by Nicole Selley

Created on: September 28, 2008   Last Updated: January 23, 2009

Saying it as it is - Writing an effective business letter

An effective business letter is a letter that brings the right message across to the recipient and achieves its objectives (e.g. selling or satisfying). What sounds so easy is all but. And unfortunately, it seems to have become a lost art. Many of the letters that land on my desk every day are poor and often end in my bin before I even finished reading them as they just don't grab me.

But writing a good business letter is not rocket science. Follow my top tips to write a letter that will be read and work.

Tip 1: Know your message!
When reading business letters I often have the impression that the author doesn't really know what he tries to say himself. A large number of messages make it hard to find out what is important. Of course there are many things you want to say, but your key messages must stand out. Keep it simple and create curiosity to find out more. Feel free to enclose a brochure, leaflet or website address for more details.

Tip 2: Know your audience!
Who exactly are you talking to? A finance director, warehouse manager or a receptionist? You need to adjust your letter and speak the language or your audience. If your letter to a top manager is too simplistic he won't feel to be in the right hands. If an entry level employee has to read it 3 times to understand what you want, it might be actioned upon. Don't be patronising or expect existing full product knowledge. You really need to know who you speak to and their level of knowledge of your product or service to write the right letter.

Tip 3: Get to the point!
If your letter is longer than a page you probably did something wrong especially for a first letter and point of contact. You should keep your letter short but complete, not forgetting to give some basic information about who you are, who you work for and portraying your company's brand values. Get to the point and say what you want your customer to know (and what he is likely to be interested in). Offer to follow the letter up by a call for more information and do so. This way, the customer will expect your call and be prepared for it.

Tip 4: Present yourself professionally!
A messy letter without using paragraphs is difficult to read. Ideally your letter can be scanned easily by the reader's eye with keywords standing out (e.g. bold or underlined) and a well structured and thought through flow. This way a busy customer can see quickly if the letter is relevant and worth their time to be read

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