Professional Business Writing Techniques
Written communication is the ability to use conventions of disciplinary discourse to pass on information to the intended audience in different modes. A business letter reaches a wide range of business personalities from all walks of life including executives, politicians, engineers, doctors and the average business persons with little formal education. It should be written in a format that will present the information in the most readable manner. There are basic business letter writing skills which are universally applied irrespective of the status of the reader in the society.
Addressing personalities of business letter
When communicating to an individual you personally know or they are close business associates it is appropriate to address them in there first names. If you are writing to a person you don’t know or have formal relationship with, you should address their personalities with titles such as Mr., Mrs., Dr, and Miss. The way you address personalities gives a picture of the relationship you have with the person. If you fail to put this into consideration and the letter is informal then the recipient may underrate the kind of person the recipient is dealing with. You may not earn the respect and attention you could have earned through correctly addressing the personalities of the recipient. Addressing a Doctor by the title gives you as a writer a recognition, respect and attention.
Quote reference of source of information
When you are writing about a particular subject it’s important to quote the reference of this information. You might be replying to a function invitation letter; you should indicate that you are replying to the invitation letter you had received. When you quote the reference of the letter you are replying to, it quickly puts the reader into the right contextual interpretation. One is able to guess what to expect from the letter content. A well written letter creates clear, unambiguous message to the reader. It also captivates the reader to read the content. Business writing techniques may seem unnoticeable but when applied correctly gives a professional look and easy and effective communication to the audience.
Other vital techniques
A business letter should have contact information. This is important in case the recipient wants to get back to you. The contact information should be conclusive covering physical address, postal address, telephone numbers and email address. If you know your recipients, you should include appropriate closing remarks such as, ‘thank you for…’, etc. You should also highlight reference for future contact such as ‘I look forward to hearing from …’ The finishing should be done correctly. If you are addressing a person you do not know and thus have not included any name, it is wise to finish with, ‘Yours faithfully…’ and ‘Yours sincerely’ if you know the audience. To close friends you can use finish remarks such as ‘Best wishes or best regards…’ All these are vital considerations in all business writing skills.
Comments (1)
Having taken many writing courses, I have to tell you at these are GREAT tips! Thanks for highlighting the key points of business writing in this post.