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On the other hand, if a correspondence is meant to establish a relationship or
establish your level of expertise, then contractions should probably be avoided. In

general, they should not be used in standard business letters, resumes, employment

contracts, manuals or formal presentations in which you are addressing an audience.

Choose Words with a Positive Connotation

Connotation refers to the unsaid implications of a specific term or phrase that arises
because of a term or phrase's usage. It is different than denotation, which refers to

the literal definition of a word that you find in a dictionary or other language

authority. Sometimes, connotation can be more important than denotation because
words carry certain implications, and if you choose a word with a bad connotation,

then the literal meaning of the word might not matter to your audience, especially if

the term offends them. Look at your language: Could it be "taken the wrong way?"

Connotation is also important in the business world because sometimes you must

convey a message that another party will not want to hear. Remember: Even bad
news must be effectively communicated if it is to be understood, and you cannot

effectively communicate with angry people.

For example, if you have to fire someone, there's no sense in telling the person to
"clear your desk by noon and get out!" when you could simply say "the current

situation is not working out, so we have to let you go. Please have you things together
before this afternoon." "Have your things together by this afternoon" and " clear your

desk by noon" both tell the person the timeframe he or she has to literally exit the

building, but one carries an inappropriate connotation (and is just rude), and the
other does not. Rude is never professional. It's difficult to respect people that are

rude to others, even if they are nice to you.

Avoid Excessive Modifiers and "Buzz Words"

TX Marketing II: Negotiation Techniques 64