How to Use Tone in Business Writing

Before you hit send, check your tone.

If someone looked at you with a slight scowl on their face but said the words, "I love you." What would you think?

By the look on their face, would you believe they really loved you?

What if you didn't see their face but only heard their voice? What then?

Since you can not write the sound of voice inflection, here are some key points in writing that can help imitate a friendly voice, which is needed most of the time.

The key points to pay attention to are tone (the mood of the piece), word choice, and sentence length, which may help whether you are writing formally or informally.

The Tone

The tone in writing refers to how the letter or email reads or 'sounds' to the person reading it. We can not hear voice inflections in reading, so writing to simulate it is a challenge.

Is the email friendly? Stuffy? Argumentative? Condescending? Uplifting??

Your word choices and sentence lengths contribute to the tone. The tone should be friendly and professional, whether written to one person or a group. This style always makes a better impression, even when you have a casual, more informal relationship with your employees; it's essential to maintain a professional and friendly tone.?

I have a few examples of what I mean.

Word Choices for Tone

I'll address the formal and informal styles of writing.

The stuffy formal:

• Mr. Branson, This is a reminder of our meeting today at 4 p.m. We will be reviewing the product order for next week. The meeting should last about thirty minutes. Thank you.

Stuffy, isn't it?

Let's make it more friendly with just a few added softer words.

The friendly formal:

• Mr. Branson, I'm reminding you of today's meeting at 4 p.m. We will be going over the product order for next week, so please bring the order sheets with you. It should last about thirty minutes. See you then. Thank you.

Just a few positive softer words make a difference in the tone.?

The friendly informal:

• Hi, Billy, This is a reminder of today's meeting at 4. We need to go over the product order for next week. It should be about thirty minutes if we get right to it. See you then. Thanks!

Using positive word choices instead of negative ones in your sentence structure impacts your recipients for the better, creating a pleasant tone.?

1. Example of a negative slant: Mrs. Dunn, The new janitor forgot to clean the glass doors again. They had finger smudges all over them. The janitor needs to make cleaning them a priority every day.
2. Example of a positive slant: Mrs. Dunn, please remind the new janitor that the front doors must be cleaned daily before he leaves for the evening so the store is fresh and clean for business. Everything else looks great! Thanks. ?

Sentence Lengths for Tone

Sentence length in writing plays a part in the overall tone as well as your word choices.?Longer is better than short and choppy.

Longer does not mean added fluff; it means adding the right amount of information. People are busy and need to get to the point, but they also need enough information to understand the email or post.

The short and choppy sentence goes like this:?Mrs. Dagle, 10:00 a.m. meeting in the morning. My office. I want to discuss employee benefits. Thank you.

I know executives are busy, but practicing sending out your correspondence with more care will save others from wondering what to expect and if something is wrong. Always opt for more informed rather than short and choppy.?

The friendly formal:

• Mr. Cox, I would like to have a meeting with our three regional managers next Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. at the district office. We will be discussing payroll and changes to our health insurance. The meeting should last about an hour. Thank you.

Here, the email gives enough information to keep Mr. Cox from wondering how long the meeting will be, where it will take place, and what he should bring. He's busy, too.?

The friendly informal:

• Sarah, I'd like to go over the payroll and discuss hiring another new employee for the afternoon shift. Please bring in the new applications and we'll go over them together. We should be about thirty minutes if we get right to it. Thanks!?

Both formal and informal professional writing wins as long as the tone denotes and elevates respect and shows empathy as a leader, even when you are frustrated and need to address a negative situation.

However, a significantly harmful problem may need to be dealt with differently.?

One last item, look over your punctuation. Comma placement is worth double-checking before hitting send. As the old writing example goes, "Let's eat, Grandma" is way better than "Let's eat grandma."?