How to Respond to Business Letters

Pencil and notebook paper won't cut it.

Businesses receive all kinds of letters: customer complaints, formal legal messages, job inquiries, letters from government about development approval, or funding requests. Responding with another letter gives you a paper trail in controversial matters and makes a more official, impressive statement than a phone call, according to the Work Etiquette website. A badly written letter will make you look foolish and, if the topic is sensitive, can offend the person you're writing to. To respond effectively to business letters, follow the rules of professional etiquette faithfully.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with word-processing software
• Printer
• Paper
• Envelopes and stamps

Instructions

1. Respond promptly. The Work Etiquette site says that unless the writer requests otherwise, she should have your reply within five days.

2. Focus the letter on the topic at hand. Kwintessential.co.uk says the topic should be identified at the top of the letter---"Re: Your Jan. 15 request for funding," for example---so that the recipient knows exactly what you're talking about. Restate any important information you received in the first letter to avoid confusion. If the first letter asked for advice or an opinion, keep it simple and to the point, and don't volunteer your views on anything else. The University of North Carolina says you should assume the reader will be as busy as you are, so make the letter as concise as possible.

3. Write in a formal business style. The Work Etiquette website says that doesn't mean using long words or becoming pompous, but you should avoid slang, jokes or sarcasm. Be polite; even if the letter writer made a totally unreasonable request, a formal "no" will cause fewer problems than sarcasm, snark or mockery.

4. Explain your position politely and calmly if there's a disagreement. Kwintessential.co.uk says you should check with your superiors if you're speaking for your company, to make sure you represent the official position properly.

5. Proofread the response thoroughly. Spell-checking software can't catch everything, and poor spelling will make you look bad, according to the Work Etiquette website. Pay particular attention to people's names and go over it at least once after it's printed out, not just on the screen---you'll catch more errors that way.

Tips & Warnings

• Worketiquette.co.uk recommends hand-signing business letters, rather than using a stamp.

References

• University of North Carolina: Business Letters
• Kwintessential: Business Letter Etiquette
• Work Etiquette: Business Letter Etiquette

Resources

• Purdue University: Writing the Basic Business Letter