Business professional correspondence: basics and rules

In the modern world, business contact often begins with business correspondence - a written form of business interaction, which includes any type of correspondence (letter, message, etc.) sent by any official on his behalf and by virtue of his position.

An important aspect is compliance with certain etiquette standards. Otherwise, established connections may be severed and a client or business partner may be lost. Well-designed business correspondence contributes to the most favorable impression of you or the company.

Mastering the magic of letters is important for every person. For example, when looking for a new job: compiling and sending a resume, test tasks, cover letters, additional information about yourself, agreeing on a meeting time.

Interestingly, the rules of business correspondence that exist today were developed about 150 years ago in England.

Etiquette and literacy

Never forget about politeness. As already emphasized above, it is important if you are interested in business correspondence

Phrases like “glad to cooperate”, “thank you for your attention”, “I apologize for disturbing you”, “we will be glad to see you”, “would you like to join us” and others. The last two, by the way, refer more likely to invitations to corporate celebrations than to a business letter

Always, as a sign of respect, add “please,” “thank you,” “would you be kind,” etc. to phrases where appropriate.

Human literacy is no less important in the process of writing business letters. More precisely, if you make even one elementary mistake in the process of creating a letter, we can say that the interlocutor will form a completely different opinion about you than the one you expect

Therefore, try to write as competently as possible and check everything several times. If you don’t know how to find errors and correct them yourself, use the services of a proofreader or specialized services. It's very simple, but it will allow you to be confident in your text.

Style and style

We have drawn up a competent writing plan. Now it is important to write the letter in the correct language. So we need a few more rules.

Rule 9. Choose specific subjects

Everyone had to read opuses in the spirit of “In order to avoid problems with tourists paying for tours and the subsequent discovery of the impossibility of issuing a visa to them by the embassy, ​​the travel agency changed the procedure for accepting and checking tourists’ documents for a visa.”
In this text, the subject, the main member of the sentence, denoting the hero or subject of the story, let us down. Here there is only one thing - “change”.

List who or what the sentence is about:

• tourists
• agency
• embassy…

Make the most important characters or items on the list the subject. “The travel agency has changed the procedure for accepting documents to eliminate cases when the embassy refuses tourists who have already paid for the trip.”

Rule 10. Use predicate verbs

The predicate is responsible for the action of the hero or the sign of the object in the sentence.
It can be simple (“design”, “control”) and complex (“design”, “provide control”). Even if there are several words in the predicate, the main thing is still the verb. In the simple version, the whole meaning of the predicate is in the verb (What are we doing? We are designing!). In a compound verb, the verb is empty (What are we doing? We are doing it!), and the meaning must be sought further in the text.

A simple verb predicate is easier to perceive. Instead of “providing consultation,” write “consulting.”

Rule 11. Avoid “uninhabited” pieces of text

The subject and predicate are the locomotive of the sentence.
If we attach a couple of dozen words to one locomotive, the sentence “will not work.” Instead of “In case of non-use of paid communication services through a subscriber number for 150 days and subject to a positive balance of the personal account, tariffication of communication services on this Subscriber number is carried out in accordance with the terms of the “Spare” tariff plan, write “If you do not use paid services for more than 150 days, and your account balance is positive, your number is automatically transferred to the “Spare” tariff

The text should be “densely populated” with subjects and predicates - as shown in the diagram “based on” the poems of Agnia Barto. The higher the structure on the diagram, the easier it is for the recipient to perceive it. The lower, the more difficult it is for the recipient.

Rule 12. Put the subject at the beginning of the sentence

It is especially difficult for a “composition” sentence to move if the locomotive is not in the head, but in the tail.
This happens when there is a long adverbial phrase at the beginning of a sentence. Instead of “Given the possibility of vehicle malfunctions occurring away from the auto repair shop, it is necessary that the driver be able to fix minor malfunctions himself.” write “Since the car can break down away from the auto repair shop, the driver should be able to fix minor problems himself.”

Letter requirements

So, the rules of business correspondence state that all letters must, firstly, be brief. This is the main rule that it will be read. Agree, we all don’t like when we are loaded with a large amount of information. If this is a business letter, it should not be huge - in this case, it may simply be ignored. If you can’t shorten the information right away, do it after you write the first draft of your letter.

Secondly, your partner (participant in the correspondence) must understand what is being said. That is, the letter should be made informative and understandable. It should contain the information that you would like to convey in such a way as to avoid additional questions and not waste time on clarifying details.

Thirdly, the letter should be made as respectful as possible towards your partner or company employee who will read it. It's true - the more respect you show your interlocutor, the more likely it is that he will respond appropriately to your request and, in the end, you will achieve the desired effect.

What is the deadline for replying to a letter?

If the letter is classified as requiring a response, then when to respond depends on the information contained in the letter:

• If you receive a request, please confirm that it has been received within the next three days of receipt. And the final answer can be given within a month;
• If we are talking about condolences, it can be sent within ten days after the sad event happened;
• It is permissible to send congratulations within 8 days from the moment you learned about the special date;
• If we talk about the general rules of good manners, then it is better to respond to letters within seven days.

