What are the rules on using bold face, italics and underlining for emphasis in letters and reports?
Though computers have opened up many stylistic possibilities, in general “less is more.” Use bold face and other typographical features sparingly and stick to the same fonts and sizes. You may use italics as a substitute for underlining, but remember that a business letter is not the same as a manuscript or a publication. Barbara Pachter is a business communications specialist and coauthor of The Prentice Hall Complete Business Etiquette Handbook and Climbing the Corporate Ladder. For a free subscription to Pachter’s newsletter, Competitive Edge, call 609 751-6141. Instead of “have a nice day…’ The greeting “Have a nice day” has become annoying to many people because it’s so overused in conversations with customers and on voice mail systems. Here are some of the current favorite alternate greetings from a reader poll by the newsletter Communication Briefings: “Take care.” “Enjoy your day.” “Thanks for calling” or “Thanks for stopping by.” “Have a good one” or “Make it a good one.” “T
