by Naz Daud
http://www.citylocal.co.uk
© 2007
In Business Letters and Email, what are the
basic rules one should follow when writing? Your letter might be the first point
of contact with another business, and how it's written, will demonstrate your
communication skills to the other party.
Always date your
letters, and make sure that you spell the persons name correctly. If you are unsure,
call reception and ask for the correct spelling. I am amazed at how many people
send me letters with my name spelt incorrectly.
Use clear
headings and subheadings. A well constructed letter is much easier to understand.
Use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation - A well written
document says a lot about you. Most software has a "check spelling and grammar"
function. Make sure that you always use it.
Plan your letter
and decide what you are trying to convey before you start writing. It's a good
idea to make some notes, before you start writing the letter.
Be
concise and to the point. Use the minimum number of words to convey your message.
Try and use simple words that everybody can understand. Try to keep the recipient
in mind when writing, especially when writing to someone overseas.
Do
not use technical terms or jargon, unless absolutely necessary. Your reader might
not be familiar with them.
Space out your letter. This
makes the message easier to understand. Start a new paragraph whenever you can
as a well spaced out letter is easier to read and understand. It is a lot easier
on the eye!
Keep templates, for standard letters. I find
that over time my templates improve as I make minor, but significant changes,
to the wording and style.
Keep your humour for your telephone
conversations. Jokes can easily be misinterpreted in written communication.
If
your message is very detailed, it might be simpler to break it down into two letters.
Send the first letter and follow it with a phone call to make sure that the message
is understood before sending the second part.
Always be
polite. Make sure that you ask or request, rather then demand. Don’t use
informal terms in the beginning of your relationship. You can start being less
formal once a relationship has been established.
Answer
all correspondence quickly and clearly. Often, in business, the other party could
lose interest if they do not believe that they are important to you, or if another
business responds first.
Never use shortcuts! You are not
sending a text message.
Make a copy of any written correspondence
and file it away for future reference.
Once you have written
the letter, read it carefully and think about the message you are trying to convey,
before posting or hitting the send button.
