Working in the world of IT sales has given me a chance to communicate with people from all around the world. Since the rules for business correspondence are different in each country I always try to keep in mind the cultural background of each customer. And the best way to do that is to put myself in the client’s ‘cultural’ shoes.
Today I have decided to put myself in British shoes and write down some tips on British business correspondence.
Short facts about Britain
Full name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Population: 63,181,775.
Languages: English (official), Welsh, Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Cornish
Queen’s full name and title: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Fun fact: 75% of adults in Britain play the lottery at least once a week.
So what would I say about my business correspondence if I were British?
I try to keep formal in my letters and in my speech. Informal language is for friends and family not coworkers and business partners.
Tip: Try to stay formal in your letters as well. Also remember that it never hurts to be very polite.
I don’t like to be addressed by my first name. That is a privilege of my grandmother but not a coworker or a client.
Tip: Write your first letters using the full name until your correspondent hints (e.g. by signing off with only the first name) that it is appropriate to switch.
Keep in mind that I might be a ‘Miss’ or a ‘Mrs’. And if I were a man I might as well be a British knight!
Tip: When you are not sure if the woman is married it is best to address her as ‘Ms’. It is much easier with men, where you can simply add ‘Mr’ to their last names. However if a man was knighted be sure to address him as ‘Sir’ and add their first and last name.
I try to stay away from emotional claims in my speech. Instead of saying ‘definitely’, ‘absolutely not’, ’100% yes’ I’d rather say ‘perhaps’, ‘maybe’, ‘it could be’.
Tip: Try to stay a little understated in your letters and keep your emotions to yourself.
Grammar is a must in business correspondence. Please, please, PLEASE check your letters for mistakes before sending them.
Tip: Remember to use a spellchecker (double check that it is switched to British English).
Keep in mind that British English is somewhat different from American English. Check out this short American – British vocabulary for some useful British words.
Center – Centre
Color – Colour
Commercial – Advertisement
Apartment – Flat
Elevator – Lift
Parentheses – Brackets
2 weeks – Fortnight
Truck – Lorry
To call (to phone) – To ring
Cookies – Biscuits
