BUSINESS LETTER: ESSENTIAL QUALITIES

 

Essential Qualities of Business Letter

Business letters are the messengers of business; hence these should be written very carefully to impress the receiver.  Sender should, always, maintain the essential qualities of the business letter because these qualities of a business letter make it presentable. Like any other communication, a business letter also had two essential parts- Verbal and Non-verbal. One can look at these essentials from different angles—language, content, context, length, structure, layout, taste, tone, impact and purpose orientation. Broadly, the qualities of a business letter can be classified as-

 

1.      Inner Essential Quality

2.      Outer Essential Quality

Let us discuss each of them in detail.

1.      Inner Quality

It includes verbal as well as non-verbal aspects of a business letter and refers to the quality of language and the presentation of a business letter. Some of the essential Inner qualities are mentioned below-

 

a.      Clarity

Clarity means no confusion. A message should be clear and easily understandable to the receiver. The message should clearly indicate its purpose. It must not cover several ideas in a single sentence. one message should have only one point for discussion. When many points are discussed in a single message then it makes message clumsy and confusing. Hence, a message must be divided in separate sections for different points.

b.     Conciseness

‘Brevity is the soul of wits’

Conciseness means brief (short). A message should be precise and to the point. Unnecessary words and lengthy sentences should be avoided. The short and brief message is more comprehensive and helps in retaining the receiver’s attention. Unnecessary details and irrelevant points make message bored and ineffective. Hence, communication must be concise.

c.      Concreteness/Coherency

Concreteness means solid structure. The message should be concrete. It must not leave any room for misinterpretation. All the facts and figures should be placed sequentially as well as clearly in a message. Without coherence a message loses its concreteness. The language used in the business letter must be coherent. The message must be in a logical way for the clear understanding of the message. The flow of the message must be consistent.

d.     Correctness/Accuracy

Accuracy generally means no error in grammar, spelling, punctuations etc. Correctness is the soul of communication. The message should be correct in the following ways-

·        in data presentation (facts and figures),

·        in language

·        in selection of transfer channel/medium

·        time

Communication should have correct information in correct language. Message should be free from grammatical and spelling mistakes. Remember, that the correct message has a greater impact on the receiver.

e.      Completeness

Completeness means that a message should be complete in all the aspects and must include all the relevant information. The complete information helps in better understanding and decision making by the receiver. If message does not have complete details then feedback will not be satisfactory and effective communication is not possible. Hence, communication must be complete in all the aspects.

f.       Courtesy

Courtesy is the mark of effective communication. The language used in the business letter must be courteous. A writer must always use open, friendly, and honest words in his letter. Letter  must include the words like please, thank you etc. as well as terms that show respect for the receiver. Polite and positive words should be used in communication. It makes communication worth reading and consider positively. The following points highlight courtesy:

·        Focus on ‘You’ attitude instead of ‘I’ attitude.

·        Show interest in the receiver.

·        Use polite and positive gestures towards receiver.

·        Be thoughtful and appreciative.

·        Use respectful expressions.

 

g.      Consideration

Before writing a message, sender must take into consideration the receiver’s opinions, knowledge, mindset, background, etc. in order to have an effective communication. Message should be audience oriented. It should be constructed by keeping feeling and view point of the receiver.

h.     Relevance

The letter should contain important information related to the subject only. Irrelevant information should not be included and it must be avoided in any business communication.

i.       Simplicity

Decorative and bombastic expression are not meant for business letters. Hence, difficult and fancy words should not be included in a business letter. Language used in the business letter must be simple and easy.

j.       Neatness

A business letter must be typed or handwritten neatly. Every element of  business letter should be according to the format. Proper spacing, indention, and use of paragraph should be used.

k.      Timeliness:

Business letters should follow the rule of proper timing. Letters should be written and dispatched on time. Some messages have a sense of urgency and they need feedback ‘immediate’ or ‘urgent’, or within a given time frame. Letters which carry such messages should reflect the associated urgency.

l.       Language:

Language is an extremely important part business communication. First and foremost, it is necessary to ensure that appropriate language should be used which is well known to the reader.

m.    Style:

Style refers to the manner of writing. It constitutes the collective characteristics of the writing as well as their presentation. Though each person has an individual style but here individual style should be replaced by objective style. (Objective style means no personal style.)

n.     Positive Approach:

A good business letter, in the ultimate analysis, is that which has a positive approach. It creates a friendly atmosphere. It avoids negative feelings. One must be in a proper frame of mind to write a really good letter.

o.     Tone

The tone of the letter should be professional. One should write a formal Letter professionally. The tone of your Business Letter should be confident, sincere, encouraging and polite. It should not appear like a copy-paste or a machine's work. Then only we can say that the essential Business Letter will act as the best communication tool. 

p.      You-attitude:

To ensure effective writing the writer should put himself or herself in the reader’s place and then try to realize how the reader will respond to the letter. Your attitude emphasis the readers rather than the writer.

2.      Outer Quality

The outer quality of a business letter means the quality of its outer appearance. The outer look of the letter must be catchy and impressive. Some of the outer qualities are

a.      Size of the Paper

The standard size of paper should be used. An A4 paper is the most used paper for writing a business letter.

b.     Quality of the Paper

The quality of the paper used must be good. It is not always possible for a firm to use the costly paper. One must use good quality paper for original copy and ordinary copy for the duplicate copy.

c.      The Color of the Paper

Sometimes it is very useful to use the different color of paper for different types of letter. The receiver can clearly understand the intention and the purpose of the letter by its color.

d.     Folding of Letter

One must fold the letter properly and uniformly. The folding must be done to fit the letter in the envelope. It is noticeable that one must not over fold the letter. It will have a bad impression on the reader’s mind.

e.      Envelope

The envelope used must be of good quality. Special attention must be given to the size of the envelope for fitting the letter.