Characteristics of a good Business Letter 1. It should be brief, but not curt.

Brief means it cuts right through to the point. Curt means it has abbreviations for any long words. 2. A good business letter should sound friendly but not familiar. Use comfortable language but do not detailed encounters et al. 3. Ensure you give sufficient information about yourself that the receiver may need or find relevant. The information should be accurate and if possible with supporting documentation. 4. Make sure you give a correct address both on the envelop and in the letter. They say first impressions last, so do first business letters! 5. Let the correct format run through the letter. Failure to observe this is a sign of ignorance. 6. Use correct tenses, punctuations and verbs. 7. Be neat. Tips: 1. Be as brief and concise as possible. All good business writing should be brief, but also contain all relevant information in a way that is easily understood by the audience. Resist the urge to impress your readers by using jargon or "big" words-this will all be lost in the decoding of the message you are trying to send. Use plain English and avoid slang and abbreviations. Always keep your audience in mind. Will they be able to understand this? You should aim for your writing to be easily understood by someone with an eighth or ninth grade reading level. Yes, you can still be professional without flaunting all the four-syllable words you learned in college. The trick to good, brief business writing is to avoid long sentences. This will also make it easier for your audience to pay attention and correctly interpret your message. 2. Organization is key. A lot of professionals find that writing a brief outline before you begin writing the actual letter or memo helps them stay on track. It takes no longer than five minutes, and it will help you focus and make your business writing flow while still being professional and informative. Establish the main point of your business writing and state that in the introduction. Then, hit all of your main points and make sure to back them up with evidence. (For example, you can cite a recognized expert that your audience will know.) In your conclusion, be sure to sign

off with a request for feedback and action. Most of your business writing will be requesting action on the part of your audience, unless it's a simple thank-you letter. Use lots of nouns and verbs to create stronger language, and use a conversational tone while avoiding humor and intimacy. 3. Proofread, proofread, proofread. Let your business writing sit for a day or two before returning to it with fresh eyes. Carefully proofread and edit your writing quickly, but be as thorough as possible. Let a colleague look at it as well-it will be easier for them to spot grammatical and spelling errors because their eyes have never seen it before. DO NOT rely on your computer's spell check. It may be able to catch most spelling errors, but it won't be able to determine if you correctly used their, there or they're. Errors in business writing will automatically decrease the credibility of yourself and your business, and they will make your audience less likely to respond to your request for feedback and action. For example, I am requesting that you follow these tips for good business writing. If there are many errors in this article, it will decrease my credibility as someone who can give advice about good business writing.

Sample Business Letter 3519 Front Street Mount Celebres, CA 65286 October 5, 2004 Ms. Betty Johnson Accounts Payable The Cooking Store 765 Berliner Plaza Industrial Point, CA 68534 Dear Ms. Johnson: It has come to my attention that your company, The Cooking Store has been late with paying their invoices for the past three months. In order to encourage our customers to pay for their invoices before the due date, we have implemented a discount model where we'll give you 2% off your invoice if you pay us within 10 days of receiving the invoice. I hope that everything is going well for you and your company. You are one of our biggest customers, and we appreciate your business. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at (555) 555-5555. Sincerely, Signature Bob Powers Accounts Receivable References:
http://www.kenyaplex.com/resources/2500-characteristics-of-a-good-business-letter.aspx http://voices.yahoo.com/characteristics-good-business-writing-182725.html http://www.letterwritingguide.com/samplebusiness.htm http://www.ehow.com/list_6676156_characteristics-business-letter.html http://www.scribd.com/doc/27411466/Lexico-semantic-Characteristics-of-Business-LetterCorrespondence