Electronic mail or email is a means of sending messages, text, and computer files between

computers via the internet.

Features of email
The many different features of email include:

• automatic reply to messages

• auto-forward and redirection of messages
• facility to send copies of a message to many people
• automatic filing and retrieval of messages
• addresses can be stored in an address book and retrieved instantly
• notification if a message cannot be delivered
• emails are automatically date and time stamped
• signatures can be attached
• files, graphics or sound can be sent as attachments, often in compressed formats
• webmail and mobile email can be used to receive and send messages while on the move

here are times when phone and face-to-face conversations are more efficient
and productive, but in most cases, email is a near-perfect medium for
communication--as long as it's used correctly. Here are the seven qualities of a
successful email.
1. Concise. Emails are not the place to ramble. Since emails can transmit
virtually unlimited amounts of information, it's easy to go on tangents or try to
include every bit of information you can in one single email. This is usually
not the best approach. Instead, it's better to focus on making your emails as
concise as possible; in other words, it's better to put as much information into
as few words as possible.
You can do this by cutting out the fluff. Unlike phone calls, you don't have to
spend time making small talk or introducing the problem. Instead, you can
immediately begin by presenting the most relevant information. After you draft
your email, go through and eliminate any sentences (or individual words) that
are unnecessary.
2. Intention-focused. Speaking of goals, your email should have one. If your
email doesn't have a central intention, such as "to summarize the meeting and
recap next steps," you shouldn't be sending one. Everything in your email
needs to feed that central intention, and that central intention should be clear
to everyone reading it.
In order to make your central intention evident, you need an effective, direct
subject line. Writing one can be difficult, especially for long emails that need
to cover a lot of ground, but without an immediate and clear subject line, your
email could be overlooked or hard to find after a certain amount of time passes.
Include information such as the client, the topic, or the due date (for a specific
action item). Never use a subject line to write body copy.
3. Summarizing. Your email should have some sort of summary to start things
off, unless it's a response to an email thread already in progress. In this
summary, you should capture all the items covered to date (whether those items
were all covered in a recent meeting, or over the course of the last several
weeks). This will get everybody reading the email up to speed on background
information before you delve into the matter at hand.
Remember, there's a difference between summarizing and reiterating. You
aren't necessarily aiming to repeat all the information that has been covered to
date. Instead, you are trying to convey the most important elements of that
information in as little space as possible.
4. Well-organized. Your email needs to be organized logically. There is no
single format that applies to every email, but every email needs to be well
thought-out. Start your email by addressing your audience and move into a
subject. Your subject can be split in any number of ways. For example, you
could separate your sections chronologically by starting with a recap of
previous meetings, moving into a general summary, and ending with a list of
action items. Or, you could opt to segment your email in terms of individual
participants, calling out each individual's responsibilities in one group email.
No matter how you choose to organize your email, your organization should
be instantly recognizable to anyone reading your email for the first time. Keep
all relevant subject matter confined to its section in your email, with no
spillover.
5. Visually scannable. This is especially important, with attention spans at all-
time lows and inbox counts reaching all-time highs. Even if your intended
audience needs to read your email in full the first time around, your email
should be visually "scannable" for repeat reads. Don't make your paragraphs
too long (creating the dreaded wall-of-text), and try to make certain sections of
content pop out with different formatting. For example, bullet points are an
extremely effective way to organize and present a dedicated list because they
can be read quickly and easily. They stand out from the rest of the email and
can be tackled one at a time.
You can also use formatting tricks like bolding to call out specific names or
important dates, and if you want to get fancy, you can color-code your email
to correspond with different relevant parties. The goal is to design your email
to be referenced easily at a glance.
6. Polite and tone-appropriate. Emails do have one potential drawback.
Because they are written, and not expressed with the wide range of vocal tones
and body language gestures we're used to in interpersonal communication, they
are prone to tonal misinterpretation. That means you have to be extra careful
to make sure your words are taken correctly and appropriately by the receiving
party.
First, make sure you're writing in a tone that's appropriate for your audience.
If you are emailing a new client with conservative values, it's best to address
them formally as Mr./Mrs./Ms. rather than with a "Hey Bob!" On the other
hand, if you're emailing a coworker about a project you're collaborating on,
don't come off too stiff by using short, unfriendly sentences.
Second, be cordial, but straightforward. Emails aren't the best place to make
sarcastic or tongue-in-cheek jokes, even if the tone would allow it. Assume
your reader is going to take everything literally.
7. Clear on action. The best emails have a clear action plan. If there isn't any
action required by any of your readers, you probably didn't need to send an
email in the first place. Especially in longer emails, it's easy for action items to
get lost. Some email writers might casually mention them, buried in a sentence
in the middle of the body, while others wouldn't call them out at all, assuming
the action items are implied.
Instead, make all action items clear. Make a list of each action item, as well as
the party responsible for carrying that action item out and an expected date of
completion (where relevant). Your readers will instantly know what is
expected of them, and better yet, you'll have a historical point you can
reference in the future to hold those parties accountable.
If you can start writing emails with all seven of these important qualities, you'll
improve the coherence and practicality of your emails. As a result, your
coworkers and clients will be happier, your productivity will skyrocket, and
you'll never again have to worry about that never-ending back-and-forth of
questions and responses.
Gender-neutral language or gender-inclusive language is language that avoids bias towards a
particular sex or social gender. ... Some terms, such as chairman, that contain the component -man
but have traditionally been used to refer to persons regardless of sex are now seen by some
as gender-specific.

