Does "per our conversation" work in business correspondence?

Key quotes:

• Here’s a tip: Want to make sure your writing always looks great? As mentioned at the board meeting, Gary Schlepper will be responsible for providing the snacks for our annual company picnic
• The best phrase for the job is “as agreed.” If you made a contract, this expression is especially useful for reminding different parties of their obligations
• Following our conversation Following our conversation Pursuant to our conversation/In pursuance of Pursuant means “in accordance with” and pursuance refers to the execution or carrying out of something
• “Pursuant to” and “in pursuance of” our conversation are used when an action follows as a result of a discussion
• Pursuant to our conversation, I have enclosed for your review a rough sketch of the dress design
• Summarizing a conversation is an essential practice if you want to create a record for reference or to make sure that both parties understand each other
• According to our conversation, the following updates will go live on Thursday, April 11: (1) The new webpage will go live
• Here’s another reason to avoid using “per our conversation.” The Handbook of Technical Writing classifies the word “per” as jargon when it’s used to mean “according to.” What do you say?

Key quotes:

• But do you ever get sick of endlessly typing “I hope you’re doing well” and “have a great day?” Some argue that email clichés, although they’re mostly meaningless, do have a purpose
• But if you’re tired of typing the same stock lines—a sort of email autopilot—there are some simple ways to change things up and take your email from utilitarian to unique...” means “I’m not sorry and I’m going to make an excuse.” Alternative: RELATED: How to Write an Apology Letter You’ve taken the time to craft a unique email, so don’t get clichéd on the sign-off
• RELATED: How to End an Email: 9 Best and Worst Email Sign-Offs Nobody likes this one, because it seems to imply “You’d better write back.” Alternative: Although a study by the email app Boomerang rated “Thanks in advance” as the sign-off with the highest response rate, it’s not the best sign-off for creating goodwill
• Like “Looking forward to hearing from you”, it has a tone of “I expect you to do this.” Alternative: More from Grammarly: 12 Things to Write About When You’re Fresh Out of Ideas Here’s How to Finish Anything You Start A Writer’s Guide to Creating Social Media Copy from Idea to Publish  

Key quotes:

• But it’s up to you to own up to your mistake, apologize for it and figure out how to make it right
• Sometimes mistakes happen because the client didn’t provide the right information or made a blunder along the way, and sometimes the blame lies with both of you
• Howard Kilman, former VP of a $2 billion global consulting firm, says that mistakes are bound to happen — it’s rare that everything goes picture perfect, and even with the best-laid plans, something will inevitably go wrong with a client at some point or another
• Kilman says the best way to minimize the harm from mistakes is to make sure that you sniff out the problem before the client does
• “If I tell a client I have made a mistake and it’s going to cost me 1,000 hours to fix it, I don’t bill for those hours
• Look, the consulting business is just like any other — there will be times when you fall slightly short of client expectations and times when you royally screw things up
• The good news is that by handling the situation the right way, you can actually turn your screw up into a bonus for your business.

Key quotes:

• I decided it would be fun to interview 10 of the smartest marketing gurus I know, including 7 multi-millionaires, about the best ways to increase customer and cash flow for just about any business
• But, if more people read the ad, take time with the newsletter or decide that the offer in a mailer makes sense, you have accomplished the goal
• After listening to the admissions director talk about what should be shown in the school’s new recruiting video, the marketing consultant asked, “Is this what parents and prospective students are interested in knowing?” Suddenly, everyone became less confident
• If you don’t let customers and prospects know why it is in their best interests to do business with you or buy your product, they won’t
• Wise companies spend time and effort consciously influencing the way they are perceived by customers, prospects, bankers and stockholders
• It takes time for customers to comprehend what you are doing and for prospects to get acquainted — and comfortable — with a business
• By making prospecting a continuing process, companies produce a steady flow of new sales leads
• There is no reason why business letters should not be warm, friendly, conversational, interesting — and customer-centered.

Key quotes:

• I’ve been running my own business for around 25 years, and in that time I’ve come up with a list of “hello” and “goodbye” tips to help employees with the start and end of their journey with an employer
• These are the things you can do: Tip #1: You’re going to be meeting a lot of people in rapid succession, and it can be a struggle to remember so many new names
• Tip #3: Have a discussion with your manager/mentor — ask them what they value in an employee, and their preferences
• Ask them what they think their boss values too and try to get a feel for who they are
• Tip #6: When you’re first starting, you could write a blog post about your ambitions for yourself and the work you’ll be doing with the company
• Tip #7: You’re going to receive emails where you think, “WTF?”
• It’s sad when people leave, but most employees exit on good terms
• Below is a list of things to do when you’re leaving a job — you’ll see that a lot of these points marry up with suggestions I made in the “Say Hello” section: Tip #1: Have a conversation — don’t resign via email.