The ten writing tips

1. Active and Personal Language

We aim to give our recipients the impression that we are a modern company that values dialogue. Avoid distancing yourself from the recipient. For example, write personally using 'you' and 'we/I' – not 'one' or 'the customer.' Also, rephrase passive verb forms into active ones.

2. Write Concisely and Clearly 

Avoid long sentences with multiple insertions – they make it difficult for the recipient to understand the message. Structure your sentences so that the subordinate clauses follow the main clauses.

Be careful not to begin sentences with words like as, since, while, or although. These words should be placed within the main clauses. Additionally, insertions can be placed at the end of the sentence.

Feel free to ask direct questions:

3. Create Cohesion

Also remember the transitions between sentences. The best conjunctions for linking sentences and paragraphs are the coordinating ones: and, but, for, or, and so. Feel free to use them both before commas and periods.

But it also creates cohesion to use subordinating conjunctions such as after, in order to, because, before, if, unless, while, when, although, without to connect a subsequent sentence with the preceding one.

The language can easily come across as cold if the sentences are too short and not connected using conjunctions.

4. Write clearly

Be specific and avoid abstract words or technical jargon. Words and terms must be understandable, so eliminate internal 'tribal language' before sending

5. Write The Most Important Information for the Recipient First

Think about structuring your messages so that you start with the most important point — seen from the recipient's perspective. What does the recipient need to know in the given situation? What do they need to know first = the main message? In short: Write the conclusion first, e.g.,

 Your complaint has been upheld.

Unfortunately, we must reject your complaint.

6. The Most Important Words First

In every single sentence, the 2-3 most important words should come first. Do not start with filler words like 'It is...' or 'There is...' or other phrases that are essentially just 'um'.

7. Use 'you' instead of 'they'

We do not want to create distance from the recipient but instead aim to be relatable and appear friendly and personal. Therefore, we write 'you' when addressing the recipient and 'I' or 'we' when referring to ourselves, not 'Sund & Bælt

8. Personal Heading

Write 'Dear xx' if the letter has a personal recipient, instead of using the heading to convey information about the content. This feels more personal.

If you use a heading, it should contain actual information:

9. Kind regards

End with 'Kind regards,' which is also the standard for the rest of Sund & Bælt's communication.

10. Error-Free Text 

Always proofread your text carefully before sending it. Check any words or spellings you are unsure about using a dictionary or style guide, such as the Oxford English Dictionary for English, or the Danish Spelling Dictionary (Retskrivningsordbogen), Håndbog i Nudansk, or www.sproget.dk for Danish.

If in doubt, have someone else review your correspondence before sending it. This increases the chances of catching all errors