The English language has features, like others such as Spanish or French, that as previously
mentioned reflect an archaic society in which women did not have the same rights as men and
were not allowed to work in certain professions.

Below we have listed a few examples that show traces of a less progressive society:

- Many words contain the suffix man, yet refer to both male and female genders: chairman,
councilman, policeman etc.

- Some words are formed by adding a morpheme of feminine gender to masculine gendered
nouns: prince ➭ princess, host ➭ hostess, god ➭ goddess, hero ➭ heroine.

- ‘Mr.’ refers to a man and whilst ‘Mrs.’ and ‘Miss’ refer to a woman, they also make her marital
status public. The alternative is to use ‘Ms.’

By using gendered terms and masculine forms by default in English, we end up differentiating
genders and implying that one social gender is the norm.

Why Gender-Neutral language matters

With growing awareness, people are embracing gender-neutral language.

According to the Gender-Neutral Language Guidelines in the European Parliament, “Gender-

neutral language is a generic term covering the use of non-sexist language.”
Why is it important? Gender-neutral language matters because, not only does it include all
individuals and collectives, avoiding discriminatory words, but it also promotes social change and
contributes to achieving gender equality.

As language reflects and influences attitudes, if we want to treat all genders equally we need to
first change the way we speak.

Alternatives we can use

Below are some examples of gendered nouns and alternatives we can use below.

Gendered noun Gender-neutral noun

Mankind Humankind
Chairman Chair
Policeman Police officer
Fireman Fire fighter
Sir (“Dear Sir,”) To Whom it May Concern
Freshman First-year student
Congressmen Members of Congress

We also need to avoid expressions that reinforce gender stereotypes like “she runs like a girl” or
“men don’t understand”.

It may feel like we have a long way to go, but by making these small changes, we can pave the
way to living in a more just and equal world for everybody.

Enquiry Letter
Inquiry Letter is a letter written to request information and/or ascertain its
authenticity. A letter of inquiry deals with various matters like JOB vacancies,
funding, grants, scholarships, projects, sales, pre-proposals and others. The
term is common in various business setups as it implies fund request or pre-
proposal information. Owing to this usage, the term may be considered
exclusive to these setups alone. But that is not the case, to this effect the below
definition offers a justified meaning.
2. Complaint letter
A letter of complaint, or complaint letter, is normally written to deal with a
problem situation when other attempts (i.e. phone contacts, e-mails, etc.) have
failed to rectify the situation. The complaint letter formalizes a problem situation
by putting it into writing and is usually the last RESORT to try to get a situation
resolved
Meaning of Informal Communication:
‘Informal Communication’ is the communication among the people of
an organisation not on the basis of formal relationship in the
organisational structure but on the basis of informal relations and
understanding.

