Written Communication

Written Communication

What is Written Communication?

Written communication — which may be defined as any type of interaction that makes use of words — has a similar objective to verbal and non-verbal communication in that it’s about sending a message with the intention of it being understood by the receiver.

Effective written communication relies on the sender to use clear and simple language and structure. It is another way for us to build relationships with our guests — and in that way, is an essential part of our roles in delivering a professional service experience.

Guidelines for Written Communication

Here are some general guidelines to keep in mind when communicating in writing: Don’t write if you are angry or upset — engage the “24-hour rule” which means that if you are angry or upset about something, wait a day before you take action Always remember that you are writing to other people Feelings are hard to communicate through writing Everything you write can be used against you Be sensible when you evaluate the contents of information you receive Read your emails before you send them to remove misspellings and unclear sentences

Always identify the “key message” of your communication — this is what you are trying to deliver to your audience. To determine this, summarize your primary intention (the one main thing you want your readers to know) in one sentence and you will have the start of your key message.

The structure of our written communication depends on the content. For example, reports are usually organized into sections and subsections; an essay is organized into paragraphs; a PowerPoint presentation is organized by slides that have graphics and bullets.

Naturally, in written communication, it is essential that we pay attention to grammar and spelling — not doing so will leave the reader questioning the validity of our messages and reflects poorly on the professional image we’re working to create. It’s also important that we share information that is relevant to our topic.

All written communication should be proofread — paying close attention to spelling, proper capitalization and grammar (and to ensuring there is consistency in formatting). Please remember that a sentence always starts with a capitalized letter — and capitalization may also be used for emphasis in the body of the content. Proofreading should also include editing for content to be sure that introductory and closing paragraphs are aligned with and support the main idea/topic.

Lastly, presenting alternative viewpoints in written communication helps a reader see more than one side to the issue and allows them to draw their own conclusions.

When Would Written Communication Be Used in the Hospitality Industry?

Please take a few moments to think about some examples of where we would use written communication in the hospitality industry.

List as many reasons as you can that we would use written communication in the hospitality industry.

 

Letters

Email

Websites

Proposals

Contracts

Brochures

Press releases

Social media posts

Text messages

Manuals

Reports

Memos

Advertisements

Job postings

Menus

Signage

Writing social media posts

Responding to guest feedback

Presentations

The Value of Written Communication in a Professional Environment

Much like verbal and non-verbal communication, written communication — when done well — will enhance our relationship with our guests because it is another way for us to show our guests that we value them. By contrast, poor communication can hurt a relationship with a guest — and reflects poorly upon us and the brands we represent.

The Challenges of Written Communication at Work

Unlike verbal and non-verbal communication, written communication can be time consuming (even a short message can require the sender to spend a great deal of time to write it in a way that is clear and doesn’t trigger defensiveness in the receiver).

Another drawback to written communication is that often there is a gap (or a lapse) in the time between the sender’s message and the recipient’s reply.

This can be unsettling for the sender — but it is important to remember that gaps in written communication can occur for many different reasons and to try not to read too much into what the gap may otherwise

 

Reasons We May Not Get a Quick Response From the Receiver of a Message

 

• Receiver doesn’t receive the message
• Receiver doesn’t open the message
• Receiver opens but doesn’t read the entire message
• Receiver doesn’t understand the message
• Receiver opens and understands message, but doesn’t have the time to craft a reply
• Receiver tasks a colleague with responding to the message after forwarding it to them

 

Elements of WrittenCommunication

Now let’s talk a little bit about what makes written communication effective.

Naturally, written communication — like verbal and non-verbal communication — involves a sender and a receiver. But in order for written communication to be effective, simply delivering a message is not enough. The message must meet the purpose of the sender.

