Creating Great Business Correspondence

Colin Ong TS

Obtaining the skills for writing good business correpondence is important; a job seeker needs to send customised job application letters. A secretary needs to send out an official invitation letter. A purchasing assistant may need to prepare an invoice. It does not necessarily imply that you must just have a good standard of English. You should remember that correspondence means to communicate a message. It is a two-way effort between the writer and the receiver.

Here are some tips:

The Printing

The quality of your printing reflects the stature of your own company. Ensure that your printer has an adequate ink cartridge and the printing is even. Do not set your printer to “quick draft” as the quality is not up to standard and may not be easy for the receiver to read.

Write To The Point

The structure of the business correspondence should always be to the point and not be opened to various interpretations. Your writing should not be repetitive and a business letter should preferably be a page long. If your receiver does not have any background information, you should include an attachment with the cover letter.

The Title Of Business Correspondence

The title of your business correspondence should preferably be a line long and not have a font that is too big. If the title is not clear, your letter may be put under the KIV tray of your receiver. There are many senior executives who empower their personal assistants to sort out their corporate mail.

Short Sentences Your sentences should not be too long. They should be consistent with the theme of the correspondence and you should avoid jargons or quotations.

Watch Your Punctuation

Punctuation rules should be adhered. With the popularity of office software tools, presentation bullets are used indiscriminately in all business correspondence. Please use this tool appropriately and maintain the official nature of your writing.

The Receiver’s Details

It will reflect very badly on your professionalism if you make an error in the name or designation of your receiver. It implies that you do not take the business correspondence as important.

Your Contact

You should leave your direct contact number or even an email address if you need an urgent reply from the receiver. With the improvement in telecommunications, it is expected that the message be relayed in the quickest manner. It is not a good idea just to leave your corporate number with a voice mail.

Remember To Proofread

It is a good habit to proofread your writing; do not just rely on spell-check or grammar-check to do the job. As an illustration, after careful reading of your business writing, you may discover that your writing is too casual for the situation.

Fax Cover Letter

If your are sending out a fax, you must remember to include a cover letter to accompany the rest of the correspondence. This is to ensure that your receiver obtains all your correspondence.

Your Signature

You must remember to sign your business correspondence, where necessary.

Colin Ong TS is the Managing Director of MR=MC Consulting (http://www.mrmc.com.sg). Please email him at colin@mrmc.com.sg if your corporate website requires free content by him.