Your Tone Checklist

Apply these principles to every message you write or speak:

• Read your message as the recipient before sending — does it sound how you intend?
• Match the register to the relationship: formal for strangers, casual for friends
• Mirror the other person's tone when you are unsure which register to use
• Avoid ALL CAPS, excess punctuation, and cold periods in informal messages
• Add warmth deliberately — "Thanks" or "Appreciate it" softens professional emails; when unsure, be slightly warmer than you think necessary.