Elements of  Effective Communication
Element	Description
Clear message	The messages you send must be simple and easy to understand
Correct message	The messages you send must be accurate and free from spelling and grammar mistakes
Complete message	The messages you send must be complete; if we leave out important information, this will adversely affect the recipient and his or her decision-making process
Precise message	We must send short and exact messages
Reliability	The receivers of our messages must be able to trust that whatever messages we send are right by our knowledge
Consideration of the recipient	The messages we send must take into account the attitude, knowledge, language and position of the recipient
Sender’s courtesy	The messages we send must be crafted to reflect our sense of courtesy and respect towards the receiver, as well our own sense of humility and humbleness

Essential Skills for Creating Effective Written Communication

And now, let’s take a look at some of the essential skills needed to ensure our written communication is effective:

• Being observant

• Be clear and concise
• Being a good, alert and patient listener — one who works to understand the complete message
• Being emotionally intelligent
• Having faith in oneself and one’s abilities
• Being self-confident
• Being respectful of the values, opinions and ideas of the receiver of our messages
• Being mindful of our non-verbal communication in our written messages
• Being capable of selecting the right medium for our written communication
• Being able to provide empathetic and accurate feedback

 

Best Practices in Written Communication

Be Concise

Only say what you need to say and no more. Cut out any repetition or redundant text and replace long, complex words with shorter equivalents to improve the readability.

Write Clearly

There is nothing worse than reaching the end of a sentence, paragraph or an entire document and having to go back to the beginning to try to make sense of it.

Be Thorough

Ensure your writing is complete and your reader has all the information they need.

Be Accurate

Correct writing is essential — it goes without saying that your writing will not be effective if it is full of grammatical and/or factual errors.

Be Coherent

Make sure your writing is coherent (understandable). Ensure there is a logical flow from each sentence and paragraph to the next. This will guide your reader and help him or her understand your thought processes.

Be Consistent

Make sure your use of spelling, language and punctuation is consistent — but also consider formatting and layout. Check that your headings, bullet points and fonts are all in line as not doing so presents a messy-looking and unprofessional document.

Check Your Writing

Checking and double-checking your writing is crucial — a quick glance is not usually enough and good writers spend time not only checking for inaccuracies but also for readability.

Be Polite

Don’t forget to be courteous to your reader. Respect the reader’s time by keeping your writing brief and be mindful of the reader’s level of understanding of the subject matter you are addressing in your email. Try to translate complex concepts into simple language for non-expert readers but also strive to avoid patronizing more expert audiences through spelling-out unnecessary details.

Closing Written Communication

Equally important in written communication is the way in which you close, or end, a message. Have a look through the following examples of appropriate and inappropriate closings in a professional setting:

Appropriate closing:

Regards

Although you may argue that this is a bit stodgy, it still works.

Sincerely

Good to use when writing a formal letter. May come across as stuffy if used in more casual business correspondence.

Best wishes

This has a good blend of friendliness and formality — just be sure it fits with the tone of your message.

Cheers

Interestingly, a recent study by Boomerang rates this as the most likely sign-off (that isn’t a “thank you”) to garner a response from the recipient! Works best when the message is friendly and conversational in tone.

https://blog.boomerangapp.com/2017/01/how-to-end-an-email-email-sign-offs/

click and see it

Best

This expression conveys best wishes in a cheerful and direct way. Lots of people use this — so it’s familiarity makes it seamless in the same sort of way that “Regards” works in more formal correspondence. The only risk here is that it borders on being so safe that it’s dull — so if you are looking to make a splash with your message, this may not be the route to go.

Thank you in advance

Fun fact — according to the Boomerang study, this greeting is the one that achieves the highest response rate.

However, it is important to switch up “thanks” for “thank you” as thanks is too informal to use in a professional setting.

Thanks

Again, as above, I’d recommend switching “thanks” for “thank you” but it conveys a tone of expectation, so it’s good to use it when you really mean to convey to the sender that you expect a specific performance from them.

I appreciate your help

There is never a wrong time to express gratitude to someone who has helped you out.

 

Inappropriate closing:

Love

Probably goes without saying, but save “Love,” for use with family, friends, significant others. Ditto on “Hugs,” and “xoxo.”

