The Difference Between Formal and Stiff Writing
Why this matters
Shop owners often overcorrect toward stiffness when they want to sound professional, and it backfires. A message loaded with "per our conversation" and "please be advised" does not read as competent, it reads as distant, and distance is the opposite of what earns trust from a customer who is nervous about cost or a repair. Professional and warm are not opposites. Stiff and warm are.
What "formal" actually means
Formal writing means the message is structured, respectful, accurate, and appropriate to a business relationship. It does not require complicated words or a passive, robotic voice. A message can be short, direct, and use plain words while still being completely professional. Formal is about the level of care and correctness, not the level of stiffness.
What "stiff" actually means
Stiff writing swaps natural phrasing for formal-sounding filler that adds no information. It usually comes from a good instinct (sound professional) applied the wrong way (sound like a form letter). The reader feels talked at, not talked to.
| Stiff | Natural and still professional |
|---|---|
| "Please be advised that the technician is scheduled to arrive between the hours of 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM." | "Your tech will be there between 9 and 11 AM." |
| "Per our conversation, the aforementioned repair will require an additional part." | "As we discussed, this repair needs one more part." |
| "We regret to inform you that we are unable to accommodate your request at this time." | "We can't fit that in this week, here's what we can do instead." |
| "Kindly find attached the invoice for your review at your earliest convenience." | "Here's your invoice, let me know if anything looks off." |
| "In the event that you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office." | "Questions? Call or text us anytime." |
The natural versions are not less professional, they are more readable and they still respect the reader.
The three tells of stiff writing
- Filler phrases that pad without adding meaning. "Please be advised," "at this time," "kindly," "per our conversation," "please do not hesitate to." Cut them and the sentence loses nothing.
- Passive voice hiding who is doing what. "It has been determined that the part is on back order" versus "the supplier is out of the part." The active version is shorter and clearer about who or what caused the delay.
- Formality that outranks the relationship. Signing a text to a customer you have worked with for years "Sincerely, [Full Name], [Company], [Title]" when a simple sign-off fits the medium better reads as cold, not respectful.
When more formality actually is correct
Formality should scale with the medium and the stakes, not be a constant setting:
- A legal notice, a formal cancellation, or a policy change genuinely warrants more structure and precision, because the document may be referenced later and needs to be unambiguous. See related: Writing a Clear Cancellation or Policy Notice.
- A first contact with a new commercial client or a property manager often calls for a slightly more buttoned-up tone than a text to a long-time residential customer, at least until the relationship is established.
- An email to an inspector, an insurance adjuster, or another business benefits from precise, structured language because it may become part of a record.
Match the register to the situation, but even in these cases, precision beats padding. A formal document with no filler phrases reads as more competent than one stuffed with them, not less.
A quick self-check
Before sending anything that feels formal, read it back and ask: would I say this sentence out loud to the person's face? If the answer is no, because it sounds like a form letter, revise it toward how you would actually speak the same information, then tighten for clarity. That is formal without being stiff.
References
- Plain Language Action and Information Network (PlainLanguage.gov), plain-language business writing guidance
- See related: Writing for Different Reading Levels
- See related: Tone in Writing vs Speech