It may overlap routes, levels or positions. Informal communication

creates a situation where the different workers communicate with each
other, work side by side, hour after hour and day after day irrespective
of their formal positions and relationships.

Importance of Informal or Grapevine Communication:

Informal or Grapevine communication is an indispensable part of
entire communication system. Formal communication is compared to
arteries of a living being, whereas, grapevine or informal
communication are like veins. The later is a supplement to the former.
Where formal communication fails to operate, grapevine or informal
communication is used.

Sometimes, grapevine communication is more effective than the formal

communication. In fact, it carries more information than formal
communication. Not only is a large volume of information, important
and vital information also conveyed through it.

In an organisation small groups of people work together. It is quite

natural that they will become interested about each other and want to
know various information regarding each other’s service condition,
salary, facilities available, appointment, retirement, transfer,
punishment, etc.

They will also be interested to know any private, secret and confidential
information which includes any romantic affair, family disputes,
marriage, birth of a child, examination results of their children, special
treatment or favour by boss to any member and so on.

The employees generally exchange their views with their peers openly
during lunch break or at an interval and get emotional relief from
monotony and stress. Thus, the informal or grapevine communication
promotes social relationship among the participants. It helps to build
up unity, integrity and solidarity among them and boosts up their
morale.

Grapevine or informal communication is faster than the formal

communication. Being oral in nature, it has little or no cost and can
reach maximum number of people irrespective of their positions within
a very short time.

Since there is no official procedure and formalities it is not binding and

compelling, rather it is flexible and spontaneous. The managers can get
feedback from their subordinates quickly on the plan and policies
through grapevine. New ideas, suggestions, opinions may come out as
people can express their feelings without fear.

Characteristics of Informal Communication:

The informal communication has the following
characteristics:
i. It is based on informal relationship;

ii. It grows spontaneously;

iii. It takes the form of gossip;

iv. It is conveyed through conversation, facial expression, body

movement, silence, etc.;

v. It does not follow any structured route or channel;

vi. Small groups are formed with like-minded people in such

communication:

vii. It is direct and fast;

viii. It is flexible and dynamic in nature.

Advantages of Informal or Grapevine Communication

The advantages of informal communication are pointed out
below:
i. Informal communication, being unofficial and personal, promotes a
social relationship among the participants;

ii. Flow of information is fast and is suitable for emergencies;

iii. New ideas, suggestions, opinions may come out through such
communication as people can express their feelings without fear;

iv. It can create an atmosphere congenial for work as the relationship

between the managers and the employees improves;

v. The managers can collect information regarding reaction of the

workers, attitude of the employees of other departments, intention of
peer officers through such communication. It is not possible in the case
of formal communication. Thus, informal communication supplements
the formal communication to fulfill the objective of the organisation;

vi. Sharing of information in a free atmosphere makes the picture clear,

bringing out the hidden dimension of the management, if any. It puts
an end to misunderstanding and suspicion;

vii. It is an outlet of expression of complaints, dis-likings, grievances,

etc.

Nonverbal communication encompasses numerous modes of expression. Physical examples

include posture, gestures, eye contact, touch, physiological responses (such as clammy hands
or a sweaty brow) and manner of movement. Clothing and adornment choices can also be a
form of nonverbal communication.

Because business often involves frequent human interaction, understanding the

elements of nonverbal communication can be an enormous benefit in terms of working
with colleagues, competitors, clients and potential clients.

