How To Write More Powerful Business Letters

Many people in business heaved a sigh of relief when email began to take most of their day-to-day correspondence. Processing business letters - even today - is fiddly and fussy, compared with the blissful simplicity of e-mail .
, but as you know, there are still times when ink on paper is essential. Many so-called "professions" (legal, accounting, etc.) in the UK at least still insist on correspondence is done via printed letters. They have a deep distrust of e-mail and for good reason, such confidentiality can never be guaranteed. Business letters are at least fairly private - you should assume that it is easier and faster to snoop on e-mail than it is to steam envelopes open over boiling water .
In other cases, too, printed letters provide a more tamper-proof formal record of business arrangements, complaints, employee warnings / terminations and other issues that should be carved into stone tablets. (Well, paper, anyway .)
structures of ancient, modern style
Prominent laughed and casual nature of e-mail, quaint formality of old fashioned business letter seems positively Dickensian and totally inappropriate for the way we do business now.
There is an answer, though. Use the formality of structure that makes the business letter the bullet-proof form of communication has come to be. Combine that with a short, straight-talking style of writing more e-mails, and have a good compromise.
Let's start with the structure - or rather, the etiquette which supplies the structure
.
There are variations between accepted etiquette used in different English language markets. Here are the main British forms of address. I have also included U.S. / Canadian equivalent of where I know them, but I'm afraid I'm not aware of those used in Australia, NZ or SA.
Formal letters
will be the recipient or title, for example, "managing director", or an organization or company when you do not know to whom your letter should be addressed. When you write the title of the greeting "Dear Sir," "Dear Madam" or if you want to play it safe, "Dear Sir / Madam. " When you write the organization's "Dear Sirs," Dear "Mesdames, " or again, if you want to play it safe (but labor the point) "Dear Sirs / Mesdames ."
will be the recipient or title, for example, "managing director", or an organization or company when you do not know to whom your letter should be addressed. When you write the title of the greeting "Dear Sir," "Dear Madam" or if you want to play it safe, "Dear Sir / Madam. " When you write the organization's "Dear Sirs," Dear "Mesdames, " or again, if you want to play it safe (but labor the point) "Dear Sirs / Mesdames ."
...
Less formal letters
This is where you have a name. And this is where you can get into hot water if you are not sure of the sex of the person. Someone called JC Jennings could be a Jack or a Joanna. Someone called Leslie Matthews could also be (traditionally the female version of the name is spelled "Lesley" and male "Leslie," but I know at least one lady Leslie .)
Just beware of unisex names like Jody, Jo, Bobbie, Alex, Rob, Robin, Carol (yes, really) Billie, Chris, Darryl, Eddie, Sam, Jackie, Nicky, Frances (f) vs Francis (m), Freddie, Gabrielle (f) vs Gabriel (m), Georgie, Gerry / Jerry, Charlie, Nat, Harry, Jessie (f) vs Jesse (m), Stevie, Mel, Pat, Ronnie, Sacha, Sandy, etc. . And that was before we started on the names of non-English culture.
people these days do not usually advertise if they are "Mr" or "MS" or anything else. When in doubt do not risk embarrassment, phone the organization and ask
.
Some people borrow an awful technique from email and use the person's full name in the salutation, eg "Dear Suzan St Maur." I do not know about you, but it irritates the h * ll out of me, and I would not recommend it.
So, when your letter is addressed to "Mr JC Jennings" your greeting is: "Dear Mr Jennings." If the information you have is simply "Joanna C Jennings" you can probably take the opportunity to write a greeting from the "Dear Ms Jennings." I do not know many men Joannas, but do not count on it ...
So, when your letter is addressed to "Mr JC Jennings" your greeting is: "Dear Mr Jennings." If the information you have is simply "Joanna C Jennings" you can probably take the opportunity to write a greeting from the "Dear Ms Jennings." I do not know many men Joannas, but do not count on it ...
...
Even less formal letters
This is where the internet impact may be allowed to come into it and give you some freedom from the formalities expected in, well, more formal letters.
