Correspondence that Gets Noticed: Letter Writing 101
Even though much of business today has resorted to phone calls and e-mails, there is still a place for business letter writing. In many cases, a letter will follow up other types of correspondence to finalize an agreement in writing. Letter writing has a friendly, personal touch, whether it is between businesses or a business and its clients. If you want to learn how to write killer correspondence that gets noticed, check out these letter writing tips.
Types of Letter Writing
The first step in professional letter writing is to understand the different types of correspondence you might be working with. Writing business to business letters is going to look different than mailings that are sent out to your customers. There is a format and appropriate style to both of these situations, and following the general guidelines will help enhance professionalism in your written word as well as in other areas of business dealings.
Business to business letter writing is generally more formal both in language and format. The purpose is often to formalize the general terms of an agreement that has been arrived at through a series of meetings, phone calls and e-mails. In this type of letter writing, the language is often warm but formal, and personal details are left out. The best letters are brief and to the point, honest and thoughtful. The point of the letter can be outlined in the first paragraph, and the final lines should alert your recipient to action that must be taken. Make sure that you edit your letter well before sending it out to ensure that it is free of spelling and grammar errors.
Business to client letters may be written for a variety of purposes. You may be informing your customer of a new product or service, acknowledging your customer's business or collecting on an overdue bill. The style of these letters are similar to business to business letters, although you may need to pull a few tricks out of your hat to get your customer's attention at the beginning of the correspondence. This can be done through a surprising statistic or a rhetorical question. Keep the style of the letter honest and interesting, incorporate humor if appropriate and refrain from foul or offensive language at all costs.
General Tips
No matter who the audience of your letter might be, there are a few basic guidelines to keep in mind. First, keep your letter to a single page, since most recipients won't read beyond page one. If you must incorporate technical information into the letter, put it in as an attachment and refer to the attachment in the body of your letter. Don't begin writing your letter until you have a basic plan of what you want to say. This will ensure that you cover all of the main points before the letter is signed and sent out.
In the electronic age, niceties like business letters still have a place. With the right skills to draft professional correspondence, you can use the written word effectively to further your business.
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