Professional and Technical Writing/Business Communications/Letters
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[edit] Business Letters
[edit] What Are Business Letters?
Business letters are written messages to a person, or a group of people, within a professional setting. Business letters are used when the writer would like to be formal and professional. Letters may vary in length depending on the writer's objective, purpose, and message of the letter. The letter can address anyone including, but not limited to: clients and customers, managers, agencies, suppliers, and other business personnel or organizations. It is important to remember that any business letter is a legal document between the interested parties.
[edit] The Difference Between a BUSINESS letter and a REGULAR letter
The first major difference between a regular letter and a business letter is that a business letter is a legal document. Writing letters to a business audience is different than writing a letter in for personal use.
A business letter is used primarily to request or provide information, to relate a deal, to being or continue conversations, and/or to discuss prior negotiations. A business letter can be classified as private. However, it is typically not circulated to others, but rather meant for the eyes of the participants involved. Therefore, a business letter is needs to be clear, focused and to the point. When writing a business letter, the author should avoid interjecting personal anecdotes.
A business letter needs to be concise and clear. Being too wordy is the biggest downfall in this form of writing. Keep sentences short and precise. Avoid over using adjectives and adverbs that distract from the focus of the message. Organize the letter from most important subjects to least. The content of the letter should be persuasive and usable. The tone of the letter should be formal and professional.
Also, in a business letter it is preferable to use personal singular pronouns like "I" and "you". Avoid using plural pronouns like "we" since it can mislead the audience to assume that the company supports the message of the letter. In addition, personal pronouns are easier to understand, because it directly refers to the parties invovled.
[edit] What To Include In a Business Letter
'Formatting Your Business Letter'
- Use single spacing. NEVER use double spaces within the business letter.
- Remember when beginning to write your business letter. Having the right font, formatt, and so forth is very important.
- Block and modified block formats, using single spaces and left justify each paragraph in the body of the letter.
- Lastly,leave a blank line between each paragraph. Makes it easier to following the changing of topics within the letter.
The Introduction
- This paragraph should introduce why you are writing the letter and sum up the main points in the following paragraphs to come.
- Include a statement that shows you know the audience your letter is directed toward.
The body
- Provide background or history to the purpose of the letter.
- Talk about key points you are trying to make.
- Also, include a justifying statement about the importance of the main points.
- List any important dates, discussions, and conversations that is of relevance.
- Ask questions, if necessary.
- Provide deadline(s) or dates for expected return of response.
Conclusion
- Summarize the main points of the letter.
- Restate the problem and resolution if pertinent.
- Include deadlines.
- Provide contact information (Email, Phone Number, Fax, Etc...).
Closing Salutation
It is important to take into account your audience when ending any business document. Being respectful and professional are two important elements of your ending salutation. You must remember that each employer, boss, or co-worker may have different expectations as to what should be used as proper salutations. A few general ending salutations deemed professional include:
- Sincerely,
- Respectfully yours,
- Yours truly,
- Best,
These should be used with individuals whom you do not have a relationship with, new coworkers, potential clients, or a large email to a wide variety of individuals. When you are sending a business document to an individual whom you are accustomed to, your salutation should change. Consider a professional salutation, which is not too formal. Examples include:
- Kind regards,
- Best regards,
- Many thanks,
- With appreciation,
- Best wishes,
[edit] "Signature Block"
Always close a letter. ‘Sincerely’ would be the safest way to close out a business letter. On a typed business letter, following the closing, you should leave a space to sign your name with a pen. This will allow for a more personal touch on an otherwise bland letter. This is the only handwriting on the paper so make sure the signature is neat. Below this personal signature should be your typed first and last name to allow for easy reading. After this you can include anything else that the reader may need to know. This could include anything from job title, identification, a notation that there are copies attached at the bottom of the document, or other contact information, such as e-mail address or business phone number.
[edit] Tips on Writing Business Letters
- Address the reader formally (Mr., Miss, or Mrs.) unless the reader has given permission to use their first name.
- Address the letter to a specific person whenever possible.
- Use a colon after the salutation if using the reader's last name and a comma if using their first name.
- Use company letterhead to make the document more professional.
- Use a subject line so the reader quickly knows what the document is about.
- Sign your name neatly at the bottom.
- If a letter doesn't fill an entire page, put the content so the middle of it is slightly above the middle of the page.
- List the people on the letter that you are sending copies to.
- It is okay to use specific pronouns, such as "I" and "You", but be careful when using "We". This is simply because it can commit your company to what you have written.
