Letter to Leaders - Adriana

11/7/2020 11.6: Letters

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LISTEN TO THE CHAPTER AUDIO

Figure 11.2 Parts of a Letter

11.6: Letters

Despite increased use of the telephone and advances in other

forms of communication, such as e-mail, letters are still one

of the most important and effective means of communicating

in the business world today (see Figure 11.2 ). 

Letter writing is an important part of the duties of many PR professionals. This illustration shows the different parts of a business letter. Read the letter itself and take note of the straightforward, businesslike language that is used. Every sentence in the letter contains some information or asks for action from the reader.

In fact, they increased in importance with the installation and

use of fax machines. The well-written letter is impressive and

appreciated by the receiver. The poorly written letter can

establish negative feelings on the part of the receiver that are

extremely difficult to overcome. PR practitioners are often

called on to write letters for their organizations. These letters

may serve a variety of purposes, such as selling a product or

Examine the significance of a well-written letter even

in this age of other advanced communication forms

11.6

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11/7/2020 11.6: Letters

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idea, explaining company policy, answering complaints, and

raising funds. Each of these letters must be carefully crafted

to accomplish its purpose.

Letters are a good way to direct a message straight to the

people you want to receive that message. Most people read

their mail; at least, they begin to read their mail. If a letter

does not quickly give its information and make its point, it is

likely to irritate or lose its reader—or both. Letters are

expensive for organizations to produce and send. They take

time and care to write. Like all other communication, they

must accomplish their mission for the organization.

Letter writing requires precise and concise use of the

language. Letters require that writers come directly to the

point and not waste the time of the receiver. Even if a letter is

obviously written for a large number of people, the reader

should get the feeling that the letter was written to and for

him or her. Letters should never contain any errors in

spelling, grammar, or punctuation. They should also never

show any editing.

The first rule of letter writing is to understand the purpose of

the letter. The letter writer should ask, “Why am I writing this

letter?” and, if necessary, make a list of reasons. There may be

a number of reasons for a letter to be written, but there

11/7/2020 11.6: Letters

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should be one overriding purpose. If that purpose is not

evident from the list the writer makes, then he or she should

give more thought to the letter itself.

Similar to the purpose for writing the letter is the action that

is expected of the recipient. Again, the letter writer should

ask a question: “What do I want the reader to do after reading

the letter?” Sometimes the answer is a simple one and comes

directly from the purpose of the letter. At other times, the

intended action of the reader may not be apparent. Again, the

writer should have this action clearly in mind before starting

to write the letter. In any case, the action of the reader should

be as specific as possible.

Once the purpose of the letter and the intended action on the

part of the reader have been established, the writing can

begin. One of the first and most important considerations a

writer should give to a letter is its tone. The proper tone is

essential to the effectiveness of a letter. In most cases of

business correspondence, a letter must be both personal and

professional; it must show the right mix of these qualities. A

letter that is too personal—especially if the writer and

recipient are not personal friends—may offend the recipient

as an invasion of privacy. A letter that is too formal may make

the recipient feel that he or she is not very important to the

writer.

11/7/2020 11.6: Letters

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Following are some guidelines that will help writers to avoid

being too personal in a business letter:

Don't Be Obsequious

Don't Be Overly Complimentary

Don't Try to Be Funny

Don't Refer to Personal Characteristics, Habits, or

Feelings of the Reader

Use Personal Pronouns

Avoid Impersonal Constructions

Avoid the Passive Voice

Avoid Using Technical Language

Avoid Wordiness