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Reading/Speaking
Client-focused writing
Aims

Tasks

Raise awareness of the target reader when writing

Learn techniques for making writing more client-

Analyse and improve a piece of writer-focused

focused

writing

Write a client-focused reply to a client query

Lead in
In pairs, discuss the following questions.
Do you ever have to deal with irritating requests from clients? Think of examples.
How can you tell if a potential customer is serious or just a time-waster?

Reading 1
Read the email below and answer these questions.
a What does the writer want?
b What exactly happened? Put the events of the story into chronological order
(i.e. 1- the company bribed some officials.)
c How would you feel if you had to deal with this email?
To whom it may concern:
I have recently lost my job as an accounts assistant in a transport company, and I need some legal advice.
I found your firm on the internet, and I chose you because you have a lot of experience in employment law
and, in particular, unfair dismissal cases.
My boss claimed that I was incompetent and lazy, but Im convinced the reason I lost my job was because
I found out that the company had been bribing officials in order to win contracts. When I refused to be part
of the cover-up, my boss made up several false allegations against me and victimised me (for example by
giving me a warning for being 2 minutes late and for spending too long in the toilet). Finally, last week I
got to work to find my password had been changed and I no longer had a job.
Im not sure what to do next. I dont have much money (because I also havent been paid for the past
month), but Id really appreciate any advice you could give me.
Yours sincerely,
Gabor Szab

Reading 2
Read the reply and answer these questions.
How does the writer feel about Mr Szabs case? Why?
Dear Mr Szab
With regard to your email of 14th July, for which we thank you, please find below our response to your
query.
Unfortunately, it would be impossible for us to give you any legal advice without knowing more details
about your case. It would therefore be necessary to meet face-to-face in order to gather the relevant
information. Furthermore, I must advise you that unless you provided us with a full copy of your
employment contract in advance of such a meeting, we would be unable to help you.
Should you wish to take this matter forward, please forward to me a copy of your employment contract,
together with any additional documentation that you think may be pertinent to your case.
Regards
Laila Murphy, Attorney-at-Law

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Reading/Speaking
Client-focused writing
Analysis
Discuss these questions with a partner.
a. If Mr Szab is a time-waster, why is Ms Murphy wasting her time at all by replying to him?
b. Is there a chance that Mr Szab could be a useful and valuable client or contact in the future? How can you
tell?
c. At the beginning, Ms Murphy thanks Mr Szab. Why do you think she did this?
d. What is wrong with the way she thanks him?
e. What impression do you get from this sentence? Unfortunately, it would be impossible for us to give you any
legal advice without knowing more details about your case.
f. What would be a simple way of making this sentence more client-friendly?
g. Whats wrong with the beginning of this sentence? It would therefore be necessary to meet face-to-face in
order to gather the relevant information.
h. What would be a simple way of making it more client-friendly?
i. How can you improve the next sentence, using the techniques from questions (f) and (h) above?
j. Why does Ms Murphy start her final paragraph like this? Should you wish to take this matter forward,
k. How can the final paragraph be improved?

Practice
Now look at a much more client-friendly version of the same letter. Complete this letter by choosing
the most appropriate options. All three are technically correct, but they arent all as friendly and/or
professional as the others.
Dear Mr Szab
Thank you very much / Thanks a lot / We are extremely grateful for your email. We are delighted / We are
honoured / Its very nice that you have chosen our law firm to deal with your case.
Im truly amazed / Im very sorry / Its really sad to hear about your dismissal, and of course we will do our
best / do our utmost / strive to resolve this unfortunate / unpleasant / terrible situation for you.
Of course it would be necessary for us / we need / we would have to charge you for any time we spend on
your case, including the initial meeting. I have enclosed / Please find enclosed / I enclose a list of our fees.
We will, of course, try to keep your costs to a minimum / avoid charging you more than you can afford /
keep our fees under control. If you cant afford our fees / decide that your current financial circumstances
dont allow you to pursue this option / are short of money, I will be happy to recommend cheaper
alternatives (such as a law clinic).
If you want / Assuming you do decide / Supposing you decided to take advantage of our offer, I think we
ought to meet as soon as possible in our office to analyse / run through / go over the facts of the case. If you
have a written employment contract, please / it will be extremely useful if you can / Id like you to send me
a copy (by email or fax) at least a week before our meeting, to give me time to check it carefully.
So Ill wait to hear / Im looking forward to hearing / I expect to hear from you. I do hope you decide to
use our firm to resolve this problem / issue / situation. Whatever you choose to do, I wish you all the best /
good luck / well with your case and with your search for new employment.
Best regards
Laila Murphy, Attorney-at-Law

