for your help and you just stared at them silently. The normal reaction is to simply say <em>You\u2019re welcome!<\/em> Replying to goodwill messages is therefore as essential as writing them. Such replies must be even shorter than the messages that they respond to. If someone says a few nice things about you in an email about something else, always acknowledge the goodwill by saying briefly \u201cThank you very much for the kind words\u201d somewhere in your response.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slug-9-1-text-e-mail-and-netiquette\" class=\"chapter standard\">\n<div id=\"mclean-ch09_s02_s02\" class=\"section\">\n<div id=\"mclean-ch09_s02_s02_s01\" class=\"section\">\n<h2>Summary<\/h2>\n<p>Sharing information, requesting information or action are some of the most common types of business messages sent daily. Follow best practices when sharing information, requesting information or action, and replying to such messages. Sending goodwill messages creates a good impression, but remember to write your messages with sincerity.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>End of Chapter Activities<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #800000\"><strong>7a. Thinking About the Content<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>What are your key takeaways from this chapter? What is something you have learned or something you would like to add from your experience?<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #800000\"><strong>7b. Discussion Questions<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Discussion Questions<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<ol id=\"mclean-ch06_s02_s06_l02\" class=\"orderedlist\">\n<li>Do you have experience writing messages to share information or action requests?<\/li>\n<li>When was the last time you wrote a thank-you message?<\/li>\n<li>Imagine you have a classmate who has never used social media before. Write instructions on how to open a Facebook or Twitter account.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #800000\"><strong>7c. Applying chapter concepts to a situation<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Writing a thank-you letter<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>The Northern University has an award program with over twenty awards that are sponsored by several benefactors. Among the awards is the David Rose Leadership Award, which is sponsored by David Rose, a Northern University alumnus. The award recipient must meet the criteria of being in good academic standing, an international student and someone who demonstrates leadership qualities in the school community.<\/p>\n<p>Sam, who is an international student, lost his part-time job due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He has upcoming course fees for the summer semester that he can only cover by depleting all of his savings. As such, he applies for the David Rose Leadership Award since he fits the criteria for the ideal applicant.<\/p>\n<p>Sam is the successful candidate of the award and receives a grant for five thousand dollars. He is grateful that he will be able to pay his upcoming fees on time and decides to write a thank you letter to Mr. Rose.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>What kind of information should he include in the opening, body and closing of this letter?\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #800000\"><strong>7d. Writing Activity<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Watch this video from TED.com called. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_QdPW8JrYzQ\">This is what happens when you reply to spam email.<\/a> Summarize the video. Do you agree with James Veitch&#8217;s response to spam email? What is the best way to respond to unsolicited business requests?<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"mclean-ch09_s03_s02_s02_p01\" class=\"para editable block\"><strong>Attribution<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>This chapter contains information from <em>Communication at Work<\/em>\u00a0by\u00a0Jordan Smith\u00a0is licensed under a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\" rel=\"license\">Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>References<\/h3>\n<p>Guffey, M. E., &amp; Almonte, R. (2016). <i>Essentials of Business Communication<\/i>. Toronto, Ontario: Nelson.<\/p>\n<p>Smith, C. L. (2015, May 8). Canada: When does an email form a legally-binding agreement? Ask the Canucks. Retrieved from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mondaq.com\/canada\/x\/395584\/Contract+Law\/When+Does+An+Email+Form+A+LegallyBinding+Agreement+Ask+The+Canucks\">http:\/\/www.mondaq.com\/canada\/x\/395584\/Contract+Law\/When+Does+An+Email+Form+A+LegallyBinding+Agreement+Ask+The+Canucks<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":847,"menu_order":7,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":["jordan-smith","venecia-williams"],"pb_section_license":"cc-by-nc-sa"},"chapter-type":[48],"contributor":[61,59],"license":[56],"class_list":["post-626","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-numberless","contributor-jordan-smith","contributor-venecia-williams","license-cc-by-nc-sa"],"part":24,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businesswritingessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businesswritingessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businesswritingessentials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businesswritingessentials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/847"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businesswritingessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/626\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1346,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businesswritingessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/626\/revisions\/1346"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businesswritingessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/24"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businesswritingessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/626\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businesswritingessentials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businesswritingessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=626"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businesswritingessentials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=626"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businesswritingessentials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}