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| Business Letter Writing | Nature and Function |
Of all forms of written communication, letters are
the most common, the most frequent, and the most personal means of
communication. You might more readily agree to write a letter than a technical
proposal, a scientific paper, or a report. Correspondence is still playing a
key role around the world. Even in this modern world, it is helping us to
maintain communication with the people separated by distance. In spite of the
advent of modern means of telecommunication such as telephone, telegraph and
cellular phone, the importance of letters has not decreased a little. They are as
important today as they were hundred years ago. Everyone must admit that with
the growth of commerce and industry the usefulness of letters in business
sectors is increasing more rapidly day by day. As a result, the importance of principles
of writing business letters – a special form of formal letters – is being felt more
and more.
Business communication specialists have identified
a number of factors which one has to bear in mind while writing letters for
commercial purposes. Over the years these factors have taken the form of a set
of principles for writing business letters effectively. Now let us briefly
discuss the principles of business letters, which are very important for
effective writing.
A letter you post, in fact, carries not only a
piece of information but also a piece of conversation. Think for a while, and
remember that you started your "communication' with your near and dear
ones through letters, which you posted time to time to communicate with them at
a very young age. Still you have continued writing letters to them and will
continue it throughout your life in future. These letters are called personal
letters. The purpose of writing such letters is to establish a personal contact
or to keep a personal relationship active. It has some other purposes too such
as to maintain contact and intimacy between you and your receiver and to
exchange views and opinions and so on. So, a personal letter should be frank,
warm, attractive, lively and friendly, and, of course, its writing style should
be informal. There is no place of formality in personal letters. Do not write
to your relative or friend as though he or she was an audience you are
addressing to. While writing such a letter you also have to ensure that your
letter is bearing the traits of your character and personality.
After successful completion of your academic life
when you would enter a profession, you will have to write dozens of letters
every day to different persons and organizations, and it would become one of
your routine tasks. Many of these letters will be written to persons you have
never met and perhaps, you can never hope to meet. You will be writing letters
to different firms and companies, customers, employees, suppliers, credit
agencies, associate organizations, government offices, etc. Writing such letters
are termed as business letters. The purpose of such letters is to achieve a
specific goal, such as selling products or goods, seeking information or advice,
making an inquiry, appeasing the upset feelings of a client, establishing
rapport with a customer, creating goodwill, etc. It is, therefore, very
important to know the nature and function of writing business letters if you
want to reach your goal in your professional life.
The main purpose of writing a business letter is
to arouse the reader's interest and stimulate in him good mood. And to achieve this
goal, your letter needs to have the necessary built-in attraction. The aim of your
writing is to open the mind of the reader to the message. There is one sure way
of doing it: place yourself in the position of your correspondent and
anticipate his feelings and reactions. A good letter writer, after having
written a letter, asks himself, 'How would I react to this letter after reading
it?'; 'What would my mental condition and/or feelings be if I received such a
letter?' Such a test helps him to consider his letter from the reader's point
of view and make the necessary changes.
Much of the barriers generated by dull letters can
be removed by being cautious earlier and knowing the nature and function of
writing a business letter. It is a basic need and, of course, a special quality
to adapt yourself to the reader's point of view if you want to write an effective
letter. Letters which handle delicate human situations should be read carefully
before they are dispatched. An inconsiderate letter can induce irreparable
harm.
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