Appropriate Tone in Business Communications

Written communication is vastly different from verbal communication,

especially in a business environment. Written communication has room for
deliberation, revision, and correction, a luxury that verbal communication
does not provide. Always review and proofread your own business
writing for grammar, punctuation and spelling mistakes, because once a
written document such as an e-mail, letter, or memorandum has been sent,
your communication is saved for posterity. You cannot correct or improve
upon it once it has been dispatched.

Tone and language are tricky things to deal with when it comes to written
communication. When you talk to someone, the person's body language,
tone of voice, intonations, eye contact, pitch, and general demeanor give
you essential clues about what the other person is feeling. You modify what
you are saying based upon these clues. In written communication, this
instant give-and-take of nonverbal signals is not possible. In written
communication, it is intuitiveness and instinct, coupled with an eye for
detail, that can help you deliver your message effectively. Achieving the
effect that a verbal exchange has on other people is possible in written
communication; it is known as tone.
In writing, tone is defined as the writer's attitude toward the reader
and the subject of the message. The overall tone of a written
message affects the reader just as one's tone of voice affects the
listener in everyday exchanges.
As a writer, it is essential that you learn to adjust your tone according to the
circumstances. While business communication is more formal, you should
know when to be assertive, conversational, cajoling, or apologetic,
depending on the situation. For example, if you are writing to an individual
reader, chances are that she or he will prefer a more direct, personalized,
and friendly tone in your writing. However, when you are writing to a group
of seniors, a certain level of professionalism, combined with a conversational
style, is recommended.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself when setting the right tone for your
work-related writing:
  What is the purpose of this document? Why am I writing it?
 Who is my reader, and what does he or she stand to learn from
my writing?

Tone is a difficult thing because there is no "right" way to do it. The same
thing can be interpreted differently by different people, which makes tone a
subjective thing.
Take a look at the sentences below and classify the tones used according to
your understanding:
You have to finish the project by the day after tomorrow. If you fail
in doing so, we might lose the client and that will not be good for us!

The project completion deadline is the day after tomorrow; a failure

in completing it might result in the loss of a client.

Richard, this client is important to us, and we cannot afford to lose

this account. This project needs to be completed by the day after
tomorrow; hence, we are assigning it to you. Please let us know if
you want any further details.

All three statements are correct. The same thing is conveyed in three
different tones, and it appeals to different people. Some might think the first
sentence is too direct and even threatening to a certain degree, while others
might just call it direct. Some people might call the second sentence stuffy
and bureaucratic in language, while others will accept it as the right tone for
business communication. The third paragraph by far will be the most
acceptable to people; it is courteous and has positive overtones. It has a
subliminal message: "Richard, we know only you have the ability to
meet the deadline, and we are depending on you." It makes a person
feel motivated and appreciated without losing the essential meaning: the
importance of the project deadline.

When it comes to tone of voice while conveying a negative message,

the situation becomes more difficult. Anger, jealousy, frustration, and
cynicism are a few things that should be avoided if you want to get the tone
right. Negativity is easily intercepted by a reader.
If you think your writing has some negative connotations, do the following:

 Take some time off to cool down and create emotional distance from the
topic you are writing about.

 Ask a friend or colleague to read your letter and give you feedback on the
tone.
 However, if you do need to convey some bad news via written
communication, keep it professional. Using a neutral tone while
delivering bad news might be a good idea. Here are a few examples:

Don't Do

I can't allow anyone in the organization We encourage punctuality, and we urge

to come late on a daily basis. I can't you to be on time on a regular basis.
allow such behavior.

We can't offer you this position Unfortunately, we do not have an

because you don't match our appropriate opening in our company at
requirements. the moment that can utilize your skills.

Tone is an ambiguous thing, and even the best intentions can be

misinterpreted. The mantra to stay out of trouble is to revise, revise, and
revise your document before you send it.
If you think a word or phrase might be misconstrued, promptly change it.
Some final tips:
1. Do not come across as a patronizing boor. Avoid words and phrases
that might make you sound insincere, such as "honestly," "certainly," and
"basically." Also avoid sports analogies and dated pop culture catchphrases,
including, "Don't go there."
2. Skip the jargon if you want to sound smarter. You will not impress
anyone by peppering your writing with industry phrases and acronyms. You
will make a stronger connection if you explain things clearly to people.
Short-speak is creeping into office communications, possibly from text
messaging. Do not write that way on business documents.
3. Spice up your statistics so people will care. When you have statistics
and numbers to relay, do not just throw them out there. Paint a picture for
your audience about what the numbers mean, what the figures represent,
what the statistics say.
4. Always take time to say why. Make the effort to explain why people
should care about what you are writing. Never assume that they will make
the same assumptions you are making or that they will reach the same
conclusions you have reached.

Strategies for Getting Diplomacy, Emphasis, and Tone Right

1. Remind Your Reader What’s in it for Them, Especially when Asking for Help

Rather than:
I’m bringing in a new analyst to work with you on this because the rest of the group is swamped. You’ll have to take
the extra time to fill her in.

