Writing a business letter is in my opinion all about balance. For on the one hand you want to effectively get a message across in a professional manner, whilst on the other hand you don't want to appear severe, too pushy, or unfriendly.

A business letter should be persuasive, without making the recipient feel they are being railroaded into making a decision, or into coming to a conclusion. You are putting forward a proposition or a decision and you want to give the recipient of the letter every chance to buy into it. Thus business letters should be respectful and fit for human consumption, but never too personal or sycophantic.

Another perspective of a business letter is that it is a vehicle for propagating information. That is information that is relevant and necessary. Try to keep things simple. Certainly, always have in mind not to overburden the recipient with irrelevant details and too much information. Conversely, always consider what information the recipient must have.

This information should be displayed prominently and clearly. For example: reference numbers, account numbers, contact details, and references to previous correspondences, can be displayed prominently before the main body of the letter.

A business letter is invariably written to make something happen - to facilitate action. Consider what you want the letter to achieve and then construct your business letter with this in mind.

At the end of a business letter I like to encourage the recipient to feel free to contact me for further details, to clarify any points, or to discuss any issues.

The layout of the letter should consist of the name and address of the sender that is easily accessible and clearly visible. I also advocate a heading that explains the purpose of the letter. Paragraphs should be kept as short as what is reasonably practical, and logical in that they relate to a single topic. The letter should be arranged on the page so that the overall appearance looks neat and balanced.

It is also well worth the expense to invest in good quality stationary.

Finally, don't overlook the importance of the envelope. This should be correctly addressed, inclusive of the correct Postal Code/Zip code. The envelope should look neat. This way you are starting to create a good impression of yourself, or/and your organization even before the recipient has opened your correspondence.

Learn more about this author, Peter McLaughlin.
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