Thx or Rgrds

Remember how we talked about not using short-forms in our verbal communication — same goes for written communication in a professional setting. Use your words please!

Take care

This closing implies the receiver should be wary of potential dangers.

Looking foward to hearing from you

This one sounds “nice” but is really a form of passive-aggressiveness because it implies that the sender is saying “You better write back to me.”

I use this expression — but this is how I dial down the implication that I am demanding a response, “I look forward to hearing from you — at your convenience, of course.”

Yours truly

Remember that one of the essential elements in effective communication is authenticity — so before you decide to use this closing, ask yourself if you are truly “belonging” to the recipient. Probably not.

Respectfully/Respectfully yours

The literature on this closing states that it’s OK to use if you are corresponding with POTUS (the president of the United States) but that otherwise it’s too formal. I feel a little differently about this — when I can find a way to connect my closing to the recipient and I’m still looking to be formal and sincere, I will use this expression.

[Nothing]

Not using a closing is not OK. It’s impersonal and I would suggest it borders on arrogant. This makes it totally incongruent with our quest to deliver remarkable guest service experience.

[Name or initial]

Cold and detached, this closing should be reserved for brief, informal emails and definitely not used when engaging with a recipient for the first time.

Have a blessed day

Always a best practice to keep anything with religious overtones out of professional correspondence, unless you are corresponding with someone whose business is religion.

Sent from my iPhone

Leaning on this default closing shows a lack of care and consideration. If you can’t take the time to personalize it — be sure you still include one of the above approved/appropriate closings.

Effective Email Writing

One of the most common ways to communicate in writing today is by email. But just because writing an email sounds easy, doesn’t mean it should be treated with any less care than if we were to write a formal letter.

The average office worker receives 80 emails a day — 80! Needless to say, this can be overwhelming for the receiver and it may lead to him or her suffering tension and stress. Sometimes the way that a receiver deals with being overwhelmed by email is to ignore — or skim — his or her emails, which may lead to the receiver missing important messages.

Following are six steps to get people to read and act on your email.

1. Don’t over-communicate Before you write an email, always ask yourself if it really necessary … as in, would an instant/text message or phone call be more appropriate? Another good tip is to avoid sending long emails that create a long chain of replies or that contain sensitive information (email is not always as secure as we like to think it is).	2. Make good use of “subject lines” It’s OK to craft it at the end of writing the email, before sending, keeping in mind the content of the message, but don’t make writing the subject line an after thought. Give proper consideration to your “subject” line — so that it grabs the reader’s attention — and summarizes the content of the message clearly.	3. Keep messages clear and brief This advice applies to all forms of communication — but especially so in written work. The “body” (the centre, the inside) of your emails should be direct and informative. Always work to ensure that email messages are focused and write a separate one for each topic you want to discuss. This will make it easier for your recipients to organize their responses to you.
4. Be polite Emails are another way for us to express our professionalism with our guests, colleagues and employers. Remember to avoid using informal language, slang and jargon; only use emoticons with people you know well and be mindful that recipients may share your emails with other colleagues or even clients — (so never write anything that you don’t want to see shared with others!).	5. Check your tone Unlike face-to-face conversations, it can be difficult to judge someone’s tone from an email so it is best to “test” how your email “reads” before you hit the “send” button by reading it back to yourself. If, when you review your message, you think that there is any potential for your intent to be misunderstood, take time to rephrase your message so it is clear and doesn’t trigger hurt feelings or defensiveness in the recipient.	6. Proofread your emails As with editing for tone, always take time to review your email for grammar or spelling mistakes — and double-check that it contains all of the key information you hope to share with the recipient.

 

Watch the following video to see six steps for writing effective email.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y50xhHQ8Qf0

Opening Emails

Appropriate openings

Hi [Name of recipient]

This is a winner of an opening — it’s simple, clear and direct.

Dear [Name of recipient]

While this greeting may come across as a bit stuffy, it’s still appropriate for formal correspondence — especially when addressing a person in a position of respect.

Greetings

Good to use if you don’t know the recipient’s name.

