274 / SPEAKING AND WRITINGWriting a business letter
Business letters are primarily external documents, although
managers will occasionally use letters to correspond with
subordinates and executives within their organization. Good letters
are crisp, concise, and organized so that readers can follow and
understand the content with little effort.Writing successful letters
Your success as a business writer
depends, in large measure, on your
ability to convince others that what you
have written is worth their attention.
This is more likely if your letter meets
three criteria: it should be concise, it
should be informal, and it absolutely
must be organized. Be careful, however.
Brevity is desirable, but you can overdo
it. Make sure that your letters are
not too brief or curt. It is extremely
important to make sure that your reader
has enough information to understand
the subject. Include each issue relevant
to the subject, and explain the process,
the outcome, or the decision to the
satisfaction of the reader. If you
were receiving the letter, would
the information be sufficient?
Would you be satisfied that the
writer had taken you seriously?Showing interest
When responding to a letter you have
received, aim to show that you are
genuinely interested. The person writing
to you thought the issue was important
enough to write about; you should think
so, too. Show by your words and actions
that you care about the person and the
contents of the letter.
Give everyone the benefit of the doubt.
Don’t automatically assume that the
person corresponding with you is doing
so for the purpose of cheating you or
your company.BE PROMPT
When you receive a business
letter, always send an answer
within three business days.
If you can’t reply within this
time—because you need to
speak with someone else
or gather information—drop
the writer a note to let them
know that you are working
on their problem.Tip
US_274-275_Writing_A_Buisness_Letter.indd 274 30/05/16 3:04 pm