Corresponding in Print and Online

Welcome back to my YouTube Channel! HA, just kidding, we are here again to discuss technical writing. Buckle up, ladies and gents. You’re in for a ride.

Tonight, we will be reviewing all I have learned when it comes to correspondence. Which form do we use? When do we know when which form of correspondence is appropriate? Do not fear, I will answer all of your questions.

Selecting a Type of Correspondence

The four main types of correspondences include:

1. Letters

2. Memos

3. Emails

4. Microblog posts

As dietitians, we would use a letter when communicating with organizations outside of our practice, such as the American Heart Association (on the topic of diabetes). We would use a memo when communicating with people in our own organization as it is moderately formal. Even though there may be a level of comfort with your coworkers, it is vital that you still present yourself in a professional manner because you never know who may read your email. Unfortunately, I know a professor that encountered a similar situation… let’s just say it didn’t end well…

If we were writing an email, we would use it for when we want to deliver a rather quick message. Emails can be super effective at transporting information efficiently because you can add multiple people to one email. If you wanted to invite your clients to a cooking class that promotes wellness, you might send them a quick email, and even attach a picture of the invitation.

As a dietitian, a microblog post would be appropriate for talking with peers, since it is the most informal way to communicate. You could share a Facebook status regarding questions that your peers have on the project you’re collaborating on. They can use the “comments” section in a quick fashion.

Presenting Yourself Effectively in Correspondence

In most cases, your approach to communicating with others should be formal. You must keep in mind that when you are communicating, you are representing the company and organization that you work for. Your documents, such as an academic journal consisting of research done about the rising rates of obesity, can eventually be published for others to read, which is why a moderately formal tone is appropriate in most scenarios.

Using the “you attitude” is also important when using correspondence. This approach aims to look at the situation from the reader's point of view and adjusting the content, structure, and tone to meet his or her needs. For example, if you are proposing a meal plan for an athlete, they’re not going to want to hear about the struggles you have had while prepping meal plans for other athletes. You want to keep a positive and encouraging tone.

Emailing 

Although the main correspondences include writing letters, memos, and emails, I want to focus on emails, because I believe they are the most important document in our profession.

Before writing an email, you must talk to your company to figure out their email policies. Some companies have rules regarding what content can be included in your emails.

The main purpose for email is a quick and direct correspondence with one or more recipients. Suppose we are emailing a client who is out of our geographical range. We can attach a formal datasheet about their dietary plan for whatever their restrictions/needs are, as opposed to a letter that wouldn’t be able to communicate that information.

When writing an email, it is important to keep the information light and formal. Do not add any unnecessary information that will distract the reader (imagine one of our clients getting distracted reading paragraphs of information and never actually getting to the main point).

Not only is emailing important to our clients, but to our coworkers and colleagues as well. When working on a new project, we can use email to talk about improvements and revisions quickly. Although email is fairly informal, it saves money and time (as opposed to writing letters and using stamps), can be sent internationally, and can attach formal documents.

I hope you guys learned somewhat useful information from this post! Happy blogging! Until next time. Have a great night.

Sincerely,

#sharingwithshar