How to understand abbreviations

• EOB (end of business day) → end of the working day.
• SOB (start of business day) → the beginning of the working day.
• EOQ (end of quarter) → by the end of the quarter.
• TBD (to be determined) or TBA (to be announced), we use it when information on the timing or date is not yet known.
• PTO (paid time off) → vacation.
• OOO (Out of office) → outside the office, not at work. The phrase is used in auto replies.
• FUP (follow up) → follow, take control.
• POC (point of contact) → contact person.
• FYI (for your information) → for your information.
• AAMOF (As A Matter Of Fact) → essentially.
• AFAIK (As far as I know) → as far as I know.
• BTW (By The Way) →by the way.
• CU (see you) → see you
• F2F (face to face) → alone.
• IMHO (In My Humble (Honest) Opinion) → in my humble opinion.

How to write a business letter

There are certain rules and regulations for writing a business letter. The main aspect is compliance with business etiquette. Business correspondence is a type of official correspondence.

There are several types of business correspondence, namely:

• circular letters - inform subordinates of any information or instructions;
• letters of inquiry - requests to formulate a commercial proposal or describe a product/service;
• letters of guarantee - sent to confirm the terms of contracts;
• complaint (claim);
• cover letters, etc.

But all types of business letters have the same differences from a simple letter.

Main differences:

1. Writing style. It implies brevity and capacity of the letter, it is advised not to write more than one page, with the generally accepted structure of the letter, without “water”.
2. Official vocabulary. Strong expressions of emotions and feelings are not allowed.
3. Forms on company letterhead with details and all contact information.
4. Font. Not large, but not small either. Identical throughout the entire length of the letter.
5. Respect for subordination.
6. Style. Your letter should be in a formal business style, i.e. use of official vocabulary.
7. Relevance of information. The information in the letter must be relevant and relevant at the time of sending.

Writing a business letter on paper

Address the recipient of the letter by position/last name/first name and patronymic or generalized in the upper right corner. The subject of the letter (may sometimes be omitted). In order to correctly compose a topic, you need to think through the text of the letter and identify the main words, which then need to be summarized. You can also forward the subject of the email if it was a response to a received email. Addresses from the words Dear First Name Patronymic. The main part of the letter. Description of the problem or purpose of the letter, contains the main information, important proposals, necessary requirements, request or orders. This part contains a strictly chronological presentation of facts and logical justification.

Each paragraph contains one aspect of information. If you need to pay special attention to something in the text of the letter, then use the mark “Important!”, after which information that is important for the recipient is implied.

Example of introduction and main part:

General Director of StroyMedProm LLC Kazantsev V.O. From Yarygin P.N. st. Lesnaya 33, G

Perm (There may also be information elements of the organization) (topic) On fulfillment of the terms of the contract

Dear Viktor Olegovich! (Main part) In accordance with the recent agreement, you need to send all the documents of our agreement... Important! Documents must be certified by a notary.

• Any type of business letter must contain a conclusion, which consists of conclusions, proposals, agreements/refusals, warnings. For example, these: we ask, we remind, we warn.
• Closing phrases should encourage further cooperation or possible refusal. A postscript “PS” may appear at the end to add to the completed letter.
• If documents are attached to the letter, this should be indicated in the lower left corner of the sheet. According to business etiquette, a response to a letter should not take more than 10 days; if the response requires more time, you must inform the addressee about this.
• Also at the end there is a signature with a transcript and a date. Conclusion example:

Business correspondence by E-mail

It often happens that a letter needs to be sent online. With this type of letter, you should also follow the rules and not forget about the official style.

Basic Rules:

1. Set up a work email address that you will use in the office.
2. The name of the mailbox must contain the appropriate name of either the company or your last name.
3. You must always fill in the subject line, otherwise your email risks ending up in spam. In the subject line, indicate the most important information about the letter (no more than 5 words).
4. Do not mix several topics in one letter; it is better to divide them into different ones and send them one by one.
5. Be polite even online.
6. The email should be short, one and a half to two times less than a written letter.
7. Attach attachments as separate elements.
8. At the end there must be a signature of the company or person sending it.

Main differences from regular correspondence

Because communication in business is formal, it has strict requirements and may in some cases be public, which is quite different from ordinary correspondence with friends or relatives.

Writing style

In official speech, the use of either a colloquial style or a scientific or artistic style rich in expressive means is not allowed.

The style of business communication should be neutral.

For different types of business messages, it can range from more formal to personal, but it is important to maintain a balance.

Official vocabulary

Colloquial or slang vocabulary in professional correspondence is replaced by official ones. Instead of the expressions “hello”, “bye”, “see you”, “hello”, “with respect”, “thank you” are used.

Business vocabulary is neutral. The use of diminutive forms or jargon is not encouraged.

Respect for chain of command

An important point in business communication is compliance with subordination. Since such letters are often addressed to colleagues, management or a higher organization, they, unlike ordinary correspondence, must contain appropriate figures of speech and expressions showing the attitude of the author to the addressee. For example: “Dear colleagues!”

