Q: PB Note: I received an e-mail that closed with the signoff “Sincerely in Christ”. This can be a sensitive topic, and one I was hesitant to address, but I think it’s important. My reply about the signoff follows:
A: It’s great that you clearly have strong faith in your life. AND, that’s a personal thing. I assert that you need to separate your personal life from your business life. Yes, I know, your faith carries over into all areas of your life, but obviously, not everyone will share your faith, and I’d hate to have someone who doesn’t, get turned off when it’s an issue that has absolutely nothing to do with your writing ability.
Some people might appreciate seeing it, but it’s all the others who wouldn’t and might not tell you why they’ve chosen to hire someone else who are the issue.
This advice, incidentally, also applies to putting any reference to your religious leanings on a web site or other marketing materials in an attempt to attract like-minded clients. Someone should hire you because—and only because—you’re a good writer and can get the job done, not because of your religious inclinations. And to tout that in a purely business setting is, arguably, manipulative and an attempt to leverage an irrelevant (in that setting) issue.
If you get in the door of a client and discover, through conversation, or through observation of religious articles in their office, for instance, that you’re religious kindred spirits, then, by all means, it’s only natural to bring that to light to further cement a relationship built, first and foremost, on a foundation of the only things that matter in that setting: your competence and reliability.