Business Correspondence

You may be starting your first office job or advancing to a higher executive position within your company. Regardless of your job title, you should become aware of the various types of business correspondence you may encounter on a daily, weekly or annual basis.

E-mails

I’m sure we don’t have to explain what an email message is. Almost every company uses email to communicate internally and externally to colleagues and clients. However, we may need to remind you of a few important facts regarding business emails.

First of all, emails sent from work should be related to work! Yes, that might sound obvious and it is. But you may be surprised how many hours many employees spend each day sending each other cute photos, poems and jokes.

You can refer to our article on email etiquette for more advice on using this common written communication method.

Business Letters

Business letters are very common as companies use them to request payment, thank customers or to solicit business. You name it, a business letter has been written about it. You should check with your company about individual requirements such as a particular company font or a signature that all employees are required to include.

Regardless of the details, all business letters should follow a fairly standard format. Make sure to include the date, the name and address of the recipient as well as your own name and address.

You should also include a reference line that includes important details such as a relevant account, order or purchase number. Don’t forget to include contact information where the recipients will be able to easily reach you if they have questions or concerns. You don’t want to make the recipients sort through a pile of papers to find out the exact details that should have been included in your letter!

If your potential client has sorted through their hundredth piece of paper trying to find the relevant information, you can kiss that particular business deal goodbye!

Last, but not least, remember to include contact information. That is, unless you know the recipients of the memo are going to be very upset when they read the memo. In this case, include the contact information for that colleague who always steals your office supplies when you’re on vacation!

Memos

What would an office be without memorandums, affectionately referred to as “memos?” I’m sure any of you who has ever worked in an office knows all about these written documents. They’re the little documents that flood your in-box with demanding requests during your busiest time of year!

Some employers send so many memos to their employees, they should consider attending MWA meetings — memo writers anonymous!

Seriously, memos can be an effective way to communicate if they are written properly. Remember that they are meant to be brief and to the point. A memo is not the time to go into the entire company’s history or bring up every possible statistic regarding sales figure for the past 20 years.

Memos should include a “To”, “From”, “Date” and “Subject.” You should provide a very brief explanation on the exact information you’re conveying to your employees. If you want your employees to perform a specific task, provide clear instructions that aren’t left open to misinterpretation.

Reports

Business reports are a general term that can refer to a wide variety of reports including a marketing plan, project analysis, business proposal or financial overview.

Have you ever been asked by your boss to prepare an official report on the last assignment you completed and thought to yourself “now what am I going to do?”

Don’t worry as writing business reports aren’t as scary as you may think. There are a few key points you should keep in mind before undertaking this task.

First and foremost, make sure you find out exactly what kind of information you’re client wants and the questions they want answered in the report.

Imagine your boss asking you to prepare a report by the end of the week regarding “the new office changes.” You spend hours preparing a report that discusses every possible detail regarding the new water cooler that was just installed; you explain how employees now have a better opportunity to gossip about their coworkers now that they have a physical reason to congregate together.

You proudly hand your report over to your boss at the end of the week. Imagine your surprise when you discover that he wanted you your report to explain how the new spying robot he hired is affecting employee morale!

Whoops! I don’t think you can expect a raise anytime soon.

You also need to conduct appropriate research when you prepare any business report. Statistics are a great way to back up any points you make—as long as you make sure they’re accurate and current. There is no point in including statistics on a project the company abandoned 30 years ago.

Take the time to consult with the appropriate individuals or conduct research to find the relevant information. Deciding you will “just guess at the exact sales figures for last year” is not good enough. If you need more time to prepare an accurate report, consult the client immediately and ask for it rather than omitting important information or making it up!

Most effective business reports also include a summary or recommendation at the end. Tell the readers of the report what course of action you feel a particular individual, department or company should take based on the facts and statistics. Just make sure you don’t base the recommendation purely on your personal opinion.

Suggesting that all employees be allowed to leave at 1 PM on Fridays and start work at noon on Mondays may be very beneficial to you. You can back up your recommendation with the fact that this change “will make my life much easier by allowing me to sleep in on Mondays and start partying earlier on Fridays!”

However, I’m not sure most employers have enough foresight to realize the positive benefits the company could enjoy as a result of your wise recommendation.

Effective communication is essential in every avenue of life, including the workplace. Learning how to write an effective email, business letter, memo or report can save a lot of misunderstanding and time. Learning this skill may also advance your professional career so start practicing now!

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