Language is always in transition. Your website should reflect where your company stands in the evolution of words. For example, something called 
electronic mail or “E-mail” enters the language. Soon it becomes “e-mail”, then “email”. If you use the various forms interchangeably, you’ll look confused.
Where does your company stand regarding these choices?
- Web site – web site – website
- Internet – internet
Even if your company’s website has only 1 or 2 writers or editors, a style guide will help to keep your content consistent. It will be invaluable to contract proofreaders and copywriters who come in without any idea of your company’s position on style and usage.
In addition to settling questions about new words and terms, your website style guide can reflect company policy on:
- Avoiding accusations of sexism: “the customer . . . they” (instead of “he”)
- Treatment of numbers: always use numerals or spell out “one” through “nine”?
- Always use “%” or spell out “percent” in text and use “%” only in charts and tables?
To avoid confusion on basic grammar and usage, include a section on capitalization, abbreviations, terminology peculiar to your industry, and “problem” word choices, such as “its” vs. “it’s”, “that” vs. “which”, and “affect” vs. “effect”. Include any others that vex your writers and editors.
Your website style guide should agree with your corporate style guide, if there is one. Otherwise, it can be based on a published guide.
Someone on your staff should “own” the website style guide and be responsible for keeping it current.
Today a friend (and a loyal reader of Business Writing Today) contacted me about the proper use of email in business. He had spoken on the phone with a 
senior executive at a company about a business proposition. (My friend is the proposer.) The next step was for my friend to send his proposition by email. He has never met the executive and wanted to know what I thought the correct email style should be.
My response:
“For a business email to a potential client whom you don’t know, I would lean toward formality. I write such emails like traditional business letters, but without the mailing address. If you want to include the mailing address (yours and his), that would be fine too.”
Call me old fashioned, but I believe that every business relationship calls for a degree of formality. Mistake a customer for a friend and sooner or later something will go off the track. This is true, even now in the Age of Twitter.
Prospects, customers, and colleagues deserve a level of respect that should be in play at all times, especially in correspondence.
A good rule of thumb is to write business email as if you’re writing on your company letterhead. Don’t fall prey to the prevailing assumption that all email is informal by its very nature.
When in doubt, err on the side of formality. Mind your manners. When you approach a company about engaging your services or buying your product, be polite – be respectful. At the salutation, write “Dear Mr. Jones” or “Dear Ms. Smith.” At the complimentary close, write “Very truly yours,” “Sincerely,” or “Best regards.” Sign with your full name and title.
If the reply is informal (”John. Thank you for writing . . . .”), then he or she has set the tone for future emails. Respond the same way and you both have settled at the right level of formality without risky guesswork on your part.
Does anyone have more to add? Please comment.
Guest Post by Michael Katz
My dog Abbie, a six-year-old Lab/Golden mix, has developed a curious habit in middle age: Several times each day she picks up her ball
(an old, deflated, yellow tetherball) and slowly carries it around the entire perimeter of the house. Clockwise.
We have no idea why she does this. In fact, after many months, the only “benefit” I’ve been able to point to is a well-worn path over the lawn, suggesting to our neighbors that we’re laying out plans for a future moat.
The truth is, after living with Abbie for several years now, I haven’t found much practical use for her at all. Granted, she ranks above teenagers on this scale (at least she looks at me when I talk to her), but between brushing her, feeding her, cleaning up after her and taking her to the vet, it’s a lot of work.
But you know what? I love having her in our house. She’s a constant, cuddly, petable reminder that practical value is only part of what makes life worth living.
Which brings me to E-Newsletters. Specifically, E-Newsletter voice and tone.
In the development and writing of an E-Newsletter, many people – savvy e-mail marketers among them – are quick to put voice and tone in the afterthought bucket: “Our readers are smart, busy people who work at big companies. We need to demonstrate our knowledge; that other stuff doesn’t really matter.”
I’m not the type of person who uses this kind of language, but if I were, I’d say that’s total bullshit.
But I’m not, so let’s just say I disagree.
