It’s a delicate matter.

“Was this intentional?”

That’s how my friend concluded his email before hitting send.

You see, one of his suppliers had missed the deadline on a big payment. And my friend, a naturally good-hearted fella, didn’t mean to insinuate anything other than the fact that the deadline had been missed.

But the guy on the other end didn’t take it that way.

Instead, he fired back:

“Your insinuation is both offensive and out of line! blah blah blah…”

Funny, isn’t it? How a single sentence can carry weight far beyond what we intended? And once it’s out there, there’s no taking it back.

When my friend showed me his email, the first thing I said was, “Oh boy! That fired back, didn’t it?”

“Yes, yes… but that’s not what I meant!” he explained.

“But you see, that’s the delicate nature of communication. It’s not what you say, it’s how it lands.”

And in business, where relationships hinge on trust and clarity, even a simple question can make or break a deal.

Now, imagine if my friend had taken a softer approach.

What if, instead of “Was this intentional?” he’d said something like:

“Hey, did something happen on your end? It looks like the payment didn’t come through.”

Same situation. Different tone.

One feels sharp; the other leaves room for explanation.

The question isn’t whether it’s okay to offend someone (especially someone who’s in the wrong). Sometimes it is.

The real question is how you do it.

Do you take the soft approach, nudging them toward accountability?

Or do you go direct? No sugarcoating, no apologies.

And this is where great copy comes in.

Whether you’re sending emails, closing deals, or even chasing overdue payments, the words you choose aren’t just tools.

They’re leverage.

Leverage that can either make you money or lose you some.

So... what kind of words are you using?

Are they the type of words that make your potential buyers take offence?

If you're unsure, or just want to make sure your words land the right way, hit reply and we’ll schedule a free 15-minute consultation call to review your copy strategy.