| Veteran business writing teacher, Rudolph | | | | |
| Flesch, used to tell this story:Each year, he | | | | 91f |
| and his wife would exchange presents with | | | | |
| some | | | | |
| | | | |
| old friends. One year, the Flesches | | | | [an error occurred while processing this |
| subscribed in the name | | | | directive]I'm a fairly experienced writer, |
| | | | but I have to confess that, |
| of their friends to a magazine they knew | | | | |
| they would like to | | | | from time to time, people misunderstand what |
| | | | I'm trying to |
| read. The couple duly received a card | | | | |
| notifying them that a | | | | say in a written communication. Often, this |
| | | | happens |
| gift subscription in their favor had been | | | | |
| entered.A month or two later, the intended | | | | because of the difficulty in conveying the |
| recipients mentioned, | | | | nuances of speech |
| | | | |
| with much embarrassment, that no magazines | | | | in writing.Nowhere is this more evident than |
| had arrived. | | | | in the modern e-mail message.Perhaps, the |
| | | | very convenience of the e-mail medium, the |
| Flesch got on to the phone immediately.A | | | | ease |
| lady listened politely and promised to attend | | | | |
| to the | | | | and speed with which I can dash off and |
| | | | transmit messages, |
| matter right away. But many more phone calls | | | | |
| were to be | | | | is part of the problem. Were I an |
| | | | "old-fashioned" executive |
| made, and many strongly worded letters | | | | |
| written, including | | | | who dictated something to my secretary for |
| | | | typing, I would |
| one to the Better Business Bureau, before | | | | |
| the first issue | | | | probably go over it carefully again when she |
| | | | would present |
| arrived in the mailbox - almost a year | | | | |
| later!After all that, the company wrote the | | | | her handiwork to me for signing.But more |
| Flesches a letter of | | | | often than not, all the frustration could |
| | | | have been |
| apology. But how did they begin their | | | | |
| letter, after all | | | | avoided, had I taken a few more seconds to |
| | | | read my message |
| those months of intense embarrassment and | | | | |
| aggravation?"Please accept our sincere | | | | over again before clicking on the send |
| apologies for any inconvenience | | | | button.Even more so, had I tried harder to |
| | | | put myself in the shoes of the people who |
| you have encountered with your gift | | | | would be reading it.I'm all for informality |
| subscription."Inconvenience??Flesch points | | | | in writing. As I've pointed out in other |
| out that the word "inconvenience", as the | | | | articles, I'm in favor of writing |
| | | | |
| dictionaries define it, suggests little more | | | | the way you speak - as if the recipient were |
| than a | | | | sitting on the |
| | | | |
| temporary or slight disturbance or | | | | other side of your desk. When writing, I |
| annoyance, as in: "I hope | | | | always try to |
| | | | |
| the new arrangement will not inconvenience | | | | distance myself from the nervous habits and |
| you.""Perhaps it's only human nature," he | | | | inhibitions that |
| philosophizes, "that | | | | |
| | | | my school teachers, bless 'em, tried to |
| whatever happens to me is to be taken with | | | | bequeath to me.But informality should never |
| the utmost | | | | be at the expense of clarity. |
| | | | |
| gravity; but whatever happens to you - even | | | | When you're distributing messages to a mass |
| if it's my fault | | | | audience, this |
| | | | |
| - is never more than an inconvenience; just | | | | becomes even more critical.Don't sink the |
| a slight spot of | | | | ship all for the sake of a single word!Azriel |
| | | | Winnett is the creator of - Your |
| bother, hardly worth mentioning."Why do I | | | | Communication Skills Portal. This popular |
| say over this story - apart from what it | | | | website helps you to improve your |
| teaches us | | | | communication and relationship skills on all |
| | | | levels, in business and professional life, in |
| about customer service? | | | | the family unit, and on the social scene. New |
| | | | articles added almost daily. |
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