Writing a business letter doesn't need to be painful. Except perhaps in letters of a legal nature, you can generally take a fairly casual approach in the sense that you're using everyday words, contractions (don't, won't can't, it's), and generally writing with the reader as if you were speaking.

Of course the situation surrounding a letter needs to dictate how you approach it. For instance, many companies have found that consumers enjoy a relaxed conversation, making them feel as if they're in a partnership rather than in an adversorial relationship. (In the first, the consumer WANTS to support a company it can relate to; in the latter, the company is trying to get at the consumer's wallet and the consumer wants to resist.) These companies use playful graphics and near-street language to share their messages.

If a company wants to come off as prestigious (which it will probably want to do if selling luxuries), more formal language is certainly called for. And clearly you don't want to start an apology letter with anything chummy like, "Hey John, it was great to hear from you about our broken product!"

The Bottom Line

Every business communication comes down to one thing: figuring out what the reader/listener wants, and giving it to him as far as possible.

That doesn't mean offering a refund on a 3-year-old product that someone's child smashed with a hammer. But it does mean hearing someone and responding as if you want to help. (Because you SHOULD want to help. It is your ticket to long-term success.)

As a result, before writing a business letter, you need to think about your relationship with the reader and simply imagine a conversation you would have with him. Then write with that flavor in mind, usually keeping single-spaced paragraphs short, with a space between them, for easy reading. Do your best to improve the reader's situation, whatever it may be, and you'll improve your odds of creating or keeping a lifelong customer or business friendship.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Steve McCardell is a professional business writer, business writing consultant, and speaker working from his site at www.mccardellwrite.com. His business was founded in 2001 to help businesses not only with better writing, but also with better guidance. Steve has counseled small business owners as well as CEOs and has written for most business applications. He takes a personal interest in the success of all his clients, openly sharing from his experience.

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