CORRESPONDENCE PROJECT

The purpose of this project is to introduce basic rhetorical principles involving professional writing; to adapt workplace correspondence to different situations, audiences, and purposes; and to organize documents clearly and effectively for the intended audience. For this project you will complete 6 correspondence documents with a ‘real-world’ audience and situation. Before beginning any of these assignments, complete all the assigned handbook readings listed on our course calendar, such as the material on "Correspondence." The page numbers listed below refer you to information related to specific types of document; however, to succeed with the project, you need to understand the fundamental principles and expectations for all workplace correspondence provided in the assigned readings. The material on this page is supplementary to the handbook -- it does not substitute for reading the handbook.

Make sure all your documents...

• are as "real” as possible; that is, they should have at least a simulated purpose and audience beyond this classroom. (The best tasks, perhaps, are ones you would have done or would do even if you weren’t in this course.)
• establish and maintain goodwill (see pages 114 -115) and exhibit the "you viewpoint" (see pages 570)
• are organized following the pattern that is most appropriate for the situation (See pages116 - 118)
• are formatted correctly (See pages 305 - 310 for letters; pages 325 - 326 for memos; 175 - 179 for emails.) Format examples are available on those pages and also via a link, below. I suggest you use the full block format for your letters (p. 306) because it is easier to set up.
• do not state four or more words in a row from any sample letter in your book; that would constitute plagiarism.

To learn how your work will be graded, visit this link: Instructor's evaluation sheet for the correspondence documents

Planning Statement for all documents | Evaluation of the assignments | Resources to help you with the assignments | Peer reviews

THE CORRESPONDENCE DOCUMENTS

1 -Complaint Letter | 2 -Bad news letter | 3 -Memo --Announcement of Event or Change in Policy or Procedure | 4 -Professional Email

5 - Memo Report (reporting interview findings) | 6 - Thank you letter (to interviewee)

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Planning Statement

To explain your situation and task, you should be able to clearly explain the role you will be playing as a writer, the nature of your reader(s), the general nature and scope of your subject, and your general purpose for writing.

Here's an example:

I am writing to ___________ (purpose -- complain, inform, request, etc.)about _____________________ (what)

to ____________(whom) because ____________________________________________ (reasons/evidence).

For this task, I will use _________ document format (memo? letter?) because _____________________________.

Complaint letter about product or service -- see page 99

Be sure to follow the appropriate organizational pattern for this type of document as described in your handbook. Your letter should mention/include any documentation you think might be necessary in order to persuade your reader to comply with your request. Format procedures for business letters are on pages 305 - 310.

TIPS -- Remember audience! Apply these strategies only as appropriate for your particular rhetorical situation.

• Write To The Senior Person Responsible
  It is important that you get the name and detailed mailing address of a very senior person responsible for the product or service that you are complaining about. I generally try to write to the V.P. level. Never go below Director level if you want a serious response. Name and address information can be obtained from the organization's Web site or by calling the company and asking for the name and title of the senior person who you should write to.
  
  
• Don't Send An E-Mail
  When it comes to sending a serious complaint to a company, don't send an e-mail, regardless of what it may say on their Web site. E-mails are usually handled and dismissed by low level "customer service" people. If you want serious attention and action, the formal written complaint letter is the only way to go. (Yes, by snail mail!). It triggers a bureaucratic process that ensures that the right people will see your letter, and will act on it.
  
  
• Give It A Subject Line For Easy Identification
  At the top of the letter, provide a subject line with information that the company or agency will relate to, such as your account number or customer number. Make it easy for them to find you on their computer filing system.
  
  
• Keep It As Short As Possible
  Preferably no longer than one page, two at the most. When drafting a complaint letter there can be a tendency to go on and on just to make sure the recipient gets the point. Keep it as short as possible, but without diluting the facts of your message too much.

• Clearly Explain The Situation
  Make sure that you give all of the specific details needed so that the company/agency can verify your claim without you having to get into an endless game of telephone tag with them. Include specific dates, times and places, as well as the names of people you dealt with. If you're not sure of these when composing the letter, call them back and ask for the specifics. (You don't have to say it's for a complaint letter).
  
  
• Use A Positive and Respectful Tone
  I have found that the best approach is to use a positive upbeat tone. Remember, you are writing to a senior person who probably sympathizes with what happened to you. Your tone should convey the message that you are the innocent victim and you understand that the company wouldn't have done such a thing deliberately.

• Specify the Action you Expect

What do you want the recipient to do?

• Ask For Date by which You Need a Reply
  In the closing paragraph of your complaint letter, if appropriate, state specifically that you expect a reply by a certain date. Make sure that you follow-up by phone or e-mail if you have heard nothing in a reasonable time period. Some companies will send you an acknowledgement letter stating that they are working on your case and will get back to you within a week or two.

