Grammar and style
Abbreviations and acronyms
Spell out a term in full on first use, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. Use the abbreviation alone on all subsequent references within the same piece.
Abbreviations: external copy restrictions
Some terms are abbreviated internally but never in external copy, regardless of how many times they appear. These include:
TPTM (always: The Pathway to Mastery®)UYIRE (always: The Ultimate Year in Real Estate)BCL (always: Buffini Coaching LIVE)100DTG (always: 100 Days to Greatness®)
Do not introduce an abbreviation you do not use again. If the abbreviated form appears only once, spell it out and skip the parenthetical.
Do not use abbreviations in headlines or subject lines unless the abbreviated form is itself the recognized name (RMS is acceptable once established; TPTM is not acceptable in external copy at all).
Not thisThe RMS has everything you need to manage your referral network.
ThisThe Referral Management System (RMS) has everything you need to manage your referral network. Use the RMS to track contacts, set reminders, and log every touchpoint.
Abbreviations and acronyms in practice
Numbers in dates vs. script
In print, web, and email copy, do not use ordinals with dates. April 16, not April 16th. In video scripts, ordinals are acceptable when they reflect how the line will be spoken aloud. Write for the ear, not the eye.
Non-video copy
Video script copy
Join us on April 16, 2026.
Join us on April sixteenth, twenty twenty-six.
The event runs May 1 through May 3.
The event runs May first through May third.
Registration closes March 31.
Registration closes March thirty-first.
Web term formatting (AP style)
website (one word, lowercase)
the internet (lowercase)
web page (two words, lowercase)
email (lowercase, no hyphen)
the web (lowercase)
online (one word, lowercase)
Verbs, nouns and adjective
Verb (two words)
Noun / adjective (one word)
log in (verb: Log in to your account.)
login (noun/adj: Use your login credentials.)
sign up (verb: Sign up for the program.)
signup (noun/adj: The signup form is here.)
set up (verb: Set up your profile.)
setup (noun/adj: Complete the setup steps.)
check in (verb: Check in at the front desk.)
check-in (noun/adj: The check-in process is simple.)
En dash
En dash (–) is distinct from the hyphen (-) and the em dash (—). Use the en dash for the following:
Ranges of numbers, dates, or times: pages 10–15, April 16–18, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Scores: the session ran 90–45 minutes ahead of schedule.
Compound modifiers where one element is itself two words: a New York–based agent, a Work by Referral–driven business.
Do not use an en dash where a hyphen is correct (compound modifiers with single-word elements: referral-based, well-known).
Do not confuse the en dash with the em dash. The em dash is prohibited in Buffini external copy see grammar and mechanics section.
State references
Use USPS two-letter postal codes (CA, TX, NY) in all external copy. Do not use traditional AP state abbreviations (Calif., Tex.) or spell out state names in running text unless clarity requires it.
Exception: when a state name appears at the start of a sentence or in a headline, spell it out. Do not begin a sentence or headline with a postal code abbreviation.
Not thisThe event is in San Diego, Calif. next month.
ThisThe event is in San Diego, CA next month.
State abbreviations in practice
