Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Instant Business Letters
    Instant Business Letters
    Instant Business Letters
    Ebook241 pages1 hour

    Instant Business Letters

    By Iain Maitland

    4.5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Everything you need to know to become a first-class letter writer. Includes over 200 examples of business letters that can be used immediately or amended to suit your own purposes.

    Writing a business letter is something that many people find difficult, but this invaluable ebook contains everything you need to know to become a first-class letter writer.

    In his clear, straightforward style, Iain Maitland shows you how to plan a letter and choose the correct approach, layout and style to suit every occasion.

    Instant Business Letters also contains over 200 examples of letters – such as ‘acceptances’, ‘complaints’, ‘enquiries’ and ‘warnings’ – that you can use immediately or amend for your own purposes.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins UK
    Release dateMay 31, 2012
    ISBN9780007399666
    Instant Business Letters
    Author

    Iain Maitland

    Iain Maitland is the author of more than twenty business books, including ‘Your Mid-Career Shift: How to Change Your Job at 35+’ and ‘Instant Business Letters’.

    Read more from Iain Maitland

    Related to Instant Business Letters

    Related ebooks

    Professional Skills For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Create Prospecting Emails That Get A Response

      Jun 30, 2021

      Here’s another acronym to add to your lexicon. TLDR. It stands for, ’too long; didn’t read.’ Yes, it’s a thing. Four letters that give expression to executives who feel perfectly justified in ignoring an email they consider too lengthy and unimportan

      2 min read

    • Article

      Healthy Communication

      Jun 10, 2018

      It’s 9:03am on a beautiful Friday morning in Sydney. It’s a fresh 22°C. The sun is shining and you’ve just started making a three-quarter skinny flat white for one of your loyal customers. You’ve got a smile on your face and your customer is pumped t

      3 min read

    • Article

      Complaints that Get Results (and Replies that Win You Customers)

      Oct 8, 2021

      As an attorney who deals with consumer issues, I am often copied (or cc’d) on complaints readers have sent to businesses, governmental agencies and professional service providers. Some of these complaint letters are easy to read, coming right to the

      3 min read

    • Article

      Flying Domestic

      Mar 16, 2020

      Flying Domestic
      4 min read

    • Article

      Freelancing: THE FACTS

      Jul 6, 2023

      If you enjoy writing, believe the quality of what you do is publishable and aim to make some money from it, then freelancing is a beguiling prospect. And it can be very satisfying; I know, my work portfolio has been done that way for many years – wit

      5 min read

    • Article

      Sell Your Business the Right Way (Don’t Make These Mistakes)

      Dec 3, 2021

      “My father, ‘Paul,’ is in a real panic over the sale of the carpet and home furnishing stores in the Pacific Northwest our family has operated for many years. He is 82, in good health physically, but fears the economy is about to turn sour and wants

      3 min read

    • Article

      Easy As One, Two, Three…..

      Jun 21, 2018

      Step One: What is acquisition in email marketing? Can’t you just email anybody? In email marketing, “acquisition” means adding a person’s email address to your customer database in order to send messages. Implicit in that acquisition is permission –

      8 min read

    • Article

      Global Magazine Market

      Apr 2, 2020

      A magazine that aims to be readable, positive and user friendly, entertaining and informative, Mother Earth Living has a readership that is ‘smart, educated and savvy’ and interested in living a healthy environmentally conscious lifestyle. If you wou

      1 min read

    • Article

      Freelancing: When–and How–to Fire a Client

      Oct 10, 2022

      Like all awesome things in this world,1 the freelance life is not for everyone.2 Making your living as a freelance writer takes a lot of hustle and stresstolerance, and it can be difficult to figure out how to freelance in the first place. There are

      4 min read

    • Article

      Realizing Profit Potential

      Oct 18, 2019

      Realizing Profit Potential
      4 min read

    • Article

      Find Your Niche

      Oct 17, 2020

      AS a freelance writer, you have more options for magazines to pitch your ideas to than you may realize. When you peruse the racks at Barnes & Noble or other newsstands, you only see a fraction of the publications circulating the country. Most people

