E-mail Requires You Build Your Vocabulary

Profanity is a sign of inadequate vocabulary or unsound judgment — or both.

Mark Twain once observed that “the difference between the right word and the almost-right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.” It is never appropriate to use profanity, especially among people you do not know well. Instead, build your vocabulary by reading and studying so that you can express yourself simply and eloquently. When you expand the number of words you know, you also expand your mind, because understanding the words and their meanings necessitates understanding the concepts behind them.

~ Napoleon Hill

Of course you wouldn’t swear in business e-mails. The point I would like to bring up for your consideration is the overall intent of the above quote. Work on expanding your vocabulary. Use the words that express your intent or tone instead of jumping for the bold button or adding multiple explanation points or question marks. There is an endless supply of words at your disposal to clearly type exactly, specifically what you are trying to relay.

I write quite a bit and always have a dictionary or thesaurus nearby or open in a browser window to assist me. Learn a new “Word of the Day” by subscribing to Dictionary.com’s free Word of the Day Service which will e-mail you a new word to absorb each day.

With the increasing discussions about E-mail Etiquette, the bottom line is it is all about communicating “with knowledge, understanding and courtesy” — with the written word. By building your arsenal (vocabulary), combined with taking the necessary time to choose your words carefully, you’ll find that you are rarely misunderstood and highly regarded as a proficient communicator.

And that my friends contributes to your business success!