Write:
You’ll have a new analyst to work with on this, and, luckily, you will be able to train her on the way you'd like things to be done.

2. Acknowledge the Work of Others as Often as You Can

Rather than:
I need this by 5pm tomorrow.

Write:
I imagine you’re just as swamped as we are, but in order to move forward, we really need this by 5pm tomorrow.

3. Ask (when you can afford to hear no) and Thank Your Reader

Rather than:
You need to stay until the meeting ends, which will likely be around 7:00 p.m.

Write:
Would it be possible for you to stick around until this meeting ends, which will likely be around 7:00 p.m.? I’d really
appreciate it.

4. Avoid Passive Aggressiveness at all Times

Rather than:
It seems that reading the document I sent that outlined the instructions wasn’t a priority amidst all of the other very
important work you had to do, so please let me explain it here, for the second time: The steps include…

Write:
The steps include…

5. Use Passive vs. Active Voice to Your Advantage

Active voice is a sentence in which the subject of the sentence performs the action. (John washes the car.) Passive
voice is a sentence in which the subject of the sentence has an action performed upon it, him, or her. (The car is
washed by John.)

Want to emphasize accomplishments or work completed? Use active voice.

My department completed the project on time.

George, who works on my team, developed an incredible system to track users.

Want to deemphasize the person or the team? Use passive voice.

The project was not completed on time.

A system to track users was not developed, unfortunately.

6. If You’re Pointing out Mistakes of Flaws, Be Sure to Explain Why Behaviors, Actions, or other Issues are
Problematic—It’s Often More Effective (and having it in writing might be valuable down the line)

Rather than:
You’ve arrived late to our one-on-one meetings the past three weeks, which is unacceptable.

Write:
You’ve arrived late to our one-on-one meetings the past three weeks, which is unacceptable.As you know, I often
have meetings scheduled throughout the day, and so this throws my schedule off. Further, while I’m sure you don’t
intend this, arriving late shows a lack of professionalism, which will undoubtedly hurt your career in the long run.

7. Talk to those Who Frustrate You by Using “I” Statements

Rather than:
Your inability to show any enthusiasm about these projects is driving me crazy.

Write:
It’s difficult for me to maintain momentum and rally support here for projects when others show a blatant lack of
interest.

8. Depending on Your Audience, and How Much Information They Need, Cut Extranous Information and Use
Short Sentences for Emphasis

Rather than:
Considering the breadth and depth of this project, as well as our desire to complete it in a way that is most useful for
you and practical for our own schedules, we’ve decided that extending the deadline would be an important next step.

Write:
We need more time to do this well.

Note: It's crucial to consider your audience when deciding how much background information they will need.

9. Directly State What’s Important

One additional, minor consideration is…

Another primary concern is…

10. STOP YELLING AT ME (Avoid Caps Lock)

Rather than:
It’s very important that you COME PREPARED TO THE MEETING.

Write:
It’s very important that you come prepared to the meeting.

But do consider other ways to emphasize importance.

Use these strategies as you work to develop more effective, appropriate business communication, and, eventually,
they will become second nature in your writing. In the meantime, this printable checklist can be tacked up by your
desk as a guide and a reminder of these strategies. Any time you’re unsure of your tone, compare your draft to this
list!

Your request is not (consist-nt) with company policy.

2. The meeting will be in our branch office near the (capit-1) building.

3. An (exten-ion) of benefits will be offered to all employees.

4. Compensation and benefits are (sep-rate) issues.

5. The new policy will (super-ede) the old one.

6. Please refer to the instructions on the (pre-ding) page.

7. The manager said that it (oc-ur-ed) to him that the employees needed more

information about the project.

8. What they (of-er-ed) was unacceptable.

9. How will the new plan (ben-fit) the organization?

10. Another study is an (un-ec-es-ary) way to spend money

consistent 2. capitol 3. extension 4. separate 5. supersede 6. preceding 7. occurred 8. offered 9. benefit

10. Unnecessary

A formal way to say that you "asked the person for" something before, isWE requested

A formal way to say in an email "we are thinking about" doing something, is-we are considering

When you have more than one question to ask, you use this to introduce the first question.-first of all

When you have more than one question to ask, you use this to introduce the first question.- in addition

A politer way to say "we want", is- we require

A polite way to ask the person to send you something (e.g. a file, a document etc...) by email, is- we
would appreciate if you could forward this to us

A phrase like "specifically", which is used to say exactly what information you want them to give you,
is- in particular

A verb used to ask the person to "explain" something to you, is-clarify

A formal way to say that "you would be pleased" if they do something for you, is- we would be
grateful

How you begin a question when you want the person to tell you if something will happen (or is included)
or not, is-could you also please confirm

A polite phrase that introduces the section of the email where you ask the person your questions, is-
which we hope you could answer