7 Essential Letter-Writing Strategies
Category: Copy Writing | Date: 2002-04-08 |
Based on the feedback that I have been getting from visitorsto my writinghelp-central.com Web site, letter writing is
definitely the area where most people are looking for help or guidance when it comes to day-to-day writing.
Over 55% of the visitors to my site are seeking some sort of letter writing information or assistance. The following
lists the types of letters that people request information on, in order of popularity:
* recommendation letter
* business letter
* thank you letter
* cover letter
* complaint letter
* sales letter
* resignation letter
THE 7 STRATEGIES
Here are some key practical letter-writing tips and strategies to help you when writing that next letter:
1. Keep It Short And To The Point
Letters involving business (personal or corporate) should be concise, factual, and focused. Try to never exceed one page or you will be at risk of losing your reader. A typical letter page will hold 350 to 450 words. If you cant get your point across with that many words you probably havent
done enough preparatory work. If necessary, call the recipient on the phone to clarify any fuzzy points and then use the letter just to summarize the overall situation.
2. Make It Clear, Concise, And Logical
Before sitting down to write, make a brief point-form outline of the matters you need to cover in the letter. Organize those points into a logical progression that you
can use as your guide as you write the letter. The logical blocks of the letter should be: introduction/purpose, background/explanation, summary/conclusion, action required statement. Use this outline process to organize your approach and your thoughts, and to eliminate any unnecessary
repetition or redundancy.
3. Focus On The Recipients Needs
While writing the letter, focus on the information requirements of your audience, the intended addressee. If you can, in your "minds eye", imagine the intended
recipient seated across a desk or boardroom table from you while you are explaining the subject of the letter. What
essential information does that person need to know through this communication? What will be their expectations when they open the letter? Have you addressed all these issues?
4. Use Simple And Appropriate Language
Your letter should use simple straightforward language, for clarity and precision. Use short sentences and dont let
paragraphs exceed three or four sentences. As much as possible, use language and terminology familiar to the intended recipient. Do not use technical terms and acronyms without explaining them, unless you are certain that the addressee is familiar with them.
5. Use Short Sentences And Paragraphs
Keep your sentences as short as possible, and break the text up into brief paragraphs. Ideally, a paragraph should not exceed two to three sentences. This will make the letter
more easily readable, which will entice the recipient to read it sooner, rather than later.
6. Review And Revise It
Do a first draft, and then carefully review and revise it. Put yourself in the place of the addressee. Imagine yourself receiving the letter. How would you react to it? Would it answer all of your questions? Does it deal with all of the key issues? Are the language and tone appropriate? Sometimes
reading it out loud to ones self can help. When you actually "hear" the words it is easy to tell if it "sounds" right or not.
7. Double Check Spelling And Grammar
A letter is a direct reflection of the person sending it, and by extension, the organization that person works for. When the final content of the letter is settled, make sure that you run it through a spelling and grammar checker. To send a letter with obvious spelling and grammatical errors
is sloppy and unprofessional. In such cases, the recipient cant really be blamed for seeing this as an indication as to how you (and/or your organization) probably do most other things.
The foregoing basic letter writing strategies and tips are mostly common sense. Nevertheless, you would be amazed how often these very basic "rules of thumb" are not employed when people write letters.
© 2002 by Shaun Fawcett.
About the author.
Shaun Fawcett is webmaster of writinghelp-
central.com and author of the eBook "Instant
Home Writing Kit". His FREE e-mail COURSE
"Tips and Tricks For Writing Success" offers
valuable tips on home/business writing.
Sign-up for FREE at:
http://www.instanthomewritingkit.com/free-
course.html
shaunf@writinghelp-central.com
http://www.writinghelp-central.com
definitely the area where most people are looking for help or guidance when it comes to day-to-day writing.
Over 55% of the visitors to my site are seeking some sort of letter writing information or assistance. The following
lists the types of letters that people request information on, in order of popularity:
* recommendation letter
* business letter
* thank you letter
* cover letter
* complaint letter
* sales letter
* resignation letter
THE 7 STRATEGIES
Here are some key practical letter-writing tips and strategies to help you when writing that next letter:
1. Keep It Short And To The Point
Letters involving business (personal or corporate) should be concise, factual, and focused. Try to never exceed one page or you will be at risk of losing your reader. A typical letter page will hold 350 to 450 words. If you cant get your point across with that many words you probably havent
done enough preparatory work. If necessary, call the recipient on the phone to clarify any fuzzy points and then use the letter just to summarize the overall situation.
2. Make It Clear, Concise, And Logical
Before sitting down to write, make a brief point-form outline of the matters you need to cover in the letter. Organize those points into a logical progression that you
can use as your guide as you write the letter. The logical blocks of the letter should be: introduction/purpose, background/explanation, summary/conclusion, action required statement. Use this outline process to organize your approach and your thoughts, and to eliminate any unnecessary
repetition or redundancy.
3. Focus On The Recipients Needs
While writing the letter, focus on the information requirements of your audience, the intended addressee. If you can, in your "minds eye", imagine the intended
recipient seated across a desk or boardroom table from you while you are explaining the subject of the letter. What
essential information does that person need to know through this communication? What will be their expectations when they open the letter? Have you addressed all these issues?
4. Use Simple And Appropriate Language
Your letter should use simple straightforward language, for clarity and precision. Use short sentences and dont let
paragraphs exceed three or four sentences. As much as possible, use language and terminology familiar to the intended recipient. Do not use technical terms and acronyms without explaining them, unless you are certain that the addressee is familiar with them.
5. Use Short Sentences And Paragraphs
Keep your sentences as short as possible, and break the text up into brief paragraphs. Ideally, a paragraph should not exceed two to three sentences. This will make the letter
more easily readable, which will entice the recipient to read it sooner, rather than later.
6. Review And Revise It
Do a first draft, and then carefully review and revise it. Put yourself in the place of the addressee. Imagine yourself receiving the letter. How would you react to it? Would it answer all of your questions? Does it deal with all of the key issues? Are the language and tone appropriate? Sometimes
reading it out loud to ones self can help. When you actually "hear" the words it is easy to tell if it "sounds" right or not.
7. Double Check Spelling And Grammar
A letter is a direct reflection of the person sending it, and by extension, the organization that person works for. When the final content of the letter is settled, make sure that you run it through a spelling and grammar checker. To send a letter with obvious spelling and grammatical errors
is sloppy and unprofessional. In such cases, the recipient cant really be blamed for seeing this as an indication as to how you (and/or your organization) probably do most other things.
The foregoing basic letter writing strategies and tips are mostly common sense. Nevertheless, you would be amazed how often these very basic "rules of thumb" are not employed when people write letters.
© 2002 by Shaun Fawcett.
About the author.
Shaun Fawcett is webmaster of writinghelp-
central.com and author of the eBook "Instant
Home Writing Kit". His FREE e-mail COURSE
"Tips and Tricks For Writing Success" offers
valuable tips on home/business writing.
Sign-up for FREE at:
http://www.instanthomewritingkit.com/free-
course.html
shaunf@writinghelp-central.com
http://www.writinghelp-central.com
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