Please and Thank You

If you had someone teach you good manners when you were growing up or if you have been in the service, you are ahead of the game in the working world. Good manners matter. They show you have respect for others, you are aware of how to present yourself, you are aware of how you represent your company, and you appear to know how to behave in the upper echelons of company hierarchy. Good manners is one of those things no one will tell you about but it is very important to your career.

You may be told using short cuts in written correspondence is smart and current. Taking short cuts with politeness in written business correspondence is foolish. Because of generational and cultural differences, acronyms and abbreviations can be confusing and misleading. It also can be perceived as trying to show the reader you know more than they know. Unless you are positive everyone who will read your correspondence understands, write the meaning out at least once. The point is not to show off, the point is to endear yourself to the reader.

If you don't know how to write a business letter or memo, get a book on composing business correspondence. They are cheap or go to the library. The salutation is Dear ________. Do not use nicknames or only the first name if you have not met the person or if they have not given you permission. Use their title correctly. Most people have worked to attain those titles, it shows respect to use them. If you know the person, use Dear Dr. Smith, (note the comma). If you do not know the person or it's a formal relationship, use Dear Dr. Smith: (note the punctuation) Never use these general descriptions anywhere in the letter: Dude, Guy, Gal, Babe, Doc or the madrid of others.

Do not use flowery or unnecessary phrases in business letters aside from a brief concern (if needed). Business letters should refrain from any personal comments or observations. Most business letters will be filed (either in paper form or on back up computer files) for at least seven years. Your correspondence, no matter how innocent, can be used in lawsuits as evidence. Humor or personal observations can put the company at risk. Always: everything you write as a representative of the company belongs to the company not you. If you are ever called to testify to something you have written, you will not want to look uneducated, foolish, or put the company in jeopardy. Having good manners and business writing skills will protect and reflect on you and the company favorably.

End your letter with an appreciation of their time. We are all busy and adding a short note of gratitude for their reading your message is good manners. Not a long note, just acknowledgement.

Sign off on your note with one of the following based on the content of the letter/note, your familiarity with the person, the seriousness of the topic and make sure you know the difference.

Thank you, Sincerely, Respectfully,

Stay away from anything more personal: Yours, Love, truly. Use absolutely nothing cute: See ya, Take care, Bye, Gotta Go, Later.

On all correspondence, add your title, company, mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address. You can add a web site if it pertains to your issue. This can be populated automatically on e-mails. This allows the reader one place to reply without having to look all over the letter or worse yet, search. Example:

Sincerely,

John Smith, M.D.
General Family Practice
St. Joseph Hospital
400 West Lafayette Street
Washington, Illinois 61616
319-443-0101
johnsmith@yahoo.com

Most supervisors do not have assistants to help write their letters. If you have someone to help, make sure they are knowledgeable on how to represent the company and you with manners and respect. If you are the writer, you will be showing your reader what kind of business professional you are through your correspondence. You will also be showing your superiors if you are the kind of material they want to advance.