Discuss key points of controlling the style and tone in a message.

If you know your readers reasonably well and your report is likely to meet with their approval,you can adopt a fairly informal tone-provided that doing so is acceptable in the situation and in your company's culture.To make your tone less formal,refer to readers as "you," and refer to yourself as "I" (or "we," if there are multiple report authors).A more formal tone is usually appropriate for longer reports,especially those that deal with controversial or complex information.You'll also want to use a more formal tone when your report will be sent to other parts of the organization or to outsiders,such as customers,suppliers,or members of the community.If the situation calls for a more formal tone,use the impersonal journalism style,eliminating all references to "you" and "I" (including "we," "us," and "our").When you use an impersonal style,you impose a controlled distance between you and your readers.Your tone is not only objective but also businesslike and unemotional.Be careful to avoid jokes,and minimize the use of similes,metaphors,and overly colorful language.