Some communications
can be made informally: a phone call or an email is sufficient. But for formal
situations, only a letter is a better form of communication. Letter writing
provides both the writer and the reader with a record of ideas, concerns,
personal reactions, suggestions and also helps to avoid confusion. The
discipline of carefully organizing and expressing our ideas courteously on
paper is an exercise that helps others to understand our position in a positive
and innocuous manner. The knowledge of the art of letter writing is a necessity
for every educated person, since in this world there is hardly a man who has
never written a letter to someone. And in this respect an educated man who
knows this art has an edge over all others who do not know it. There are many
kinds of letters.
1. Personal Letters – those,
which are written to friends, relatives and others with whom one has personal
relationships.
2. Business
Letters – those, which are written by official departments and businessmen to
their counterparts.
3. Official
Letters – those, which are written to officials by individuals or firms or
letter-applications.
4. Letters in
the form of applications – to some office (for a post), to the principal of a
school or college (for testimonial, fee concession, remission of fine, etc,).
In general, a
letter has the following parts:
·
The heading
·
The salutation
·
The body
·
The subscription or complimentary close
·
Note
·
The superscription or addressee’s name and address
Tips for Perfect Letter Writing
- It is desirable to use our own words on heavyweight, bright-white copy paper if using a computer, or use attractive stationery if we are handwriting the letter.
- It is better to make the content clear and understandable. Typed letters are usually better than handwritten letters.
- We should keep the letter short, simple, and concise. It is preferable that we use uncomplicated sentences and avoid long paragraphs.
- It is necessary to make sure that the letter is easily readable and logical in purpose. The reader shouldn't have to guess why we are writing the letter. When writing a letter, consider giving specific examples from personal experiences to support your position.
- Make sure the letter is timely. Sending a letter too long after the fact is inappropriate and the reader may have forgotten the situation we are writing about. When you do write, give the reader ample time to respond. Date your letter (month, day, and year) in one of two formats.
Example: April 30, 2020
30 April 2020
30 April 2020
- Address the reader with an appropriate form of address. Include your full name, address, phone number and, if appropriate, your e-mail addresses and /or fax number.
What do we say in our Letter?
Asking ourselves
a few basic questions can be an excellent way to approach letter writing. Jot
down answers for your questions. You can incorporate these answers into the
body of your letter. Remember to keep the letter short, simple, and to the
point. Here are some questions we could ask ourselves:
- Who are you? (An obvious question, but we may need to identify ourselves right away if the reader does not know or does not know us well.)
- Why are you writing this letter? What do you want? Keep your wording positive; for example, say what you want, rather than what you do not want.
- What are your concerns? Be specific. After you identify yourself, focus on the primary reason for your letter in the first few sentences.
- What are your questions? Ask them clearly. Be polite, but don't make your letter sweet in tone. You do not want any misinterpretation of your purpose; someone might think an overly sweet letter expresses sarcasm.
- How would you like the reader to respond to your question or situation? Suggest the response you would like: a letter, a meeting, a phone call, an email, etc. State exactly when you would like to receive the reader's response.
Additional Tips for Successful Letter Writing
- Good impression: You want the reader to grant your request and/or understand your concerns and point of view. Keep the tone of your letter pleasant and businesslike. When you communicate your thoughts, ideas, and concerns, you define your needs. Ultimately, the tone you take in your letter will help determine if you get the results you desire. State the facts without expressing anger, frustration, or blame. If you are feeling emotional when you write your letter, leave it and read it again in the morning. Reading it the next day will help ensure that your letter is courteous and cool-headed.
- The reader's point of view. Put yourself in the reader's place and try to be empathetic to his/her feelings. Read your letter with your reader's reaction in mind and ask yourself a few questions. If you were offensive in any way, rewrite the letter! After you mail it, it becomes a permanent record of your thoughts and ideas.
Examples: "Will the
reader react positively to my letter?" "Is the tone of my letter
courteous and businesslike, or have I used offensive or demeaning
language?"