Hi there

Good for a mass email and mail merges.

Hello or Hello [Name]

This opening is great for bridging the gap between being “breezy” and “formal.”

Hi everyone

This is great when addressing a group of people.

Inappropriate opening

Misspelled Name]

Please don’t misspell the recipient’s name. Ever.

Dear Sir or Madam

This opening is stiff, formal and shows that the sender didn’t have or take the time to look up the name of the individual to whom the email is addressed.

To Whom It May Concern

This opening is just as stiff and formal as the previous one and demonstrates that the sender hasn’t done his or her homework to determine the correct contact name.

Hey!

While you may use this frequently in your correspondence with your friends and family, when used in a professional setting, it is glaringly informal and verges on disrespectful. Please do not use this expression when opening an email in a professional setting.

Hey, [Name]!

The rationale against using this approach is the same as above — too informal, borders on disrespectful and can be a real turn-off for a guest.

Happy Friday!!! Welcome to Monday!!!

These types of exuberant openings are, once again, too informal for a professional environment and should be reserved for use with people you know really well.

Hi [Nickname/Short form of Name]

Steer clear of making assumptions on this front. For example, if you do your research and find out that the person you’re emailing about a job at Tim Hortons is “Jennifer Elliott Cropper,” don’t assume that you may refer to her as “Jen.” If “Jennifer” responds to your email by signing off as “Jen” — you may use “Jen” the next time you write to her

What is Grammar?

Grammar is defined as the system and structure of a language; it is a set of rules that influence the way we write. It lays the groundwork for effective communication and guides us in the way we use words to make sentences. Grammar helps us decide what order we put our words in — and what form of a word to use. As much as the topic may make you cringe — we can’t have a lesson on written communication without talking about it!

One of the reasons why the topic of grammar is one many of us struggle with is because there are, quite literally, hundreds of grammar rules in English. Native-English speaking people learn English grammar mostly through exposure and practice (which makes it difficult for the native-English speakers to explain to non-native speakers what these grammatical rules are!).

Nevertheless, using proper grammar in written communication helps to minimize distraction from the message. So without letting this get too complicated — let’s take some time to review some of the most important grammatical rules.

 

Sentences

Sentences are typically made up of a subject, verb and object, where:

• A subject is a word that names a person, place or thing
• A verb follows subject and describes an action
• An object receives the action and often follows the verb.

Parts of Speech

There are eight (8) parts of speech: nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions and conjunctions and interjections (like “ouch!).

Sentence Structure

There are four main types of sentence structure:

• Simple — one main clause — (Judy laughed).
• Compound — two independent clauses — (Judy laughed and Jimmy cried).
• Complex — one independent and one dependent clause — (Jimmy cried when Judy laughed)
• Compound-complex — two or more independent and at least one dependent clauses — (Judy laughed and Jimmy cried when the clowns ran past their seats).

Types of Sentences

• Declarative — makes a statement (Babies cry.)
• Interrogative — asks a question (Why do babies cry?)
• Imperative — gives instructions or a request or a demand (Please be quiet).
• Exclamatory — expresses strong feelings (Shut up!).

Grammar Rules

Here is a list of 20 simple grammar rules to follow:

