April 2023 - Page 4 of 12

5 Great Tips to Effective Letter Writing

Many people might wonder the need for letter writing in a world dominated by emails. If you wish to streamline your communication, never ignore the power of a well constructed letter. An email cannot achieve the impact that a well written letter can generate. Whether it is business, sales, cover or personal letter, you can master it by learning some simple tips.

1. The content of a letter should be planned well. To streamline your communication, make a draft of your letter. This will help in communicating effectively. Make sure that all the points have been detailed and check your letter for readability. Rephrase those sentences that can be misunderstood. Check the spelling, especially, the name of the receiver. Another key aspect is the consistency in the spelling of names. To be on the safer side, it is always wise to prepare a draft of business, sales and cover letters.

2. Use of language. For business letters, always use formal language. Sales letters need to attract potential customers. So they can be informal with catchy headlines. But when the sales letter talks about guarantee, delivery and other core issues, use a formal tone. Cover letters should always be written in formal language. Maximum flexibility with language can be shown in a personal letter. Depending upon your relationship, you can choose a formal or informal language. To streamline your communication, you should learn the art of selecting the appropriate tone for your letter.

3. Your letter might be intended for several people. This does not mean that it should not have a personal touch. Always write a business or sales letter like writing to a single person. A personal touch in your sales letter or newsletter will make the reader feel more comfortable. The reader should never feel like reading a brochure. The letter should have the effect of a personal conversation.

4. One of the best methods to streamline your communication is to make effective use of all modern day writing techniques. Use headlines to indicate the subject matter. Make use of bullets to detail important points. Use simple language. If a scientific term is used explain it in parentheses. You can make use of italics, bolding and underling in the letter. You can also create a template for your letter.

5. Brevity. Today, people do not have time to spend on reading long letters. Make your point in least number of words. Never deviate from the core subject. Unnecessary deviations from the subject can do more harm than good. Sometimes the reader might totally ignore the letter.

Letters are an important tool of communication. Remember, they can also become documental evidences. Your success in the modern day world depends on how effectively you are able to streamline your communication.

Mechanism of Effective Letter Writing

The need and demand to write effective letters has existed for long as a means of communication between two individuals. It holds a key importance in all aspects of life including social, personal, and professional.

However, in the present days, the importance of letters has been overpowered by the electronic media including phones, mobiles, and emails. These medium do not actually require writing a letter to put across an individual’s point of view but even then it is believed that the impact an effective letter can generate is unique in its own way.

If anyone wishes to streamline their communication and put across their point of view, then no electronic media can dominate the power of an effective and well-constructed letter.

Initiating the letter is the most challenging thing. Many people are often confused how to start the letter and some are paralyzed at the prospect of having to fill the sheet. After that another important tip to start effective letter writing is to draft a letter. Drafting is a rough sheet or an early version of the actual writing piece. In the sheet the individual can write all the words and sentences that come to his or her mind and then form a rough piece of the final letter. Write and re-write again and again so as to get a final edited version. Then, it is important that the writer knows the purpose of the letter that should be clear, precise, and effective. The purpose of the letter should be in the mind of the writer and should be presented in a way that it potentially reaches the mind of the reader.

Then another important aspect is the type of content. The content should be well organized in a form of effective paragraphs. The paragraph should be short and precise with simple and contemporary language. The spellings and grammar should also be checked again and again with utmost care. Vocabulary should also be within the experiential domain that the readers can easily understand. Use of language should be in accordance to the type of letter. For business letters, usage of formal language is appropriate with catchy headlines in order to draw the attention of potential reader.

Then, another important aspect is the length of the letter. In the busy lifestyle today, people don’t prefer reading long letters. So, the content should be brief and explanative, whilst putting across the actual point of view or the purpose of the letter. Some even put bullets in official letters to put across some important points in a precise and straightforward manner.

The letter should be ended with a clear conclusion or an ending statement. When the final copy is ready, read the letter twice or thrice to check out few errors and then rectify those effectively.

