The Business Letter – Write It Right and Succeed
By
A business letter is not an ordinary communication.
A business letter is one in which some information is passed that should be important enough to put into writing, and more, should evoke some kind of a response.
Write your business letter right and you will succeed.
The Business Letter Form
Remember the business letter is NOT a report. It is a letter.
In today’ world you will be lucky to hold attention to three paragraphs, let alone a whole page.
Decide what it is you wish to say, and be prepared to say it in three short paragraphs.
If you have a long letter to write, do not write it as a letter, but as a report.
A letter is a letter. Be brief, succinct, avoid value judgments, make every word count, write nothing banal, and most of all, keep in mind what kind of a response you wish to invoke.
The Business Letter Format
The Subject.
Always begin your business letter with a subject reference. Do not mix subjects, or include more than one.
The Introduction.
Here in one paragraph you introduce your subject, as well as any crucial information about it.
Imply in the introduction what response you wish to evoke.
The Body.
The body of the business letter is the longest paragraph.
In this paragraph get down to details, but keep them brief and to the point.
Do not give value judgments and do not introduce new material.
The Summary Conclusion.
Here you sell your point and summarize all the points you have made before.
The Salutation.
Develop you own signature salutation.
You can you standard ones like Best Regards or Kind Regards, or find something new that suits you.
Let this be your signature salutation, and stick to it in all your business letters and communications.
The Business Letter vs. Email Letter.
In today’s world the formal business letter is fast becoming a rarity, and is taking the new form of the email letter. However, remember its only a different form or delivery. Follow the same rules as above.
Some business like to write the business letter now on company stationary in electronic form and include them as attachments to an email. This is not a bad idea, and still retains some form privacy.
Business Letter Language Guide
Here are a few tips from communication experts that may help you frame your use of language in your business letter or email.
Speak in the present tense. Avoid a lot of “I will; it should be, and …”
Use simple words. Do not show off your superior vocabulary.
There are very effective words that are commonplace. There are power words, and all of them are simple and impossible to misinterpret
Be direct.
Go to your point, and do not speak in ambiguous terms
Avoid homilies
Remember who it is you are talking to.
If you are speaking to a superior, maintain your distance of respect, while still selling your points across.
Avoid value judgments. Leave these for the letter recipient to decide for themselves.
Sacha Tarkovsky
http://www.articlesbase.com/strategic-planning-articles/the-business-letter-write-it-right-and-succeed-69688.html
2 Comments
May 22nd, 2010 at 6:59 am
Letter of COMPLAINT EDIT?
Write a letter of complaint. Follow the rules for a business letter, and use the full-block style.The complaint may be about anything you wish (such as malfunctioning equipment, poorbuilding maintenance, or disruptive noises from a nearby office). You can base your letter
on a true experience, or you can make up all the details you need.
Here it is does it look like it is ready to be graded can you take a look at it and tell me what you think? Help me improve?
Danny Bennett ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) TOP RIGHT OF PAPER
204 Poindexter Street
Dallas, Texas 75201 October 26, 2008 ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
The AdministrativeOfficer Exhibition Services
ExhibitionsInternational Arlington, Texas 76001
Dear Madam
I attended your exhibition Sound Systems 2009 at the Rock Star Hotel from October 18-20 and found it informative and exciting. Unfortunately, my enjoyment of the event was flawed by a number of organizational problems. I clarify each of the problems below.
Firstly, I had difficulty in registering to attend the event. You set up an on-line registration facility, but I found the facility totally unworkable. Even after spending several wasted hours trying to register in this way, the computer would not accept my application. I ultimately succeeded in registering by faxing you.
Secondly, the exhibition was held at one of the nation’s most prestigious hotels, but frankly the venue was better suited to a medium-sized business conference than to a large exhibition open by registration to the public. The lack of space led to serious overcrowding in the venue, predominantly at peak visiting times (i.e. lunch times and early evening). On one or two occasions I was also seriously disturbed about the physical safety of attendees.
The ultimate point I want to make concerns product information. It is very pleasurable to see and test a range of outstanding sound systems, but it is also important to be able to take away leaflets on interesting products, so that more research can be done before deciding which system to buy. However, by the time I attended the exhibition all the leaflets had been taken.
Could I please ask you to look into these matters – not only on my behalf but also on behalf of other attendees, and in fact on behalf of your company, too?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully
DannyBennett
dannybennett@yahoo.com
May 22nd, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Okay for the most part it sounds great.
Here are my suggestions"
Lose the ( ). It is distracting and
takes away the seriousness of your
letter. Plus it isn’t professional.
Find a better word than flawed.I suggest hampered. I will clarify each..
Re-word your first complaint. Something like: I experienced difficulty with your
on-line registration. It simply would not work.
Second complaint: It should read,
on more than one occassion.. or on
several occassions the hotel became so
crowded that public saftey became a concern.
Final complaint: Finally I want to bring to your attention that the exhibits were fun and informative but
each exhibit simply did not provide
enough product information leaflets.
Is there any way I can obtain more
information about…name the exhibits.
Conclusion: Thank-you for your time and
attention in this matter.
Sincerely,
so on and so forth.
Hope this helps.
References :
teacher’s assistant