Business Letter

Clear, Concise & Accurate is The Way To Go.

Business writing strives to be specific & accurate rather than provocative, humorous or creative.

This distinction reflects the unique purpose and considerations involved when writing in a business context.

A business document is usually written on the assumption that the recipient has a short amount of time to read it, so it needs to be succinct and to the point.

A business letter varies from the conversational style to the more formal, legal style often found in contracts.

A letter written in a style somewhere between these two extremes is usually appropriate for the majority of situations.

Writing that is too formal or rigid can alienate the recipient and, if overly casual, may leave the recipient with a feeling of insincerity or non professionalism.

In business writing, as in all writing, you must know your audience & take great care to ensure your letter's content is clear and concise.

They’re a Powerful Little Tool.

It all depends on how they’re written.

In many cases, your letter will be the first impression that you make on someone so it’s of significant importance that communications sent through the mail leave recipients with a positive view of you and your business.

Some Points Worth Mentioning.

• All letters from your company should always be of a professional nature… remembering the written word lasts forever.
• Slang or bad language should never be used in business communications.
• Letters should be thoroughly proofread with spelling, grammar and sentence structure checked and corrected.
• Letters are more effective if they are written in active voice and personalized.
• All letters should be concise and to the point.
• Make sure that the letter clearly communicates the intended message.
• Always use an acceptable business letter format.
  
• Make sure that your contact information is included in the letter.

Tips For Writing a Business Oriented Letter.

If written on a preprinted letterhead, your return address is already included. If not, make sure to include your business address and phone number.

It should include the date, an inside address, the salutation, the body, and the closing at a minimum.

A reference statement is nice to let the recipient know right away what the letter is about, ie –

Re The contract we discussed at out last meeting.

If there are enclosures accompanying the letter, they should be noted at the bottom of the letter.

If you are typing the letter for someone else, the sender’s initials should be include in capital letters, followed by a slash and your initials in lower case.

If copies of the letter are being sent to a third-party, a “CC:” should be included followed by the name of the third party.

Benefits of a Well Written Business Letter.

• A letter will be of greater benefit if it is concise and clearly communicates your intention
• If written in a professional manner, it will convey the message that you are a professional business with a concern for detail
• If personalized, it will add value and confirm to the receiver that they are important to you

Business letters are used to communicate with vendors, customers, prospects, employees, in fact anyone.

They may be used to make an apology, present an offer, convey sympathy, ask a question, present gratitude, to clear up some misconceptions, or even a cover letter.

All of your business communications make a clear statement about your business, so make sure that each & every business letter you send clearly conveys the message that you intended it to deliver.

Modern Net-Wit:

"I was such an ugly kid - when I played in the sandbox, the cat kept covering me up"

...............................................................Rodney Dangerfield

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