A letter? What’s that?
These days we tend to think of a letter as
something written on paper and sent by snail mail or post. It may seem like an
out dated form of communication however writing a letter can be a handwritten, informal
letter to a friend; a letter to an employer; an email message to a formal body
or group; or a formal typed communication to a lawyer or authority.
Writing a clear and effective letter is a valuable
skill that comes in handy at work, school and personal relationships to convey
a message, emotion or simply fact.
While on holidays in Esperance I took advantage of
the hotel letterhead and hand wrote my Grandfather a letter. Grandad is of an
ilk to appreciate the written word and to receive snail mail. It was also a
useful way to update him about what we have been up to and include recent
photos. Plus it was fun!
When writing a letter here are some guidelines to
keep in mind;
The
Basics
Decide
on the tone or style of your letter before you begin. Who you are writing to
will affect the type or style of letter you prepare.
Your message may not be
well received for example if you write an informal style letter to a potential
employer. Similarly a friend or relative may not appreciate a formal letter.
Whether you send a hand written letter or an email
tends to depend on the level of formality of the communication as well as any time
factors.
A formal letter is usually typed and sent via the
post whereas an informal letter, like the one I sent to my Grandad, can be
handwritten or emailed. If someone is corresponding with you in a semi formal
manner via email then it is appropriate to respond by email.
If preparing a formal typed letter use letterhead
and you can even write your address at the top right-hand-side of the letter.
Remember to date your typed or handwritten letter.
This makes it easy to create a timeline when looking back on correspondence.
Thankfully emails do this for us.
For a formal typed letter write the full name,
title, company/business and address of the person you are writing to. This
level of detail is not needed for informal typed or handwritten letters. Plus
there is no need for this on emails.
Always begin your letter with a greeting. This may
vary from a formal ‘To Whom It May Concern’ or ‘Dear Mrs Kamarudin’; a semi
formal greeting of ‘Hello’; or an informal salutation like ‘Hi’, ‘Hey’ or
‘Peek-A-Boo’.
Make sure you have spelt the person’s name,
business name and address correctly to avoid looking less than professional. It
doesn’t hurt to pick up the telephone to check if needed.
It is a common courtesy to start a letter by asking
about the recipient’s well being. In a formal letter this could be ‘I hope you
are well?’ or in an informal letter you could write ‘Howz it going?’
Content
Before
you begin ask yourself what do you want to communicate? Is there information
the recipient needs to know i.e. a thank you, I miss you or details of a product
price increase. Make notes on a separate page if necessary to ensure you
include all the important information.
Know
what not to write.
Try
to write a paragraph for each point you want to make. Be clear and concise.
You
MUST, MUST, MUST check spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Proof
read your letter. If it is a formal/important letter ask someone else to proof
read it for you to check for spelling etc and to make sure you have clearly and
accurately articulated what you want to say.
Signing
Off
To
end your letter, include something positive or complimentary that creates a
connection with your recipient.
Signing
off your letter can vary from a formal farewell like ‘Yours sincerely’,
‘Kindest regards’ or ‘Best wishes’; a semi formal goodbye like ‘Sincerely’ or
‘Regards’; to an informal sign off like ‘Affectionately’, ‘Fondly’ or ‘Love’.
If you have any questions about writing a letter
please contact me or comment below.
Happy writing!