Relevance of information

Business correspondence always refers to the current moment in time. It may contain references to an earlier period, but in such letters it is important to convey only relevant information so as not to waste the recipient’s time and not distract him from the main topic.

Registration on company letterhead

One of the differences between business communication and ordinary friendly correspondence is the ability to write a letter on company letterhead.

Such a document shows the prestige of the organization, it contains some information about it and allows the recipient to identify the author by the appearance of the form.

In some cases, such as when contacting embassies, letterhead is required.

Correspondence on company letterhead.

Types of business letters

To decide how to compose a letter, you need to know the differences between its types. This will help you decide on the topic of the message and its correct design.

This will help you avoid looking stupid in the eyes of an important opponent.

According to the design structure there are:

Letters of communication

This includes letters of refusal, claims, excuses, and confessions. Everything that an employee uses in the course of his professional activities.

Letters of agreement

An important type of writing. Thanks to her, the results of the meeting are summed up, agreements are formed, the time for completing tasks is determined, and both parties are convinced of the correct understanding of the contract.

Requirements

A business letter must meet the following requirements:

• Speech is standardized at all levels - lexical, morphological and syntactic. It contains many expressions, terms and formulas.
• The tone of writing is neutral, restrained and strict, without the use of emotional and expressive language.
• Accuracy and clarity of the text, without logical errors, clarity and thoughtfulness of wording.
• Conciseness and brevity - without using expressions that carry additional meaning.
• The use of language formulas formed as a result of repeated situations.
• The use of terms, that is, words or phrases that have special concepts.
• The use of abbreviations, which can be lexical (that is, compound words formed by removing letters from parts of words: LLC, GOST, and so on) and graphic (that is, word designations in abbreviated form: grn, zh-d, etc.).
• The use of constructions in the genitive and instrumental cases.
• Phrases with verbal nouns (“provide support” instead of “support”).
• Using simple common sentences.

The above business letter samples are shown in full version (with body) below. The information meets all the requirements of an official business style.

How to write a business letter in English

We found out how to write a business letter in Russian. What about writing letters for foreign companies?

1. Date

In the USA, there is its own form of writing the date: first comes the month, then the date, then the year (October 9, 2022 will look like this - 09/10/19). In Britain, the date is written the same way as in Russia, but it is better to write the month in letters, and not in numbers to avoid confusion.

2. Business letter: recipient details

• Addressing a man looks like this: Mr (followed by the surname).
• Addressing a married woman: Mrs (followed by the surname).
• Addressing an unmarried woman: Miss (followed by the surname).
• If you don’t know the lady’s status: Ms (indicate last name).

3. Recipient's address

For letters sent to the USA, the following order of address writing is established: office number, house number, street name, zip code, state name. Letters sent to the UK must include the name of the county and country.

4. Address to the recipient

Usually this:

• Dear Madam.
• Dear Sir.
• Dear Sir or Madam.
• Dear Mrs.

Letters sent to the United States must be followed by a colon. And if the letter is sent to the UK - a comma. The exclamation mark is not used in this case.

5. Subject line

In business letters, you must indicate the subject so that the recipient immediately understands what will be discussed.

6. Text construction

For ease of reading, you need to divide the text into parts and make paragraphs. Sometimes you can write all sentences on a new line.

Read our article “Business ideas for a small town: secrets of search and successful implementation.”

7. Farewell

It must correspond to the style of correspondence; the degree of formality is determined by the general nature of what is written. If you are writing a rather stern business letter, an example of a farewell might be: “Thanking you for assistance, we remain Yours truly...” (Thank you, devoted to you....).

8. Signing

Everything is standard here: after the farewell, the name, surname, position and place of work are indicated, then the signature follows.

9. Application design

If any documents are attached to the letter, “Enc.” must be indicated at the end of it. and list the applications.

10. When are capital letters used?

• Last names and initials.
• Company names.
• Names of cities, states, etc.
• Any words that indicate the position held.
• The first words of farewell.
• Opening addresses.

Secrets of proper design

The text of the letter is divided into introductory, main and final parts. They are logically connected to each other. The introductory part includes the circumstances that led to the creation of the letter, and the main part represents the content itself. The final part summarizes the results, which express the request, refusal, etc.

In general, business correspondence with all responsibility can be called an art, because it is necessary to learn how to conduct it correctly, in compliance with all requirements. After all, most often we only think about the information being presented clearly, and we forget about the fact that the letter can be considered the face of the company.

Stylistics.

Each letter is kept in a strict business style, using means of speech characteristic of official documents.

Requirements for presentation of information.

All information contained in the letter is presented as follows:

• Addressed, intended for a specific person;
• All information must be current as of the date of writing;
• Reliable;
• Impartially;
• Reasoned;
• As completely as possible, so that a decision can be made based on it.

Form.

First of all, the letter is drawn up on letterhead that is proprietary to the company.

Next, let's look at the basic requirements:

• To write a business letter, A4 size sheets are used;
• The left margin of the form must be at least 3 cm, since after some time they will be sent to the file;
• The name of the company, its legal and actual address, and email address are indicated;
• It is better to use the standard Times New Roman font, size 12. It is the most optimal and is easy to read;
• It is allowed to draw up business letters without using a letterhead, but then you still need to provide the information from the form.

