Page 111 - How to write effective business English your guide to excellent professional communication by Fiona Talbot

100 How to Write Effective Business English

But what we can now see in IM – and overspilling into other
business writing – is an ellipsis used to signify:

● ● conversational ‘hmms’ or ‘erms’ to soften the text;

● ● indicators of ‘food for thought’ for writer and/or reader alike
(eg ‘let’s see…might work) which don’t necessarily lead to
action;
● ● less positive meanings such as impatience or dissent (eg This will
work?... where the ellipsis implies: ‘no it won’t!’).

So because of the variety of interpretations, I suggest you think
carefully, as business writing needs to be crystal clear.
On this theme of overspilling of styles, in Chapter 5 we looked
at examples of how instant messaging interaction with customers
via social media (regarding complaints, for example) is leading to
readers expecting a more conversational style in corporate com-
munication generally.
The pressing need now is how to define its use within your or-
ganization. You need to check what is acceptable.
As a first step, understanding the scenarios when texting or in-
stant messaging is going to help your business productivity. Is it
something that’s essential to update people on crisis management,
project status, orders, complaints, journey delays, meetings and
other time-sensitive matters where deadlines are critical? If you
have a few seconds free that can be a most effective use of time –
and we’ve also seen in Chapter 5 how speed of response matters
when dealing with customers via instant messaging on social media.
On a very practical level, just as you need to think about your
readers’ proficiency in English in other writing tasks, don’t forget
this applies equally in the fast-moving messaging arena. Just be-
cause you may be able to fire off, let’s say, five points – if not
simultaneously, at least in quick succession – doesn’t mean your
correspondent can reply as speedily.
Have you personally ever seen the ‘wrong answers’ coming in
from your respondent – in the sense that they don’t align sequen-
tially with your questions? Do you always wait for an answer to