Setting the Tone

By Tiffany Stone

We behave differently at a meeting than while hanging out at a party with friends, or at least we should. We act differently, because our objective is different. When we interact with others in a meeting, we project our attitude through our body language; however, when we interact with others through email we project our attitude through tone.

Just as the pitch and volume of one’s voice carries attitude and tone at parties and meetings, the choice of words and the way we put our sentences together convey a sense of attitude and tone in our writing. Are we being frivolous or serious, casual or formal, sweet or stuffy? The choice of one word can change the tone of an email. In the first sentence of this article, for example, the phrasal verb “hanging out” conveys a different tone than other words we might have chosen: consorting, congregating, gathering, assembling or fraternizing.

When composing an email, consider tone. Evaluate how you want to be received and how to form your message in such a way that you get the results you want. When the wrong tone is presented, the reader will be caught up in how you made them feel, such as elated or offended, instead of getting the meaning of your email.

Tone is attitude, whether you want to be subtle or bold, tone is conveyed through word choice, sentence structure and even font.

Word Choice

After actualizing the results you want, think about word choice. We often get lazy in this area; remember that written language is different than spoken language. Sarcastic or slang language may not be received well in writing and inappropriate tone, such as hostile or superficial wording, that the reader doesn’t find funny, can damage relationships and hinder progress. Always think about who is receiving your email before you send it and remember that emails are not private, many companies monitor and save correspondence, so exercise caution with casual communication.

When thinking about word choice, politically correct is best. Avoid language that discriminates or makes assumptions. All racists, sexist, ageist or religious language should be avoided and correspondence should be written with the global market in mind. One mistake in this area can cause offence and sink the deal. Don’t make assumptions, like “everyone knows.” or “I'm sure you think this.” You may be wrong and easily offend with these types of statements; additionally, nobody wants you to tell them what they think.

Avoid $10 words, unless you know your reader knows the meaning of these words. Sometimes we have a tendency to use complex words when a more direct, simpler word would work. If your reader does not know the words you use, the ultimate goal, which is communication, has not occurred. Or worse yet, they will guess at the meaning and be incorrect. Either way communication is not happening. Additionally, if you have global customers, American English is not likely their first language, so slang or colloquial terms may not be understood or could be misconstrued.

Since face–to–face communication is not always possible, avoid thinking of yourself as “hiding” behind an email; instead, think about how you are being “revealed” through an email. Email encourages people to express thoughts they might not voice out in person and sometimes we don't review our messages as carefully as we should before pressing “Send”. So what may be “revealed” is a thoughtless, careless person and unless that is your goal, you may want to review your message a little more thoroughly. Think about how you would feel if the message was directed to you. Tone reflects your personality, emotion and intent, what do you want revealed about yourself?

Sentence Structure

Complex sentences, even if grammatically correct, may hide your meaning. Emails are usually read quickly and only once, so deliver short and precise sentences. Your reader shouldn’t read through your email and wonder what you are trying to say, if it is a marketing email, it will be deleted without a second look.

Burying the Message

The beginning of an email message can immediately set the tone and emphasize the content of a message. Being ambiguous or indirect will not get you what you want in an email. Set a direct tone by communicating the most important information first, even if the main point of the message is bad news, don’t bury it in the middle like it is not important or where it might be overlooked. FORMAT

Caps/Bold

This mistake is made often; however, if you send your text in all caps and bolded (equivalent to screaming) you will just make your reader mad. Many times we have to send emails when we are angry, but try to stay rational. Even if you are mad and want to scream, focus on what you want and often a more subtle method can entice your desired results.

LARGE SECTIONS OF TEXT IN ALL CAPS IS HARD TO READ. Again, communication is your goal, so make the font easy to read, let the content reveal to the reader your point, not your font.

Stylized Fonts

Since communication is the goal, if your reader cannot read your font, there is no communication. If you send a message that you want taken seriously in silly, curlicue font, how can they take it seriously? Keep whimsical fonts with whimsical messages and casual fonts with people you know casually. Generally, stick to Arial or New Times Roman, so the font does not distract from your message.

Editing Software

Always spell and grammar check your emails. If you are in sales or marketing, deal with sensitive material or send emails to scrupulous recipients you may want to consider utilizing a software editor. A program like Serenity’s Editor or Grammar Expert Plus can perform checks beyond what a spell/grammar check can do, like tell the difference between “in to” and “into” or between “form” and “from.” Additionally, these programs can offer word suggestions to help you stylize or change the tone of your message. If your writing comes across as careless, customers may think you are careless in other ways as well.

While slouching back in our chair and poking fun at our friends may be appropriate and welcomed behavior at a casual dinner party, it is not going to get you what you want in a pivotal email. We are all familiar with the attire and attitude needed to deliver an effective proposal, but rush through our electronic correspondence—the email.

Just because emails are quick, does not mean they should be written quickly, sending a poorly written or “slouching” email sets a bad tone. Tone in written language is like body language, it goes beyond grammar and language and projects attitude. So before you click “send,” think about your objective and whether your tone is going to help you or prevent you from getting what you want.

To read more about writing software, see our Writing Software Reviews .

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