"Politeness - this is not the word." Why so much hypocrisy and how to get rid of it in business correspondence
Work And Study Books / / December 19, 2019
Lyudmila Sarychev
Co-author of "New rules for business correspondence».
Working letters - it's a pain. We conducted a survey in which our subscribers reported that they were annoying in business correspondence. How many responses we received! People hated the same thing: all these words ASAP and FYI, deliberate officialdom and treatment "colleagues", the order marked "URGENT!" And long, incoherent letter. If you look at it deeper, it turns out that people furious contempt.
Disrespect - that is all that gives neglect or inattention to the interlocutor. I forgot to attach a file - disrespect. I made a mistake in the name - the same contempt. Letters with the theme of "Urgent" - again, disrespect, and even what. If everything is correct, and then add a little care, you get a letter that the recipient will want to answer.
Respect and caring in the letters have to learn, because in business communication there was another tradition: writing clichés, with polite words and officially. But this tradition has nothing to do with normal human relations. Therefore, it is time to change.
You do not have to babysit them
When we talk about respect and care courses, there is always someone who says, "Actually, it's their job to get me the data! I told them the money for it, and not going to pay more respect to portray before them! "
That's right. Everything that is written in this book, is not necessary. In business correspondence does not so much mandatory parts. A letter from the boss with the word "look" will work no worse than a long request to "pay attention to the attached document." Business correspondence - it is primarily a case and only then - the relationship.
Every day people come to work, which is loathe to execute instructions that do not understand, from his superiors who despise. The world works, and without respect.
Another thing is that a respectful letter, we respond much better than usual. We respond faster, more "turned on", we find custom solutions, Work with pleasure, get tired less and eventually become productive. This does not mean that poorly-written letters will be ignored. Of course not. It's work. This is the same that motivate employees to terror or a good attitude. Good attitude works, but also works and terror. When the chief yelling at subordinates, and the customer degrades artist, and most of those, and others perform assignments.
More interesting phrase - "to represent the respect." Respect can not be described, because it is not an external manifestation of man, this inner state. When a person respects himself, he also refers to another - it happens by itself. We are sure that once you are holding this book, you have no problems
with respect for themselves and others.
In business correspondence have standards!
The companies do have standards of business communication: the form of reports, established momentum and professional language. We do not claim to rewrite the rules. On the contrary, if there is a standard that helps you write faster, it is excellent. But on the rules you need to know something.
Not all of the rules that have been adopted within the company, will work abroad. Internal Slang wont put polkompanii to copy and eternal FIY - this is the theme of jokes among the people who work with corporations. They call these "office meerkats." Guess why.
What is comfortable for one person is not always convenient to the recipient. For example, there is a long correspondence with the client. The manager decides to connect technician. He presses the "Send to", says "See. correspondence "clicks" Submit. " It is very convenient to the manager.
A specialist will now have to read all the letters, to understand the endless series of "dear colleagues" and "bring to your attention." Manager is convenient and a technician - not. The manager could prepare an excerpt from the correspondence or to send only the necessary fragment with a question, and then a specialist would be convenient. this would affect performance of work? And God knows it. Probably not: the technician because the obligation to respond to such letters. Cursing and respond.
Talk about standards is useful only if they lead you to the recipient of a common goal. For example, if your company has a chic pattern quotation from which customers tears of joy on the cheeks - well, use it.
Courtesy - it's not the word
Topic: Happy New Year and Merry Christmas! (Tenth congratulation today !!!)
Good day!
I want to thank you for the fruitful cooperation in this year and to congratulate you on the coming New Year and Merry Christmas!
I have a good vacation, so it was nice to get back to work. Health and happiness to you and your family and success in this difficult matter. (What do you climb in my family, huh?)
Humbly hope for even more outstanding results in the next year. I did not want to belittle the importance of this year's results, but because it is important to always strive for more! The only way to achieve truly significant heights. What I want us to contact you. Hooray! (Thanks for the life lesson of sensei!)
Taking care of your business,
quality control team leader
Vladimir Ionov (About your business I'll take care of himself, thanks.)
