Business Writing

A New Year Message from 1949

We heard a scratching sound in a remote section of our attic, and my husband went to investigate it. While he didn't locate the source of the sound, he did find The Seattle Sunday Times from August 28, 1949, left in the attic by a previous owner of our home. That newspaper reminded me of a common question about business writing. Let me explain how.

Some things in the 1949 newspaper are the same as today: identity theft (described as forging and counterfeiting), schoolyard bullies (known as tormentors), movies influencing real life (men buying pajamas because William Powell wore them in all his films), Sunday puzzles, and the comic "Grin and Bear It."

Others are different: The '49 comics are all about the "little woman" waiting on her husband. Throughout the paper husbands are "hen-pecked," the women are Miss and Mrs., and the word gay is used to mean "festive."  A "leper colony" is in the news. The menus for the week include "head lettuce salad," "panned potatoes," "liver patties," "little pig sausages," and "lemon snow."

Most of the differences between today's newspaper and the one from that Sunday in 1949 involve two areas: language (see above) and look. The old newspaper looks old--and not just because it is faded. The layout, art, and typefaces are different from today's. 

The same is true of business writing. The language we use and the way we format documents are different. Yet I often get worried email complaining that writers no longer use the language, style, structure, and punctuation people learned in school.

Here is my answer: Get over it! This is not 1949--it's nearly 2008. Embrace the differences. Accept "Hey" as an email greeting without cringing. Learn to like avatars in place of photos on web sites. (I'm working on this one.) Stop saying "The way I was taught in school . . ." Enjoy the new year. 

Happy 2008!

Lynn   

Typefaces and Other Topics

I was just introduced to a blog by Ken Adams, whose expertise is in drafting contracts. His recent posts cover some of the latest options and thinking on typography. If you are interested in contracts, typefaces, and gems of language, visit Ken's site.

Lynn

What Apple Can Teach Us Writers

Last week we made a purchase at the Apple store, a new desktop Mac--our first Mac ever. Apple made the entire experience easy, and easy experiences always inspire me to think of ways to make life easier for my readers.

Here is what Apple did and how it applies to us as writers:

1. On their web site and in advertisements, Apple invited us to make an appointment with a salesperson (no doubt they have a different title from "salesperson," but I don't remember what it is).
   How that made life easy: We knew that when we got to the busy Apple store, we would not have to struggle to get a salesperson's attention.
   What we writers can do: Make it easy for readers by getting to the point, being concise, and providing easy next steps such as "click here." 
2. When we arrived at the store, we were greeted by a man with a clipboard, who confirmed our appointment.
   How that made life easy: Our expectations were met. Our confidence in doing business with Apple increased.
   What we writers can do: Do what we say we will do, or do more. Meet our deadlines.
3. Our young salesperson dealt comfortably with us as older PC users. He answered all our questions in language we could understand. He demonstrated relevant features, and he took time to help us compare the notebook with the desktop.
   How that made life easy: We didn't feel foolish or ignorant even for a moment.
   What we writers can do: Speak our readers' language. Keep their needs in mind.
4. After we made our purchase, we were handed a receipt, and it was also emailed to us. Not only that--we were given an extra printed receipt to use for our rebate.
   How that made life easy: We could review the invoice in our hands to be sure it was correct, yet we didn't have to worry about losing our receipt in the excitement of getting the equipment to the car; we knew we would have one in our inbox back at the office. Also, we didn't need to copy the receipt for our rebate.
   What we writers can do: Give readers information in the various formats they need: checklists, email, booklets, podcasts, etc.
5. The Apple people told us we could return the computer within 30 days if we were not happy with it.
   How that made life easy: We relaxed, knowing we were not going to be stuck with something we might not like.
   What we writers can do:  Let readers have a taste of our work (in a summary, sidebar, or quick introduction) before they read the entire document. Offer guarantees whenever applicable.

Thanks, Apple, for your good example.

Lynn

Be Kind to Your Note Taker

Last week I led a writing class for a group of administrative assistants who wanted help writing meeting notes and minutes. We began by talking about the challenges they face as note takers. Here's their list of challenges:

• Getting the information down when speakers talk quickly.
• Recognizing what to record and how much of it.
• Dealing with two people speaking at once.
• Facing an incomprehensible stream of acronyms and abbreviations.
• Trying to hear when side conversations compete with the main speaker.
• Being unfamiliar with the attendees and topic, also known as "not having a clue."
• Not knowing when a decision has actually been made.
• Feeling timid about interrupting the group with a question.

If you lead meetings, be kind to your note takers. Recognize the challenges they face, and do your best to eliminate them.

The October issue of my newsletter, Better Writing at Work, covers how to write meeting notes, in the article "Meeting Notes Made Easy." In it I offer suggestions for tackling six major meeting challenges. You can read it here. If you like what you read, subscribe for free.

