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When I started that job, the first day I realized I wasn`t entirely sure about how business people wrote letters. I`d been a musician most of my life, then sold retail products when I left the music business. This new job would be my first entry into the world of corporations and departments. So I went out and bought a book about how to write business letters. Mostly, I just wanted the formats.
We have "business" and "personal" communications, and within those two categories, we also have "formal" and "familiar." So, for example, if I were writing a formal business letter to myself, I would start with a salutation---the "dear something" part: Dear Mr. Landes.
That`s formal, where familiar, or informal business would be, "Dear Craig." If I didn`t know who was going to receive the letter, it`d be "Dear Sir or Madam." But on a personal level, I might use a formal, "Hello Craig," or familiar, "Hey there," or "Hi Craig."
Where does all this come from? Do people these days learn how to write business correspondence? Think of all the emails involved in your own business. We just had a customer problem with a delivery, which could have gone in various directions. The tone, style, and content of our written response had an impact on which direction it did go.
Business correspondence includes legal implications as well. If you make a formal, written statement about something, that essentially is an implied or stated promise. It might even be construed to be a guarantee, so what you write and how you write it isn`t just a quick note, tossed off with a cavalier attitude.
More and more, these days, I wonder if you can even buy a book anymore that examines the construction and meaning, format and consequences of business correspondence. I did find a number of sites online, many of them focusing only on resumes and cover letters, but this one seemed like a good place to start:
http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000149.htm
In our business, Kathy and I are fortunate that between us, we have a very wide cornucopia of skills, talents, competencies, and capabilities. I`ve been an office admin so many times it`s pretty much second nature. Kathy`s been a supervisor in manufacturing, and knows a lot about researching. Between us, we rarely have problems of outsourcing critical business processes.
Where did YOU learn how to write a formal business letter? How do you use style and tone when you`re following up on a business complaint or customer service problem? Did you use a book; and if so, do you remember the name?
In our business, Kathy and I are fortunate that between us, we have a very wide cornucopia of skills, talents, competencies, and capabilities. I`ve been an office admin so many times it`s pretty much second nature. Kathy`s been a supervisor in manufacturing, and knows a lot about researching. Between us, we rarely have problems of outsourcing critical business processes.
Where did YOU learn how to write a formal business letter? How do you use style and tone when you`re following up on a business complaint or customer service problem? Did you use a book; and if so, do you remember the name?