If the letter deals with large transactions related to finance or confidential information of another nature, it is not recommended to send such letters by fax or electronically. It’s better the old fashioned way, in a regular paper envelope.

Numbering.

If the letter consists of several pages, then they are numbered starting from the second. The numbers are marked at the top in the middle in Arabic numerals. There are no dots next to the number.

Division into parts.

This means dividing the letter into paragraphs. The text should not flow in a continuous stream, otherwise it simply will not be perceived. Thanks to the division into paragraphs, you can see where one thought ends and another begins.

Availability of fixes.

It is not advisable to allow corrections, typos, or erasures. The letter must be written correctly, and the text must be printed at intervals of 1.5 - 2.

Details used.

We will indicate only the main ones, since we already briefly talked about them a little earlier:

• If the enterprise is state-owned, the Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation is used. It is located in the middle of the official form;
• Full company name;
• Fax and telephone numbers;
• Bank account number;
• Addressee – and the name of the recipient company is used in the nominative case; to indicate the position and surname of the recipient, use the dative case;
• If the recipient has an academic degree or title, indicate it before the person’s last name;
• Any details are written on a new line and with a capital letter.

Common mistakes in business correspondence

There are several seemingly small things that can nevertheless become fatal in the case of business communication. Often it is these little things that lead to the termination of mutually beneficial relationships, the termination of transactions and similar unpleasant things. You need to know the enemy by sight!

1. You cannot write (and call too!) about work outside of working hours! How often do we, not wanting to wait until the morning, disturb our partners, clients, colleagues at nine, ten, or even eleven in the evening. It seems to us that everything will disappear overnight, collapse, fail, and it will no longer be possible to save the situation. And those rare individuals who are able to hold out until the morning, for some reason, believe that six in the morning is the best time to communicate. After all, if I don’t sleep, then no one sleeps. Alas, such behavior only irritates and turns us against ourselves.
2. This has already been indirectly mentioned, but nevertheless, there can be no familiarity! Communication at work takes place exclusively in “you” (with a capital V, which means politeness and respect).
3. Excessive exchange of pleasantries can also cause harm. Firstly, it takes up valuable time, and secondly, it looks a little annoying and boring. No need to try hard.

Business letter etiquette

In what cases may we be required to write a business letter? Of course, if we conduct any business with organizations and/or individuals. What we write to our partners, colleagues, clients, the way we format our letter will become the face of our company and present us either in a favorable light or in a not so favorable light. Unless, of course, we are competent in the etiquette of writing business letters. In order not to lose face, you need to learn the wisdom below. By the way, it is also useful to have such knowledge because the slightest mistake, a tiny discrepancy with the rules can turn a business letter into one that is illegal from a legal point of view.

Content

• Why do you need business correspondence?
• Differences between business letters and others
• Types of business letters
• Secrets of proper design
• Business letter after a meeting
• Electronic business letters
• What is the deadline for replying to a letter?
• How to write a business letter: in simple language about complex things
• How to end a business letter
• Business letters in English
• Samples of business letters in Russian and English
• Conclusion

Now outside our windows is the time of high technology and the Internet. But business correspondence has not lost its importance and relevance, it has simply moved to other media. Let's talk today about why it is important to be able to compose and format business letters.

Types of business letters

A business letter is a document that performs a number of functions and deals with one or more interrelated issues. Business letters are written for different reasons and have many varieties. Business correspondence is conducted as part of interaction between employees of the same or different enterprises. With its help, you can convey the necessary information to a colleague or partner, make a proposal, make a claim, or ask for something. Such correspondence requires adherence to certain rules and regulations for writing and processing documents.

Any business letter can be classified. The types of such letters are completely different. There are several groups of them, each of which includes letters united by a certain characteristic: topic, function, recipient, composition, form of sending.

Subject:

• Proposal or offer. Offer of goods, services, cooperation.
• Request. Sent in order to clarify the conditions of joint work, some nuances of cooperation.
• Claim. It is sent in case of improper fulfillment of its obligations by one of the parties.
• An information letter is necessary in order to notify the partner about some changes, innovations, etc.
• Confirmation. It is sent in order to inform about agreement with new working conditions or, for example, about the receipt of some kind of shipment.
• Reminder. It is necessary to inform a colleague or partner that, for example, the terms of a contract are expiring.
• Invitation. Sent with the goal of inviting a partner to an event or meeting.
• Congratulations or thank you letter. It is necessary to express gratitude for any reason, in order to congratulate on holidays and significant events.

Function:

• Initiative letters. The sender composes a letter on his own initiative in order to obtain the necessary information, confirm receipt of documents, invite him to a holiday, etc.
• Answers. They are sent in response to initiative letters.
• Letters without answer. Sent to ensure that the partner receives the necessary information. A response to a business letter of this type is not usually written.