Here’s the thing. Your readers, whether they’re smart or not, whether they’re busy or not, whether they work for big companies or not, tend to be human beings. And human beings, despite what your economist brother-in-law might tell you, are not rational decision-makers.
We buy cars, clothes, coffee, computers (and many other items which don’t even begin with the letter “c”) based on the way it feels to buy them and own them – not because we’ve performed an objective analysis of how they compare to other available options. We do it because it just feels right.
When it comes to hiring a professional service provider (i.e. you and me), the decision of who to go with is necessarily even more subjective.
Unlike purchasing a pair of sneakers, when considering the future services of an expert in a field they know little about, it’s nearly impossible for a potential client to line up one provider against the other and make an objective decision. Even if you are better in some material way, the people doing the choosing can’t tell.
Back to your newsletter. Providing useful information each time you publish is essential… and a thousand times better than simply promoting yourself. But it’s not enough. You need to reduce the risk that prospective clients feel when making a decision. You need to help them trust you if they’re going to hire you.
That’s where voice and tone comes in. What prevents your newsletter readers from picking up the phone and calling you is not the quality of your information, or the beauty of your design, or the prominence of your logo. It’s the human connection.
And so with that in mind, I offer some suggestions for connecting with humans:
1. Write in the first person. Say “I” not “we.” Say “you” not “all of you.” Speak directly to your readers whenever you can.
2. Use conversational phrases. Things like, “But you know what?” (paragraph four) and “Here’s the thing” (paragraph nine), will help your writing sound more real.
3. Use non-business words. “Curious,” “cuddly,” “love” and certainly “bullshit,” are not common in business writing. And yet curiously, they’re words we all use every day. You don’t want to go out of your way to offend people, but you need to take the gloves off enough that they can see who’s back there behind your tie and shiny web site.
4. Take your mask off. I don’t expect my clients to be as comfortable as I am in sharing the details of their personal lives in the company newsletter… but I do all I can to pull them in this direction. I do it because I’ve discovered, quite by accident, that the more people know about you, the easier it is for them to like and trust you – two necessary steps on the road to hiring you.
Here’s the bottom line. Pet owners (and parents) are painfully aware of the impractical value of having these creatures in the house. But we do it anyway, because it just feels good. Your readers may be serious businesspeople, but they’re people first. And they’ll walk right by if you don’t use voice and tone to engage them at a human level.
Michael Katz is the chief penguin at Blue Penguin Development, Inc., “E-Newsletters for Professional Service Companies.” Subscribe to his free newsletter at BluePenguinDevelopment.com.
Newsletters have come a long way since their origin in England in the 16th century. Even though the means of production have changed many times 
over the years, the purpose remains the same: to offer unique information to a niche audience.
Today’s marketing e-newsletters (so called because they are delivered electronically, by email) are employed by businesses of all sizes – from the lone entrepreneur to the multinational mega-corporation. I don’t know of a better, more cost-effective way to reach and hold onto a target audience.
What E-Newsletters Can Do
- Build relationships with customers
- Drive traffic to your website
- Establish your credibility with readers
- Improve your ranking with search engines
Build Relationships. Before you can communicate effectively through an e-newsletter, you have to identify your typical customer. Keep this customer in mind when you write each issue of your e-newsletter. Be personal. Let your readers know something about you. Write informally, conversationally. You can create a feeling of community by allowing your readers to provide feedback to articles. You can even invite them to get in on the act and contribute items themselves. Eventually – as you offer meaningful content in each issue – you’ll build trust relationships with your readers and they’ll reward you with frequent visits to your website and more orders for your wares.
Drive Traffic to Your Website. Blogs and other websites thrive on traffic. Your e-newsletter can include links back to your site for special merchandise offers or further information about topics that are summarized in your e-newsletter. An effective e-newsletter will always increase the visits to your website.
Establish Your Credibility. If the content of your e-newsletter is timely and useful for your readers, they’ll adopt you as a knowledgeable and dependable source of information that has meaning for them. Caution: don’t simply repeat information that’s already on your website.
Improve Search Engine Ranking. Remember to archive past issues of your e-newsletter on your website. This builds your site’s content – and growing content is something that the search engines dearly love.
