Writing Tutorials

Business Letter Writing (cont.)

By Patrick Burne
Reproduced with the kind permission of Patrick Burne. His original site can be found at www.business-letter-writing.com

Avoiding overused business letter phrases

Many business letters contain hackneyed phrases that detract from a clear, natural style. You need to look for them in your writing and use fresh, clear expression instead. Look at this list and see if you recognize any from your letters:

Look at these examples from typical business letters and you’ll see how removing the business clichés changes the tone of the sentence. The originals have a formal and impersonal tone; the redrafts sound more personal and genuine.

Original:
We trust this is satisfactory, but should you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

Redraft:
We hope you are happy with this arrangement but if you have any questions, please contact us.

Original:
Further to your recent communication. Please find enclosed the requested quotation…

Redraft:
Thank you for contacting us. I enclose the quotation you asked for…

Hackneyed business phrases ruin a clear natural style; so avoid using them and choose your own words instead.

Business letter writing checklist

When you write a business letter, use this checklist to remind you of the key principles of effective letter writing.

Keep it Short

• Cut needless words and needless information.
• Cut stale phrases and redundant statements.
• Cut the first paragraph if it refers to previous correspondence.
• Cut the last paragraph if it asks for future correspondence.

Keep it Simple

• Use familiar words, short sentences and short paragraphs.
• Keep your subject matter as simple as possible.
• Keep related information together.
• Use a conversational style.

Keep it Strong

• Answer the reader's question in the first paragraph.
• Give your answer and then explain why.
• Use concrete words and examples.
• Keep to the subject.

Keep it Sincere

• Answer promptly.
• Be human and as friendly as possible.
• Write as if you were talking to your reader.

Next: See an example of a business letter edited with StyleWriter

Business Letter Writing Tutorial Page: [1] [2] [3] [4]

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