The Importance of the Legal Aspects of Business Correspondence

The writing of business letters calls for two classes of skills. First, we need to know how to lay out a business letter in acceptance form, and be thoroughly familiar with it, so that in practically every letter we write we use the standard layout. There will always be the odd letter that for some reason is non-standard, but in general we should write naturally in the well-tried, standard way, so that our correspondents will feet at ease with the letter when it arrives. The other skill is the ability to write in good English, with the letter’s subject matter falling into clear paragraphs, each of which is written in lucid sentences. The ability to write in sentences, both simple sentences and more complex sentences, ensures that each part of the letter expresses a complete thought, or a group o related thoughts. This enables our correspondent to follow the points we are making, in logical steps, and to arrive at the end of the letter with a clear understanding of our point of view on the matter, or matters, that we have raised.

These two aspects require a great deal of explanation, and we shall learn the skills best if we understand the reasons behind the various practices that have been adopted over the years. We will therefore start by considering the legal aspects of business correspondence.

The legal aspects of business correspondence

Almost all business activity is contractual in nature. This means that the two people engaged in any particular transaction are undertaking certain obligations to one another and at the same time acquiring certain rights. Thus the furniture manufacturer who agrees to supply some of his/her products to a wholesaler is entering into a transaction by which he/she accepts an obligation to supply the goods specified in return for a right to receive a monetary payment called ‘the price’. Where a service is to be supplied, the arrangement is just the same. For example, a security company agrees to protect premises with its security guards and specialist devices, in return for an agreed contractual fee.

Should any dispute arise, it can be settled by going to court, with the aggrieved party suing the other party. To sue someone is to summon them to court, to show why you should not have the justice you are seeking. The judge will look at correspondence that has passed between you (including any document such as contracts, invoices, memos, etc.) and will pronounce judgment in the matter. It is the legal nature of correspondence that requires setting out the correspondence in a standard form of layout. The chief points are:

1) The names and addresses of both parties to the contract must be stated on all correspondence.

2) All correspondence must be clearly dated.

3) To assist in tracing correspondence, it is usual to give references at the top of the letter.

4) To make the subject matter of the letter clear, it is usual to give a subject heading at the start of the letter.

5) To start the letter itself, we need some sort of greeting. This is called the salutation, and may be a general greeting, such as Dear Sir.

6) We then have a number of paragraphs that deal with the matter in hand.

7) Finally, we need a concluding section. This is called ‘the complimentary close’ or ‘subscription’.

8) If copies are being sent to other departments, there may be a list of their names, headed CC (copies circulated).

If all these details are included, the court will have no difficulty understanding what the parties have done. Clearly we do not expect to finish up in court when we start to deal with a supplier or customer, but in case we do, the formal layout described will serve as evidence.

How to Write a Resume

So, you have finally graduated after years spent working your way through school, and you are now ready to begin your career and are on your job hunt. Congratulations! Now, you want to know how to write a resume, and I am here to tell you that there are many ways for you to do this, and many places that you can go to get the help you need, and gain confidence along the way. Let’s get started, shall we?

A resume should follow the format of a typical business letter. At the top should be the heading, your main information such as your name, address, phone number, as well as an email address and cell phone number, if you have them. Hopefully, you do have one or the other, at least an email address, so the employer has a couple of options to contact you.

This information should be in a basic, easy to read font, in the color black, and bolded.

Now, assuming that you are a new graduate asking how to write a resume, your educational degree/s should be listed next. What educational facility or facilities you attended, for what time period, and the degree/s you earned.

Space down a few times, and state your career objective. Be careful when doing this, however; employers are not happy to see objectives which they define as too general, explain exactly what skills you are hoping to utilize for their company, let them know also what you are hoping to become more proficient at while employed at their company.

Go down a couple more spaces, and then start listing your employment history, starting with the position that you held most recently, and working back from there. Include here not only your duties, but any special projects that you took on while you were there, accomplishments, improvements you made, and any committees that benefited from your contribution.

Give special homage to and of these activities that you excelled at, which relate to the job you are presently seeking, of course.

Once you have listed your employment history, space down some more and list your extracurricular activities, sports, clubs, as well as any special designations you may have. For instance, if you are looking for work in the legal field and are already certified as a Notary Public, definitely mention this, as Notaries Public are very important in many fields of law, as well as in some other professions.

If all of this information can fit on one page, that is the way most employers prefer it. However, do not ever leave out anything pertinent to the job you are applying for just to save space, by all means, go on to a second sheet of paper.

Now, this is only one example of how to write a resume. If you would like to explore perhaps some more sophisticated options, or just would like a variety to mull over, you have plenty of things that you can do.

You can locate a resume template, even download it if you choose and be quite confident that you will be formatting everything correctly.

