Tuesday July 31, 2012
Your favourable response?
By ALISTAIR KING
RIGHT FOR BUSINESS
THIS week’s Mind Our English series on business writing looks at closing sentences that can make a proper impact.
If you are applying for a job or tendering for a contract, DON’T write this: “Looking forward to your favourable response.”
This final sentence in a letter of application has become so common in Malaysia, it seems to be almost “standard”; but please don’t use it!
It will (probably) not get you that job, nor secure you that contract.
If the Human Resource Department advertises ONE job and there are one hundred applications for it, all requesting a “favourable reply”, a “positive response’ or something similar, will they then need to create ninety-nine new jobs in order to accede to all of these requests?
Of course not!
On the contrary, such requests may well irritate the potential employer.
So, how should a closing sentence be formed? Ask first, “What do I want from this?”.
What is the next step in the scenario? In the case of the job application, the next step is the interview and, in the case of a large tender, it is the tender clarification meeting.
So end your letter by pointing the way ahead! Here are some examples which specifically suggest the next step, guiding the reader forward:
– “Once you have had the opportunity to consider my application, I look forward to an interview, at which I can explain further my suitability for this post.” – “I would value the opportunity to attend an interview to discuss how my qualifications and experience meet the requirements of this post.”
- “I am certain that my ten years of experience in this field will benefit your organisation and, with this in mind, I am available to attend an interview at your convenience.”
- “After you have considered this proposal, we look forward to a meeting with you in order to finalise any outstanding issues.”
- “We are sure that this proposal, in general, meets your requirements and we would value the opportunity to meet you to clarify any specific details.”
When composing the final sentence, always try to define the parameters of the expected next step.
Thus, a sentence like the following is of low value:
“Looking forward to your response in due course.”
The phrase “in due course” is vague and potentially risky. Just as the introductory topic sentence leads the reader into the document, so does the closing sentence lead the reader out of the document.
The questions “Where?”, “When?” and “How?’ can all be answered in the closing sentence as in:
“Please send your confirmation, in writing, to reach the above address no later than the 25th of this month.”
Another common way to form a closing sentence is “We look forward to receiving …”; “We look forward to meeting …”
People often tell me that they have been informed by their bosses or teachers that they may not write “to receiving” or “to meeting”. This is an area of grammar that we shall consider, in this column, in due course!
Dr Alistair King is an Applied Linguist and Corporate Training Consultant with clients throughout the region, the Middle East and Southern Africa. He would value feedback to: alistair@aksb.com.my or aksb.com.my
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