20 Simple Grammar Rules
Grammar Rule	Examples
A sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a period, a question mark or an exclamation mark.	The fat cat sat on the mat.
The order of a basic sentence is subject > verb > object.	John loves Mary.
Every sentence must have a subject and a verb. The object is optional!	John teaches.
The subject and the verb must agree in number.	John works in London. That monk eats once a day. John and Mary work in London. Most people eat three meals a day.
When two singular subjects are connected by “or” use a singular verb. This applies to either/or and neither/nor.	John or Mary is coming tonight. Either coffee or tea is fine. Neither John nor Mary was late.
Adjectives usually come before a noun (except when a verb separates the adjective from the noun).	I have a big dog. She married a handsome Italian man. Her husband is rich.
When using two adjectives together, the usual order is opinion-adjective + fact-adjective + noun.	I saw a nice French table. That was an interesting Shakespearian play.
Treat collective nouns (like “committee,” “company,” “board of governors,” as singular or plural.	The committee are having sandwiches for lunch. CNN has changed its logo.
The words “its” and “it’s” (contraction or short form of it is) are two different words with two different meanings.	The dog has hurt its leg. He says it’s two o’clock.
Also, the words “your” and “you’re” (contraction or short form of you are) are two different words with two different meanings.	Here is your coffee. You’re looking good.
The words “there,” “their” and “they’re” (contraction or short form of they are) are three different words and have three different meanings.	There was nobody at the party. I saw their new car. Do you think they’re happy?
The contraction he’s can mean “he is” or “he has.” Same applies to “she’s.” “it’s,” and “John’s.”	He is working. He has finished. She is here. She has left. John is married. John has divorced his wife.
The contraction he’d can mean “he had” or “he would.” Same applies to “they’d.”	He had eaten when I arrived. He would eat more if possible. They had already finished. They would come if they could.
Spell a proper noun (a proper name) with an initial capital.	We have written to Mary. Is China in Asia? Do you speak English?
Spell proper adjectives with initial capitals too. Proper adjectives are made from proper nouns.	London is an English town. Who is the Canadian prime minister? Which is your favourite Shakespearean play?
Use the indefinite article a/an for countable nouns. Use the definite article the for specific countable mounts and all uncountable nouns.	I saw a bird and a balloon in the sky. The bird was blue and the balloon was yellow.
Use the indefinite article “a” with words beginning with a consonant and “an” with words beginning with a vowel.	A cat, a game, a Frenchman. An apple, an easy job, an interesting story.
Use “many” or “few” with countable nouns; use “much/a lot” or “little” for uncountable nouns.	How many dollars do you have? How much money do you have? There are a few cars outside. There is little traffic on the road.
To show possession of something, use an apostrophe + “s” for singular owners and “s” + apostrophe for plural owners.	The boy’s dog. (one boy) The boys’ dog. (two or more boys)
In general, use the active voice in preference to the passive voice.	Cats eat fish instead of fish are eaten by cats.

Improving Grammar

Take a moment to think about some of the ways in which we can work to improve our grammar?

• Study it using traditional methods
• Speak English as frequently as possible
• Identify new grammar that you feel you need to learn
• Practise what you learn
• Identify sentence structure
• Keep studying the basic blocks of grammar

 

Can You Identify the Grammar Errors?

Below are some incorrect sentences. Test out your grammar skills by retyping each sentence as it should be written.

 

She was born on 1988.

I have lived in Paris from 2000 to 2005.

There is no game today because the coach called off it.

How many homework do we have?

Many parents avoid to give sweets to their children.

She should helps you.

Siberia has a substantial number of nature resources.

Where were you when the accident was happened?

 

Correct answer:

 

She was born on 1988 (prepositions). It should be “She was born in 1988.”

 

I have lived in Paris from 2000 to 2005 (verb tenses, especially present perfect tense). It should be “I lived in Paris from 2000 to 2005.”

 

There is no game today because the coach called off it (phrasal verbs). It should be “There is no game today because the coach called it off.”

 

How many homework do we have? (count and non-count nouns). It should be “How much homework do we have?”

 

Many parents avoid to give sweets to their children (gerunds versus infinitives). It should be “Many parents avoid giving septs to their children.

 

She should helps you (modals). It should be “She should help you.”

 

Siberia has a substantial number of nature resources (word forms). It should be “Siberia has a substantial number of natural resources.”

 

Where were you when the accident was happened? (passive voice). It should be “Where we you when the accident happened?”

 

 

 

Practice Writing a Professional Email

Instruction:

In a Word document, practice writing a professional email.

1. Identify a company that you would like to work for.
2. Find the name of a contact person (and his or her email address) to whom you could address your message.
3. Craft a short email that introduces yourself to this person — and that explains why you are reaching out to him or her.
4. Close — end/finish — the email with an appropriate salutation.