Business letters have been the only type of business correspondence for much longer than any of us can remember, so "business correspondence“ is still associated with them more than with its any other type.
And as anything that "has been there" for a long time business letters just have to have very well established rules and regulations. There are some rules you cannot afford to ignore when writing a
business letter. Though a lot of the rules can be adjusted to your needs, you need to be familiar with them before you can start “bending” them.
Writing business correspondence is a little different from writing a personal letter or e-mail. But the basic formula is the same: You Can Read + You Can Speak= You Can Write.
Major Principles for Better Business Writing
CONCISE
It cannot stress enough that in most cases a short letter is much stronger than a long one. Use concise and appropriate language. Remember that the less you say, the more you say –
and this isn't a contradiction. Too often people bury important content in a flood of words and muddle their letters by straying from topic to topic. Get in, make your point, get out. Pick the key point you want to make and stick to it. If you have more than one topic, consider saving the other ones for a different letter. Try to make your paragraphs short too, they should not exceed three or four sentences. When appropriate give concrete examples: they help hammer home your point.
SIMPLE
Many people think plain language means simplistic, boring or childish, but Plain English means clear English. Think of plain English editing as cutting out the complexity and redundancy in your writing to leave a clear, streamlined and flowing style your readers can understand effortlessly.
Simple writing is a sign of clear thinking and hard work. It's the writing style of the best professional writers and communicators. In the US, President Bill Clinton signed the Plain Language Law. It states, "Shorter is better than long. Active is better than passive.
Clarity helps advance understanding. By using plain language, we send a clear message about what the government is doing, what it requires, and what services it offers. Plain language saves
the government and private sector time, effort, and money.”
CLEAR
The definition of clear writing is "writing that cannot be misunderstood." Every word should mean one thing, each sentence should say one thing, and together they should create a tool for achieving your goal. If your reader understands you, then does what you intend, your business correspondence succeeds.
Tips for Better Business Writing
1)To start with, write in a natural style as if you were talking to the reader. And when you
are writing think of the times when you speak at your best - when your words, sentences,
and paragraphs are more precise than your typical, everyday speech.
2) Good writing helps your reader see you as a real person and treats him or her as one too. Many business writers are tempted to hide behind officious, complex language, using it both to avoid saying what they mean and because so many others use it. It really is not the best thing to do.
3) There are still a lot of business letters using the pompous language like "we shall be greatly obliged if you could favor us." or "you can rest assured that we shall make certain." This awkward language causes most of the readers to believe that the author is trying to pretend
his/her letter is more important than it is.
4) But more and more people use more conversational tone in business writing. Tone is essential in writing. People who read your letters, e-mails, faxes, and memos have no opportunity to interpret your body language or tone of voice, as they would in a conversation.
So you just try to convey what you want to say a little clearer than when you speak. Just structure
it a little more: Nothing complicated.
5) Start the piece of business correspondence with your key point - in journalism this is called
your 'lead'. Let your reader know the important stuff up front. This way they understand from
the beginning what you're trying to say.
6) Use a positive tone. Use negatives such as "don't," "won't," and "not" as seldom as
possible in business writing, and when their use is justified, do it only to deny, not to evade or be indecisive. Instead of "We can't decide until tomorrow," write "We should decide tomorrow," or, better yet, "We will decide tomorrow.”
7) Always try to be civil and friendly even if the subject matter is stern and sensitive. Give the impression to the recipient that some effort and thought has gone into the letter.
8) Dixie would also suggest you vary the length of your sentences to avoid lulling your reader to sleep. Make some short and sharp. Draw others out by linking two or three together: clip with commas, stitch with semicolons; even staple with dashes - if you like.
9) Avoid using "we" in business writing if you don't have to - use it if you are really talking about a group opinion, position,or action (such as a company policy or a decision voted on at a meeting), but don't use it to replace "I" with something more flowery. Readers like to see that you are a person, not a vague corporate "we" or an impersonal "the writer." Your reader isn't stupid and doesn't like being talked down to.
10) Even if you are writing to tell your readers something they know nothing about, think of them as intelligent but uninformed, not dumb.
