You’ve spent hours pouring over your manuscript, polishing every word to make it as good as new. You’ve triple checked your spelling, checked the flow of your words, and reread the whole thing several times. You’re finally feeling confident that your work is ready to be handed over to the editor.
But when you hit “send,” your editor, in all actuality, may have never even seen your manuscript.
It happens more frequently than you’d think. According to a 2019 article published in the Harvard Business Review, only 43% of American adults have ever written a business letter, and just 25% have done so in the last month.
The article goes on to say that “the ability to write a persuasive business letter is one of the most important jobs one can have in the workplace. If you’re unable to do so well, you might not have a very good opinion of yourself and might not feel as confident speaking up in meetings.”
With all the changes that come with the #MeToo movement, how can we even expect business letters to stay the same? More and more, we’re seeing business correspondence evolve to include an extra touch of compassion. After all, your customer is a person, too.
Here, we’ll walk you through the five steps that can help you turn your business correspondence into something special, memorable, and, above all, effective.
1. Research the market
If you’re writing to inform someone of your product or service, begin by doing some research into who that person is and what they need. In your research, you’ll learn a lot about the company, its competitors, and the general industry. You should also consider what’s motivating the person you’re writing to: What do they want, need, or have problems with?
For instance, if you’re writing to sell a vacation package, you might begin by looking into how many vacationers need a travel agent, where they go, and what type of services they need.
Then, you can determine what package you’ll need to offer them to make them choose your agency over another.
2. Create a voice
After you conduct your market research, you’ll have a clear picture of whom you’re writing to and what you’ll need to say. You’ll also know how to present yourself and your product or service in the most effective way possible.
The next step is to craft a voice that will project authority and compassion. You don’t want to use “he” or “she” when referring to the person you’re writing to because, even though you want to be compassionate, that person doesn’t need to hear “he” or “she” in order to understand you. Instead, use “they” or “their” to describe the person you’re writing to. In the same way, you don’t want to use “I” when referring to yourself in the letter, so as not to sound like you’re bragging, you also don’t want to use “we” when referring to your agency.
Instead, find strengths you have in common with the person you’re writing to and work towards those. If you have a strong understanding of their needs and goals, you’ll be able to craft a compelling letter expressing your own opinion and providing them with key information that will help them succeed.
3. Write with a goal in mind
The goal of your business letter should be to persuade, and you’re as good as finished when you write with a clear goal in mind. To find this goal, ask yourself why you’re writing and what you want the reader to do or believe. Even if you have a compelling and authoritative voice, your reader will never know what you’re trying to achieve if you don’t make them care about your letter. You want the person reading your letter to feel that they’re connected to your agency and that what you have to say will be important and useful to them.
For example, if you want the reader to call you back after they’ve read your letter, tell them what they need to do. Or, if you want someone to visit your website, say so in the letter. You can also use the letter to ask for a meeting or for the reader to check out your products or services.
4. Make the letter relevant
The purpose of your letter is to inform, so make sure that what you have to say is relevant to the person you’re writing to. Even if you have a compelling and authoritative voice, your reader will never hear it if it doesn’t speak to them. Create a separate persona for your letters and apply this persona whenever you’re writing to a specific person: Make sure that what you have to say is relevant to who you’re writing to and that it will have an impact. When you do this, you’ll find that you’re able to craft a much more compelling and persuasive letter.
5. Proofread and edit
You’ve spent hours polishing and perfecting your business letter. But, because this is still a draft, there are going to be some areas that need some work before it’s ready to be sent. Before you hit “send,” take some time to go through your letter and make sure that everything is perfect. The more you edit and proofread your letter, the more you’ll see areas for improvement. Once you’ve reached a satisfactory point, you can hit “send” and move on to the next letter.
If you want to make your business letters stand out, you need to do more than simply polish them and hit “send.” You want to make sure that people are able to understand and connect with your letter, so take the time to proofread and edit it. Make sure that your spelling, grammar, and punctuation are all perfect, and make sure that your letter is easy to understand. If you’ve followed these guidelines, you’re sure to have a compelling and effective business correspondence program.