Recipient:

• Personal. Sent to the name of a specific person. This could be the head of the enterprise, a department employee, an accountant, etc.
• Group or impersonal. Such letters do not have a specific recipient; they are usually sent to the company's address.

Read our article “Crowdsourcing: everything you wanted to know about it.”

Composition:

• Single-aspect. Such letters are about something specific.
• Multidimensional. These letters have several subjects of discussion.

Departure form:

• Traditional or paper.
• Electronic.

Don't care about resources

There are two resources in business that should not be wasted. It's time and money. Often, trying to save our resources, we waste our partners’ time and money.

For example, an advertising agency sends 12 posts per month for the client’s social networks for approval. The client gives feedback in the format of voice messages with a total duration of 20 minutes. In his speech, the client jumps from topic to topic, voices his thoughts about the project as a whole and does not structure the speech in any way.

What losses did these voice messages cause for the project?

The editor spent 20 minutes listening to the voice messages. It took about another half hour to record the edits and transfer them to the author. When the author sent in the corrected texts, the editor spent another 40 minutes checking the texts to ensure they matched the client's wishes from the voicemails. At the same time, thoughts on improving the project did not reach the recipients at all, since the account forwarded messages only to the editor as feedback on the content. All this time, the editor could work on new texts and search for information. It’s not worth talking about improvements: the client’s ideas have gone nowhere, which in the future can lead to negativity on the part of the client and the termination of the contract.

The general director of the company, due to her busyness and constant movement, abused her voice.

One day, in some general correspondence, she sent a large number of voice messages, one of which contained information for me. In another rush, I opened the messages, but due to poor internet, noise or something else, I didn’t listen to them to the end and forgot.

It turned out that at the end of the material she set a task for me, which consisted of quickly replacing some positions in the bar menu layout with others. By the time the menu was printed and delivered, everything had changed again, and in the end they left the original positions, which I, in fact, did not correct.

I am sure that everyone can come up with a decent list of such stories.

In business communication you should adhere to the following rules:

• do not use voice messages;
• always indicate the subject of the letter: this will save time searching through the mail, and will also allow you to assess the importance of the letter during a quick glance.
• Don't click the "reply all" button if only one specific person needs your answer. If your partner's colleagues are on the copy, leave them in, even if you're not sure they need the answer. In this case, it is better to make sure that the information reaches the recipients than to guess who to respond to.

Types of business correspondence

Document circulation is carried out on paper and via e-mail.

All correspondence at the enterprise can be divided into the following groups:

— official/unofficial correspondence;

- internal and external.

Official correspondence includes commercial offers, letters of gratitude and guarantees, trade agreements, orders for the enterprise, job responsibilities, requests, demands, claims.

Informal correspondence includes various congratulations from business partners, customers, and employees; condolences, apologies, invitations and thanks.

Internal documents circulate only between departments of one enterprise, while external documents go beyond its boundaries.

Offer

Any business correspondence (the examples we give also necessarily have this property) requires a logical sequence. If at first you wrote about why you were writing, then you should further specify and expand this idea. Indicate what you would like from the interlocutor more broadly - perhaps draw him the prospect of benefits from agreeing to work with you. This part, by all logic, should be the “peak” of your writing, the culmination of its kind. If initially you smoothly approached what interests you primarily, then in this part you should “reveal your cards.” All business correspondence (the examples of letters above are no exception) should be built along such a smooth upward curve. Then the reader of your lines will understand your mood and, thus, it will be more comfortable for him to communicate with you. Don’t make any abrupt leaps, don’t move from one topic to another.

As the examples show, if you need to discuss, for example, two unrelated issues, you can divide the article into parts by breaking it into paragraphs. This is convenient for both the reader, who will visually see the moment where you move from one question to another; and so it is for you, because in this case you write as if we are talking about two different letters.

If we talk about our examples, we should write: “In addition, we would like to re-order product N, about which we interacted with you a month earlier.” Or: “At a price suitable for our conditions, we would like to establish ongoing cooperation with you in this area, increasing the sales channel to XY thousand units.” Finally, you can do this: “If your interest in working with us is still valid, please let us know.”

Every second sample of business correspondence is built according to this principle, so there is nothing wrong with it. On the contrary, highlighting headings often helps to navigate better, since it removes “solid text” and creates a kind of “anchors” in it that you can visually attach to.

Online Business Etiquette and Business Emails

Electronic letters, like paper ones, consist of several important elements that require competent filling out not at all because of speculative rules, but precisely because these elements can be informative and very convenient from a utilitarian and practical point of view. A correct letter guarantees a correct and prompt response, as well as a constructive solution to the issue.

1. Addressee: It is customary to indicate one address in the addressee line.

This indicates not only a respectful attitude towards the interlocutor, but will also protect his e-mail from spam, unnecessary mailings and prying eyes.

1. A copy of the addressee's letter is filled out for a specific purpose.

By sending a letter to the main addressee and indicating another in the “copy” section, the addressee informs the second interlocutor about what is happening, but does not require him to respond or directly participate in the correspondence.

