Your writing will be read by people, so write directly to them.

Organisations don’t read letters or other documents, people inside them do.

So it’s OK to use personal pronouns – words like you, me, I, us.

Using personal pronouns helps make contact with your readers and creates a more engaging, conversational tone. It helps them better understand how they should respond and what actions they need to take.

Write ‘you must …’ rather than the vague ‘the ratepayer must ….’. Writing directly makes your writing clearer, more accessible, and helps readers feel acknowledged and respected.

This simple shift from third person to second person can dramatically improve comprehension and response rates.