Page 47 - Global Booklet Support_Neat

Style Tips for Effective Professional Communication

Clarity

 Write positively. Offer what we CAN do for the dealer, do not open with “We cannot…”.
Always explain why what we can do is a better course of action for all parties.

 Use proper grammar, syntax, & case as it makes your email easier to read.
 Use proper capitalization for any Hunter Douglas branded products & systems

(Example: UltraGlide)
 Eliminate unnecessary words.
 Explain all technical terms. This is especially important if you have not worked with this

dealer before because you do not know their level of technical expertise.
 Use abbreviations sparingly. It is difficult to know if the dealer will understand the

abbreviation and they may be too embarrassed to ask what it means.
 Proofread. Most email communications are relatively short, glancing at your email

before sending it will save you from costly mistakes.

Tone

 Be assertive but empathetic.
 Do not be too short. Answer every email thoughtfully.
 Use abbreviations sparingly, they can give a hurried or disengaged appearance.
 Whole words are preferred over special characters because they leave less to

interpretation. One person may look at an exclamation mark ( ! ) and think happiness
while another interprets it as yelling. This includes ellipsis ( ... ) which can be used as a
pause but can also be negatively interpreted as a placeholder for the word “duh”.