下载掌阅APP，畅读海量书库
立即打开
To convey messages effectively，we should apply certain communication principles when writing business letters．They provide guidelines for the content and style of presentation．Here are some basic principles of business letters．
1．Clarity and Coherence
To be effective，a good business letter should be concise，precise，relevant，concrete and consistent．Be clear about what you want to say and then say it clearly．Difficult words requiring the use of a dictionary，flowery expressions and poetic language should always be avoided．The words used should not be vague or ambiguous．The letter must convey to the recipient the exact meaning which the writer wants to communicate．The clarity of a letter，to a great extent，depends upon its unity or coherence．Therefore，a letter should be written in a logical manner and reflect consistency of thought．One thought should follow another in a proper sequence．An orderly arrangement of the subject is necessary and the same should be expressed in appropriate words．It is better to use short sentences and short paragraphs that are easier to read．“Send telegrams，not”essays．
Example：
Instead of making lengthy statements like ，“ We have evaluated the implications of the current policy on the hiring techniques we use with our human resources department and have modified them appropriately ，” state ，“ We have revised our hiring strategies． ”
2．Consideration
The writer of the letter should place himself in the position of the reader and give consideration as to what he needs．Emphasize“You-attitude” instead of “I-attitude”．
Example 1：
Improper： We allow 2 percent discount for cash payment．We won ’ t be able to send you the brochure this month．
Proper： You earn 2 percent discount when you pay cash．We will send you the brochure next month．
Example 2：
Assume you are unable to pay a previously agreed-upon bonus．What is the correct way to pass this information？
Improper： We are not able to give bonuses at this time．A significant client has yet to pay the company．We can contemplate paying contractual incentives immediately after the money is received． Proper： Unfortunately ， we are not currently in a position to provide your bonus．But ， after our big client has cleared their bill ， we shall pay any incentives owing to you．
3．Courtesy and Friendliness
The tone of the business letter should always be courteous and polite．While drafting a business letter，bluntness should never be regarded as sign of strength．On the contrary，a poor image is bound to result from an offensive attitude conveyed through the letter．Courtesy is like the oil which removes friction and creates goodwill．Courtesy should not be restricted to obligatory words like “thank you” or“please”．There must be politeness even in declining a proposal．Words like “please” and “kindly” always bring positive responses．However，such words ought to be used without sacrificing one’s self-respect and dignity．
Example：
Improper： You are requested to remit the amount by Dec． 22 nd ，2019．
Proper： Please remit the amount by Dec． 22 nd ，2019．
Improper： We must tell you that we can ’ t accept your price．
Proper： Unfortunately ， we cannot accept your price．
4．Conciseness
A business letter should be concise and direct，written in simple language with a natural flow of words．Wordy phrases and high-flow expressions should be avoided．The letter should not contain quotations or words which are pedantic（bookish）and which sound artificial．Business people are very busy and may be irritated by unnecessary lengthy letters．Therefore，one must focus directly on the message．
Example 1：
Improper： We have begun to export our electronic toy to countries abroad．
Proper： We have begun to export our electronic toys．
Example 2：
Improper： In fact ， during August ， all staff must wear proper apparel to remain comfortable while the cooling system is being fixed．
Proper： In August ， all staff must wear proper apparel to remain comfortable while the cooling system is fixed．
5．Correctness
A business letter should be grammatically correct and factually accurate．Incorrect information and inaccurate facts conveyed through a letter are bound to make the writer’s position vulnerable．The addressee may stop further dealings with the writer of the letter．In letters of enquiry，orders，etc．，information given should always be correct and exact．If，for some reason，it is not possible to communicate the necessary information，the reason may be clearly stated in polite language．
Example 1：
Improper： We have drawn on you as usual under your L/C．
Proper： We have drawn on you our sight draft No． 755 for the invoice amount of USD 560．00 under your L/C No． 126 of the HSBC Bank．
You must utilize helpful facts as well as precise language and syntax．If your listeners notice mistakes in either，they’ll be sidetracked，and your trustworthiness will deteriorate．As a result，your message will be less effective．
Example 2：
Improper： You can access the facility during normal working hours ； however ， you ’ ll have to present a valid identification card．
Proper： You may access the facility daily between 9 am and 5 pm ， but must present your employment identification card．
6．Completeness
A business letter should include all the necessary facts and background information that supports the message being sent．An enquiry which does not contain necessary particulars，or explanation which is partial，is never appreciated．An incomplete letter may compel the receiver to make further correspondence on the subject involving a waste of time or prompt him to act according to his own judgement which may lead to disputes．
Example：
“ You haven ’ t accomplished the assignment that I assigned to you． ” is an ambiguous statement． Instead ， be sure to provide all pertinent information ：“ The information on customer X that I requested you to establish on May 7 should have been finished by yesterday．At what time will you submit it ？”
7．Originality
Originality of form，expression and style are often necessary to make business letters more appealing，particularly for sales promotion，and on special occasions，such as the introduction of a new product．Indeed，with changing times，old and stereotyped forms and expressions have been replaced by more appealing forms，expressions and styles of presentation in business letters．For instance，the layout of the contents of a letter is often intended to mark out significant lines．New phrases are used in place of old ones，and a conscious attempt is made to give a personal touch where necessary．
8．Effectiveness
The ultimate goal of a business letter is the desired response in a positive manner within a reasonable time．Obviously，delayed or negative response shows the ineffectiveness of the letter．The time and stationery used in writing such letters involve wasteful expenditure．Thus，effectiveness may be regarded as the most essential feature of a business letter．
9．Proofreading
Though proof reading is not an essential part of writing a business letter，it is a very important precautionary aspect of business correspondence．A good letter can be ruined by careless attitude towards grammatical and typing errors．Thus，wrong spelling of names，incorrect numbers typed，and failure to enclose specified items need to be corrected before a letter is signed．Proofreading is essential for correcting grammatical mistakes，errors of spelling and typing errors．Indeed，proofreading is a double check on competences．