Professional Correspondence by Jen Cudmore

The theme for my 5th Blogoversary month (in case you hadn't heard) is Good Friends Old and New. It's a blessing to introduce a newer friend and fellow author at Helping Hands Press, Jen Cudmore.  Jen is the author of numerous books including The Lawmen of Clayton County series and The San Francisco Wedding Planner collection.  She has a lovely and friendly writing style. I like that! :) I suspect she is just as lovely and friendly in person. 

Speaking of lovely, Jen's offered to give away a copy of her ebook, The Whispers of Angels. Check out the details below.

Have you considered the importance of good correspondence habits? Jen has, and shares her thoughts here today.

6 Tips for Professional Correspondence 

By Jen Cudmore

Credibility is often determined by how polished a person's written correspondence is. 

For more than ten years, I’ve worked in the back office of a medical clinic. In that time I’ve seen some very well written letters, emails and policies. I’ve also seen some not-so-good ones. By the way people write, they set a level of professionalism, and thus earn an element of trust over how effectively they can do their job.

For example, I was amazed at the difference in a series of emails I received from two ladies at the state medical board. One wrote in complete sentences and I never saw a typo. The other had either a spelling or grammar error in every sentence. For future questions, I began turning to the first woman for help, certain her professionalism would transfer into every other aspect of her job.

When I have a lot to do, I tend to move quickly. Years ago at work, I used to swiftly type up what I wanted to say and hit 'send', not bothering with the little things like capitalization or punctuation. My manager had a discussion with me about how the person on the receiving end cannot see expressions or hear tone, so it's important to be careful how each sentence is worded. I didn't realize I appeared lazy and unprofessional to my coworkers. They didn't expect much out of my work performance. 

If you want people  to take you seriously, follow these tips when you send any type of correspondence:

1. Know the rules of grammar and spelling. Find a good grammar guide and familiarize yourself with the concepts. Since my manager now handles most of the note-taking during board meetings, the surgeons in my office provided her with a book I'm sure you already know about, The Elements of Style. I told her it was the perfect gift; now she doesn't bother me with so many questions! 

2. Open with a proper greeting. Saying “hey” or “what’s up” is too friendly for business. Use the person’s name whenever possible. In emails, I often omitted a greeting, but this is considered unprofessional. Now I use a greeting of some kind in all my emails, on my day job and my writing correspondence. 

3. Close with a polite salutation and your full contact information. 'Sincerely' seems to be out of fashion. I often see professionals closing with “Thanks,” or “Regards,”. I like to use “Blessings,” at the end most of my emails. The recipient also needs to know your full name and your business title, as well as your phone and social media connections. A logo or brand is also essential so they know exactly who you are. 

4. Proofread before sending. Typos happen to all of us, so review everything! Better yet, get a second opinion. At the office we used to send appeal letters to insurance companies without proofreading, and once I wrote the wrong patient name on a letter. I was mortified when I discovered my mistake! Now we proofread every letter that goes out. 

5. Slow down and take your time. I can't tell you how many times I rushed through a note and ended up with typos. Just the other day I misspelled a word in the subject line of an email, and it was quite embarrassing. I seem to get into all sorts of trouble when I rush. 

6. Sometimes you have to take a break. On bigger projects, walk away and find something else to do for a few minutes. Every time I sent a query about my novel, I got tense and anxious because I wanted to make it perfect. In order to relax, I often stepped away from my desk and took a few deep breaths, or even slept on it. I found when I returned I could focus easier.

You want to leave a positive, professional impression on those reading your correspondence, so be careful what you write! What are some writing techniques you would recommend to someone who wants to establish credibility?

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Jen grew up on the Columbia River Gorge and currently lives in Alaska with her husband, two children, two boxers, and two cats. Her goal is to write novels that encourage women to look for positive qualities in a life partner, and to foster an environment of real romance, rather than fantasy, as they grow old with their spouse. For more, visit her website at http://www.jencudmore.com/. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads. She also contributes to 3 sites: Under the Cover of Prayer, Moms of Faith and Real Christian Wives.

Giveaway Info

What: The Whispers of Angels ebook by Jen Cudmore   

Don't forget, if you don't have an ereader, you can download a free Kindle for PC. This feature allows you to download a free Kindle reading app for your computer and other mobile devices. Click here for details. 

How:

• You must be a GFC (Google Friend Connect) follower and leave your email address with your comment.
• Gain bonus entries (+1 each) by posting this on Facebook, your blog, and/or Twitter. Please total your entries and include links with your comment.
• Open to residents of the United States.
• Deadline to enter is midnight EST Thursday, March 20, 2014. Winner will be chosen by random.org, notified via email and will have 36 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Winner will be announced Monday, March 24, 2014. 

Do you agree with Jen? What do you do to ensure professional correspondence?

Happy writing,

Karen

P.S. The winner of last week's giveaway is Jessica Haight. Congratulations Jess!  Thanks to everyone who entered.

Photo credit: Stock Exchange