1. Basic Principles for Writing Letters Business Communication and Report Writing

2. Determine what you are trying to do with your letter.  Do you want to make a sale?  Set a date?  Thank someone for a gift?  Arrange for an interview?  Are you responding to someone’s letter?  If so, what points do you need to answer.

3. Outlines  Outline the main points and collect any data you may need before you begin writing.  List main points  Collect supporting data—before you begin to write.

4. Use the person’s name  If you are writing a letter, use the person’s name.  Do whatever is necessary to get the correct spelling.  Avoid beginning a letter with “Dear Sir” or “Dear Madam.”

5. Keep it free of jargon  Write directly to the reader in order to make your documents easy to read.  Do not use technical words that are unfamiliar to the reader.

6. Sentence Length  Sentences more than 20 words long are probably too wordy.  If your document sounds choppy, you may need to combine several sentences.  Count the words in your sentences.

7. Use action words  Nouns and action verbs express your thoughts in an interesting manner.  Avoid writing in the passive voice.  Stay away from “flowery” adjectives.

8. Conversational Tone  Write in a natural, conversational tone.  Avoid outdated phrases.  You would never say “Please be advised I am about to give you a glass of milk.”  You would simply say, “Here’s your milk.”

9. Be as brief as possible.  But, be sure the message is complete.  Rarely should a letter or memo exceed one page.  A short letter is not necessarily a good letter.  If you omit details or leave out words of goodwill in order to be brief, you have defeated your purpose.

10. Editing  Good writers edit very carefully, omitting any words that are necessary to the completeness or courtesy of the document.  They always check to be sure that all needed information has been furnished.

11. Paragraphs  Most paragraphs should be no more than four or five sentences.  Long paragraphs are discouraging, and may cause the reader to put the document aside.

12. Be aware of negative words.  Readers can be turned off very easily if your words are insulting.  Here are some negative phrases to avoid: You say You claimed Apparently, you don’t realize You forgot to You delayed

13. Be sure your letter is…  Tactful  Polite  Positive

14. Make your letters look appealing.  Letters have two main purposes. 1. To inform the reader 2. To impart a positive image of the writer.  Remember! Every letter you write helps form an image of you and your ability.

15. Professional Touch  You might …  Underline  Use CAPITALS and different type styles  Indent to highlight important information

16. A letter should…  A letter should always be typed, unless it is a personal note.  The margins should be neat and form a “picture frame” effect.

17. Proofread your letters carefully.  Your letters should be perfect.  There should be no misspelled words.  There should be no typing errors.  There should be no grammatical errors.