How to write better business letters.

How to write clear, concise letters.

Write the way you speak

This is perhaps the simplest rule yet the hardest to follow. In your letters, say things as though the reader were sitting across from you. This is good advice for two reasons. First, writing as you speak gets your ideas down on paper faster than any other method. Refine them once they are on the paper. Second, your readers will understand you better. If you are clear and friendly when you speak, then you'll be clear and friendly when you write.

Get to the point

In your opening sentence, tell the reader why you are writing and what the reader can expect in the rest of your letter. Don't ramble. Don't lead off with a digression or fluffy introduction. Your readers, like you, are busy people. So help them out -- get to the point.

Avoid letter-writing clichés

Writers overuse many phrases that long ago lost their freshness and meaning. These clichés clutter up their writing and bore their readers. Avoid clichés. Invent new and fresh ways of saying the following:

Cliché openings
The purpose of this letter . . .
Regarding your recent letter . . .
Per our conversation . . .
Pursuant to . . .
We are in receipt of your letter dated . . .
Reference is made to your letter . . .

Cliché closings
Please find enclosed . . .
Please advise us as to the status of . . .
Hoping to hear from you soon . . .
Please don't hesitate to contact me . . .
Thanking you in advance . . .
Please feel free to contact me . . .

Omit needless words.

William Strunk wrote a short, valuable essay on the need to omit needless words:

"Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell."

Instead of saying Say

call your attention to the fact that
remind you

an example of this is the fact that
for example

afford an opportunity
allow

due to the fact that
because

exhibit a tendency to
tend to

for the purpose of
for, to

in reference to
about, regarding

in view of the fact that
because

in the normal course of our procedure
normally

in the majority of circumstances
normally

Instead of saying	Say
call your attention to the fact that	remind you
an example of this is the fact that	for example
afford an opportunity	allow
due to the fact that	because
exhibit a tendency to	tend to
for the purpose of	for, to
in reference to	about, regarding
in view of the fact that	because
in the normal course of our procedure	normally
in the majority of circumstances	normally

Eliminate redundancies.

Unnecessary modifiers slow your readers and muddy your writing.

Instead of saying Say

at this point in time
now

one a.m. in the morning
one a.m.

consensus of opinion
consensus

may possibly
may

mutual cooperation
cooperation

end result
result

plan in advance
plan

final conclusion
conclusion

refer back to
refer to

reason why
reason that

reason why is because
reason is that

resume again
resume

continue on
continue

the month of December
December

first originated
originated

my personal opinion
my opinion

enclosed herewith
enclosed

attached hereto
attached

Instead of saying	Say
at this point in time	now
one a.m. in the morning	one a.m.
consensus of opinion	consensus
may possibly	may
mutual cooperation	cooperation
end result	result
plan in advance	plan
final conclusion	conclusion
refer back to	refer to
reason why	reason that
reason why is because	reason is that
resume again	resume
continue on	continue
the month of December	December
first originated	originated
my personal opinion	my opinion
enclosed herewith	enclosed
attached hereto	attached

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