{"id":104,"date":"2022-04-04T15:53:43","date_gmt":"2022-04-04T15:53:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/chapter\/internal-business-communication\/"},"modified":"2022-04-04T15:53:43","modified_gmt":"2022-04-04T15:53:43","slug":"internal-business-communication","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/chapter\/internal-business-communication\/","title":{"raw":"Internal Business Communication","rendered":"Internal Business Communication"},"content":{"raw":"\n<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\n<ul>\n \t<li>Describe the professional standards of intra-office emails<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\nYou probably learned about table manners, thank-you notes, and other forms of etiquette when you were younger. Many people believe that the way you conduct yourself says a lot about who you are in life, and by extension, in business. Although many companies have a casual dress code, don\u2019t be quick to assume that protocol and established practices aren\u2019t important. It would be easy to misinterpret lack of formality as lack of professionalism.\n\nEmail has become the most accepted method of communication in most businesses, whereas text messages, instant messages, and messages through social networks can also be commonplace depending on the company. Since the use of these channels varies by company and even by department, it is crucial to be aware of&nbsp;etiquette when using any of these methods of communication.\n\nOne way to practice etiquette when communicating in a business setting is to&nbsp;take time to choose your method of communication carefully. Letters, memos, proposals, and other written communication are considered formal, whether they are sent on paper or transmitted via e-mail. However, text messages, instant messages, and social networking are considered informal methods of communication and are best used to communicate less-formal information, such as a the change in a meeting time if schedules have been adjusted during a factory tour. Text and instant messages should never be used to communicate company policies, proposals, pricing, or other information that is an important part of conducting business with customers.\n\nIt\u2019s also worth noting that in all these methods, your communication is permanent, so always take the time you need to write a complete and accurate message. The following tips for electronic communication will help you be viewed as professional.\n<div class=\"textbox key-takeaways\">\n<h3>Things you Should Do<\/h3>\n<ul>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do&nbsp;use an email subject line that clearly tells the recipient about the content of the email. For example, a title like \"New Promotional Materials\" might be too vague if you have several promotions running at the same time, instead try \"Spring 2018 Housewares Promotion.\"<\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do&nbsp;create a short, concise message that uses proper grammar and spelling\u2014use spell-check to be sure all words are spelled correctly. Use uppercase and lowercase letters as grammar dictates.<\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do proofread carefully. Look for missing words or extra negatives (such as not), which make your meaning the opposite of what you intend.<\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do&nbsp;use email, text messages, and instant messages when appropriate, according to your company\u2019s practices. Use with your customers only when you need to communicate factual information such as to confirm meeting date, time, and location.<\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do&nbsp;use social networking sites to join the conversation and add value\u2014you can build your personal brand by creating a blog or joining a professional conversation on social networking sites such as Twitter or Facebook.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\n<h3>things You Shouldn't Do<\/h3>\n<ul>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don\u2019t&nbsp;use all capital letters in an email; it will appear that you are shouting or angry.<\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don\u2019t&nbsp;use \u201cReply to All\u201d unless it\u2019s absolutely necessary that all the recipients see your response. Be selective to avoid mailbox overload. Use your best judgement about whom to cc.<\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don\u2019t&nbsp;send an email, text message, or instant message when you are angry or in an extreme emotional state. Take the time to think about what you send because you can\u2019t take it back after it\u2019s sent.<\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don\u2019t&nbsp;use abbreviations like \u201cur,\u201d \u201c2b.\u201d This is not appropriate language for business communication. It's easy to forget to adjust our language for professional purposes since we use electronic communication methods with friends and acquaintances.<\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don\u2019t&nbsp;use company email, text message, or instant message accounts to send personal correspondence. All communication that takes place on company hardware and servers is property of the company.<\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don\u2019t&nbsp;use text messages, instant messages, or social networks to communicate information such as pricing, proposals, reports, service agreements, and other company information that should be sent using a more formal method.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>PRactice Question<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/assessments.lumenlearning.com\/assessments\/8520\n\n<\/div>\n<h2>Contribute!<\/h2><div style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\">Did you have an idea for improving this content? We\u2019d love your input.<\/div><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1eczQJXditVUaG_wZ5vOavpPQbvVb_v-jkEuOpM-LnS8\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 600; color: #077fab; text-decoration: none; border: 2px solid #077fab; border-radius: 7px; padding: 5px 25px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; line-height: 1.5em;\">Improve this page<\/a><a style=\"margin-left: 16px;\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1vy-T6DtTF-BbMfpVEI7VP_R7w2A4anzYZLXR8Pk4Fu4\">Learn More<\/a>\n","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Describe the professional standards of intra-office emails<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>You probably learned about table manners, thank-you notes, and other forms of etiquette when you were younger. Many people believe that the way you conduct yourself says a lot about who you are in life, and by extension, in business. Although many companies have a casual dress code, don\u2019t be quick to assume that protocol and established practices aren\u2019t important. It would be easy to misinterpret lack of formality as lack of professionalism.