Business Letter – Effective Writing Techniques - September 20, 2010
Before you sit down to write that important business letter, here are a few things to think about.
Who is your read?
Many business letters are written from the perspective of the writer and not the reader. This can cause your message not to be effectively conveyed. When writing, you want to be able to get into the reader’s mind and know what they need to know. Only share the information the reader needs to know and try to eliminate any information they will already know. Once you have a clear understanding of what the reader needs to know, you can write more effectively.
Write so your reader will understand.
Make sure you write in a way that the reader will be able to understand. Avoid using slang terminology, uncommon jargon, industry specific acronyms, or other terms your read may not be familiar with. You always want your business correspondence to be as simple as possible. If there a choice between using a complex word and a simple one, use the simple word. When you keep your message simple, it will be easily conveyed.
Make sure to use a positive tone.
When communicating orally it is easy to understand the other person tone, you can hear their emotions, and know when they are being sincere or sarcastic. In writing you do not have that same advantage, it is hard to convey your tone on a piece of paper. Many business letters are interpreted by the read to have an unfriendly tone that was not intended by the writer.
There are specific words that automatically convey a negative tone, such as, fault, failure, blame, etc. You want to avoid using these types of words whenever possible in writing. Focus on using word that conveys a positive tone, such as, please, agree, understand, etc. This will help setup a positive point of view in the readers mind, and their response to your message will also likely be positive.
Once you have completed the letter, use spell check first and then manually proofread it for accuracy. Only by manually proofreading you will be able to catch all the mistakes. Also you want to check your paragraphs to make sure they are complete paragraphs. All paragraphs should have a single complete thought. After you get done, make sure to sign the letter to add a personal touch.
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