      6 min read

    • Article

      Magnus’ Marketing Minute

      Jun 1, 2023

      Michael Magnus is an advertising professional who supports the growth of the leather industry through his marketing agency, Magnus Opus. Among his client partnerships are Silver Creek Leather Co., manufacturers of Realeather® Crafts and Lace, and Jim

      5 min read

    • Article

      When It’s Time To Cash In

      Jun 5, 2019

      Three years ago, Don, the 65-year-old owner of a clothing wholesale importing business in Melbourne’s south-western suburbs, decided to sell it and retire to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. He had worked hard for three decades building up the business –

      4 min read

    • Article

      The First 90 Days

      Feb 1, 2018

      The First 90 Days
      14 min read

    • Article

      10 Tips For Fighting Financial Abuse

      Apr 29, 2020

      1 Create a master document of all suppliers such as insurances, utilities, bank accounts, loan information and subscriptions including website/phone/email, log-in details and passwords to instantly access all your financial information. 2 Document v

      1 min read

    • Article

      Three Different Approaches To Franchising Your Business

      Apr 22, 2019

      IF YOU have a successful business of any kind, then looking at the success of homegrown franchises like Columbus Coffee, Green Acres, Harcourts, Paramount and Carpet Court can be inspiring. These brands testify to the success that can be achieved thr

      3 min read

    • Article

      Communication: The Foundation Of Profitable Businesses

      Nov 10, 2023

      Have you ever had your boss make a decision regarding your area of responsibility without informing or involving you? As someone once put it more crudely: “Have you ever been treated like a mushroom, kept in the dark and fed on manure?” If not, consi

      2 min read

    • Article

      Money Matters

      Apr 16, 2024

      From smart budgeting advice to top tips to help you spend better and save, here’s how to manage your money – without ditching that precious morning coffee… Knowing the figures when it comes to your income and outgoings is critical to help you see wh

      3 min read

    • Article

      Know Your Value

      Jan 28, 2021

      Feeling nervous about how high your prices seem? That’s ok – just cast your eye back over your cost prices. Perhaps what you do is pretty time-intensive, or you’re using high-value luxe or sustainable materials? Remember that handmade is always going

      2 min read

    • Article

      Writer At Work

      May 27, 2023

      Writer At Work
      6 min read

    • Article

      HOW TO SAVE $1000 before Christ mas

      Oct 31, 2021

      Set aside one day to contact your bank, utility providers, phone provider and insurers to ask if you are getting the best deal possible. Before you call, do some market research so you can counter their response with better deals you have found. They

      2 min read

    • Article

      No Response?

      May 4, 2023

      Q I’ve been submitting my novel to agents for over a year and not one agent has got back to me. I’m left wondering if I’m doing something wrong in the way I present my novel or if it’s the novel itself that is the problem? AYou may not be doing anyth

      3 min read

    • Article

      Biz Start-Up Guide: Step 3 Make Plans Think Through Important Aspects of Your Future Home Business

      Sep 29, 2022

      Order at https://homebusinessmag.com/home-based-business-guide/ You know what type of business you want to go into, and that's a great start. You probably can't wait to begin. But before you do, it's essential to make plans. You need to think through

      11 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Instant Business Letters

    4.5/5

    2 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Instant Business Letters - Iain Maitland

      INTRODUCTION

      Instant Business Letters is written for you – the junior, middle or senior manager who has to write letters as part of your job. The first chapter, ‘Writing Effective Letters’, sets out all you need to know about planning a letter and choosing the correct approach, layout and style to suit every occasion. It includes a checklist questionnaire which will be of use throughout the book, and beyond.

      Chapters 2 to 24 contain a wide and diverse range of letters from ‘Acceptances’ and ‘Acknowledgements’ through ‘Complaints’, ‘Enquiries’ and ‘Invitations’ to ‘Thank Yous’ and ‘Warnings’. You can use these immediately or amend them easily for your own, individual circumstances, by referring back to the first chapter and that checklist questionnaire.