<\/p>\n<p>Email has become the most accepted method of communication in most businesses, whereas text messages, instant messages, and messages through social networks can also be commonplace depending on the company. Since the use of these channels varies by company and even by department, it is crucial to be aware of&nbsp;etiquette when using any of these methods of communication.<\/p>\n<p>One way to practice etiquette when communicating in a business setting is to&nbsp;take time to choose your method of communication carefully. Letters, memos, proposals, and other written communication are considered formal, whether they are sent on paper or transmitted via e-mail. However, text messages, instant messages, and social networking are considered informal methods of communication and are best used to communicate less-formal information, such as a the change in a meeting time if schedules have been adjusted during a factory tour. Text and instant messages should never be used to communicate company policies, proposals, pricing, or other information that is an important part of conducting business with customers.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also worth noting that in all these methods, your communication is permanent, so always take the time you need to write a complete and accurate message. The following tips for electronic communication will help you be viewed as professional.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox key-takeaways\">\n<h3>Things you Should Do<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do&nbsp;use an email subject line that clearly tells the recipient about the content of the email. For example, a title like &#8220;New Promotional Materials&#8221; might be too vague if you have several promotions running at the same time, instead try &#8220;Spring 2018 Housewares Promotion.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do&nbsp;create a short, concise message that uses proper grammar and spelling\u2014use spell-check to be sure all words are spelled correctly. Use uppercase and lowercase letters as grammar dictates.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do proofread carefully. Look for missing words or extra negatives (such as not), which make your meaning the opposite of what you intend.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do&nbsp;use email, text messages, and instant messages when appropriate, according to your company\u2019s practices. Use with your customers only when you need to communicate factual information such as to confirm meeting date, time, and location.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do&nbsp;use social networking sites to join the conversation and add value\u2014you can build your personal brand by creating a blog or joining a professional conversation on social networking sites such as Twitter or Facebook.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox examples\">\n<h3>things You Shouldn&#8217;t Do<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don\u2019t&nbsp;use all capital letters in an email; it will appear that you are shouting or angry.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don\u2019t&nbsp;use \u201cReply to All\u201d unless it\u2019s absolutely necessary that all the recipients see your response. Be selective to avoid mailbox overload. Use your best judgement about whom to cc.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don\u2019t&nbsp;send an email, text message, or instant message when you are angry or in an extreme emotional state. Take the time to think about what you send because you can\u2019t take it back after it\u2019s sent.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don\u2019t&nbsp;use abbreviations like \u201cur,\u201d \u201c2b.\u201d This is not appropriate language for business communication. It&#8217;s easy to forget to adjust our language for professional purposes since we use electronic communication methods with friends and acquaintances.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don\u2019t&nbsp;use company email, text message, or instant message accounts to send personal correspondence. All communication that takes place on company hardware and servers is property of the company.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don\u2019t&nbsp;use text messages, instant messages, or social networks to communicate information such as pricing, proposals, reports, service agreements, and other company information that should be sent using a more formal method.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>PRactice Question<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"lumen_assessment_8520\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assessments.lumenlearning.com\/assessments\/load?assessment_id=8520&#38;embed=1&#38;external_user_id=&#38;external_context_id=&#38;iframe_resize_id=lumen_assessment_8520\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:400px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Contribute!<\/h2>\n<div style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\">Did you have an idea for improving this content? We\u2019d love your input.<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1eczQJXditVUaG_wZ5vOavpPQbvVb_v-jkEuOpM-LnS8\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 600; color: #077fab; text-decoration: none; border: 2px solid #077fab; border-radius: 7px; padding: 5px 25px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; line-height: 1.5em;\">Improve this page<\/a><a style=\"margin-left: 16px;\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1vy-T6DtTF-BbMfpVEI7VP_R7w2A4anzYZLXR8Pk4Fu4\">Learn More<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-104\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Internal Business Communication. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Robert Danielson. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":395986,"menu_order":6,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Internal Business Communication\",\"author\":\"Robert Danielson\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"3c5b04d2-ae8a-4806-8051-8d10cdfbfb2f, 46cc0d54-95a8-427f-944e-3261003e76e8","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-104","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":98,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/104","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/395986"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/104\/revisions"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/98"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/104\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=104"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=104"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}