This report, by its very length, defends itself against the risk of being read.

-- Sir Winston Churchill

Business letters: If we were to define business letters, we could say that business letters are simply letters dealing with business. They can be external mail sent by one company to another or internal correspondence to the employees of the company. Business letters need to follow a certain format, no matter which type they are.

Often business letters are the first contact one makes with a prospective client or an employer; hence, it becomes critical that you get the tone and message of the letter right to make a good impression. Though a simple enough document to produce, writing effective business letters can be quite a challenge.

Here is a short review list to know when writing business letters.

• Keep it short and simple. Use simple and succinct words instead of long-winded ones. Business letters need to be pithy; this can be achieved by making use of clear and concise words, short sentences, and crisp paragraphs.

  • Be direct: Your reader is a busy professional, so come straight to the point in your letter without beating around the bush.
  • The best way to begin a letter is by stating the purpose in the very beginning. This is called the direct approach, and it sets the tone for what is to follow in the letter body. It grabs the reader's interest.
  • If your letter delivers bad news, a direct approach is not advisable. Instead, use an indirect approach in which you state the bad news in the second or third paragraph of the letter.
  • Always keep the readers' benefits before yours. Instead of saying what you expect them to do for you, mention what you can offer them.
  • Be careful to get the name and title of the recipient correct.
  • Make your tone conversational yet professional; do not be overtly formal.
  • Stay away from jargon unless you are absolutely sure that the reader will understand it.
  • Use active voice and personal pronouns in a letter.
  • Always end the letter with a request for action.
  • Be careful about the tone you use in the letter; do not come across as overconfident, arrogant, or boastful.

As far as formatting of a letter goes, given below is the standard format of any business letter:

• Letterhead: Most companies have a specific letterhead that you will need to type letters on. This may make it necessary to adjust the margins so that words are not printed onto the letterhead area.
• Name and address: Always try to have the name of someone that the letter should go to, even if you have to call to find it out.
• Date: This is the date that the letter was written. It should be written out, such as January 15, 2018.
• Reference: This gives a short description of what the purpose of the letter is. For example, one might write "lost invoice" or "account number 23654" or something like that.
• Salutation: If you do not know the person, use a more formal one, such as Dr. Brian Lowden.
• Subject matter/body: Single-space and left justify for modified block and block style letters. Have one blank line between paragraphs. The first paragraph should have a friendly opening and state the purpose of the letter. The subsequent paragraphs should support the purpose you stated in the first paragraph.
• Closing: This should be "thank you," "sincerely," or something similar.
• Signature: This is the actual signature of the person the letter is from, which may be different from the person who wrote the letter.
• Typist initials: These are the initials of the person who typed the letter. These are not the initials of the person who it is from. If they are both the same person. then this line is not necessary. Usually the first initials would be that of the writer, and the second initials are of the typist and are in lowercase. For example: JW/sc.
• Enclosures: List here anything else you may be sending, such as a brochure, samples, etc.

Each of these areas has a proper place, depending on which type of letter you are creating. What goes in each area also may vary, depending on whom the letter is being sent to and who is writing it. There are three main styles of business letter: block, modified block, and semi-block styles. Each is written in much the same way, including the same information, but the layout varies slightly for each one.

If we were to dissect the types of business letters further, there are mainly six types.

Acknowledgment letters are a professional courtesy, meant to acknowledge the receipt of something, or to acknowledge a fact or an error. It usually entails a short detail of the day something arrived and a note of thanks.

Inquiry letters: These are letters of request for something or a response to a request sent by someone. The purpose of the letter is to obtain the information or object requested.

Order letters: Also known as purchase orders, these letters are used to order or buy material. Essentially documenting a transaction between buyer and seller, this is a legal document.

Response letters: These are in response to a received letter. They generally list the fulfilling of a request or detail steps taken to fulfill a request made by someone.

Bad news letters: As opposed to the good news letter, a bad news letter, such as dismissal and rejection letters, need to be handled carefully. While you need to maintain the concise and professional tone of a business letter, you also need to be sensitive to the reader's feelings. In a bad news letter, instead of conveying the bad news to the reader outright, you need to place it in the middle of the text.

Here are a few guidelines that you can keep in mind while writing a bad news letter:

• The opening of the letter needs to be polite. Always give the reader's efforts and feelings importance.
• Following the opening, the details of the issue need to be stated.
• State the news or the decision.
• Inform the reader about the reasons behind the decision taken.
• Close professionally and politely.

