Effective writing skills are a hallmark of a business professional.
Business writing is often the main line of communication inside and outside of any organization, making writing skills important to master.
Here are a few things you want to know before starting to write a business letter.
Purpose Why am I writing this letter? What do I want the reader to know, to understand, or do when finished reading my letter? Focus on the message your letter is intended to convey, and then make it your goal to convey that message to reader.
Make every word, every sentence, and every paragraph work towards accomplishing that one goal.
Audience Who am I writing this letter for? Before you begin to write, ask yourself this question, "Who is this letter for?" Visualize and write for the reader and you will have a better chance of getting your message across.
You might write the same message in many different ways, depending on who will be reading it.
Many business letters, memos, and reports are written for the perspective of the writer and not the reader.
This can cause the message to be lost or misconstrued.
Business correspondence must clearly convey the message to the reader on the first reading.
The business world is too busy to study letters looking for obscure or hidden meanings.
Context What does the reader already know? Try to eliminate any information that the reader will already know.
Think of the questions your reader might ask about your subject, and then let the answers form the basis of the letter.
If you can get into your reader's mind and know what they need to know, you can write a letter that conveys the appropriate information in the best form possible.
Tone Before deciding on your tone, you should answer all the questions stated above.
In most business communication you can use the same level of tone.
Overall your tone should be courteous, confident, and sincere.
Avoid any discriminatory words, slag terms, or words that might give a negative imagery.
Also avoid using large or complex words, as they sometimes give a negative tone.
Copy Right 2009 © C Bracken Meyers
Business writing is often the main line of communication inside and outside of any organization, making writing skills important to master.
Here are a few things you want to know before starting to write a business letter.
Purpose Why am I writing this letter? What do I want the reader to know, to understand, or do when finished reading my letter? Focus on the message your letter is intended to convey, and then make it your goal to convey that message to reader.
Make every word, every sentence, and every paragraph work towards accomplishing that one goal.
Audience Who am I writing this letter for? Before you begin to write, ask yourself this question, "Who is this letter for?" Visualize and write for the reader and you will have a better chance of getting your message across.
You might write the same message in many different ways, depending on who will be reading it.
Many business letters, memos, and reports are written for the perspective of the writer and not the reader.
This can cause the message to be lost or misconstrued.
Business correspondence must clearly convey the message to the reader on the first reading.
The business world is too busy to study letters looking for obscure or hidden meanings.
Context What does the reader already know? Try to eliminate any information that the reader will already know.
Think of the questions your reader might ask about your subject, and then let the answers form the basis of the letter.
If you can get into your reader's mind and know what they need to know, you can write a letter that conveys the appropriate information in the best form possible.
Tone Before deciding on your tone, you should answer all the questions stated above.
In most business communication you can use the same level of tone.
Overall your tone should be courteous, confident, and sincere.
Avoid any discriminatory words, slag terms, or words that might give a negative imagery.
Also avoid using large or complex words, as they sometimes give a negative tone.
Copy Right 2009 © C Bracken Meyers
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