Bombastic Language

Dear Shirley: Shirley, My company's marketing manager just made a remark that my letter writing is not hardcore enough. Apparently, he said none of my letters contain 'bombastic' words. I reasoned out with him saying as far as I understand, letter writing should be simple and straight forward. I need your advice. May I know if you offer any business communication books that provide "bombastic" words for me to learn, should my marketing manager be right about his remarks.

Shirley Says: I'm so sorry to hear that your marketing manager thinks that, in order to be effective, business documents should contain bombastic words. This is a comment that I regularly receive when I conduct my workshops. Unfortunately it is a very old-fashioned school of thought.

I checked the thesaurus for the meaning of 'bombastic', and here's what it says: pompous, pretentious, verbose, long-winded, gradiloquent, over-bearing. This was the sort of writing that our Great-Grandfathers used way back when. This is the 21st Century - today's business writing should be straight forward, simple and courteous but at the same time brief - certainly not pompous, pretentious and over-bearing! I suggest that you ask your marketing manager to read the article on my website called Business writing yesterday and today. This should put him straight!

Thanks to Rosalind in Malaysia for this question. I sent her a copy of my new book Model Business Letters, E-mails and Other Business Documents 6th edition, and this is what she said in her next e-mail to me: "Shirley, I have to tell you that I carry your book whereever I go!! It is so useful and to be honest, it has become my "bible".

Glad you like it, Rosalind! I'm glad to say that lots of people agree with you - the book has sold over 8000 copies in Singapore alone in just 3 months! When I receive news of worldwide sales, I'll keep you all informed! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO BOUGHT IT!

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