Writing
Imagine you are a potential client. Write a very short letter to a lawyer, asking for help with a difficult
case. Swap letters with a partner. Write a client-friendly reply to your partners letter. Try to use the
techniques and phrases from this activity.

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Reading/Speaking
Client-focused writing
Level
B2/C1 (Upper intermediate to Advanced)
This lesson uses the context of lawyers, but will be
suitable for other types of professionals whose work
involves writing to clients. The task was inspired by
several authentic pieces of writing by lawyers. The
lesson should last around 50 minutes.

Lead in (5 minutes)
Students discuss the questions in pairs and then feed
back to the class. At this stage, dont discourage
students from thinking of clients as time-wasters
there will be a chance to deal with such attitudes in
later activities.

Reading 1 (10 minutes)

Students read the email quickly and then discuss the
questions with a partner. The answers to question b
require some imagination, so allow a range of correct
answers.
Answers
a. The writer wants advice and/or support in an unfair
dismissal case.
b. 1-the company bribed some officials; 2-the
company won contracts; 3-Mr Szab found out;
4-he refused to be part of the cover-up; 5-his boss
made false allegations and vicitmised him; 5-his
password was changed; 6-he arrived at work and
was told he no longer had a job; 7-he found a law
firm on the internet; 8-he wrote the email.

Reading 2 (5 minutes)
Students read the reply and discuss their answers
with a partner.
Suggested answer
The lawyer appears to feel unenthusiastic about
taking on such a case, which involves one apparently
powerless individual in a conflict with a company.
The potential client has no money, and is unlikely to
be a useful contact in the future.

Analysis (10 minutes)

Students discuss the questions in pairs, and then feed
back to the class.

Suggested answers
a. It is likely that her boss has instructed her to deal
with all client enquiries, no matter how interesting
they seem.
b. Probably not, but its impossible to tell valuable
clients from time-wasters at this stage. Even if
theres only a 5% chance that hell be a valuable
client, it may still be worth treating him well.
c. Again, this probably comes from her boss. The
client has chosen her law firm from the internet,
which suggests that the companys marketing
efforts are effective.
d. She buries the word thank in a subordinate clause
in the middle of the sentence.
e. Very negative.
f. If you tell us more about your case, well be able
to give you legal advice.
g. Non-human subject: impersonal and cold. Use of
would suggests the meeting is unlikely.
h. We will need to meet
i. If you provide us with we will be able to help
you.
j. She implies that the client probably wont want to
take the matter forward.
k. Delete the first 8 words.

Practice (5 minutes)
Students work in pairs to choose the best options.
Allow some discussion of the answers, as several
options are usually acceptable.
Suggested answers
Thank you very much; We are delighted; Im very
sorry; do our best; unfortunate; we would have; I
enclose; keep your costs to a minimum; decide
option; Assuming you do decide; go over; it will
be extremely useful if you can; So Ill wait to hear;
issue; good luck.

Writing (15 minutes)

Allow only a short time (5 minutes) for the first
letter, as this is not the main focus of the lesson. To
save time, you could prepare something yourself.
Encourage students to use as many of the techniques
as possible to write a reply to their partner. Finally,
elicit feedback on the effectiveness and authenticity
of the client-friendly letters.

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