An effective business letter can either get you the job or cause the recipient to toss it into file 13, the garbage can. It is your first impression to a prospective client or business associate, so you'd better make it a good one or you might not get another chance.

An effective and therefore, successful business letter contains the necessary information along with the promise of more. That's more as in more good things will come from following up on this letter. An effective business letter always follows the general format of business letters. That means you should have the sender's name and address or letterhead followed by the date of the letter. The recipient of the letter's name and address should be next. Follow that up with either the salutation or the In re memo of the letter.

If you know exactly who will be reading the letter, then address the salutation directly to that person. Most of the time however, we have no idea who will be reading the letter. Therefore, the best way to address that letter is to keep it neutral, like Dear Sir or Madam. The body of the letter should be direct and to the point. State your reason for writing in the first paragraph. Be concise and as brief as possible. People will pay more attention to and read a short letter more carefully. A longer letter is more likely to be "skimmed" over. If you are selling a product, then list a few of the major selling points, but add that there are "too many more to list." This leaves the prospective buyer wanting to know more about your product, therefore leading to an agreement of an appointment to showcase the product.

Last, always remember to thank the person you are writing to for reading your letter. This is a great place to add that you look forward to meeting and talking to them in person. People respond well to letters that are confident and enthusiastic. When closing your letter, remember to leave enough space to write your signature above your typed name and title, if applicable. If you enclose any items, be sure to list the enclosures.

A well written business letter is a very useful and necessary tool. Always remember the basic rules and you will stand a much better chance of actually meeting the recipient of your letter.

Learn more about this author, Shelia West.
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