      Whatever your job and type and size of business, trade or industry, Instant Business Letters is relevant to you. Study a particular subject by checking the Table of Contents. Dip into it when you wish to find a specific letter by looking through the Letters Index. Read it from cover to cover if you want to learn as much as you can and become a first-class letter writer.

      Iain Maitland

      1

      WRITING EFFECTIVE LETTERS

      As a businessperson, it is essential that you know how to write effective letters. To begin with, you have to be able to plan a letter and choose the correct appearance, layout and style for each and every occasion. Only then can you go on to use the 201 ‘instant letters’ in this book, adapting them if necessary to suit your own particular needs and situation.

      Planning a Letter

      The key to a successful letter is planning. It is not enough simply to write down whatever comes into your head – you need to approach the task in a careful and thorough manner. This involves four main steps:

      1) identifying your goals

      2) establishing the facts

      3) analysing the recipient

      4) preparing a draft.

      Identifying Your Goals

      Think about what you are trying to achieve with this letter. Perhaps you wish to introduce your products and services to a prospective customer, and persuade him or her to place an order with your firm. Alternatively, you might want to force a late payer to settle an overdue account as soon as possible, without having to take legal action against that individual or organisation. Whether you are seeking to make a sale, obtain payment or whatever, always have your goals focused clearly in your mind. Your letter should develop from these, and these alone:

      Establishing the Facts

      Having set your goals, familiarise yourself with the facts of the matter. To sell those goods and services you must know all about their qualities, prices, special offers, discounts available, delivery dates and the like. If you want to be paid, you have to be conscious of what the invoice relates to, whether the customer has any complaints about it, when it was due for payment, why it has not been paid, and so forth. To ensure that you are totally up to date you will probably need to study your company’s records, re-read correspondence, remember telephone calls and perhaps even refer to your professional advisers in some instances.

      Analysing the Recipient

      You must be certain that the information you wish to put across will be understood by the recipient and not misinterpreted in any way. Otherwise you cannot expect to initiate the desired action, whether a large order or a cheque in settlement of an outstanding account. Consider the person who will receive and read the letter: previous correspondence and telephone conversations should have given you an accurate impression of his or her personality, knowledge and views of the matter. Put yourself in the reader’s position, imagining what his or her reaction will be upon opening and studying your letter. Decide what is most likely to generate the required response: for the reader to reach for that order form or cheque-book.

      Preparing a Draft

      Knowing what you want to achieve, being conscious of the background facts and aware of the recipient, you should be able to jot down the points you wish to make in your initial draft. For example, imagine you have received a letter of complaint about damaged goods delivered to a customer. Your company’s policy in such situations is to resolve the complaint as quickly and as fairly as possible, and to maintain the customer’s goodwill. Six of the 12 products were found to be damaged when their container was opened, and it is most likely that the carrier is to blame as goods are always checked before leaving your warehouse. The customer wants you to deliver replacement products and collect and credit him for these damaged items as soon as you can. A formal, matter-of-fact approach is taken by the customer in his letter to your company.

      From this you can note various points for inclusion in your preliminary draft – ‘we want to apologise for the problem,’ ‘we wish to explain why it occurred,’ ‘we agree to your suggested solution,’ ‘we have set about resolving the complaint’ and ‘we want to apologise again’. Then sketch out a very rough-and-ready draft, jiggling it into an approximate order but not worrying too much about its appearance, layout or style at the moment. An example of this draft is shown in Letter 1.1.

      The Appearance of a Letter

      Putting the draft aside for a moment, you now need to consider the appearance of your letter. This will have a significant impact on the reader and can affect the success or failure of your letter. There are two main areas to think over:

      1) envelopes

      2) paper.

      Envelopes

      From the recipient’s point of view, the envelope you use is his or her first point of contact with you – and could also be the last! A cheap and scruffy one with a misspelt name and address scribbled across it is unlikely to impress the reader or put him or her in a favourable mood towards the letter within it. Choose quality envelopes, which help to convey a professional and dignified image of your firm. White or other conservative colours can develop this impression – and also stand out from

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1