Action
Finally, you will need to make sure that your letter indicates:
.
What action needs to be taken.
.
When it is to be taken – deadlines should be as specific as possible.
. Who is expected to take it. This paragraph of the letter should be clearly distinguishable from the features or facts – so that it stands out. Be careful not to be abrupt or demanding in the way you ask for action. Actions should be specific and achievable.
Concluding Remarks
If you leave the letter at the actions stage, it sounds rather abrupt. The last line of the letter
should provide the polite and human touch.
Example
“I look forward to hearing from you.”
“I hope this information will be useful.”
“Thank you for your help with this project, I enjoyed meeting you and look forward to working
with you again in the future.”
Remember that this part of the letter is personal. It is essential not to sign off with very standard
and stale statements.
Example
“Assuring you of our best attention at all times.”
“Please do not hesitate to contact me.”
These are used so often that they sound too much like a cliché and lack the personal touch. Find
something which sounds natural. Think about what you would say face to face and then put it
into acceptable form.
Writing
Once you have a clear purpose and structure, the writing itself becomes easier. We all have personal style but this does not mean we should avoid the basic rules of good business writing. This is the ABC of writing:
. Accurate
. Brief
. Clear
Accuracy
Facts should be correct, complete and relevant. Do your best to make sure that the picture you
have in your mind is the one which ends up in the reader’s mind. Accuracy depends on accurate
facts.
If the facts are a blur, the spellings and names are not checked, the meaning will be lost.
It can be important to be specific, e.g. rather than saying “later”, we should say “two hours later.”
Avoid making the assumption that the reader is as aware of the facts as you are. Check that the
phrases are not ambiguous.
Brief
In other words, keep it short.
If we keep our letter short, we save the reader’s time. It may mean however that we have to
spend longer planning. It is quite easy for some of us to write pages without carefully selecting
what the reader needs or wants to know.
We should write the minimum necessary to achieve the purpose of the letter.
Clarity
Clear writing does for a reader what a clear day does for a driver. It means quick, efficient reading without having to stop and check obstacles along the way. Once the language used in a letter is clear and easy to follow, it will also be essential to consider the tone. Consider what the letter is supposed to achieve. Getting action from the reader may require facts and a conciliatory manner – or perhaps a more assertive one. We need to be thoughtful about the impact our choice of words will have.
Checking
Letters should be checked before they reached the typist and on their return. Most people simply check spellings, punctuation and other obvious errors. This is not enough. Think about all aspects of the letter. Here is a checklist:
Ask yourself:
.
Does this letter present a good image of the company?
.
Is it easy to read?
.
Does your purpose come over clearly?
.
Does it say what you meant to say?
.
Is it the right length? Check the paragraphs, phrases, words and sentences.
.
Is the language easy to understand?
.
Have you got copies for everyone who need to know about the letter?
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