A bad news letter should present the bad news in a positive light. It needs to reassure the reader that all necessary aspects of a particular issue were taken into account before making a decision. A bad news letter should not leave the reader with a bad taste in his or her mouth; instead it should leave the person with the feeling that the decision was fair and just.

Letters of request: As the name suggests, these are letters sent to a company or professional seeking help. One could be asking for time, money, services, or products; the fact is that, when you ask for someone's help, you are subliminally potentially putting yourself lower than the other person. Whether you feel it personally, this feeling needs to come out through your words, without sounding needy. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• A letter of request should be humble but not sound as if you are groveling.
• The language of the letter should be non-emotional and neutral. For example, instead of saying, "We really need this urgently," say, "This would be most helpful to us."
• Avoid the use of too many adjectives, as it tends to make the language emotional.
• A request letter should clearly express the need for something and show appreciation for the help you hope to receive.

Memos: The other most common form of business communication is memorandums, or memos. Though they provide information similar to a letter, they are very different in their format. Here are the key differences:

• They are almost always meant for circulation within the organization.
• They are direct in style, and very to the point.
• They do not have salutations.
• They do not have a complimentary closing.
• They are used to convey communication that is not sensitive.
• They have a format distinct from a letter.

When formatting a memo, one should be aware of the strict format that memos stick to. Memos always begin with a bottom-line statement, or the statement of the exact purpose. Memos are extremely crisp, to the point, and use a businesslike tone. Memos usually are short bits of information that get to the point quickly and inform, announce, or request something. The terms "memo" and "memorandum" can be used interchangeably. There is no need for a signature line or any of the other formal endings or closings that letters require. Sometimes the person whom the memo is from will initial next to the name on the memo to indicate she or he has read and approved it before it has been distributed or posted. Think of a memo as being similar to making a company announcement on a loudspeaker to those in your office. You would be direct and to the point and let people know the information you need to share.

Executive summary: As the name suggests, an executive summary is a shorter and concise version of a longer document. Executive summaries are meant to be read quickly. The reader of an executive summary need not be an expert on a particular topic; but on reading the summary, she or he should be able to gain enough information to have a basic understanding of the larger document. Listed below are the salient features of an executive summary:

• An executive summary should not be more than one page in length.
• It is a condensed form of all major points described in the full-length document.
• It should state the problem, provide background information, list alternatives, and draw conclusions on a given problem.
• It comes at the beginning of every document.

Having described the features of an executive summary, let us look at how to go about writing one.

• Executive summaries should be written after the main report has been compiled. One needs to go through the entire report and make notes of the important points in order to write a summary.
• The main points listed in your summary should appear in the same order as they appear in the main document.
• State each point in a simple, declarative, and direct statement.
• If you need to elaborate on a point, make it brief and concise; steer clear from jargon and too many technical terms.
• Upon completion, proofread the document for errors, and make a lay person go through it. If the person loses interest, other non-technical readers may react the same way.

An executive summary's soul lies in its brevity and clarity. Avoid unnecessary information and cut down on technical terms. Simple and straightforward works best when writing an executive summary.

Writing for an international audience: In today's changing business environment, any professional is writing for an international or global audience at any given point of time. A business writer should be aware of the reader and the reader's specific needs. In some cases, a reader unfamiliar with English might need to get a document translated. All these factors need to be taken into account when writing for an international audience. Listed below are a few handy hints for writing well for a global audience:

• Write short sentences, not longer than 25 words.
• Choose words that are easy to pronounce and do not have multiple meanings.
• Do not use jargon, terminologies, sarcasm, or slang while writing for an international audience.
• Try to use active voice and present tense wherever you can.
• Avoid being ambiguous.
• Do not use Latin abbreviations.
• Provide a glossary of definitions for special words used within the document.

The key to writing for an international audience is to keep it simple, yet effective. When writing for an international audience, a writer needs to be aware of the cultural factors in order to avoid offending readers sentiments.

Here are a few tips for the writer:

• Know the target audience you are writing for, and research the dos and don'ts for that audience.
• If you can, find a native speaker to proofread the cultural aspects in your document.
• Be aware of the political and cultural factors that your audience might be sensitive to.

There are other types of letters that you may need to write, including those regarding terminations and recommendations. They are very similar to the examples you have already seen. For these types of letter you would choose the style of letter you would like to follow and then address the subject matter.

Recommendation letters are sometimes requested from former co-workers that are seeking a letter to go to a new or potentially new employer. They also can be sent to schools or other such entities. They usually are employment references, character references, or academic references. For business writing purposes, they generally fall into the employment reference category. An employment recommendation letter should tell why the person the letter is about is a good person to hire. Describing their strengths and abilities is the primary purpose .