Courteous Writing Archives

Business Email Sign-Off: Choosing the Right One

We recently published an extensive article on how to professionally end an email. Here, we are going to take another look at the topic, concentrating on the sign-off specifically. You’ve crafted your email to be clear and well-constructed. You’ve edited it carefully. The body of the… continue reading

Looking Forward To vs. I Look Forward To

You’ve probably written or read multiple emails today… or within the last hour… or five minutes. Email and business go hand in hand. And we tend to fall back on one common phrase to wrap up every business letter or email we send. Interestingly, tweaking… continue reading

How to Write a Professional Out of Office Message

Sunscreen? Check. Bathing suit? Check. Latest Grisham novel to read on the beach? Check. Created and activated the perfect professional out of office autoresponder email message? Umm… If you think you can just throw something together on your phone while boarding the plane, think again.… continue reading

How to Avoid Politics in Business Writing

People dig into their political views like an underwater pipeline entrenched on the ocean floor. Agreeing or disagreeing with their perspective can make for an awkward conversation at best and a heated debate at worst. Therefore, avoiding politics in business and business writing is the… continue reading

Writing Secrets for Replying to an Angry Client

It’s a part of doing business—you get an unexpected email from an irate client, and they choose to take out their frustration on you. Yikes! And it’s only Monday morning. It stings a bit when you’re the recipient of such a rude email. Although you… continue reading

Examples of Respectable Tone For Letters of Resignation

You finally have the guts to leave your job, be it for a better opportunity, a new business venture, personal time, or simply because you can’t take it anymore. So what’s next? The dreaded letter of resignation, of course. Writing a letter of resignation is tricky… continue reading

How To Respectfully Criticize A Company Decision

Understanding how to give constructive criticism is one of the most fundamental skills in the business world. It is essential in reconsidering marketing initiatives, improving employee performance, and even conducting self-assessments as a manager or company owner. When offering criticism to an individual, you must… continue reading

Tips For Writing A Respectful Resignation Letter

It’s often tough quitting a job, with all of the tedious responsibilities that this frequently has to encompass. Usually, one of the foremost requirements for leaving your place of employment is writing and delivering your letter of resignation. This letter, generally considered to be essential… continue reading

How Writing Is Like Taking Blood

On Friday I donated blood at a popup blood center. In the process I had to share information—about my sex partners, pregnancies, travel history, and illnesses. I had to repeatedly give my full name and birthdate. A personal exchange? Nope. It was completely impersonal. I… continue reading

A graphic of a yellow piece of paper with the word "criticism."

Can You Pass This Test on Giving Constructive Feedback?

Yesterday I posted advice on giving constructive feedback in writing. That advice took the form of a list of Don’ts. Why not test yourself today on tips for giving constructive feedback? The list of 20 Don’ts below contains some fake Don’ts that should actually be… continue reading