You could also contact a resume writing service, or seek advice from the Placement Office at your college or university. There are endless options for you, the sky’s the limit, so go forth and create a resume to get you the job of your dreams!!

Factors to Consider in Letter Writing

Even in the face of advancement of mobile communication and SMS technology, writing letters continue to be an important and effective means of communication. Especially in formal discussions and agreements, they are often finalized in letters.

Writing letters date back from the olden days. It is way of communicating via a pen and some kind of paper. The notes passed in class between friends are considered letters. But the formal letters are what we will bring to focus in this discussion.

It is very important to learn how to write letters clearly and effectively. Otherwise, you fail to get the right message across. The good thing with writing letters, in contrast to verbal communication, is that you have a moment to pause and think about what you want to say, the order of the things you want to say, and at the same time be able to choose the right words to deliver a clear message.

In writing a letter, determine your purpose. It will make it easier to construct your sentences. Organize your thoughts beforehand. If possible, you can draft an outline first and write a trial letter. Read it over and over and edit along the way as necessary.

Be clear and make sure your data is complete. Provide names, dates, venues, time, contact numbers, addresses and other specific details as necessary and appropriately. If necessary, state the main reason for writing that letter, and what you want to achieve from bringing that message.

Get the appropriate tone. It is always critical to reach a correct tone. Avoid being too formal or too casual. Generally, business letters should acquire a more formal tone. Personal letters to friends are more informal. Use respectful words typical in formal letters.

Keep your sentences simple and sincere as possible. The reader will always sense whether you are genuine or just making stories. Steer clear from terminologies not familiar to your addressee. In fact, as a general rule, avoid using highfaluting words. Use common words as much as possible. For example, if you mean something big, avoid using the word “colossal” when you simply mean huge or large.

A well written letter does not go in circles. It drives to the conclusion in a clear manner. It maintains a precise yet complete message. It does not beat around the bush because that only makes the reader more confused.

A good letter has the gist of the message in the first paragraph. It expands into details as the letter progresses. Succeeding paragraphs all support the main idea.

The final paragraph usually summarizes the message and extends regards to the recipient. In this part, you usually express gratitude for taking the time out to read what you have written. This is also the part wherein appreciation is expressed.

There are several formats you can follow. But typically, in every letter, there are five parts. First is the date and time. Second is the address of the sender (your address). Third is the salutation (often starts with “Dear”). Fourth is the body of the letter. This is your main message and the largest part of the letter. And fifth is the closing or your signature.

Important Tips in Business Writing

Letter writing is a form of communication. Thoughts, feelings, opinions and intentions are written clearly so that the reader will fully understand what exactly you wish to say. Personal letters are more common and informal. But a business letter is more formal and must adhere to certain rules, format and restrictions.

If you are a businessman or a business owner, it is important to create an effective business letter in dealing with clients or to other employees. A good business letter will have a great impact on the success of your business dealings and build a good impression to your clients.

The most basic step in formal writing is creating an effective letter to elicit a sense of professionalism. In order to achieve this you must use proper and respectful words. As much as possible do not write in a slang manner and avoid using abbreviations. Always maintain an excellent grammar construction and do not use extended sentences.

Be concise and straightforward with your letter as much as possible. It is also important to have enough knowledge on the matter you are trying to write in order to be effective and clear in delivering your message. Remember that first impression is important and there is no second chance so make the most of it when writing your business letter.

It is also important for a business letter to look neat. If possible use a computer or typewriter in creating letters. However if you don’t have access to any of these tools, you can have it hand written but make sure to write neatly. As a reminder, do not use colored or paper with designs with your business letters since it would look informal and unnecessary. Use plain white paper to keep your letter neat and simple anyway what is important is the content of the letter.

Another key factor in creating a good business letter is to know the exact name of the person you are going to address the letter. This suggestion is very important especially when you are going to address it to an executive or a high official in a company. If you don’t know the name, you must exert effort in finding out by calling the company and ask anyone who can provide you what you need to know. Writing the exact name of the person in your letter will have a positive impact with your reader. Addressing a letter with “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir/Ma’am” and other way should be avoided.

Finally, the most important thing to consider before sending out your business letter or any correspondence is to make it a habit to do some spelling and grammatical check. Afterwards, read the whole letter thoroughly and look for homonyms and do necessary editing. In most cases, when reading through your letter helps a lot because you will most likely see any errors which need some editing. You must also ensure to rephrase any improper sentences or anything that sounds awkward when read.

