What are Business Letters? (Essay Sample)

What are business letters?
Business letters are going to be considered in this paper; first of all, a definition of a business letter is to be provided in the following chapter.
Business Letters
What this handout is about
This handout will help you write business letters required in many different situations, from applying for a job to requesting or delivering information. While the examples that are explicitly discussed are the application letter and cover letter, this handout also highlights strategies for active business writing in general.
Principles to keep in mind
Business writing is different
Writing for a business audience is usually quite different than writing in the humanities, social sciences, or other academic disciplines. Business writing strives to be crisp and concise rather than evocative or creative; it stresses specificity and accuracy. This distinction does not make business writing superior or inferior to other styles. Instead, it reflects the unique purpose and considerations involved when writing in a business context.
When you write a business document, you must assume that your audience has limited time in which to read it and is likely to skim. Your readers have an interest in what you say insofar as it affects their working world. They want to know the "bottom line": the point you are making about a situation or problem and how they should respond.
Business writing varies from the conversational style often found in email messages to the more formal, legalistic style found in contracts. A method between these two extremes is appropriate for the majority of memos, emails, and letters. Writing that is too formal can alienate readers, and an attempt to be overly casual may come across as insincere or unprofessional. In business writing, as in all literature, you must know your audience.
In most cases, the business letter will be the first impression that you make on someone. Though business writing has become less formal over time, you should still take great care that your letter's content is manifest and that you have proofread it carefully.
Pronouns and active versus passive voice
Personal pronouns (like I, we, and you) are important in letters and memos. In such documents, it is entirely appropriate to refer to yourself as I and to the reader as you. Be careful, however, when you use the pronoun we in a business letter that is written on company stationery, since it commits your company to what you have written. When stating your opinion, use I; when presenting company policy, use we.
The best writers strive to achieve a style that is so clear that their messages cannot be misunderstood. One way to accomplish a definite manner is to minimize your use of the passive voice. Although the passive voice is sometimes necessary, often it not only makes your writing dull but also can be ambiguous or overly impersonal. Here's an example of the same point stated in a passive voice and the active voice:
Passive voice: "The net benefits of subsidiary divestiture were grossly overestimated."
[Who did the overestimating?]
Active voice: The Global Finance Team grossly overestimated the net benefits of subsidiary divestiture.
The second version is more transparent and thus preferable.
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. What if you are the head of the Global Finance Team? You may want to get your message across without calling excessive attention to the fact that the error was your team's fault. The passive voice allows you to gloss over a critical point—but you should use it sparingly.
Focus and specificity
Business writing should be clear and concise. Take care, however, that your document does not turn out like an endless series of short, choppy sentences. Keep in mind also that "concise" does not have to mean "blunt"—you still need to think about your tone and the audience for whom you are writing. Consider the following examples:
After carefully reviewing this proposal, we have decided to prioritize other projects this quarter.Nobody liked your project idea, so we are not going to give you any funding.
The first version is a weaker statement, emphasizing facts not directly relevant to its point. The second version provides information and instantly. But you don't need to be an expert on a style to know that the first phrasing is diplomatic and respectful (even though it's less concise) as compared with the second version, which is unnecessarily harsh and likely to provoke an adverse reaction.
Business letters: where to begin
Reread the description of your task (for example, the advertisement of a job opening, instructions for proposal submission, or assignment prompt for a course). Think about your purpose and what requirements are mentioned or implied in the description of the task. List these requirements. This list can serve as an outline to govern your writing and help you stay focused, so try to make it through. Next, identify qualifications, attributes, objectives, or answers that match the requirements you have just listed. Strive to be exact and specific, avoiding vagueness, ambiguity, and platitudes. If there are industry- or field-specific concepts or terminology that are relevant to the task at hand, use them in a manner that will convey your competence and experience. Avoid any language that your audience may not understand. Your finished piece of writing should indicate how you meet the requirements you've listed and answered any questions raised in the description or prompt.
Application letters and cover letters
Many people believe that application letters and cover letters are necessarily the same. For purposes of this handout, though, these kinds of messages are different. The letter of application is a sales letter in which you market your skills, abilities, and knowledge. A cover letter, on the other hand, is primarily a document of transmittal. It identifies an item being sent, the person to whom it is being sent to, and the reason for its being sent and provides a permanent record of the transmittal for both the writer and the reader.
Application letters
When writing an application letter, remember that you probably have competition. Your audience is a professional who screens and hires job applicants—someone who may look through dozens or even hundreds of other applications on the day she receives yours. The immediate objective of your application letter and accompanying resume is to