Importance of Nonverbal Communication

Knowledge of nonverbal communication in business plays two roles. Managers use

nonverbal communication to effectively lead other employees and team members. And
team members in the business, whether they realize it or not, use nonverbal cues to
communicate information to individuals outside the business, whether they’re clients,
competitors or colleagues in a complementary industry.

Nonverbal Effects

In business, nonverbal communication can affirm or belie the words actually being
spoken. Communication can be hindered when nonverbal cues seem to contradict
what’s being said. When verbal and nonverbal communication messages act in
concert, information is communicated more effectively.

Nonverbal communication in business occurs on a daily basis. Cooperating people

tend to sit side by side, while competitors will frequently face one another. Crossed
legs or folded arms during a business meeting may signify relaxation or resistance to
the ideas being presented. Eye contact with a speaker during a business meeting
communicates interest, and a manager in a company may maintain eye contact longer
than a subordinate employee does.

Tactile communication can help or hinder business interactions. A firm handshake

might be interpreted as confidence, while other physical touches, such as a lingering
touch on the shoulder, might be seen as invasive of personal space.

Advantages of Nonverbal Communication

Business owners can gain from learning about nonverbal communication and its
potential benefits. The importance of nonverbal communication in business lies in that
it can increase the opportunity to interact with colleagues, competitors, clients and
potential clients through avenues outside of explicit word choice. Posture, vocal tone
and eye contact can deliver subtle messages that reinforce what’s being said to
convey consistency and trustworthiness.

Another benefit is that nonverbal communication can help demonstrate confidence,

enthusiasm and professionalism through attire choice, active listening cues and the
ability to present a message, according to Thunder Tech. Nonverbal communication
can play a special role in international business settings, where even with the aid of
translators there may be a natural wariness about the accuracy of intentions, details or
offers revealed.

Nonverbal Business Approaches

Record yourself ahead of time and listen to the sound of your voice. Your tone, while
being applied during verbal communication, is another form of nonverbal
communication, according to Inc. Practice beneficial nonverbal communication
through effective eye contact while giving a presentation to large groups of people by
alternating various approaches. Scan the audience, make eye contact with different
areas of the audience or make four- to five-second eye contact with individual
audience members. Rather than standing in one spot during the presentation, stroll
around the stage naturally.

BASIS FOR
MEMO LETTER
COMPARISON

Meaning Memo refers to a short Letter are a type of verbal

message, written in an communication, that
informal tone for contains a compressed
interoffice circulation of message, conveyed to the
the information. party external to the
business.

Nature Informal and Concise Formal and informative

Exchanged Departments, units or Two business houses or

between superior-subordinate between the company and
within the organization. client.

Length Short Comparatively long

Signature Signature is not A letter is duly signed by the

required in a memo. sender.

Communication One to many One to one

Content Use of technical jargon Simple words are used and

and personal pronoun written in third person.
is allowed.

Body language is the unspoken element of communication that we use to

reveal our true feelings and emotions.

It's the relaxed facial expression that breaks out into a genuine smile – with
mouth upturned and eyes wrinkled. It can be a tilt of the head that shows
you're listening, sitting or standing upright to convey interest, or directing
attention with hand gestures. It can also be taking care to avoid a defensive,
arms-crossed posture, or restlessly tapping your feet.

1. Facial Expressions – Eyes

Having a good eye contact can be positive showing interest, affection or attraction for the other person. It is
also necessary for maintaining the flow in the conversation. If eye contact is not maintained properly it can
mean the opposite. If you look into the eyes for a long time it can make people feel uncomfortable or even
convey that you are lying.

2. Facial Expressions – Eyebrows

Raising eyebrows means the person is astonished. It can also sometimes mean disapproval. It depends on the
situation. If someone has raised their eyebrows can also mean the person is expecting an answer.

3. Vocal

Tone, volume and pace of speech also can be a great indication. The emphasis on the words can change the
message conveyed.

You can try this exercise and see the difference it can make.

Emphasize on the bold letters –

• I didn’t say you borrowed my pen.