In terms of style in writing, it all depends on your personal preference. There is no rule in terms of the style. What is important is that you must do your best to integrate these tips in your writing whether it is for personal or business use. By doing so, you will surely improve your writing skills and will see better results.

It is also a good habit to read and observe some samples of letters so you will have an idea which you can later apply with your letter writing. You can see many of the good letter samples in the internet.

5 Reasons for Writing Business Correspondence

What is an effective business organization? The answer to this is quite broad and diverse. But there is one aspect of business operations that is often neglected. This is business writing.

Effective business communication is important in the daily operation of a company. Moreover, it can dictate whether the company earns or loses money. In addition, it affects the business organization at different levels from the individual up to the corporate leaders.

1. To convey information

The essential role of business writing in an organization is to share information. Whether it is the latest sales statistics or sale projection, a business plan, a marketing proposal, proper communication of data is essential. The success of a business organization depends on the quality of information that passes through its people.

2. To justify an action

Another reason why people communicate is to justify or explain an action. One example to this is writing an incident report. The person explains what happened so that the company can understand an event better. Justifications and explanations require that the author put as much detail as possible to communicate his thought clearly.

3. To influence action

Business writing is often a way to influence other people. A good example of this is presenting a business proposal, a marketing plan or a project proposal. By detailing pertinent information, the author seeks to affect the decision. Influencing others is a hallmark of effective business communication.

4. To deliver good or bad news

The workplace is a dynamic place. It offers employees both good and bad news on a daily basis. Through proper business communication, the bad news is properly written to soften the blow. Likewise, good news is highlighted just to give emphasis. This can range from getting a pay raise to sharing the company’s achievements. On the other hand, this can offer grim realities like suspensions, or even layoffs.

5. To direct action

Lastly, effective business writing aims to direct the reader to the right actions. Many company documents like SOP manuals, employee handbooks, technical instruction manuals and the like offer explicit information. In order for a corporate correspondence to direct the action of the employee, it must be clear and concise. Unfortunately, many failures in communication result due to unclear and conflicting statements.

Having these 5 reasons of corporate correspondence in mind, an author can effectively write business communication. Furthermore, the proper writing style stems from a clear and effective business writing purpose.

Features Of An Effective Business Letter

Writing an effective business letter is an art. It is an acquired skill and depends on constant practice. Regular practice gives a flow to the style and brings a natural sense of expression. Features of an effective business letters are:

Scientific Expression

Scientific expression means something said directly and briefly. A good composition is essential for a business correspondence. To that end, a letter must be written clearly. Clarity in writing letters is of particular importance because many people have a lot of letters to deal with and they cannot waste their time trying to decipher the meaning of the composition. A letter written clearly in simple language conveys the meaning immediately to the reader.

Brevity is said to be the soul of the wit. Therefore, whatever you want to communicate, do so in brief and a forceful language. A letter written in brief and concise form contains only essential information. It must not be overweight with irrelevant and superfluous details. One must use as few words as possible but the composition must not be abrupt and vague. In the busy world of trade and commerce, people do not have much time in the midst of feverish activities. Thus, a wordy and circumlocutory letter irritates the reader rather than pleasing him/her.

Accuracy is important in a business letter; whatever you communicate in a letter must be accurate. The facts mentioned by you must be true and genuine. The writer must employ a suitable style and correct format. Rules of grammar and style must be followed. Correct construction of sentences and punctuation are essential in a business letter.

There must be proper paragraph divisions in a letter. Each distinct point must be expressed in a separate paragraph. For a new paragraph, both styles, ‘intended’ or ‘block’, are regarded correct at the present time. Some people begin the paragraphs at the left hand margin without leaving any space (indentation) and some of them think it proper to leave some space on the left-hand side.

Scientific expression prefers everything in a systematic and orderly way. A letter, therefore, must be drafted under the norms discussed above to bring effectiveness in communication.

Association of Ideas

The ideas and facts mentioned in the letter must be interlinked. It must be well-planned so that the reader is able to understand it easily. The writer must tackle various facts one by one. He must prepare a diagram in his mind and work upon it. Coherence in writing makes it interesting and affects the reader positively. Therefore, association of interconnection of ideas is a plus point in good business communication.