Be polite - not the same thing as writing polite words. Quite the contrary: the more words, the more irritating is to get a letter, especially if politeness cardboard. True politeness is manifested in the care of the interlocutor.
Letter from the top - Happy New Year. In appearance it is very polite partner congratulated, wished him good health and thanked the family for their cooperation. But it is annoying because it is devoid of care and seem to be steeped in hypocrisy.
Care is manifested not in words, but in the promise: to write as short as possible and without further ado; not to waste the reader's time; stick neutral, quiet tones; generally carry other benefits, not just looming in front of his eyes.
Another big concern - do not write a letter without having to. The message on the New Year is not necessary. It would be better if the source does not waste our time.
There is a common form of politeness and hygiene. You probably know them, so I just go over the main. It is important to keep in mind that civility is not in words - it is always with respect.
I read on your website that you wake up from the menu cream soup Dyubari. This is very sad news, because every day I go to you for lunch and order it two or three times a week. And now I do not even know what to replace it. Everything else I do not like it. It would be better removed something else.
Valery N.
We are all here, of course, very sorry that you are so upset because of the soup. Cream Dyubari - unpopular dish. Unfortunately, the policy of our institution does not provide an individual approach - to cook what you like the only client. So we brought Dyubari cream from the menu in favor of the new soups. Sorry!
Best wishes,
Olga, the restaurant manager
The client did not like the soup was gone from the restaurant menu. She wrote a letter, and she said, there is all the forms of courtesy, politeness but this is not real. The meaning of this letter - "we do not care about you." This formal replies.
To make polite letter, you need to take care: to talk about the reasons for such a decision, suggest options, show the importance of its opinion. It is important that the reasons were honest, "not to our advantage," - this is the normal position restaurant.
I know it's sad when a favorite dish from the menu disappears. Instead of cream Dyubari we began to prepare new ones. See what we now have:
- cream soup with mushrooms, cauliflower and white mushrooms - it's close to the cream Dyubari in taste and consistency;
- Maghreb tomato soup - it's completely different, but very tasty;
- Cream of broccoli and pumpkin cream - it is creamy,
Dyubari as a cream, but you must love broccoli :-)
Valeria, if you try the new soups, please write like you. We will take into account when forming the menu.
Olga, the restaurant manager.
P. S. Thank you so much that you go regularly to dinner. The next time you're here, quietly tell the waiter "I hate" Caesar "," waiting for you a compliment from the boss :-)
If you have any suggestions on the range or menu, feel free to write to me - the team of our opinion is very important regular guests.
Thanks to a separate letter
Subject: Call customer
Lesch, hello!
Yesterday your client from the "Saturn" disable access to the system. We have noticed this before it was repaired and all, did not bother you. But there could remain a problem with the timing, and it can only see the client.
Call him, please find out if everything is in order.
Xenia R.
Subject: Re: Call customer
Received! (This is normal, the recipient of calm.)
Lesch
Subject: Re: Call customer
Thanks! (And it's too much distraction.)
Xenia R.
Thank colleagues - good. But if you write a letter in one word "thank you", then we loaded colleague extra work: we'll have to see the letter in the drawer, open, close, delete. Instead Thanks get extra work.
If you really want to thank my colleagues, it is better to do it in person, with a smile. If the person does not work, and thank you really want, it makes sense to add an additional material or a gift.
In the example from above the best option - just to write a last letter to "thank you". But we take a different situation: we - the restaurant manager and friend for free to advise you on the labor question. Good gratitude might be:
Of course, this is not necessary: when we are ready to help unselfishly, no one expects in return gifts. But, if you do this, a person will be pleased.
The only thing you should pay attention - to the reader it was convenient to use the gift. If you have to catch a courier at an inconvenient time - is so-so. Or promo code for a discount when buying 500 ₽ from 10 thousand - too weak a present.
Worse than just a promotional code on a parachute jump, which is necessary for the sake of five in the morning on Sunday to go to the train, and even pay extra for parasailing.
see also
- 8 types of stop words, which must be avoided →
- 12 things that enrage into correspondence →
- 14 of the rules of communication in the messenger →