- Don’t type in all caps. It is the equivalent to shouting at the reader.
- Be brief! Be considerate of your reader. Be concise and keep your writing friendly and warm.
- Do not crowd type. White space adds clarity. Long, solid blocks of text alienate the reader.
- When responding to an email do not post the entire email received. Post only the phrases related to your response. Set off received message with angle brackets or quotes.
- If you are replying to several points, place your responses underneath the applicable text.
- Avoid special characters that won’t display correctly.
- Do not veer off your topic. Edit your email down to only the most important information.
- Don’t sound impersonal by responding in incomplete sentences. This implies that the reader is not worthy of your time or does not have your full attention.
- For longer emails, newsletters, etc., organization becomes of paramount importance, particularly if the information is to become instructions, a reference to be kept, regulations, agreements, contracts, etc. The reader has to be able to navigate around the document, both up and down the scroll.
- Do not hit the send button too quickly! Save your letter. Then step away from your computer and reread the letter before sending it.
|