Here are some more word choices that often give us pause when we’re writing a memo or an article. A quick review may keep us from flipping a coin the
next time we’re forced to choose.
- Although – even though. Both have the same meaning, but “even though” is more emphatic. Both combine two phrases that form a contrast. (Although it was November, he wore a Panama hat. Even though she smokes two packs of cigarettes a day, she’s a famous cardiologist.)
- Farther – further. This one is easy if you remember “far”. Use “farther” to talk about physical distance. Get it? (How much farther do we have to drive?) Use “further” with figurative distance. (You’re further along in your project than I am in mine.) Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between physical and figurative distance; in such cases, it’s OK to flip a coin.
- Like – as. Even though “like” is used almost all the time in everyday speech, there is a difference. “Like” is a preposition and should be followed by an object to form a prepositional phrase. (My date looked like a hamster.) “As” is a conjunction and should be followed by a clause containing a subject and a verb. (The warthog squealed as if he had a toothache.)
- That – which. “That” introduces a restrictive (defining) clause – the person or thing being talked about. (I have a car that is easy to drive.) “Which” introduces a nonrestrictive clause – one that gives additional information about something that has already been identified. (He wore a fur hat, which his wife had given him for his birthday.) In this use, “which” is always preceded by a comma.
- Who – that. The best rule of thumb is to use “who” when writing about a person. (He’s the vet who cured my ferret.) Use “that” when writing about an object. (This is the book that came in the mail.)
Is an in-house style manual just another “nice, but not necessary” business tool?
As a business grows, it produces more correspondence, email, proposals, marketing material, press releases, and articles in outside publications. Then
there are white papers, HR booklets, and documents that must comply with government standards. Sooner or later, there’s confusion about the “right way” to write something. There may already be general (unspoken) agreement about writing style, but a new employee or an outside writer will be at a disadvantage.
Advantages to having a company style manual:
- Provides consistency
- Establishes a certain “sound” for external publications
- Answers common questions on usage, punctuation, and abbreviations
- Sets rules for avoiding charges of sexism
- Saves time spent on revisions
A good way to start is for the company to adopt a third-party style guide, such as The Chicago Manual of Style. There are other, industry-specific and technical, style guides. Next, the company can use the third-party guide as backup and write a supplement that gives:
- Terminology used by the company and its industry
- The company’s preferences – including those that differ with the third-party guide
- Answers to FAQs from the staff and outside parties
- Examples of writing that complies with the company’s style
It happens to us all. When we’re writing a business letter, a report, or an article for the website, sooner or later we want to use a word that looks and sounds 
like another. Their meanings are similar. If we’re pressed for time and don’t consult a dictionary, we may make the wrong choice.
Here’s a short review of some of those pesky words:
- Affect – effect. These are tough because they can be either nouns or verbs. (a) As a noun: “Affect” is a technical term used in psychology; “Effect” means essence or appearance (economic effects). (b) As a verb: “Affect” means to produce a material influence upon or to act upon (how day care affects the company). “Effect” means to bring about (to effect changes).
- Historic – historical. “Historic” means having great and lasting importance (his election was historic). “Historical” means having the character of history (a historical survey of popular music).
- Its – it’s. “Its” is the possessive of “it” (the cat ate its dinner). “It’s” is the contraction for “it is” (it’s time to go).
- Lay – lie. “Lay” is a transitive verb, i.e., it requires an object and transmits its action from a subject to an object (the duck lays an egg. You don’t lay down). “Lie” is an intransitive verb, i.e., it doesn’t require an object (you lie down).
- Principal – principle. As a noun, “principal” means a capital sum (principal earns interest) or, as an adjective, the most important (the team’s principal shortstop). “Principle” is only a noun. It means a fundamental law or doctrine; a rule (conservative principles). Tip: think of the “le” in both “principle” and “rule”).
First, what the executive summary is NOT:
- It’s not an overture or a prelude to the main body of the business plan – something that introduces the theme of the plan and sets the mood with
sweeping imagery and generalities about “opportunity,” “innovation,” and “meeting needs”.
