1. HOW TO WRITE
PROFESSIONAL EMAIL
Editor: Angela Lee/MXIC Test Div.(OG100)
Data source: James B. De Lange/B.E.S.T
(Business English Service & Training Co., Ltd.)
Date: November 28, 2001

2. Lecture on How to Write Professional Email
CONTENTS
 Introduction
 Requests
 Follow-up Emails
 Reminders
 Postponements

3. INTRODUCTION
What is a Good Business Email?
A good business email is one that can clearly & effectively deliver
your intention,meaning,background/or reason.
永遠牢記商業書信可不是在寫情書 , 應明確的點明你的來意 . 客套話能省即省 .
Why are good business writing skills important?
1.Customers see your writing more than they see you.
2.Good writing skills show that you really care.
3.Good writing skills contribute more forcefully to
arguments/persuasion/selling.
4.Good writing skills reduce risk of losing a customer or damaging
a customer relationship,and foster good relationships with
colleagues.
許多遠地的客戶雖然通了無數的 Email, 但彼此可能未曾謀面 . 因此一份合宜的商業書信
不但可幫助你建立正面形象 , 也可以避免因語言隔闔造成爭端而傷及與客戶間的友好關係
.

4. BUSINESS EMAIL : REQUESTS
Requests : A request is a message asking the receiver to do
something. 要求收信人配合達成某項目標即是所謂的 REQUEST 文件 .
1. Focus immediately on the information you need.Make your call for
action(the main idea)at or near the opening of the email.
2. Tell why you need the information if the reason is not obvious.
3. Emphasize due dates.Phrases such as :at your earliest convenience”
or “as soon as possible” seem polite, but they make it easy for the
reader to delay answering; if you have a due date in mind, say so. For
special emphasis put the due date in a paragraph by itself.
4. Supply any further information, contact names and numbers, or forms
so the reader can respond quickly and easily.
重點放在你希望對方配合的事項上 . 尤其應該強調你希望對方回覆的截止期限 . 類似像 at
your earliest convenience 或 as soon as possible 這類較客套的句子 , 反而容易因目標不
明確而增加對方延遲回覆的機率 .
要提供明確的資訊讓對方知道如何回覆 . 如 please give me a call …, 如果只用 contact me
( 注意 ! 不加 with.. 在台灣常見有人喜歡用 contact with me) 似乎不夠具體 . 應說明方式
email,fax,…. 等 .

5. EXAMPLE OF REQUESTS
讓我們一起來看一個典型的 REQUESTS 文件
Dear James,
Thanks for your preparation and time on this project.
I’ve attached (or Attached please find ) the process flow charts you
requested.
As to the exact implementation date, Elaine will coordinate with the
supervisors involved and let you know by December 7.
Since this training is not in our original approved budget,I would
appreciate it if you could provide me with some cost information.
Thanks you very much.
Best regards,
如果要向對方 make a request , 聰明的用法就是
使用 I would appreciate it if you could ….( do
something).

6. BUSINESS EMAIL : FOLLOW-UP EMAILS
Follow-up
1
State immediately that the email is a follow-up. Restate your
original message and request.
例句 1>I am writing to follow up on our earlier decision to ….
例句 2>As a follow-up to our phone conversation yesterday, I wanted to
get back to you about our agreement to …..
商業書信中另有一種 Follow-up 文件 , 此類書信往來多半直接表明來
意 , 可用開場白有
Per your requirement….., As our decision…..,
As you requested ….,As we discussed…..

7. BUSINESS EMAIL : FOLLOW-UP EMAILS
Offer an excuse for your reader’s failure to reply-- one that
will allow him or her to save face for having failed to respond 2
by the specified date or to acknowledge receipt of your
request or message. Even a phrase such as, “Could you let me
know the status of …” implies some progress.
< 例句 >
I can understand how busy you are this time of year, especially
with budget reviews going on. However, I would really
appreciate it if you could update me on the status of this order by
Friday so that I can inform our customer.
商業書信往來有時亦可使用一些小技巧 , 其中在 Follow-up 文件中最常用到的
便是 --- 為對方留點顏面 , 然後順勢道出解決辦法 .
例如例句中 , 明明對方已經 DELAY 你交付的 REQUEST 了 , 可是開啟你的信
件後 , 卻發現你已經為他的失誤找了個台階下 , 你認為他還會不敢緊補救嗎 ?

8. BUSINESS EMAIL : FOLLOW-UP EMAILS
Emphasize the critical need for a response. If you can, find
reader incentive for the action. If appropriate, use the if-I-
3
don’t-hear-from-you-by approach; state your next action if
you get no response.
In order to complete our customer’s order and deliver on
schedule, I will need your reply by September 20 at the latest.
If I don’t hear from you by October 20, I will assume that you are
committed to the travel dates we set in last week Friday’s
meeting (December 3-6 Shanghai;December 7-8 Beijing).
商業書信有軟性訴求 , 當然也有強硬手段 . 其中針對慢郎中的對手 , 你就可以
使用美國人最愛用的 If I don’t hear from you by ……, I will ……..
不過 Mr.James 也提醒大家這類恐嚇的語氣千萬不可用於英國或歐州國家 , 即
使美國人也對這類敘述很反感 . 不過 , 面對你的下包商遲遲不肯定案時 , 這類
的敘述手法可以保護自己與客戶的合約權益 .

