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.