1. Subject line: specificity and uniqueness.

Extreme specificity of the topic should help both the addressee and the addressee navigate the topic of discussion and distinguish between many problems and tasks: not just “Report from Katya”, but “Report for May 2015. Draft”

Please note: the name in this case is useless, since the addressee is already clear to the addressee from the name of the email box

Emails are equally easy to read on a desktop monitor or a tablet.

1. The body of the email should contain 3 key elements.

First, a greeting (if this is the first letter of this day, for example) and an address (in each letter). Secondly, a statement of the question: a presentation of yourself (if the letter is the first), a reminder of the tasks to be solved, a description of the problem or its solution. Thirdly, a request or encouragement to action.

1. The email read notification function requires sensitivity.

It should be used if the letter is really important, but there is no way to ask about its receipt by phone, for example. This function usually imposes unclear, vaguely formulated psychological obligations on the recipient, so it should not be abused

A correct and not so categorical option is a polite request at the end of the letter to indicate that it has been read.

1. The signature requires conciseness and at the same time capacity.

The wording may contain the standard formula “With respect” or be limited to the last name and first name. The signature, including name, position, organization name and contact information, should not exceed 7 lines. It is advisable to indicate alternative contact information, in addition to your mailbox: telephone, Skype, ICQ, and other popular instant messengers.

1. Attachments: the main thing is to warn and name the files correctly.

Netiquette requires information about the document in the file attached to the letter: about the format, its volume and content. The attachment should not be larger than 3-5 Mb. Its title, like the subject of the letter, should be extremely short, specific and unique.

Normal type of email

The reaction time of a letter in netiquette differs from the time in off-line. Two to three hours is a comfortable time to wait for a response to an urgent letter. In response to urgent or important messages, sometimes it is enough to warn that the e-mail has been received and the information has been taken into account. If the problem requires lengthy consideration, then the addressee needs to inform his interlocutor about the time it will take to answer the question.

The reputation of a business person and a company consists not only of the efficiency and effectiveness of the business, but also of the little things and nuances of any stage of business negotiations. Compliance with the principles of business correspondence is required from every representative of the company: from a minor clerk to a public relations specialist and the head of the company.

Write a letter from top to bottom

Sounds strange, doesn't it? But now I will prove to you that this rule can save your nerves and get rid of awkward situations in correspondence.

“Good afternoon, colleagues! As promised, I am sending you the file for approval.”

“Sorry, I forgot to attach the file. Here he is".

And in the copy there are 10 people, and all of them are managers! I'm sure this happened to absolutely everyone. Therefore, business letters should be written from bottom to top.

• Want to send a file? Add it first!
• Write the letter itself.
• Formulate a topic.
• Add recipients.

This approach can save you from another unpleasant moment - accidentally sending a message. This is especially familiar to those who have configured sending using hotkeys.

As part of the transfer of business to the company's new marketer, I showed how to use CRM and send mailings to the customer base.

I conventionally typed “olo” into the message field, showed where to press so that the message would go away, and exited the program without canceling the task.

In general, “olo” has disappeared throughout the entire customer base. When I realized this, I had to improvise.

We posted stories on Instagram asking us to offer our options, which is what our crazy marketer had in mind. “Perhaps this is a secret message for the chosen few?” We received about 20-30 direct messages with options for decoding abbreviations and statements from the “you made my day, under the table” series.

Those with the most original messages were given burgers. There was no word from management. They laughed too.

At this point I want to share one life hack that you might want to implement at your work.

Some companies have adopted a standard where the subject line of the letter must begin with priority. Priority is indicated on a scale from 1 to 4 and has the following values:

• 1 – urgent and important;
• 2 – urgent, but not important;
• 3 – not urgent, but important;
• 4 – not urgent and not important.

The company has a special designation for newsletters - INF (information), and for urgent questions - IMP (important).

Agree, is it convenient?

Nuances

A business letter has its own clear, special structure. At the same time, there is no single standard for the preparation of paper documents: different companies may have their own variations. They adhere only to a certain composition of the parts of the letter: they must certainly contain a “header”, a greeting, the main part and a farewell. Don't forget about your personal signature at the end of the letter.

By the way, the so-called frame of the message - the initial and final phrases - is called a label frame. It is she who helps to establish the necessary relationship with the addressee. In addition, the rules of etiquette for business letters and examples of their writing demonstrate the use of various speech cliches in messages (they will be discussed below).

An important aspect of writing a business letter is the correct use of address. Before the revolution in our country, the address “sir” or “madam” was in use: it was considered universal, they called anyone that way. Nowadays there is no such universal address, although the word “Mr” or “Madam” is often found in business letters - having previously lost its popularity, it is gradually coming back into use. You can address this to a business partner or official, but not to a client or colleague.

The most common and universal at present is considered to be the address “Dear” or “Dear Sir,” but in fact it is not that either. In a similar way, for example, you cannot appeal to the so-called VIPs - especially important persons, who are considered governors, mayors, and presidents. In this case, you will need to start your letter with the address “Dearly” (another option is “Highly Respected”).