Adapted from a web resoruce by (c) Shaun Fawcett, author of several best selling "writing toolkit" eBooks.

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Bad news letter --- you are unable to offer someone a job, to comply with a request, to fill an order, to meet a deadline, or to attend an event. -- see pages 116 - 117. This PowerPoint on Bad News Messages should also be helpful. Format procedures for letters are on pages 305 - 310.

One of the most difficult tasks in communication is saying "no."  In business we often have to refuse to make an adjustment, decline a service, refuse a job request, decline sales, and communicate other unfavorable news. 

There are two ways to communicate an unfavorable decision in print. One is the direct approach. The bad news is stated immediately and then explained. This approach, though, may be too harsh and may alienate the reader. Its slam-bang method is not designed to maintain goodwill and is not appropriate unless you are sure the reader prefers the news first, without any need for an explanation beforehand. A more reader-oriented approach is the indirect or delayed method. The bad news is embedded and preceded by several important goodwill-maintaining elements:

1. The buffer eases the reader into the letter.  The writer  can appreciate the reader's efforts, compliment the reader, sympathize with the reader, or be neutral by opening with a service-oriented remark.
2. The explanation details the reasons for the denial in as concrete, rational, and courteous manner possible.  This segment gives the reader an understanding of the details, factors, and/or conditions behind the denial.
3. Giving the bad news comes after the reasons for the decision. Here it is important to avoid negatives because they tend to be harsh-sounding and affect the letter's tone.  Turn around negatives to word them with the same meaning but less harshly. 

Instead of saying:
"We cannot repair your device for free because you did not follow the directions on how to use the  'unjammer' key.  Read the warranty and you will see we are not responsible for this sort of problem."

Say:
"Your warranty limits free repairs to manufacturer's defects only.  We can repair the 'unjammer' key for approximately 50 dollars, including parts and labor.  Please check the  directions in your owner's manual for how to use the key."

Instead of Saying:

"We cannot consider you for buyer because you have no experience in retail sales."

Say: "We will consider you for the buyer position when you have experience in retail sales"

4. Once you have written your decision, you can now close in a courteous way, asking for any  questions and looking forward to a continued business relationship with the customer or including a service-oriented remark. (That maintains goodwill with your reader!)

Source: http://www.washburn.edu/services/

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Memo to members of your company or organization announcing an event, a policy change, a new procedure, etc. -- see the handbook section beginning on p. 325, and also see the great material on memos online at Purdue's OWL.

Like all memos, this memo should have

• an accurate and interesting subject line (NOT the name of the assignment),

• an introduction that establishes goodwill, states the memo’s purpose, and previews its contents,

• a clear sense of audience and purpose. Make sure the memo would make sense to outside readers; i.e., those who are unfamiliar with the assignment

• headings, if needed, to organize the contents

• appropriate paragraph breaks (Remember, paragraphs in workplace correspondence documents tend to be shorter than paragraphs in academic writing.)

• a goodwill closing

• the correct memo format (see p. 326). Don't forget to initial!

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Professional Email to a co-worker or another professional regarding any work-related issue (print out the email) -- see pages 175 - 179.

Think about the various genres of email, differentiating between "formal" and "informal" email. Make sure your email

• is professional-sounding
• has a brief appropriate subject line that clearly identifies the content
• has an appropriate greeting that clearly indicates the recipient(s)
• communicates and maintains goodwill
• is organized in chunks that make sense (subject line, greeting, short body paragraphs, signature, etc.)
• appropriate paragraph breaks (Remember, paragraphs in workplace correspondence documents tend to be shorter than paragraphs in academic writing)
• includes a signature block that clearly identifies the sender
• is free from grammar, spelling, and mechanical errors.

Tips for Effective Email Messages

• Do you have more than one email address? Don't use your "partygirl@aol.com" or "sugardaddy@gmail.com" address when you could use your "bjsmith@sbcglobal.net" address -- a much more professional-sounding username.
• Do you have a professional-looking signature block? If not, this is a good time to create one. You are developing a digital identity!
• Re-read your email before clicking that "Send" button.
  • Make sure your main point or request is stated up front!
  • Don't tell the recipient the story of your life! Remember, he or she is a busy professional receiving hundreds of emails a week! Just state the essential details so your recipient can read quickly and respond.
  • Do not use emoticons or text messaging language.
  • Assume that your email message could be forwarded (intentionally or accidentally) to anyone in the world! Is there anything in the message that might embarrass you or cause you trouble?

See also "Email etiquette" at Purdue's OWL under Professional, Technical, and Job Search Writing.