Lynn

Addressing and Signing Greeting Cards

Now that you've bought your greeting cards and written your holiday letters, how do you address and sign them? I've gotten lots of questions on this topic, and I have answered just about all of them before. Please see this entry: Answers to Mailbag Questions. It gives answers and links to more answers about addressing envelopes, greeting people, and closing your message.

Here are some other questions I've been asked about holiday greetings:

1. Which is correct?
    Gary, Elizabeth, Carol, Max, and Sam OR
    Gary, Elizabeth, Carol, Max and Sam

Answer: Both are correct. The comma before and is optional. To me, it is clearer, and I always use it.

2. What is the correct way to address an envelope to a married couple when the husband and wife are both attorneys?

Answer: Address it the same way you would if they were not attorneys.

3. Is it proper to address a Christmas card to an attorney using Esq. after his name, or should Mr. be used in that personal situation?

Answer: You can address the envelope either way--with Esq. after his name or Mr. before it.

4. To address a letter to Mississauga, Ontario L5R 3M3 CANADA, which parts go on which line?

See my post Test: How to Address an Envelope.

5. How do you address two people who are both Reverends?

    On the address do this:

Reverend Joseph Black

Reverend Sarah Black

    For the greeting do this:

Dear Reverends Black,   OR

Dear Joseph and Sarah,

    If they have different surnames, do this:

Dear Reverends Black and White,

6. Do you include Jr. or Sr. in the greeting?

No.

For other questions about holiday writing, read Help With Your Holiday Writing here.

Happy holidays!

Lynn

What Dentists Can Learn from Doctors

Today I spent 2.5 hours in the chair at my dentist's office, nearly all of it with my poor mouth wide open. After those stressful hours, my dentist (whom I believe to be very experienced, well trained, and compassionate) told me in a few sentences what had happened and what would be happening to me and my mouth over the next few weeks.

But here's the problem: Although he told me, I can remember almost none of it--at least not accurately. I do remember that I am to floss the tooth in question in just one direction. I do remember hearing the threat of a root canal--but just a threat. (Whew!) And I remember hearing something about cavities near a nerve (or was it a nerve near a gum?).

I know one other thing for sure: My next appointment is on December 27 at noon. I know that because it is written on a little card.

By contrast, I visited the urgent care department of my health plan, Group Health, on November 19. My urgent problem was a paper cut--on my eye. I had pulled a sheet of paper out of my printer without noticing how close my face was to the threatening object.

The care was similar--time consuming and a bit stressful. However, when I left Group Health, I had several sheets of paper in hand. They told me how to treat my "corneal scratch" after my visit. The information fell under these headings:

• Your Care Instructions
• What should you do at home?
• When should you call for help?
• Where can you learn more?
• How to Use Eye Ointments and Gels Properly

The papers even told me my blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and a few other details.

My dentist could learn a lot about patient communication from my doctors. However, we could all learn a lot from them. Consider:

Do you expect the people you work with (customers, clients, employees, patients, citizens, residents) to remember what you tell them--even in stressful circumstances? Or do you give them a clearly written takeaway that summarizes what they need to know?

When my mother died in October, the funeral director gave my father a beautifully worded pamphlet about the emotions he might experience over the next few days and weeks. It was something he could refer to after the whirlwind of visitors, funeral services, and pressing practical details. Had the funeral director just spoken some advice, it would have been lost in that moment.

I challenge you to think of a helpful takeaway you can write for one or more of your audiences. Do your associates, clients, or patients need a list of helpful web sites? Quick instructions on how to repair, order, or troubleshoot something? A list of questions to assess a situation? Twenty practical phrases to use in a foreign country? Three principles to guide them through the next encounter?

Whatever your takeaway might be, write it, print it, and give it away--to one person or many. Then please write to tell me you have done it. I would love to read about your accomplishment.

Lynn

 

Make It Big (to Proofread)

I am always surprised when people in writing classes proofread their documents in type this size. (For those who couldn't read that phrase, it said "in type this size.") They stare at the screen, asking themselves "Do I have a comma or a semicolon there?" and "Is that a period or a blank space?" and "Does that name look right?"

To make proofreading easier, why not:

Make it big.

It isn't necessary to change the font itself from 10 or 12 point to 16. You should be able to simply change your view of the screen.

In my version of Microsoft Office, I use the zoom feature. It allows me to zoom in to see any section of the page close up. When proofreading, I use the 100 percent setting. When zoom is set at only 50 percent, the details are more difficult to see.

My keyboard also has a zoom feature, which allows me to zoom in on the screen with one quick finger stroke.

Why squint at your screen, especially when proofreading? You don't want your $1,000 offer to sneak by you as $11,000. Or what about "killing" the order when you hoped to be "filling" it? Your grammar and spelling checker won't help you in either situation.

The success of your message depends on proofreading. Why not make it big?

Fest wishes,   (just kidding)

Lynn