If the message is addressed to several people at once, and they are all representatives of the same profession, it would be appropriate to use an address such as “Dear colleagues” (if all addressees are women, it is permissible to write “Dear ladies”; if men, then “Dear gentlemen"). If the letter is addressed to one person, it is strictly forbidden not to use a name or surname. This is permissible only in the above case (when the addressee is a group of persons) or when interacting with a legal entity.

As for the end of the message, you need to remember: it is no less significant than the beginning. It is at the end of the letter that hope is expressed for further cooperation, confidence in a successful and/or quick resolution of the issue, and the like. Here, you should also not point out previous difficulties - for example, delays in answering or failure to receive one at all. These phrases are considered negative signs of business letter etiquette and are considered as reluctance to continue the relationship, as well as disrespect for the interlocutor

It is important to understand that this is unacceptable

Working with attachments

If there is too much information to convey, do not put it all in the body of the letter, but attach it as separate documents as attachments.

For the convenience of the recipient, rename the documents you prepared to names that he understands. This will show your interest and win you over. Think about how many work folders the recipient has on his computer and how he will search for your letter among them.

Be sure to inform the recipient about the files you are sending so that he does not consider them a random virus. Archive large documents.

It is best to send too large attachments (over 200 kbytes) in other ways, for example, through an ftp server.

Some mail servers do not allow formats such as COM, EXE, CMD, PIF and a number of others to pass through and block them.

If there were several recipients of your letter, take the time to delete all evidence of mass forwarding each time. The addressee does not need such extra information at all. The “bcc” command will help you.

The rules for conducting business correspondence by e-mail require informing the other party that the correspondence has been received. If it is not possible to answer at the moment, notify your interlocutor about this. Save your correspondence history to avoid further questions and proceedings.

If the response is important and urgent, it is allowed to additionally notify the addressee by phone, Skype or ICQ. If after this it was not possible to achieve a positive result, remind yourself again

It is not uncommon that when you request a document, you receive an empty letter with an attached file in response. It is unacceptable. Examples of business correspondence require that relevant information be placed in the body of the document. For example, this: “I am sending the necessary data for your request.”

Don’t forget to indicate the coordinates at the end of the letter: all available methods of communication, position, company website, links to social networks.

When writing organization contacts, provide as much information as possible - telephone number with area code, address with zip code. After all, your communication occurs not only with residents of your region. If you have all the information, it will be easier to contact you.

And the last rule: whoever started the correspondence must finish the electronic dialogue.

Business communication style

Business correspondence involves a delicate balancing act. Friendly communication is inappropriate here, but emphatically harsh communication is not appropriate either.

Features of communication:

Severity of designs

Diminutive words and slang expressions will be inappropriate.

Using emoticons

Use emoticons carefully or avoid them. The first contact does not allow their presence in principle

In the future, brackets may be present, but only positive ones, in moderate quantities. Niceness and humor are unacceptable in this style of communication. This form is unacceptable if you are subordinate to your interlocutor.

Greetings by name and patronymic

The rules for conducting business correspondence imply a respectful attitude towards the interlocutor, attention and interest in his person. This increases your opponent's interest in you and increases the chance of his leniency.

It is advisable to know in advance the name of the person you are addressing, as well as his preferences for address.

Reply within two days

It is correct to send a response to the message within a few business days. Otherwise it is considered disrespectful. If the letter was sent before the weekend or vacation, you don’t have to respond to it if it’s not urgent. Otherwise, you need to warn your interlocutor about the temporary absence of your response or briefly unsubscribe about the contents of the letter.

Lack of intrusiveness

Constantly asking about something, asking for confirmation will show you in a bad light. If confirmation from the interlocutor is required, you can remind him of the need to respond in three days. If the matter is urgent, it is better to mention it initially in your first message.

Mirror rule

Business correspondence etiquette often allows you to address your opponent the way he does. This increases the possibility of mutual understanding and communication on the same level. Keep track of what terms, style of communication, and address your interlocutor uses.

Happy holidays

If communication takes place around or during official holidays, it is worth congratulating the interlocutor. These are the rules of business correspondence. It is also useful to know when your opponent's birthday is.

Gratitude

Elementary politeness would be words of gratitude in response to a congratulation, invitation, or explanation.

Taking into account all the above features, it will not be difficult to establish contact with your interlocutor and form a favorable opinion about yourself.

Don't set up auto replies

We can all find ourselves in a situation where we don't have access to email. To save your colleagues from unnecessary worry, set up an auto-reply. Be sure to indicate how long you will be away and who you can contact if necessary, an alternative method of communication in emergency situations.

There is a myth that you don’t need to respond to auto-response. This is not true: after a long absence, it takes a lot of time to check your email and determine which issue has been resolved and which one is “waiting” for you. Therefore, do not ignore auto-responses. There are several options for answering them:

• "Hello! The question is not urgent - it is waiting for your return”;
• "Hello! I wrote to your replacement, we are solving the problem”;
• "Hello! I can handle this task myself, don’t worry!”

Believe me, your colleagues will be grateful for such answers, because you will save their time.

Basic rules for correspondence by e-mail

Use your work email address only for its intended purpose.

