Business Class

I was quite impressed when I received a letter from a man I met at an American Marketing Association luncheon recently. My first impression was, “Wow! Great follow-up. How does this person have the time to write a personalized letter and mail it so quickly?”

The good impression quickly faded when I discovered that he had misspelled my name—“Suzanne,” correctly on the envelope, and incorrectly “Susanne” in the address and “Susan” in the salutation. How could he have taken the time to write a thoughtful, three-paragraph letter and overlook something so basic and important? It immediately changed my impression of him and made me wonder, “If he did this in a letter, what details does he overlook in his profession?”

Bottom line: Developing good letter-writing skills makes the right first impression and will help you avoid careless errors that can lose business.

First, brush up on basic rules of grammar with a guide such as Elements of Style by Strunk & White. Check your document for spelling, punctuation and proper capitalizing of names and titles. Don’t rely on spell-check and grammar software, and if it’s a really important document, always have someone proofread it.  Even if an assistant is writing your letters, you should take the time to proof them. If it represents you, you should make sure it’s a good reflection on your professionalism.

It’s also important to make sure your document looks sharp. Select an appropriate font style and size (usually 10- or 12-point type) and be consistent. Be concise and keep a business letter relatively formal—don’t use slang or joke around.

This may seem basic, but little things can and do make a difference. A well-written letter—with the recipient’s name spelled correctly—can increase the likelihood of a positive response and possibly lead to a business deal.