Posts Tagged ‘tone’

Have you noticed that the word tone has recently acquired a negative connotation, as in “Ohhhhh, that email has tone!”

Traditionally, tone refers to the emotional quality of a document. For instance, we might describe the tone of a document as conversational, formal, pompous, warm, or negative. It’s impossible to write anything without tone. Instead, a document’s tone can be effective or ineffective. We teach our participants how to achieve an effective tone by being more aware of the stylistic choices available to them and the context in which they write.

Today, when participants talk about emails with tone, they’re really talking about emails with that are negative and unprofessional. Emails with bad tone are bad for business. They contribute to a negative corporate culture, and emails with ‘tone’ sent to external customers can mean the loss of business.

It’s best to write emails with a positive attitude by paying attention to the words and expressions they choose. Many people use negative language without being aware that they’re doing so.

Here’s a list of negative words and phrases to avoid:

Afraid
Blame
But
Can’t
Don’t
Fault
Impossible
Late
Must
Obviously
Regret
Reject
Unfortunately
Blew it
Beyond repair
Huge problem
It won’t work
It’s not my responsibility
I’m fed up
Screwed it up
You can’t

And here are some words we recommend you use to create a more positive tone:

Agree
Alternatives
Approval
Best
Confident
Easy
Flexible
Generous
Idea
Improve
Increase
Loyal
Opportunity
Positive
A new perspective
Achieve goals
Commitment to the company (you, quality…)
Fresh thinking
Good point
Win-win situation

Can you add to these lists?