• I didn’t say you borrowed my pen.
• I didn’t say you borrowed my pen.
• I didn’t say you borrowed my pen.
• I didn’t say you borrowed my pen.
• I didn’t say you borrowed my pen.
• I didn’t say you borrowed my pen.

The same sentence can convey different meanings in spite of having the same words.

4. Mirroring

If someone mirrors your body language it means the other person is convinced by what you are telling. The
neurons cause mirroring. If someone smiles, you eventually smile back saying you feel the same. This
mirroring can also be with gestures, tone of voice and even body angles. It’s a subconscious response by a
person.

5. Body Posture

1. The seating position also says a lot about your personality type. You are sitting erect (showing
self-confidence), crossing your legs (insecure), crossing ankles (secure), sitting in the centre of the
couch (confident), crossing arms (angry), sitting cross-legged (comfortable), keeping hands on your
lap (closed-minded), kneel (aggressive), crossing wrist (insecure), leaning back on your palm
(judgement).

6. Gestures: (Posture, position and movement).

Communication starts way before you utter the first word. The first thing that one can notice is the posture.
Always stand facing the other person. Showing your back shows disrespect. The position of where you are
standing in a room also depicts a lot. If you are beside the window or at the corners rather than the centre of the
room shows you are not interested in the other person. Some bad positions are Hands in pockets, Hands on
your hips (shows being over powerful).

So how exactly should one stand?

A normal posture is just like keeping your hands relaxed. The other person can store in the memory twice of
what you are communicating if you use gestures. Hand and arm movement are the biggest movements the
audience can see.

There are three types of hand movements: Give, show and chop
• The Give gesture shows options (Keeping your hands open),
• Show is just like showcasing
• Chop gesture (Just like we chop vegetables in the same manner if we keep our hands) shows a
stronger opinion either by using it with one hand or both the hands. Your hand movements and
communication should link. Eg: If you are saying the inflation is increasing and taking hand in
downwards direction.

7. Palm movements

According to a survey if you keep your palm up 84% percent of the people comply. If you keep your palm
down 52% percent of the people agree and if it is pointing only 28% of the people comply. Using finger shows
arrogance.

8. Handshakes

Handshakes depict a lot about a person. If one person handshakes hard (dominating or powerful or
competitive), light handshake (not interested), Rushed handshake (unconcerned), Lingering handshake
(desperation), Intense glare handshake (aggression). The perfect handshake is the one with normal eye contact
and touching the other person’s palm with their thumb around your palm.

Understanding body language can help you to be aware of the situation and also take control. What to do if the
audience shows a dull response? Looking at the watch, just nodding, sleeping, playing on the phone. It’s
important to engage with the audience by using good body language, eye movement or using humor or just by
asking a random question.

Some tips to improvise: engage the conversation by nodding, smile, practice a good handshake, maintain good
eye contact and don’t forget to dress amazingly.

If we don’t concentrate on what our body is doing all people do is pay attention to your body language. One
can use body language to their advantage if known properly.

So, what should one do after reading this article? Go in front of the mirror observe your posture, recall your
body movement while communicating. Appreciate the good movements, accept the flaws and improvise it and
then get ready for an amazing impression of yours in front of the world.

IMPORTANCE OF BODY LANGUAGE

1. Increase Self- Confidence

2. Raising Self Esteem

3. Being the charm

4. Attract the audience

5. Be successful in different aspect of life

6. Workplace and relationship success

7. Public Speaking

Different Uses for PowerPoint

There are a lot of effective uses of PowerPoint for play and work. Thus, you can create a PowerPoint
presentation for just about any juncture. The Different Uses for PowerPoint are confined only by the
imagination; take a look at some of them:

Use PowerPoint to Make Tutorials

For the purpose of training or educational contexts, PowerPoint can be easily used to create
worksheets and tutorials. Further on, the simple vocabulary worksheet may use clip art of different
objects for scholars to do the labeling with their names. The tutorials can also be given to individual
students when they are printed onto paper.

