Page 8 - The MIL Connection: Summer 2023

Quick Reference Guide
For fast and easy tips to being a better communicator, check out MIL’s newly refreshed Quick Reference Guide. Keep it at your
fingertips and make your business writing more polished and effective. You can also find this guide on the MILtranet:
MIl Quick Reference Guide.
The MIL Corporation
Quick Reference Guide
Top Ten Business Writing Tips
1. Clearly state your purpose
within the first two sentences
2. Organize your writing so the
ideas go in a logical sequence;
they should flow easily from
paragraph to paragraph
3. Keep sentences short – 7 to 25
words each. Vary the length of
sentences in a paragraph
4. Keep writing simple and clear
Instead of: “It has come to our
attention” or “Enclosed you will
find”
Try: “We’ve discovered” and
“I’ve enclosed”
5. Use active voice so writing is
more direct (see below)
6. Give specific deadlines when
requesting information
7. Ask questions that require a
specific response, avoid ones
that require a “yes/no” answer
8. Make your writing visually
interesting. Use bullet
statements, lists, bold or
underlined fonts, and short
paragraphs to help the
reader easily scan for critical
information
9. Remove unnecessary words
like that or which when possible
10. Proofread carefully before
sending – this may be the only
impression you provide
8 | the MIL connection | summer 2023
Effective Business Email
» Ensure the email is needed. Know when a phone call, memo, or meeting would
be better.
» Use professional greetings and complimentary closings followed by a comma.
• Greeting examples: Dear Mr. Wilson, Good Morning Joseph, or just the
reader’s first name
» Keep it short – an email should be less than 25 lines.
» Include a brief, but specific, description in the “Subject” line – this helps readers
prioritize which ones they will read first.
• Include deadlines in the “Subject” line if they are short notice
» Avoid emojis such as © or instant messaging lingo such as BTW (by the way),
LOL (laugh out loud), etc.
• Industry standard abbreviations are acceptable (FYI, ASAP, M.D., etc.)
» Avoid cursive fonts and email stationery (graphics or colors in the background).
» Consider your audience – ask yourself, ‘Would I say this to each reader in person?’
» Do not type in all caps – this indicates you are yelling at the reader. Use sparingly
for emphasis.
» Use contractions only If using a familiar, friendly tone, otherwise spell them out.
• Example: I hope you’re feeling better today.
Punctuation
» Comma: Used to show pause between an independent clause and a dependent
clause (the second clause would not make sense without the first clause). If you
have three or more in a sentence, break the sentence into two.
» Contractions: Two words combined by an apostrophe, use if writing in a familiar
tone, otherwise, spell out the words.
» Dash: Used to show emphasis. Can replace the comma, semicolon, colon, or
parentheses; use sparingly.
» Ellipses: Three dots used to indicate continuation of thought or words that are
intentionally left out (...)
» Period: Used at the end of a complete sentence. Exception: If a bullet statement
is more than one sentence long, a period goes after each complete sentence. A
period after the last sentence is optional, but must be consistent throughout the
remaining bullet statements.
• Example:
◌ Sales were down 9% this week. We expect them to recover by the end of the
month
◌ Teams are meeting to discuss action plans
» Semicolon: Used to pause between two independent clauses (meaning each
sentence can stand on Its own).
• Example: Mark rode the bus to work; he was never late.