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Legal Writing

Business Writing

By Lynn Gaertner-Johnston, founder of Syntax Training in Seattle, Washington, and a fan of business writing.

Post Frequency: 3.2/day

Last Entry: April 01, 2011 at 02:31:44

A Courteous Client Handoff

Posted on July 27, 2009
Last week I worked with a group of applications support engineers who respond to clients' requests in email 24 hours a day. They have an efficient client-communication habit, and I want to share it with you. When an engineer refers...

"Why Me?" I Asked

Posted on July 22, 2009
Yesterday I received an email (below, disguised), which gave me an odd feeling. Can you guess why? Hi. I'm a former Sun reporter who was laid off in May when the paper went online-only. I'm looking for the best fit...

Please See Attached

Posted on July 21, 2009
Jonathan from California wrote to me last week asking and then answering his own question. I like it when readers are so efficient! Here is what Jonathan grappled with: Today I was looking for an answer to my question about...

Do You Write With Flare?

Posted on July 15, 2009
I hope your answer to the title question is "No!" Before you think too hard about the title, let me admit that it's a trick question. It's a confusing word pair: flare and flair. I was reminded of it the...

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Tips for Successful E-Newsletters

Posted on July 13, 2009
We are celebrating the fifth anniversary of Better Writing at Work, our monthly e-newsletter, or ezine. Based on my five years of experience, I share these tips for creating and writing electronic newsletters. Please share your tips too. Be sure...

Saying Goodbye With Class

Posted on July 09, 2009
Today I received an email from a client, Marie, whose job is being eliminated at a prestigious investment company. She wrote to say goodbye. Because her email is an excellent example of how to say goodbye with class and to...

A Well-Known Problem: Well Known

Posted on July 06, 2009
A reader wrote to me today asking about a sentence with the phrase "well known." Is he "well known for his philanthropy" or "well-known for his philanthropy"? The answer depends on whether the writer wants to be a language maven...

Proofreading Quizzes--Test Yourself!

Posted on June 30, 2009
In today's New York Times online, you will find a proofreading quiz, "Red Pencils Ready?" by Philip B. Corbett. Try it! Hint: Corbett's quiz includes one or two errors per passage. I am sharing that hint since I identified many...

Why Put People Down in Writing?

Posted on June 29, 2009
The other day I sent out my monthly ezine, Better Writing at Work, to about 8,000 subscribers. I received a few "unsubscribe" notices, as I normally do. People unsubscribe when they are changing jobs or buried in email. I know...

What Out-of-Date Websites Say About Us

Posted on June 26, 2009
Someone wrote to me recently, asking for my opinion of two other business professionals. Because I am in a professional group with them, she knew I could vouch for them. The reason she wasn't sure whether they were reliable, successful...

Happy Father's Day!

Posted on June 20, 2009
My daughter just showed me the cute card she made for her dad to give to him tomorrow. She draws well, and the smiling penguin she created on the front of the card made me smile too. But being a...

Using . . . Ellipses

Posted on June 17, 2009
I don't know whether you have any punctuation marks that are hard for you to keep straight. I have only one whose spacing and length challenge me: the ellipsis. Last week a client emailed me with an ellipsis question, and...

Lazy Lies in Testimonials

Posted on June 13, 2009
I was talking the other day to one of our vendors who is going out of business but starting a new line of work. He had referred me proudly to his new website, and I told him how impressed I...

Where Is WA? A Lesson About Communication

Posted on June 11, 2009
I've been writing here about dates and times, but today I got a good laugh about places. A psychologist who lives in Redmond, Washington, shared a story of an Australian consultant who was trying to track him down. Only when...

June 8th or June 8?

Posted on June 08, 2009
The other day a client forwarded one of my emails to everyone on his team. He changed my original from this: I look forward to meeting you on June 8. To this: I look forward to meeting you on June...

A.M., P.M., a.m., p.m.: What Is the Correct Time?

Posted on June 05, 2009
Pam wrote to me to settle a debate between the younger and the older employees in her office. Her brief question was this: 4pm or 4:00pm? My answer: Neither! Both of Pam's renderings are incorrect. She needs to insert periods...

An Outreach Message That Failed

Posted on May 29, 2009
What do you think of this email I received? ************************** From: DavBlake@aol.com [I made up the address.] To: Undisclosed Recipients [That phrase filled the To line.] Subject: Writing Skills training I was referred to you by a colleague at Boeing...

When Plain Speech Becomes Sloppy Writing

Posted on May 27, 2009
I have been reading my health plan's new description of plans and benefits, which came in the mail recently. The company is raising health care premiums 13 percent. As someone who already pays over $800 each month for coverage for...

The Awkward "Please"

Posted on May 22, 2009
Adam wrote to me about the use of the word please in his company. A word that is supposed to warm up a message is making him question people's motives. Adam shared these examples, which I have disguised slightly. He...

Your Help Please With "As Per"

Posted on May 20, 2009
Dear Technical Writers, Would you please help me with a question about "as per"? In a business writing class in San Diego, a participant wanted to help her team write better technical instructions. Their instructions are wordy, use overly sophisticated...

How to Avoid Silly Errors in Email

Posted on May 19, 2009
A procurement manager from Washington, D.C., asked for ways to avoid silly errors caused by too little time to proofread and too much reliance on the grammar and spelling checker. I am happy to share my strategies: Rethink your attitude...

Obama's Well-Written Notre Dame Speech

Posted on May 18, 2009
As a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, I took special interest in the controversy over President Obama's commencement speech, which he delivered in South Bend, Indiana, yesterday. I could see the picketers and processions in my mind, and...

Proofreaders and Thieves: Check Everything!

Posted on May 12, 2009
Recently in the National Geographic Magazine blog David Brindley confessed an embarrassing error in the May issue of National Geographic. In his post, "Slips Happen," he admitted that the thoroughly researched and beautifully mapped story "Arctic Landgrab" contained one ugly...

Notes to Friends Who Have Lost Their Jobs

Posted on May 07, 2009
Friends and colleagues who have lost their jobs need to hear from us. But it can be challenging to decide what to say, with job loss having so many sides to it: stress, opportunity, rest, disillusionment, freedom, fear, elation. Or...

See You Soon, Exclamation Point!

Posted on May 04, 2009
In a recent Better Business Writing class, a participant asked me to post a blog on exclamation points, also known as exclamation marks. "They are everywhere!" she said. She's right! They are everywhere! And just as you are beginning to...

Ban This Word: "Bandwidth"

Posted on April 28, 2009
Last week in a Better Business Writing class, two people writing separate documents used the word bandwidth at the same time. Neither one of them was referring to "the transmissions capacity of an electronic communications device." Both were referring to...

Advice on "Includes No"

Posted on April 22, 2009
The other day Stuart, who lives in the UK, emailed some helpful comments to me because of "alarm bells" that went off as he read one my recent posts. I made changes based on Stuart's comments, but one of his...

No Contact Information? No Job.

Posted on April 17, 2009
This week I almost recommended a consultant. One of my clients had asked me to recommend someone who taught a particular subject, and I was ready to recommend Rita (not her real name). But when I tried to track down...

In the "Peanut Gallery"

Posted on April 13, 2009
As a teacher and writer, I have to watch my language. I check regularly to be sure I am communicating what I intend. That is why I looked up a phrase I have been hearing in a professional group I...

Ten Rules of Etiquette for Blogs and Forums

Posted on April 10, 2009
If you are reading these words, you probably participate in blogs and forums. Based on my experiences (both positive and awkward), I suggest these 10 rules of etiquette for public postings. Please add your guidelines! Note: As usual, I am...

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