How to Improve Business Letter Writing Skills
Business letters are often the first form of communication that is seen by those you are or wanting to conduct business with. A poorly written business letter may cause someone to have a negative idea of your business. When business letters are written well, with correct spelling, punctuation and tone, they have a greater impact on your business. Ultimately, this can lead to increased profits and greater success for you and your company.
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Instructions
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Brainstorm what you want to say. Don’t worry about putting it down correctly at first. Just get the things you need to make sure are in the letter down on paper.
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Start organizing what you have just put down. Decide which subject or sentence will be the first one after the introductory (or opening) sentence.
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Continue to organize your sentences and paragraphs. Remember that you are still working with a rough draft, so make changes as needed.
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Add or include any documentation, figures or information that is needed.
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Go back and read it again once you have everything written down. Make additions, changes and corrections as needed.
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Save this “rough draft.” This way, when you begin writing the actual letter, you will still have your original draft in case something should happen to the computer or any other incident should occur. By having this, you will not have to start all over.
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Go back and write your letter in its final, ready-to-print format.
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Perform the spell-check and grammar-check functions, and correct any errors.
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Print the letter out (on a quality printer). Remove the paper carefully, and allow it to sit for a few minutes before signing it, folding it and placing it in the envelope.
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Tips & Warnings
Don’t bother putting in figures, documentation or complete information while you are brainstorming. Just make notations as to where or when you need to “flesh out” the information.
A dictionary will help you determine if you are using a word that has more than one meaning or usage correctly. The words “to,” “too” and “two” are good examples. Some grammar-checking software will catch and correct errors. Others may not, so it is a good idea to have a back-up source.
If you see that you are using the same word several times, this is where a thesaurus can help. It will offer suggestions for other words that can be used.
Although it is important to get all information in, business letters should be no longer than two pages, if at all possible. It may be necessary to give brief explanations or information, and send supporting documentation or additional information in separate correspondence.
If you are not sure of a person’s title (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss, Doctor and others), find out before you write the letter. This is especially true when corresponding with women. Some women may not mind the universal “Ms.” salutation. Others may resent it.
