How to write business letters that get results
If you want to write an effective business letter that gets results, you'll want to keep traditional business communication concepts in mind as you construct your document. While email dominates communication these days, the old tried-and-true methods of business writing still apply. Bottom line, you still want to ensure a message is correctly delivered and received.
Modern business writing, even with technology, should still use elements of traditional communication. When writing a business letter it is a good idea to follow the six 'C's' of letter writing [PDF]. These six elements you should pay heed to are: to be concise, courteous, clear, complete, correct and consistent in your letter.
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Modern business writing, even with technology, should still use elements of traditional communication. When writing a business letter it is a good idea to follow the six 'C's' of letter writing [PDF]. These six elements you should pay heed to are: to be concise, courteous, clear, complete, correct and consistent in your letter.
These general guidelines are timeless and can ensure you create solid correspondence which will deliver a positive impact.
When your recipient receives a letter that is respectful, they'll be more likely to respond favorably to the correspondence. A nice demeanor goes a long way in reaching results.
Your recipient will take a letter more seriously if the information is accurate, but if the letter contains error-laden or just plain wrong information, any credibility you have can go right out the window.
In addition, there are what I like to call the three 'A's'. You want to be assertive, but not arrogant or angry. Arrogance or anger typically results in ineffective or negative responses, however, writing correspondence using assertive words to eliminate the other two 'A's', you can effectively get your point across and receive positive results.
While society continues to navigate towards electronic communications, keeping traditional approaches in mind when writing communications will help you write an effective business letter. The 'C's' and 'A's' of writing are important key points to keep in mind as you write because they are solid foundational blocks for building good business communication.
Value of being concise
As you write your letter, it is a good idea to make a concentrated effort to be concise and to the point. Excess wording or rambling astray of the topic at hand is more likely to lose a reader's interest. As a result, your letter will be less effective. Being concise and direct creates a letter that is much easier for a reader to follow and increases the successful result desired of an intended message. Keep in mind, in business environments, people often perceive time as money. They won't want to spend excessive amounts of time wading through a letter to find its purpose.Be courteous
Treating your recipient with courtesy is always a good rule to follow. Using good business etiquette and being polite should be a primary consideration when writing a business letter. While you want to be concise in your words, this must be balanced and avoid coming across as rude or too abrupt.When your recipient receives a letter that is respectful, they'll be more likely to respond favorably to the correspondence. A nice demeanor goes a long way in reaching results.
Be clear and state the letter's intent
When you state your request, suggestion or intention in your business letter, be clear in your thoughts. A letter that digresses from the topic or does not clearly spell out what is meant in the message is not going to get a satisfactorily result. A clear and organized letter is much easier to follow than a cluttered or letter written with disorganization. A clear letter is an effective letter.Share complete thoughts
While each paragraph should be succinct, keep in mind each section should contain completed thoughts before moving onto the next paragraph. If you have partially written ideas scattered in your letter, the message will be likely unproductive because chances are your letter won't be totally understood. Remember, your recipients aren't mind readers. Writing sentences that are complete in thought will ensure you'll have a better business letter written and your recipient will accurately understand what you're saying.Insert correct information
In business, it's vital for communications to be accurately written. If your letter has typos or misinformation, this could prove costly. Facts should be spot on and make the effort to source any statistical information you may reference. Guesses aren't effective, but solid information is.Your recipient will take a letter more seriously if the information is accurate, but if the letter contains error-laden or just plain wrong information, any credibility you have can go right out the window.
Be consistent in content
Contradictory information won't be well received, but a letter written with consistency will have a positive effect with a recipientIn addition, there are what I like to call the three 'A's'. You want to be assertive, but not arrogant or angry. Arrogance or anger typically results in ineffective or negative responses, however, writing correspondence using assertive words to eliminate the other two 'A's', you can effectively get your point across and receive positive results.
While society continues to navigate towards electronic communications, keeping traditional approaches in mind when writing communications will help you write an effective business letter. The 'C's' and 'A's' of writing are important key points to keep in mind as you write because they are solid foundational blocks for building good business communication.
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