- It’s not only for summaries about the company’s executives.
- It’s not just an introduction to the business plan.
Now, what the executive summary is:
- It’s your business plan in miniature, an overview.
- It must be clear, logical, interesting, and exciting.
- It’s your best sales pitch, on paper.
What’s the purpose of the executive summary? The main purpose is to spark the reader’s interest. The first reader of your plan will probably be the decision-maker at a venture capital firm, an angel investor, or your banker. You have this person’s attention for the time it takes to read the 1 to 2 pages of your executive summary. In that brief period you must deliver a longer version of your best “elevator pitch”. Your reader will judge the quality of your idea and your team. If he or she is favorably impressed, your business plan will be referred to staff analysts for evaluation. If not, it goes to the trash.
Contents of the executive summary:
- Business description. What form it will take (corporation, partnership, or proprietorship) and whether it will manufacture, market, or provide a service. How will your business operate? State your goals and your strategy for achieving them. Include your mission statement.
- Products or Services. What are your products or services? Give a clear, concise description. What developmental stage are you in? What is your competitive advantage?
- Market. What’s the demand for your product or service? What’s your company’s market potential? What’s your customer base? Comment on your competition.
- Management. List the key members of your management team. Include biographical sketches and show why they are qualified to lead your company to success.
- Finance. Include basic financial information and funding requirements. Show how funds will be used. Summarize projected revenues and market share.
Tips:
- Write your executive summary after you complete the formal business plan.
- Stick to the essential information. Be concise. There’s room in the rest of the business plan for elaboration.
- Use strong, positive language – but watch out for hype. If you come on too strong, you might turn off your reader.
- Close with a strong statement of why your company will be a winner.
Clutter is the enemy of good business writing. The way to defeat it is to watch for superfluous words and get rid of them. Show no mercy. Watch out for
inflated words, buzzwords, bad word clusters, and anything that doesn’t contribute to the writing. Your goal is clear communication.
Early in his classic book for nonfiction writers, On Writing Well, William Zinsser tells us that writing isn’t something reserved for English teachers or those with a gift for words. Anyone who can think clearly about a subject can write clearly about it.
The essence of good writing is rewriting. It’s not unusual to rewrite an article or a business report 3, 4, or 5 times. Did you choose the right words? Are any unnecessary words hiding in there?
If you wrote a long word when a short word would say the same thing, use the short one.
- Implement (do)
- Numerous (many)
- Facilitate (ease)
Are you using word clusters?
- At this point in time (now)
- With the possible exception of (except)
- Until such time as (until)
Good business writers don’t use inflated words to sound important. They avoid jargon and buzzwords. The more superfluous words you cut, the better the writing. Don’t forget to watch for unnecessary modifiers, e.g., a personal friend (a friend).
Remember Strunk and White’s rule in The Elements of Style: “Omit needless words”.
Years ago I knew a start-up company that had emerged from the research and development phase with an array of innovative products. Apparently the 
products were superior to anything on the market and had tremendous potential. But R&D had consumed millions and the company needed new funding, on an emergency basis, for an ambitious program of marketing and manufacturing.
R&D had left them broke. They needed to move fast.
Senior officers focused all their attention on attracting private investors who would share their vision of the company. A group of investors entered the scene. They liked what they saw. They had the money to invest and were ready to proceed. They asked to see the business plan.
The most recent plan had been written several years before. Some market research had been done, but management still had decisions to make and essential company information wasn’t available.
- How much new funding was needed? Over what period of time? How much control would the new investors have? How would the new capital be deployed?
- Financial information wasn’t current and there were no financial projections. Tax returns weren’t up to date. The company had never hired a chief financial officer.
- The company wanted to sell products into several industry segments, but there was no marketing plan. No senior officer was in charge of marketing. There were only conflicting marketing ideas under discussion.
The company attempted to update the old business plan, but – lacking vital information – they ended up with something that discussed the company’s history, described the products, and speculated on their potential, but fell short of telling the investors what they needed to know.
Because management hadn’t planned their business plan, they weren’t ready when the time came. The investors went away.
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