If you are writing to someone you know on behalf of the conditions then your greeting is going to be "Dear (name)" and does not need to sign off with "yours" anything unless you particularly want. Common forms of sign off include "warm regards" (U.S.) "Greetings," best wishes ", etc.
looks like
This is not so strictly followed as it once was, and is now considered OK to design looks a letter about the design of letterhead. elements you need, wherever you put them, should include:
your name and address (usually done in the letterhead design)
date
recipient name, title, company name and address
greeting ("Dear So-and-so")
Topics letters ("Re:" whichever)
text of the letter
log ("Yours whatever")
Your name and
Traditionally, your address should go in the top right corner of the letter, dated below on the right side. On the next line on the left margin, you can put the recipient's name and address. After one or two spaces, "Dear (whoever)" goes underneath that. Two places below that, you can put your "Re: (topic)" or just a topic in bold and / or underlined
.
Once you've done the body of the letter, make one or two spaces and put a sign-off or ranged left or indented with a few cards to the right. Create enough space for your signature, and then type your name (the name and, if necessary) so that it starts directly under the "Y" or "Your ."
If your letter goes to another page, where it breaks on page 1 to create a space, then the right button on the "Continue ". You can start page 2 just keying in "page 2 "and begin after two or three places below. Some people create a mini-heading for another page with the name of the recipient on the left, date in the middle, and the page number on the right side, followed by the stress that goes across the page. This is useful if the two sides become separated from one another.
OK. Now we have established the ground rules, what we say?
Keep your style sharp and simple
business letters are not literary works. They are verbal workhorses with a purpose only to convey information, and you want the reader to do with it as quickly and clearly as possible.
Begin by making notes as if just for yourself. These notes will come in direct style, of course, because you are not intimidated or anxious when writing for themselves. Do not limit yourself to the structure in this phase. Just write whatever you think it should go in the letter.
Now, match your notes in a sequence of "skeletons" described below. Discard any notes that are not relevant.
If you build up your letter along these lines will find that your style is straightforward and simple, with no unnecessary adjectives, adverbs, business phrases, "corporate speak" or other business BS that some people use in business letters.
All you you need do then is tidy up a well regulated and the spelling and grammar . (Although many people take a lenient view of spelling and grammatical errors in the e-mails, they stick like sore thumbs in printed letters and make you look very amateurish .)
Build your content on a "skeleton"
Normally, you'll recognize the subject of a letter with "Re: outstanding bills, " or less formally, "his outstanding invoice" in bold and / or underlined. Then make notes or bullet points of the main questions you need to include, at a skeleton like this:
Typically, this would be:
1 Introduction
I see from our records that you were first invoiced for this amount four months ago, and statements are sent to you each month since then
2 sticky question
It can not go any further, especially as you have not contacted us to discuss your credit expansion
3 What I want to happen now
Pay over the next seven days
4 Or
We will be obliged to institute legal proceedings against you,
5 Sweetener
If you can not pay for the return, we will not take any further action and will restart your 30 days credit as a prior
6 The next move
Please contact me urgently and let me know what you intend to do
Same skeleton, different content
You could use this skeleton to the number of business letter purposes. Not all business letters have you sitting so comfortably in the driving seat, however. Suppose you were a recipient of this letter and want to coax more time to pay. elements remain the same, but we approach from another angle ...
1 Introduction
Thank you for bringing to my attention - I had no idea that we are so slow to pay
2 sticky question
We are experiencing serious cash flow problems at the moment, but we have taken steps to rectify this and anticipate the problem will be resolved in the next three weeks
3 What I want to happen now
Would you consider extending our credit for some time, perhaps with interest is charged at the rate we can agree on?
4 Or else
We really wanted to continue buying our supplies from you, but if we enter into a dispute of goodwill will be lost and our business relationship will be over
5 Sweetener
I can assure you our cashflow problem is temporary and we want to preserve our business relationship with you, if possible
6 The next move
I'll phone in the next few days to discuss payment terms
Build your own skeleton
Obviously, the 6-point skeleton is not going to work for every business letter, but the abridged version will be useful, because you can build it back up, so it is tailored to any number of different needs. Here's the basic one that I use:
1 Background
2.Basic question
3rd What will happen or should
4th What to do next
Any further advice? Only that business letters should always be as short as possible. It's not as easy as it sounds. Someone famous (can not remember who) once apologized for writing someone a long letter, because they did not have time to write short. It is difficult to write concisely, but if you use the style and skeleton of the tips above you'll find something easier.
If you need to go into detail, separate that off into a different (but attached) document and use the letter only as a summary of questions and a call to action.
I'm not a social psychologist so I can not quote you a scientific reason, but separating detail from key points usually means that both get read more thoroughly. This is probably because by separating the two elements you provide readers with a more digestible chunks looking. In any case, it works!