WRITING A BUSINESS LETTER / 275Hitting the right tone
If a correspondent makes a joke, play
along. Show that you have a sense of
humor; however, consider the culture
of your audience and keep in mind that
some humor may not translate well.
If you have to deliver bad news by
letter, say you are sorry. Use phrases
such as, “I am sorry to say that...” or
“I regret to say that we’ll be unable to[do something] because...” You can
soften the blow by saying that you’re
sorry it happened, or that you regret the
outcome. If it’s bad news and your reader
thinks you don’t care, you may spark an
unwanted reaction. If you’re bearing
good news, say that you are glad: “I am
delighted to tell you that...” Alternatively
use a phrase such as: “You will be
pleased to learn that...”FORM LETTERS
It may be tempting to compile a “one-size-
fits-all” approach to writing when there
are many recipients, but it is usually a
recipe for disaster. A letter must answer
all of the questions its audience is likely
to have, responding to their fears, doubts,
and concerns. In situations in which
it is absolutely necessary to use this
approach, you can test market form
letters, by showing them to several
people who are (or have been) members
of the audience in question and asking
for suggestions for improvement.In focus
A letter shouldbe informal and
organized. Brevityis desirable, but you
can overdo it: makeabsolutely sure that
your reader hasenough information
to understandthe subject
Keep a cool head
Never write and quickly send off an
angry letter. Venting your spleen in
an angry, hostile reply to someone may
make you feel good, but it’s almost never
a good idea to post such a letter. Take your
time and cool down before you compose
an angry letter. Then, if you have written
something you aren’t sure about, wait until
the following day so that you can reread
it before sending. Chances are, you’ll
think twice about mailing.US_274-275_Writing_A_Buisness_Letter.indd 275 02/06/16 4:36 pm