Howe Writing Initiative ‧ Farmer School of Business ‧ Miami University
Writing With “You-­‐Attitude”
When writing to customers, business partners, subordinates, and other stakeholders, effective
business writers make use of “you-attitude” to create and maintain goodwill with readers. The
following guidelines will help you incorporate you-attitude into your writing.
Keep the focus on the reader When composing and revising, the writer should empathize and think from the readers’
perspective. Ask yourself, ‘How will the reader benefit from the informa-tion I am sharing?’
‘How will they be affected?’ -or- ‘What will they want to know?’ Conversely, avoid sharing
information that is irrelevant to your intended audience. Reader-focused writing meets the
business writing convention for concision: respect your readers’ time by conveying need-toknow rather than nice-to-know information.
When responding to a request, be clear Business writing experts advise to “lead with what you need” when making a request; as a
corollary, make clear early on what you are responding to using specifics (e.g., “as you
requested, I have reviewed the candidates for the executive speaker series”). Specificity
demonstrates that you value the customer (i.e., you’ve taken the time to review their order before
writing) and avoids confusion by clearly naming the item or order. In the case of larger orders or
orders from companies you regularly do business with, refer to invoice or purchase numbers.
Avoid jargon, but don’t patronize If your audience shares your knowledge of technical terms, such language can act as an aid to
communication; avoid using technical language if it is likely to confuse or distance readers. You
are probably familiar with the technical and legalistic language used by many software
companies in their end user license agreements—such language is mean-ingful to readers with
training in contract and copyright law, but is rarely written in a way that communicates clearly
with average users.
When sharing positive information, make use of second person By foregrounding the audience, you clarify how the communication relates to them. Avoid using
“me-attitude,” or writing focused on what you have done rather than foregrounding the reader.
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With me-attitude: We at the HWI have instituted a writing workshop series. We will give
you a certificate of recognition for completing the series
With you-attitude: As an FSB student, you have the opportunity to earn a Business
Writing Work-shop Certificate and an impressive line to add to your resume.
We can build a sense of inclusion and community, but use it only when both you and the
audience actually share a group affiliation. Disingenuous use of we when the audience
does not identify with you can irritate readers.
Howe Writing Initiative ‧ Farmer School of Business ‧ Miami University
Avoid use of second person in negative situations When delivering bad news, consider using a descriptive noun that names a category or group the
audience belongs to, rather than directly implicating them—avoiding use of you in such a case
keeps from singling out the reader.
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Lacks you-attitude: You must get signed approval from the Office of Student Life before
you may bring a car to campus during your first year.
With you-attitude: First-year students at Miami University must gain signed approval
from the Office of Student Life before they may park their car on campus.
Be sincere with the audience To this end, avoid stating what you believe the audience’s feelings will be—readers may think
you are assuming too much. Statements of congratulations and sympathy, however, are
appropriate for maintaining connections with readers.
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Lacks you-attitude: You’ll be happy to know that the HWI is offering more consulting
hours.
With you-attitude: You can now visit the HWI for writing consultations Mondays
through Thurs-days, between 9 and 4.
With you-attitude: Congratulations on receiving a writing award! You’ve been to the
HWI many times and I am glad to see you recognized for excellence in writing.
Sincerity and you-attitude become particularly important for maintaining goodwill when sharing
bad news. Avoid sugar-coating bad news, as this might mislead readers or make them angry.
Euphemisms can often do more harm than good (such as talking about “reducing our expense
base” to refer to laying off or eliminating employees’ jobs).
Modified from:
Locker, K.O., & Kienzler, D.S. (2013). Business and administrative communication (10th
NY: McGraw- Hill/Irwin.
Markel, M. (2013). Practical strategies for technical communication. Boston, MA: Bedford/St.
Martin’s.
Nordquist, R. (n.d.). What is the “you attitude”? About.com: Grammar & Composition.
Retrieved from http://grammar. about.com/od/qaaboutrhetoric/f/youattitudefaq.htm