9. EXAMPLE OF FOLLOW-UP EMAILS
範例 Dear Betty,
Could you please check why Orders A04 and A07 of the Anvil 6400 still do not
have shipping dates? (The order had been entered for 7 days). At this time, the
shipping date of Orders A05 and A06 had been given as September 9.
If at all possible, we would like to move up the shipping date for all orders
(A04,A05,A06 and A07). HP is a very important customer for us, and a delay is
certain to negatively influence our business with them.
1. 為何不用 I wish…., 因為 wish 通常指這件事實現的可能性很小 . 例如 . I wish I can
fly in sky.
2. 不要再用 Your prompt response will be highly appreciated. 或 I would highly
appreciate your prompt response. 這類文字用在 follow-up 文件根本是裝飾品 .
3. 慎用“ kindly”: Please kindly give me your reply…. 對英國人而言可是很不禮貌的 .
因為 kindly 和 please 一樣 , 當你連說了二次 please 通常是表示有些生氣和不耐煩的 .
I hope we can have a reply from you by Thursday so we can update UP.
常見的錯誤 :
1. 簡 ( 縮 ) 寫 : Bst rgrds, --- 對方看到這種結語 , 只會
覺得 You really like a busy person.
2. 不當大寫 : REGARDS, Best Regards --- 對歐美語
系國家字母大寫文句通常是想強調某件事 , 這種大寫結
Best regards, 尾讓人感覺你是很生氣的結束本文喔 !
(or sincerely yours,) 3.Truly yours: 這通常是 LOVER 間才會用到 , 所以千
萬別表錯情囉 !
4.Thanks and best regards: 多禮的中國人最常犯的錯
誤 .Thanks 只用於本文 , 並不適合用來和 regards 合併

10. BUSINESS EMAIL : REMINDERS
Reminders
State up front the item you wish to remind the reader about and his/her
expected action.
商業書信中的 reminder 文件有提醒及催
• Just a reminder to you that ….. 促的作用 , 常用開場白如左列例句 .
• Just a note to confirm you will be ….
• I’m just writing to remind you of ……
Make the reminder as complete as the first announcement.Repeat all
necessary information -- time, date, place, purpose, topics of concern,
deadlines, and so forth.
Mr..James 提供給大家一個好方法 ,
直接在標題列以及正文中註明“ reminder” 這個字 , 可以幫助收信人快
速進入狀況 .
In emails, it’s a good idea to mention in both the subject line and the
body of the memo the word ”reminder.” Otherwise, the reader may
think you are sending him new information containing some detail
about which he or she was unaware beforehand.

11. BUSINESS EMAIL : REMINDERS
Reminders
If the reminder is sent due to some change in the former plan or
announcement, call special attention to that change. To add
emphasis, place that detail alone in a separate paragraph or
underline or capitalize it.
• Please note we had originally …..
• This location is different from the one we had previously discussed on
the phone.
• There’s been a CHANGE ! Please re-mark your calendars ….
假若你發此信的目的是提醒對方原先協議已變更 , 建議你可以將新的內容
/ 條款單獨一個段落特別敘述 , 或者也可將其用全部大寫以及文字加底線
的方式來強調 , 提醒對方特別注意 .

12. BUSINESS EMAIL : REMINDERS
Reminders
Request confirmation, if necessary.
• Would you please phone me before May6 if we can count on you
to participate?
• Would you please reply to this email if you plan to attend?
• If we don’t hear from you by May 6, we will assume you will be
unable to join us in this effort.
當你發出一份 Reminder 時 , 若需要對方作一個 confirmation 的
動作 , 可在結語使用上列例句提醒收信人注意 .

13. EXAMPLE OF REMINDERS
Reminders 範例
Dear Harold,
Recognizing your very busy schedule, I’m sending you this note as
a reminder that you were going to select ten sales managers who
will participate in our upcoming management seminar on December
15. Please check off the names of those who will be attending in the
attached Excel file.
If at all possible, could you get this list to us before December 2? In
this way we can distribute pre-training materials to the participants
in advance, and they will have plenty of time to peruse the materials
before the training begins.
I’m sincerely looking forward to working with you on this project.
Best regards,

14. BUSINESS EMAIL : REMINDERS
看看 Nicole 如何向 James 要求暫緩目前的 Training
Postponements
常犯的錯誤 : I apologize you for not replying you sooner . 正確
Dear James, 應是 I apologize for not replying sooner to you.
I apologize for not replying sooner. Christine is back this week. After we
discussed the Management training with our production managers, we are
afraid we have to postpone this training due to the recent economic
downturn and sales below our projections. Because of this, we are
utilizing our financial and time resources in other areas at this time.
Production management prefers to postpone this training until at least the
2nd quarter of 2002.
Your patience and cooperation are highly appreciated. I will inform
you at the appropriate time to reschedule this training.
Best regards,
學到一個很棒的單字 economic downturn ( 經濟不景氣 ) .
你記住了嗎 ?
Nicole

15. IMPROVING YOUR BUSINESS ENGLISH SKILLS
To improve your Business English Skills
如何增強你目前的商用英文程度
 Focus on English for the specific purposes you need in your
field.
( 針對你的需要 , 然後持續深耕這個特定的領域 )
 Understand that spoken and written language is very different.
( 要明白口語英文和書面英文可是不同的 )
 Focus on being aware of and looking for phrases(collocation)
whenever you are reading in English or listening to English.
( 當你在閱讀或聽到一句英文時 , 多注意文字的關聯性和使用的片語 )
 Put some “pleasure” back into studying English: Always reserve
some of your “study” time just for reading for just fun.
( 最後 , 就是所有的老師都會傳授你的一項秘訣 : “ 樂在學習” )

16. THE END
報告完畢 下課囉 !
畢