Pay attention to the name of the mailbox. Do not use incorrect names when working, such as “baby”, “superman”, even if they are indicated in English transcription

Always fill in the “subject” column, otherwise your letter may end up in spam. Descriptions like “plan”, “list”, “commercial proposal”, “report” will not work. There may be quite a lot of similar letters in your recipient's inbox. Be as specific as possible about what your message is about. Don't use more than five words. Capitalize your subject. There is no need to put a period at the end.

If you are replying to a previously received email, be sure to remove the “Re” in the subject line.

How to conduct business correspondence correctly

When composing a letter, it is important to pay attention to all details. When describing the rules of business correspondence, it is worth paying attention to the following aspects:

If you are writing a letter in which you need to answer specific questions asked by the author, then it would be appropriate to quote each of them separately. To do this, use numbering and break the text into paragraphs. When composing a letter, you need to briefly comment on all the documents attached either by you or the interlocutor

This is important so that the recipient immediately understands the essence of the letter. The letter must be signed by the manager and stamped.

Rules for conducting business correspondence

Errors when composing business letters are unacceptable, so it is important to know the basic rules for composing them:

1. Do not use words whose meaning is unknown, or check their interpretation using a dictionary.
2. Conducting business correspondence excludes the use of specific terminology, since some words may be unknown to the addressee. If such terms are used, then provide an explanation.
3. Express your thoughts in short sentences so that the main point is not lost.
4. If you don’t know the Russian language thoroughly, then it’s better to first type the text in an editor or in a document on your computer to check your spelling.
5. Business correspondence does not allow the use of colloquial words, literary expressions, and so on. Before sending a letter, check it for errors and typos. It is better to check again after a while.

Beginning of a letter in business correspondence

First, in the structure of the letter there is a “header”, which contains the position and full name of the addressee. Features of business correspondence include the standard address “Dear,” which in most cases is written in the center of the page. If the person is unfamiliar, then the word “Mr.” is written before the last name. The first paragraph (preamble) includes the purpose and reason for the letter. After reading it, the addressee should understand the main meaning of the message.

Request in business correspondence

One of the popular types of business correspondence is a request letter. This could be a tactful request or a diplomatic demand on a current issue. Business writing skills are important for writing requests because they should motivate the recipient to take the action required by the writer. There are certain rules for writing a letter:

1. The addressee should be addressed personally, observing the basics of business etiquette.
2. To explain to the recipient the reason for the request, you can give him a compliment, highlight his business or personal qualities and merits.
3. Give reasons for the request and interest the addressee in fulfilling it. The problem should be described as concisely and clearly as possible.
4. Once the request is made, it should be modified and repeated again, emphasizing the potential benefits.

How to remind yourself in business correspondence?

A reminder letter is used when you need to remind about the fulfillment of undertaken obligations, compliance with the law, the approach of an important event, and so on. In most cases, a verbal reminder is used before it

As a result, the letter serves as some kind of evidence of the action taken. A reminder in business correspondence includes:

1. Information about the sender and recipient. After this, the reason for the reminder is stated.
2. Links to laws and regulations related to the issue being recalled are provided.
3. The phrases of business correspondence should be clear, but not threatening. It would not be amiss to remind you that the problem can be solved peacefully.
4. The letter has no standards, so it can be written in free form.

How to properly apologize in business correspondence?

One of the most difficult letters to write is an apology letter, which requires you to both apologize and save face for the company. In addition, it is aimed at restoring damaged relationships. Business correspondence indicates the following features of the apology:

1. The structure of the letter includes the indication of the recipient, the subject of the message and the message.
2. You don’t have to specify the performer, since management will sign everything.
3. Phrases of apology in business correspondence should not be explicit and the subject of the letter should be neutral or absent altogether.
4. The effect that needs to be achieved is a sincere apology and information about what happened, that is, an indication of the reason for the unpleasant situation.

Don't make rules

Starting work with a new client and not knowing what is possible and what is not is an unforgivable luxury that can cost money.

People approach work differently. Many clearly separate professional activities and personal lives. In this case, your call after 18:00 or message on a social network will be perceived as a direct violation of personal boundaries.

Be sure to discuss the following questions in advance:

• How does your interlocutor (partner, colleague, editor, etc.) feel about calls and messages outside of work hours?
• Where is the most convenient place to correspond?
• Is it acceptable to use social networks and instant messengers for communication in critical situations?

Many may be surprised by the second point, but in vain! We are used to starting from our own habits, but our partners may have a different daily routine. So, for example, you are always at the computer and can respond to email, but, for example, lawyers or people in creative professions do not always have access to email and prefer to resolve issues either by phone or in instant messengers.

The creator of the famous telegram channel “Digital Etiquette” voices the following principles in his book:

• try not to write or call a person outside of working hours;
• try not to use those communication channels that are most often part of informal communication (social networks, instant messengers);
• warn about the call in advance, because calls “invade” someone else’s space, forcing you to break away from current affairs, and violate boundaries;
• If you are writing a letter and copying people who may be unfamiliar to your primary recipient, introduce them.

How to work with experts: subtleties of communication, business etiquette + 6 search platforms