Use PowerPoint Presentations as a Digital Portfolio

If an artist or designer wants to create a polished electronic portfolio, then with the help of
PowerPoint, they can showcase their work by making slides which includes multiple graphics and
visual image. Not just this, an electronic portfolio can also be sent via email which gives you a lot of
convenience as well. There are some alternatives to publish your portfolio online like Behance, as a
simple web page using HTML/CSS and Javascript or even [Link] if you have your
portfolio in a PowerPoint presentations.

Prepare nice Animations using PowerPoint

No doubt, PowerPoint being a valuable tool enables you adding music, sound and effects to your
animation. Therefore, you can simply use PowerPoint to make interesting and unique animations.
You can also animate elements from the clip art library or from your own drawings. You can
download free animations for PowerPoint as animated templates or purchase a good animation
background for PowerPoint from any subscription-based service like PresenterMedia.

Use PowerPoint as a Photo Slide Show

By using PowerPoint, you can create photo slide shows or digital album for personal promotional
uses. For instance, you can create a touching tribute to your family member or can also make a fun
Presentation featuring childhood photos of newly wedded couple during their wedding reception.
You can read more articles on Organizing a Presentation.
The above mentioned are just some of the uses for PowerPoint. By doing a research on web, you
may discover more enticing uses for Microsoft PowerPoint. Henceforth, now you can make a
Presentation as per your experience and skills and can take full advantage of your own expertise.
You can discover other uses of PowerPoint including those related to educational presentations,
games for education purposes in the school or even professional PowerPoint presentations to strike
a deal or an important business.
USE OF HUMOUR AND COURTESY IN PRESENTATION

It creates a bond with the audience

A speaker who uses humour well comes across as more human, more likeable. This
puts an audience at ease and makes people more receptive to your ideas. As British
comedian John Cleese has said, “If I can get you to laugh with me, you like me better,
which makes you more open to my ideas.”

It energizes people and keeps them engaged

When we laugh, there is a lot that goes on inside our body. Our heart rate increases
and that keeps us stimulated and alert.

It can provide emotional relief for the audience

Many talks are serious and many talks are emotionally challenging for an audience.
Well-placed humour can give your audience some much-needed relief in an otherwise
serious talk.

It helps the audience remember your points

Laughter has been shown to improve memory and cognitive function. This helps the
audience remember your ideas.

It leaves the audience with a good impression of the speaker

American poet, Maya Angelou, said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

BASIS FOR
FORMAL LETTER INFORMAL LETTER
COMPARISON

Meaning A formal letter is a A letter written in an

letter, written in formal friendly manner, to
language, in the someone you are familiar
BASIS FOR
FORMAL LETTER INFORMAL LETTER
COMPARISON

stipulated format, for with, is called informal

official purpose. letter.

Objective Professional Personal Communication

Communication

Format Written in prescribed No prescribed format.

format only.

Written in First person - Business First, second or third

letters, third person - person.
others.

Written to Business, Friends, family,

college/institute, acquaintances etc.
employer,
organizations, etc.

Voice Passive Active

Sentences Long and complex Short and simple

Size Concise Large or concise

Contractions and Avoided Used

Abbreviations

BASIS FOR MEMO LETTER

COMPARISON
BASIS FOR
FORMAL LETTER INFORMAL LETTER
COMPARISON

Meaning Memo refers to a short Letter are a type of

message, written in an verbal communication,
informal tone for that contains a
interoffice circulation of compressed message,
the information. conveyed to the party
external to the business.

Nature Informal and Concise Formal and informative

Exchanged between Departments, units or Two business houses or

superior-subordinate between the company
within the organization. and client.

Length Short Comparatively long

Signature Signature is not A letter is duly signed by

required in a memo. the sender.

Communication One to many One to one

Content Use of technical jargon Simple words are used

and personal pronoun and written in third
is allowed. person.