要确保你的商务邮件信息获得有效的传达,一定要做到内容清楚、简洁(concise)和可执行(actionable/executable)。除此以外邮件的格式也很重要-好的格式会在不影响邮件专业性(to maintain emails’ professional presence)的前提下帮助读者筛选出重要信息。
直接不是错(To be straightforward is good),但请别将情绪和非正式(informal)语言带入邮件中,也尽量避免缩写(contractions such as <He’s> for <He is>)和简写(abbreviations such as <CQ> for <Chongqing> 。但其实关于一封邮件表述是否正式,是仁者见仁、智者见智的。请看以下例子:
Original:
Thanks for the snakes you sent. I’m sorry to say that two were dead. Send more soon, plz. Talk to ya later!
Thank you for your shipment of the snakes to our store/house/apartment. However, two of them were dead later because of XXX. I would like you then to send two replacement snakes to us as soon as possible. Please email me or call XXX with further questions and make arrangements for a new shipment.
最后如果一封邮件要发给很多人(a large number of people),那么最好找几个人校对比较好。
三、把握邮件的开头语(问候:greetings)和结尾(closings)
问候最好简洁正式。根据对话发生的背景(context)选择是否要称呼对方的名字。如果对方是一个商业主体或是一个并不特指的人(unspecified person),那么名字就可以省了。以下是一些例子:
Good afternoon,
Greetings,
Dear Dr. Smith
Mrs. Clinton
此外一个恰当的结尾(an appropriate closing)总是礼貌的并能暗示邮件已经到了结尾(to imply the email has come to an end)。惯常的结尾包括:Best Wishes、Sincerely等,另外还有以下这些:
I look forward to your response.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Thank you for your time.
那么回到之前买蛇的那封,可能结尾是Thank you for your attention to this matter就是恰当的。
四、署上你的名字
签名非常重要:在一些办公自动化邮件系统里会有可供操作的自动回复签名,可以根据自己的喜好进行调整(be customized to your liking)。但请记住无论你是什么样的职位和身份,对外发出去的邮件都会或多或少代表你所在的组织特点和你自己的工作定位,所以设定签名时一定要谨慎。我们来看下面一两个例子:
I am currently on leave until Tuesday 30th May but I will answer your email as soon as I can after that.
——这是一个做前台和event coordination的员工的自动回复。大家可以从字里行间感受到TA的热情(as soon as I can after that),而且行文也很简洁。
I will now be out of the office until Friday 19th June so will respond to your email on my return.
Kind regards
Kate
——这是一个与外国政府机关工作人员(当时的)对接项目时的回邮。大家可以同样从字里行间体会到政府机关工作人员(不分国籍的)所应有的态度(相比前一条):庄重(Kind regards)、权威(be out of the office、respond to…on my return)。
最后,单就名字的正式性排序有如下标准:
Dr. Jane Smith (most formal)
Dr. Smith (slightly less formal)
Jane Smith (somewhat informal)
Jane (informal)