Improve Your Communication Skills, 2nd Edition

Clear your inbox regularly.
You’ll make the system – and 
yourself – work much more efficiently. 
Outlining a letter 
The pyramid here is framed by handshakes: one at the start, 
and possibly one at the end. The style of a letter may differ 
slightly from that of an e-mail (more on style later), but apart 
from that, and a few other formalities of layout, the two are 
similar.
Outline of an e-mail 
Re: conference meeting, 2 April: key issues 
Derek
There are three key issues I’d like to discuss at our meeting 
on Friday. 
• How can we promote the conference more effectively 
abroad? 
• How can we align the main speakers’ messages 
effectively to support corporate strategy? 
• Do we have the resources to create an informal 
exhibition area in the foyer? 
If you have any other issues to raise, copy me in. See you 
there!
Gloria
( c) 2011 Kogan Page L imited, All Rights Reserved.

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149 Putting it in Writing
Outlining a report 
Reports tend to need the fullest kind of outline, complete 
with summary, introduction, numbered points and an array of 
sub-points and minor points. 
Outline of a letter
25 January 2010 
[company logo]
Sidney Reader
Readership House
READERTOWN
AB1 2CD
Dear Sidney
Thank you for your letter of 20 January. 
[
handshake
]
This is my main message. 
[
message sentence
]
My first point is here. 
[
paragraphs
]
…
My second point is here.
…
The next step is 
[
action point
]
I hope this is satisfactory. 
[
closing handshake
]
Yours sincerely
Alan Writer
[Job title]
( c) 2011 Kogan Page L imited, All Rights Reserved.

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