Business Writing

One Quick Way to Frustrate Customers and Friends

My husband is on a mailing list for information about upcoming stamp shows. This week he got an email announcement and saw his email address in a clump of at least a hundred others. All were there in a long list, a gold mine for people wanting to sell stamps.... Read more →

Need to Say No in Writing? Here's How--and Why

Do you know how to say no? Are you comfortable writing a message that says no to someone's request? Or do you ignore requests hoping they will go away? Read this post to learn the easy way to say no--and why to say it. Background: In the past year I... Read more →

"I Hope You're Well" as an Email Opener

On Saturday The New York Times ran a humorous column "I Hope You're Well," by Kerry Elson. In case you are unable to access The New York Times online, here are two opening exchanges from the piece: ********************* Hi, Robin, I hope you’re well. I can’t seem to find the... Read more →

Does "Ladies" Belong in a Salutation?

Rob wrote: I thought you might be a helpful sounding board from something I'm experiencing at work. Recently, one of our female executive leaders has been using the word Ladies as a salutation in her emails that include men in the To and/or the Cc of the email. I'm indifferent... Read more →

How to Write the Interview Thank-You Note

My daughter's friends in college are interviewing for internships and permanent positions. Days after their interviews some of them ask, "Should I have sent a thank-you?" To them I say, Yes! And this blog post will help them--and you--write it. The purpose of the all-important interview thank-you is to thank... Read more →

An Unimpressive Message From My Dentist

I want the best in dentistry--not business writing--from my dentist. But I'm still disappointed when I receive a pointless, error-filled email like the one below. In it, I have changed the name of the dental practice to "Your Favorite Dentist." Otherwise, it's identical to the email I received. What do... Read more →

How Do You Feel About Sloppy Supplier Messages?

A reader named Deborah shared a short email she recently received: Dear Sirs, pls let me have by return the supp docs about yr a.m. invoice because we cannot find our shpm. Thks and rgds How would you feel if you received this message? Would you care that it's riddled... Read more →

Proofreading Checklist to Avoid "Oops!" Messages

I just received an "Oops!" email from our beloved, prestigious public television station. When I read the subject line, "Oops! Correction for Rick Steves Preview Screening and Q+A!" I instantly knew what the oops must be: a date error. Indeed, the email opened "Apologies, there was a date typo in... Read more →

I Should Have Known Better

As a business writing expert, I should have known that I'd get the wrong response. I had written the email in a way that was easy for me but misleading for my reader, a woman named Lea. Requesting a tour of a retirement home for my elderly friend, I wrote:... Read more →

Do You Give Readers the "Why" They Need?

The other night I was traveling from Boston to my home, Seattle. When I arrived at my connection city, Denver, at 7:15 p.m. I received this text message: Your Flight ___ on August 6 from DEN now departs at 11:55 p.m. We're sorry for the delay. Please visit [website]. The... Read more →