It’s hard to believe that 2010 is just about to leave us. Where has the year gone? At the Language Lab, we’ve worked with a variety of corporate and government clients. For many, they need to improve email writing for better business communication is a priority. After spending much time talking with and reading people’s email writing, here’s a list of our top five tips for better email writing in 2011.
The Language Lab’s top five tips for 2010 for better email writing:
1. Remember to write for your reader not for you.
2. Don’t rely on spell check. Spell check looks for misspellings not misused words.
If you write “massage” when you meant “message,” your reader will think you spent too much time at the spa.
3. Avoid jargon and short forms such as EOW (end of the week). Use casual language and take time to write in complete sentences.
4. Mind your tone. Use positive language and don’t offend.
It’s better to say, “I can have the proposal finished by Friday.” instead of,
“I can’t have the proposal finished before Friday.”
5. When in doubt about how your reader will interpret your message, pick up the phone.
Be sure to visit the Language Lab to learn more about how you can improve your email writing in 2011 with our popular “Emails that Work” writing course.
You can also contact us at info@thelanguagelab.ca.