One of the common themes amongst business letters is the format. A format is a set of rules and guidelines that a company will follow when writing to a recipient. Generally, the main purpose of a format is to make sure that the content stays consistent. The format also influences the style of the content as well. Formatting makes sure that the content flows. Even though the format does that, the content must still be readable.
The format is the main thing that separates good from bad business letters. It is important to note that not every format is used. There are other factors that make good business letters stand out from the bad ones. One of the things that makes good letters stand out is the content itself. A good letter will have solid content and enough substance to get you the information you need. A bad letter just doesn’t have enough substance to get you the information you need.
Writing good letters is really about the content and the substance. Writing bad letters is really about the writing and the format. The format is the “glue” to the letter. That glue will determine how the letter holds together. The format can be a one-liner, a bullet list, a paragraph, a whole bunch of words, or even a photo. The content is what is inside the body of the letter.
In fact, according to the American Express, the average business letter is 20% too long, 20% too short, and 20% too boring.
A business letter is a sentence. It is the substance, the structure, the pattern. A business letter is a business sentence. It is the glue that holds the letter together. It’s not all that complicated.
This is another common theme I talk about in my book. The main difference between a business letter and an email is that a business letter is a sentence, whereas an email is a paragraph, a long sentence, or just a list of words. But even if what you are going to say is a one liner, a bullet list, or a paragraph, there are a few things that matter more than words.
First off, if you are going to be talking to someone who is going to be reading your letter and they are all on the one line, they are not going to have time to read everything you have to say. So you will want to think of the length of your letter, the number of words you are going to say, and how many pictures you want on the cover. This will all help your letter to be as readable as can be.
Another thing is the type of letter you are writing. A one liner letter can be written in a hurry, and it can be pretty boring. It is also best if you get a bullet list of all the things you know about your business. Bullets are much quicker to write and read than paragraphs that contain a lot of unnecessary words in the middle. Bullets are also good for short introductions that set the stage and can take advantage of the reader’s attention.