- Make changes. Leave your letter for a few hours so that you can return to it with a fresh outlook. You will make changes – guaranteed! In the process of letter writing, always take advantage of the spell check and grammar check on your computer, or ask someone you trust to edit your letter before you send it.
- Other opinions. Have someone else read the letter and make suggestions. Give them permission to criticize your letter constructively. You can give them a list of questions for a check list. Consider every suggestion, but make the final decisions yourself--you are the one who is signing the letter.
Examples: "Is my
reason for writing clear?" "Have I included all the essential
facts?" "Does my letter ramble?" "Can my letter be improved
in any way?" "How is my punctuation?" "How is my spelling
and my grammar?"
- Always keep a copy of each letter you send. If you are writing it on your computer, it will be easy to save the file.
- End on a positive note. Always end your letter politely with an expression of thanks or another positive thought.
Example: "Thank
you for taking the time to consider my ideas."
- Type your closing, followed by four returns. Sign your name in the space between with a black pen. If you are sending copies of your letter to one or more persons other than the reader, you should list their names below your typed signature. Even though we don't send "carbon copies" anymore, "cc" has become standard for any copy sent – hard copy or email attachment.
Example: Sincerely,
Your signature
Your signature
“If we can’t make our point in one
page or less, we aren’t ready to write the letter”. With rare
exceptions, this should be our goal in all letter writing, regardless of the
subject. Keep it short, factual, and to
the point. Don't write it more than one page in length, unless there is
some compelling reason to make it longer. Studies have shown that busy business
people do not like to read beyond the
first page. If our letter is longer, there is a good chance it will be
dumped in a "read later” pile, which often ends up never getting read.
Remember, when writing a letter, detailed
information can be relegated to attachments that can be referred to by
name in the body of the letter. Stick to the absolute essential facts in the
main letter.
While writing a letter
- Ø Keep it short and to the
point
- Ø Focus on the recipient’s
needs
- Ø Use simple and appropriate
language
- Ø Re-read and revise it
- Ø Check spelling and grammar
·
With reference to your letter of 8 April, I ...
·
I am writing to enquire about ...
·
After having seen your advertisement in ... , I
would like ...
·
After having received your address from ... , I
...
·
I received your address from ... and would like
...
·
We/I recently wrote to you about ...
·
Thank you for your letter of 8 May.
·
Thank you for your letter regarding ...
·
Thank you for your letter/e-mail about ...
·
In reply to your letter of 8 May, ...
10 Good Closing Lines
·
If you require any further information, feel
free to contact me.
·
I look forward to your reply.
·
I look forward to hearing from you.
·
I look forward to seeing you.
·
Please advice as necessary.
·
We look forward to a successful working
relationship in the future.
·
Should you need any further information, please
do not hesitate to contact me.
·
Once again, I apologize for any inconvenience.
·
We hope that we may continue to rely on your
valued custom.
·
I would appreciate your immediate attention to
this matter.
When 'yours faithfully' and when 'yours sincerely' in a business letter / personal letter?
When the recipient's name is unknown to you
·
Dear Sir ... Yours faithfully
·
Dear Madam ... Yours faithfully
·
Dear Sir or Madam ... Yours faithfully
When you know the recipient's name
·
Dear Mr Ashok ... Yours sincerely
·
Dear Mrs Bindu ... Yours sincerely
·
Dear Miss Kavitha ... Yours sincerely
·
Dear Ms Preethi ... Yours sincerely
When addressing a good friend or colleague
·
Dear Anita ... Best wishes / Best regards
When addressing a family member or close friend
·
Dear Indu ... yours lovingly / yours
affectionately / yours truly
Addressing whole department(s)
·
Dear Sirs ... Yours faithfully
It is
important to develop a good writing style that not only reflects good grammar
and sentence structure, but also gives the reader some insight into the
personality of the writer. It is just as important, however, to be able to
express ourselves in clear language so the reader knows exactly why we
are writing. The art of letter writing excels when the writing is concise, courteous, correct and complete
Dr. D. Ashalatha
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