Letter for prize an inter
Answers
DEPARTMENT OF REDUNDANCY DEPARTMENT
If you have ever included “please do not hesitate to contact me” or “please be advised,” you are guilty of stating the obvious. Enough said.
I need Some Point
DEPARTMENT OF DISINGENUOUS PLEASANTRIES
Among the worst offenses when receiving an email from someone you don’t know in real life is getting a note that “hopes you are well” followed up with a request “to pick your brain” or ask a “quick question.”
On the surface, it’s nice that the person hopes you are in good health, but sometimes a recipient is not, in fact, in good health. The recipient could be going through some physical or emotional trouble and is just trying to keep it together. Multiple messages from strangers can serve to emphasize the fact that someone is doing anything but well. Do you really want to be the person who reminds this person of that?
Likewise, while it’s flattering to think someone believes your brain is home to some valuable insight, picking it often suggests that the sender isn’t willing to reciprocate with anything more than a latte. While we certainly love a good cup of joe, we also know that it’s important to state how you can help the recipient with whatever expertise you can provide.
As for the quick question, unless it can be answered with a simple yes or no, the only person it’s quick for is the sender. So, avoid putting it in the subject line; otherwise, you are guilty of false advertising.
DEPARTMENT OF WISHY-WASHY
“I’m sorry, I just think that this . . . ”
It’s been suggested that women overuse apologies as a preface to a request, but both genders need to check themselves for apologizing unnecessarily. If you tend to start most of your communication with an apology for things that aren’t getting done, it’s time to give yourself a performance review.
Using the word just has come under attack for undermining the sender’s credibility. Former Google and Apple executive Ellen Petry Leanse writes that using that word “put the conversation partner into the ‘parent’ position, granting them more authority and control. And that ‘just’ didn’t make sense.”
Ditto for inserting qualifiers like: “I think”or “I’m no expert” or, worse, asking “does that make sense?,” which all undermine your i
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