Etiquette is a multifaceted concept, there are rules of behavior in society, at the table or in public places. There is also such a thing as business etiquette, in particular, business writing etiquette. The reputation of the company largely depends on how the correspondence with clients, employees and partners is conducted.
General rules of business correspondence
Written speech is very different from oral, especially business correspondence. Modern realities are such that writing is increasingly meant an e-mail message, rather than a message on paper.
When it comes to business negotiations with partners, about any messages related to business moments, e-mail is the best option for transferring information. However, writing invitation, thank you or congratulatory letters is done on paper.
It is considered good practice to use quality paper, and preferably letterhead with the logo of the organization. It is better to deliver important letters or invitations to special events by courier or registered mail. The message on beautiful high-quality paper looks solid and raises the company's rating.
In business correspondence, correctness, literacy and accuracy of the message are important. Excessive emotionality, familiarity, offensive remarks, as well as the length and ambiguity of the presentation are not allowed.
It is important to structure the text, correctly place accents and punctuation marks so that the recipient is very clear about what exactly the letter is about.
As for the style of communication, it is better to avoid florid phrases, complex multi-level sentences and unnecessary words. The abundance of professional cliches in business correspondence is permissible.
For clarity, you can add charts, diagrams or tables to the text.
It is unacceptable to use emoticons and pictures in business correspondence. Be sure to check the text for errors and typos before sending.
Business letter design rules
A well-written business letter must have a clear structure. There is no single standard, but general design rules exist.
A business letter consists of a header, greeting, content (basis), farewell, signature and details of the sending organization.
The "header" of the letter usually contains the name of the organization, logo, address and contacts for communication (telephone, e-mail, fax).
Also, the type of activity of the company and the names of managers can be spelled out in the header.
The cap is most often printed in the center of the sheet, sometimes its location is allowed in the upper corner.
A reputable company should have its own letterhead. Also, e-mails should have forms, this gives the organization solidity.
In the welcome part, you can write "Good afternoon" or "Hello" if the message is not of a strict interpersonal character. In a clear business letter, notice or other business documentation, it will be more appropriate to immediately address the addressee by name and patronymic.
The most important thing in business correspondence is the main content of the letter - the basis.
This part has the highest information load, it is in it that the purpose of the appeal is revealed.
There can be several reasons for contacting, respectively, the presentation of each aspect should begin with a separate paragraph. Structuring the main body of the letter is necessary to differentiate topics and better understand the information.
Examples of paragraph breakdowns include the following phrases: "we ask you", "inform", "offer for consideration" and others.
It is worth remembering that there is also a structure within the aspects.
The sender of a business letter needs to justify the relevance of the request, disclose its main content and describe the expected result in case of a positive answer.
Direct speech formulas are rarely used in business letters. The main task of the final phrase is an expression of respect for the addressee and the usual tribute to politeness. Examples of closing phrases: "best wishes", "best regards", "thank you in advance for your answer" and others.
A personal signature must be at the end of the letter. The surname, initials and position of the sender are usually indicated, as well as contact phone numbers.
Large companies use electronic signatures. This is a special file with a text signature that is automatically affixed at the end of each letter. An electronic signature should not exceed five to six lines and exceed seventy characters.
This design structure also applies to promotional letters, cover letters, and thank you letters, as well as notices, statements, claims, and warnings.
When sending a large amount of information, a short support is written in the body of the letter, and the main package is drawn up as a separate attachment. If the attachment "weighs" a lot, you should warn the recipient about this in the cover letter in the postscript.
Reply to a business letter
According to the rules of business etiquette, a reply to a letter should not be delayed for more than two to three days. If a longer period of time is required for a response due to a number of objective reasons, notify the sender about it, this is considered good form and adds credibility to the company.
Remember the main thing - you need to answer all business emails, except for obvious spam.
When replying to business letters, standard speech formulas are often used:
- "We regret to inform you …";
- "Thank you for …";
- "We are pleased to invite you …";
- "We remind you …";
- "In accordance with your request, we inform …" and others.
For convenience, you can create a separate file with similar speech patterns. Turning to the blanks, you will greatly facilitate and speed up the writing of business letters.
If the letter is important and you need to know for sure that it has been delivered to the addressee, order delivery by courier or issue a registered letter (Russian post). Email has a “Received Notice” feature that automatically sends you a confirmation that your message has been viewed.
If there is no answer to the letter, according to etiquette, you can make an additional call in order to clarify the situation with the correspondence.
Types of business correspondence
Initially, there are two types of business correspondence: internal and external. External correspondence is correspondence sent to a third-party recipient, while internal correspondence is used within the boundaries of one firm.
Business letters, according to their intended purpose, are divided into: applications, newsletters, advertisements, inquiries, recommendations, offers, reminders, claims, invitations and others.
Letter - a message contains information that the addressee needs to perform any tasks within the framework of a common cause. Such information is relevant and important to both the recipient and the sender.
Application - a type of business correspondence that involves sending a request for the purpose of obtaining information or services. For example, an application for participation in an event.
Request - a written request to obtain information of interest. The request can be formal and binding.
An offer letter usually offers cooperation or specific services and commercial proposals. Usually such letters are sent to several addresses at once; mass mailing can be used.
Invitation - an individual letter of invitation to a meeting or a gala event. In the design of such correspondence, the use of special holiday forms or postcards is allowed. The main thing is to clearly spell out the name of the event, address, time and place of the meeting.
A reminder letter is a message about the fulfillment of any obligations: repayment of debt, provision of a report, a reminder of a meeting, and others.
If one of the parties did not fulfill the contractual conditions or violated the agreement, the injured party can send a claim. A distinctive feature of the letter - claims - is the presence of a detailed description of the violated conditions, information on the assessment of damage, claims for compensation for losses or elimination of the identified violation. Often this correspondence is supplemented by copies of documents, photographs and acceptance certificates.
In letters of recommendation, a third party or company is assessed and their characteristics are provided. Such messages are most often common when applying for a new position.
Features of business email
Nowadays, a large percentage of business letters are sent by e-mail, so the rules of business etiquette also formulate requirements for conducting electronic business communication.
Read the sender's address carefully. You should be alerted by messages with similar mailbox addresses: "cupercat" or "mini - bikini". In addition to regular spam, messages from such addresses may contain viruses.
Always keep your subject line short and to the point.
Etiquette allows quoting the original message so that the recipient can immediately understand what is at stake.
It is allowed to attach additional materials in the attachment.
Knowing and applying the rules of etiquette in the field of business communication helps the sender to earn a good reputation and attract new partners.
