Models

Perhaps the most efficient way to write is not to write at all, but to use models: previously drafted documents that you can personalize for a friendly, professional communication literally in seconds. Perhaps you already have models on file either in your computer or in a pile in your desk drawer. Perhaps not. Either way, follow these suggestions so your models are always fresh, relevant, and personal.

New Models

Most businesspeople falter when they type the first word of their model. For starters, they typically aren’t professionals, and they load the document with confusing jargon, incorrect grammar, and other problems that untold others reuse every time the message goes out. So, here’s the first rule of model etiquette:
Consult a professional writer or check other, well-written models before developing your own. Also, check your writing for the numerous issues discussed in this book so your bad habits don’t seep into the model base.
The second mistake follows within days or even hours. The wellmeaning businessperson creates another and yet another model, crowding the computer with as many versions of one message as Ben and Jerry have flavors of ice cream. Hence, rule number 2:
Keep only one or two standard models for each message.
The final problem arrives shortly. Another businessperson gets hold of the message. That person reads it, thinks it’s pretty good– except for that word there in the second sentence, and, oh yes, that third sentence . . . until this reader has revised the writing. What was a simple stew is now a goulash with dubious ingredients. The next rule:
Make sure your models are sacred. Individual messages can change, but the originals must remain unchanged regardless of who is using them.

Old Models

It’s amazing how long models stay around. Some originated when offices hummed with electric typewriters and computers were reserved for James Bond movies. Virtually every document needs updating, regardless of the timelessness of its message. So, follow this suggestion:

Clean out your model closet every six months or so, discarding useless models and updating relevant ones.

A second problem is that generations of writers typically invade the model base, especially if no one is around to defend it. The result is that the models wander from one point to the next in an impressive array of styles. They frequently include the styles of employees who have long since left for other positions or even retirement, leaving the models as a legacy of their employment. The best advice:

Check older documents for consistency.

Finally, old models contain irrelevant information. I’ve consulted in companies at the top of the Fortune 500 crowd that have sent proposals with incorrect prices. So:

Update information every few weeks, or more frequently, depending on your business.
The Long and Short of It — Two Model Options
You can’t transform every letter or proposal into a full-fledged model. Yet virtually every communication does have guidelines. So when determining the most practical document, decide between these:
1. Letter template . This type of model isn’t really a model, but a roughed-out idea of how the letter, report, or other document should appear. For example, when answering a customer’s complaint, you need to be specific, since every complaint (you hope!) is different. Yet the function of that first line — to reassure the reader through an open, positive tone — will remain the same regardless of the situation.
2. Complete model . Put the heart of your message on the page, whether a list of your organization’s services or answers to the most common customer questions. Typically, you’ll change the first line to address the reader directly and change a few details in the body.