Create an Appropriate Tone
In my Ten Principles of Effective Email presentation, I ask how many people have received a short email and thought the writer was angry at them. Most of the people in the room raise their hands. They...
View ArticleAddressing Emails: To, CC, BCC, and the Dreaded Reply All
To, CC, BCC, and the Dreaded Reply All Every email needs an addressee, and every time you address an email, you make significant choices. First, are you going to be careful as you hover your...
View ArticlePerils of Tiny Typing: Typos
I received an email recently that contained the signature line: “Expect typos.” Why should I expect typos? I expect people to avoid them, especially in business correspondence. Cell phones breed...
View ArticleHarness the Essential Sentence
A strong sentence needs a strong core. Every sentence has a subject and a predicate. In the Worktalk writing trainings, we call the core noun and verb of a sentence the “essential sentence”. An...
View ArticleA Common Grammar Gaffe: Don’t Let This Undermine You
Grammar! The word itself makes some people’s eyes glaze over. Shades of elementary school make eyelids droop. But think about it: When you receive an email or document that contains grammar and...
View ArticleWrite Shorter Sentences!
During my 28 years of training business writers throughout the United States, people have often asked me, “Is there one thing I could do that would automatically make me a better writer?” The answer is...
View ArticleHow to Respond to an Insulting or Upsetting Email
A nonprofit company in Florida sent out email blasts to all managers at all their locations. This meant that some portions of the message were not intended for everyone, even though everyone received...
View ArticleEmail or Conversation? How to Decide.
Jerome, a manager at a large corporation, received an email from his boss, Sam, criticizing him because Jerome’s project was running late. The main reason for the delay was that Sam had delayed...
View ArticleA Time to Email, A Time to Talk
Amanda had talked to Jeff, the operations manager of a firm that was an ideal prospect for the product Amanda’s firm was offering. Jeff had expressed an interest in Amanda’s product, and even said he...
View ArticleWrite Shorter Sentences!
During my 28 years of training business writers throughout the United States, people have often asked me, “Is there one thing I could do that would automatically make me a better writer?” The answer is...
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