Business

Posts Tagged ‘Business Letters’

Business letter has a materialistic purpose but effective business letter can also strengthens the bonds between two organizations or the dealer and the customer. Business letters are used for many purposes such as to make inquiries, send replies, to place orders or bank correspondences etc. The main and the basic function of the business letter is not only to convey your message to the person who receives the letter but also to influence the reader. Following point can be used to make your business letter an effective business communication.

Language of business letter:

The language of business letter should be simple. It should not contain difficult words, phrases or technical jargons. It should have a smooth flow and should be easily understood or it should not require further explanation.

Avoid use of long sentences having many clauses. Sometimes the reader loses the beginning by the time he comes to the end of the sentence.

Avoid negative approach in the letter.

Avoid use of dull and uninteresting language. A letter with permanent style or with same tone of expression at all occasions may become stereotyped in due course. Use variety or a welcoming change in language that befits the particular occasion or pleases a particular person. But the variety should not be at the cost of clarity.

Sincerity of purpose:

Sincerity of purpose is important not only for human relations but also for business dealings. The letter should have an air of frankness and authenticity.

Give importance to the reader:

Avoid self-centered focusing on your own concerns or your business and focus on the recipient’s needs, interests, or purposes. This “you attitude” or recipient oriented style is very useful in winning new customers and maintaining old ones. It does not mean that you should use more of “you” in your letter but you should make recipient the main focus of the letter. However, you should be cautious not to overdo anything in your letter to avoid feel of deception, superficiality or ambiguity.

Adjust oneself to the reader:

Tune your sentences to the taste of the prospective buyer. Mention the advantage a buyer would get without praising your own firm.

Business letter represents the firm, organization or the business. It is like a salesman with a difference. A salesman can instantly rectify his mistake if he has said something that looks unpleasant, but a letter writer can’t.

You can use business-writing software for proofreading and to check and correct English grammar & spellings in your letter. Some software programs also has text enrichment feature to enrich your text with adjectives & adverbs, which enhances the simple sentence into more professional and sophisticated one & also suggest context related synonym for repeated words.

For more information on business writing software please visit

http://www.truevalue4money.com/businesswriting.html website.

In Business Letters and Email, what are the basic rules one should follow when writing? Your letter might be the first point of contact with another business, and how it’s written, will demonstrate your communication skills to the other party.

Always date your letters, and make sure that you spell the persons name correctly. If you are unsure, call reception and ask for the correct spelling. I am amazed at how many people send me letters with my name spelt incorrectly.

Use clear headings and subheadings. A well constructed letter is much easier to understand.

Use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation – A well written document says a lot about you. Most software has a “check spelling and grammar” function. Make sure that you always use it.

Plan your letter and decide what you are trying to convey before you start writing. It’s a good idea to make some notes, before you start writing the letter.

Be concise and to the point. Use the minimum number of words to convey your message. Try and use simple words that everybody can understand. Try to keep the recipient in mind when writing, especially when writing to someone overseas.

Do not use technical terms or jargon, unless absolutely necessary. Your reader might not be familiar with them.

Space out your letter. This makes the message easier to understand. Start a new paragraph whenever you can as a well spaced out letter is easier to read and understand. It is a lot easier on the eye!

Keep templates, for standard letters. I find that over time my templates improve as I make minor, but significant changes, to the wording and style.

Keep your humour for your telephone conversations. Jokes can easily be misinterpreted in written communication.

If your message is very detailed, it might be simpler to break it down into two letters. Send the first letter and follow it with a phone call to make sure that the message is understood before sending the second part.

Always be polite. Make sure that you ask or request, rather then demand. Don’t use informal terms in the beginning of your relationship. You can start being less formal once a relationship has been established.

Answer all correspondence quickly and clearly. Often, in business, the other party could lose interest if they do not believe that they are important to you, or if another business responds first.

Never use shortcuts! You are not sending a text message.

Make a copy of any written correspondence and file it away for future reference.

Once you have written the letter, read it carefully and think about the message you are trying to convey, before posting or hitting the send button.