Email Etiquette

Writing Effective E-Mail: Top 10 Tips

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Memo Report on Interview Findings

The purpose of this assignment is to gather information about professional writing by interviewing someone who writes on the job. This assignment also introduces a common research skill: interviewing. It gives you the opportunity to speak with a professional in your field of study and to collect information about nonacademic (workplace) writing that you can compare with your academic writing experiences. The interview findings will also help you set goals for yourself as a W231 student and a professional writer. We will all use the same core set of interview questions.

Step 1: Interview with Someone Who Writes on the Job

To begin, schedule a personal interview with a professional working in the field you hope to enter. (They should have a Bachelor's degree.) Make sure you will be able to meet with this person in the allotted time frame.

If you have not yet declared a major, select a professional who writes as part of his or her job in a field you are interested in. Before proceeding with the interview, confirm that the person's job does involve a substantive amount of writing, such as reports, memos, and business letters -- not just completing forms or filling orders. You need to make sure your interviewee will be able to provide sufficient information for this assignment, which culminates in a memo reporting your interview findings.

Create an interview guide:

At the top of the page, put "Interview Guide."

Then type your own name as the interviewer; the name of your interviewee; his/her position or job title; the date of the interview; the location of the interview; and the interviewee's address, which you will need for the thank-you letter later on.

List the following questions:

1.  What kinds of writing do you do on the job?

2.  How often do you have to write? OR How much of your work day is spent on writing tasks?

3.  Who assigns your writing tasks? Follow-up: Does this person also oversee or supervise your writing projects? Give you feedback?

4.  To whom are your documents directed? Who reads what you write?

5.  Why are the documents needed? What is their purpose? What needs do they fulfill for your readers?

6.   How often do you write collaboratively? With how many people? How is the writing task divided?

7.   Who gives you feedback or suggestions on your drafts before they are distributed?

8.   Which of your writing tasks require research?  What types of research do you conduct?

9.   How much of your workplace communication takes place via email? What types of writing tasks are accomplished using email?

10.  To what extent are good writing skills important and necessary in the workplace?

11.  What are the characteristics of effectively written documents?

12.    I need to select a topic for an applied research project for my W231 class. Is your organization (or business) experiencing any problems I could address with my research? What areas are you seeking to improve?

Others: Feel free to add a few others related to the specific field of the interviewee.

Step 2: Conduct the interview. Conducting an Interview (PowerPoint)

Step 3: Summarize the interview findings in a 2-page memo to the class. (This link takes you to a new page with detailed information on how to compose your memo.)

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Thank-You Letter

As soon as possible after the interview, you should follow up with a thank-you letter. Make any necessary changes based on my feedback before you mail it.

Format:
The handbook explains how to space the elements of the letter. Follow these guidelines carefully, making sure your letter has the proper heading—your return address and the date, but not your name—the correct inside address, salutation, complimentary closing, and signature. With shorter letters, adjust the horizontal placement of your return and inside address to achieve a balanced page.

A sample thank you letter is found under Project One Resources under Formats (“example of a letter with no company letterhead”).

Content:
1st paragraph: Begin by thanking your interviewee in a very brief opening paragraph. Be sure to get right to the point. (Not "I would just like to take this opportunity to thank you for ...."; instead, "Thank you for ...." )

2nd paragraph: The middle paragraph should include a reference to specific information gained through the interview that you found particularly helpful or insightful.

3rd paragraph: The third and final paragraph should restate your appreciation and possibly provide contact information if further contact is expected. You may wish to offer to send your interviewee a copy of your completed report. If you think you may be contacting him or her about the upcoming team project, you might allude to that.

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Timeline & peer reviews: Time for peer reviews of your correspondence pieces will be provided once a week in class. Coming to class prepared with documents for review is essential to your success with this project. The timeline is structured to help you pace yourself with your writing. E.g., you will bring 2 documents for peer review during the first full week of classes; 2 documents week 2, and 2 documents week 3. (See syllabus for due dates.)

Your work will be evaluated based on how well you accomplish the purpose overall as well as the extent to which the following criteria are met:

To see the form I will use to grade your work, visit this link:

Instructor's evaluation sheet for correspondence documents 1, 2, 3, & 4 │For documents 5 & 6

The peer review form lists other important criteria for the Project 1 documents.

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Resources

Formats for letters and memos

Conducting an Interview (PowerPoint)

The Rhetorical Situation (.ppt)

Peer review form for correspondence documents (Project 1)

Analysis of the Rhetorical Situation (.docx Chart)

A PowerPoint on Composing Bad News Letters

peer review form

More resources -- other helpful materials

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Syllabus

Last updated February 7, 2010