How to Write Effective Business Letters or Email

Whether a letter or an email, write exactly what you mean to say.

Writing a business letter or email that effectively communicates a precise message is a skill that anyone in business should learn. Effective business letters are clear, concise and understandable, and they should leave a lasting impression of the writer and his company. Business letters can be written for any number of reasons, including introducing new products to attempting to settle an account or unpaid invoice. Writing an effective letter that clearly communicates a particular request or message is an absolutely essential tool in today's business world.

Instructions

1. Make sure the letter follows a well-organized format, and is easy to read. Keep it simple: Choose one font so your letter does not appear unorganized and without focus.

2. Decide up front what impression you want communicated by your business letter or email. The tone and style of the writing should be consistent with this impression. A business letter asking for a sale will have a different tone and style than one requesting payment of an overdue account.

3. Follow a consistent, logical flow or sequence. Handle multiple ideas or requests in a structured process; do not let the letter jump around to different subjects. For example, a sales letter would describe benefits of a particular product before giving details of purchase.

4. Be sure your letter or email tells the recipient what you want. The letter should clearly direct the reader toward a desired response -- to call, send something or buy something.

5. Check and double-check. Effective written communication does not contain misspelled words. Misspellings make the writer appear careless or unintelligent, which can leave a lasting bad impression of the writer or business.

Tips & Warnings

• Writing an effective, powerful business letter or email that communicates precisely what the writer intends is an absolutely essential tool in today's business world.

References

• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Prioritizing Your Concerns for Effective Business Writing
• MindTools: Getting Your Written Message Across Clearly