Politeness and optimism

Politeness and optimism are the passwords in the business world. Business correspondence must be conducted in a polite tone. Courtesy costs nothing but pays rich dividends. Politeness wins sympathy, respect and mutual understanding. Everybody likes to be addresses pleasantly, so it must be heeded. ‘Please’, ‘we appreciate’, ‘thanks’, ‘I am sorry’, ‘may we’, etc., are certain words that convey politeness or courtesy and these induce the reader to respond to the writer in a similar manner.

How to Write a Business Letter – Super Tips to Create a Stunning Business Letter

If you are planning to start a business, you cannot afford to neglect knowing how to write a business letter.

Even if your business may be just a small entrepreneurial startup, knowing how to write a business letter is a key skill that you, or at least one of your assistants, should know.

Before we go on with the technicalities of an effective business letter, let’s lay down the reasons why a business owner should have excellent writing skills.

Business letters are the primary means by which your company would communicate to investors. They should give a great impression of you and your company. They could actually prove crucial to your business taking off or to its survival.

Business letters should be understandable, be able to communicate exactly what needs to be done, or state communication in a very clear manner. Without clarity, miscommunication may lead to misunderstandings, or worse, botched jobs.

Want to write a business letter that rocks? Then it has to possess these characteristics:

1. The standard format of letter writing applies. Ideally, a business letter should contain the following information, in order:

– Letterhead (the sender’s address)

– Current date

– Recipient name and address

– Subject (optional)

– Salutation/Greeting

– Message (body of the letter)

– Closing salutation

– Signature (including the corporate designation/position of the sender)

2. The business letter should be written in block style.

3. Use double space; and as much as possible, keep the letter in the center of the paper you use.

4. Do not shorten your words and verb forms. “Do not” should not be written as “don’t,” and so on. Otherwise, the letter gives an impression of informality.

5. Keep the letter brief and concise, but be sure to include all the information you need to communicate.

In knowing how to write a business letter, make sure that it elicits the desired results. Keep the following in mind:

– Include a reference to an event, matter, or information that is pertinent to your letter, or is the reason for your writing the letter even.

– Obviously, you would need to include the reasons for your writing. Whether the letter is a request, agreeing to a request, delivering bad news, etc., don’t be so busy as to actually forget what you need to communicate.

– Remember to enclose the important documents that the letter should come with.

– Provide a reference to where the recipient could contact you after reading the letter.

– Always keep a copy of the letter with you.

As you can see, knowing how to write a business letter is rather simple. Just bear in mind that this letter aims to communicate and that the main objective is to communicate what you need to in the clearest and most concise manner possible.

Components of a Business Letter

A letter is a form of written communication widely used across the world. Different types of letters are used in different situations. For example, formal letters are used for official purposes, whereas informal letters are meant for family and friends.

A business letter is a type of formal letter. It is used for the exchange of information between various business agents, i.e. customers, owners, suppliers, government officials, etc.

Every such type of letter has a set of components common to different styles of business writing. The components are:

1. Origin of the letter – This section includes the name, address and other contact details, such as the phone number and e-mail, of the sender. For the recipient, this is also the return address of the letter.

2. Letter date – It refers to the date on which the letter was written. The date is generally written in the “Begin with the month, use a comma” format (March 5, 2011) or “Begin with the day, no comma” format (5 March 2011).

3. Mailing details of the recipient – This section includes the complete name, address and title of the recipient.

4. Point of reference – If the letter is in response to any specific detail asked by the recipient, then it needs to be mentioned. For example: the bill number or the branch code, etc.

5. Subject of the letter – It is a one-liner indicating the purpose of the letter.

6. Salutation – It includes words for greeting the recipient. For instance, Dear Sir or Madam.

7. Body of the letter – It contains the content of the letter.

8. Complimentary close/complimentary closing – It is a phrase that appears at the end of the letter but before the signature of the sender. It helps in closing the letter in a non-abrupt manner and also shows respect for the recipient of the letter. Some commonly used complimentary closings are ‘Yours faithfully’, ‘Yours Sincerely’, and ‘Regards’.

9. Signature of the sender – This section includes the signature and name of the sender. It may also include the designation of the sender.

10. Enclosures – If any additional document or documents is sent with the letter, then their number and title is mentioned in the enclosure section.

11. CC – ‘CC’ means courtesy copies. It is an optional section that includes the list of people and their addresses who will require the copy of the letter along with the enclosures, if any.