Business letter etiquette - tips to write a letter that gets response

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Business Letter Etiquette - Tips To Write A Letter That Gets The Response You Want

Business letter etiquette is never going to be out of date whether you conduct your business communication through electronic mails or regular mails.

As a freelance translator, you are trying hard to meet as many people as possible, but sometimes casual encountering is just not enough to build a business relationship.

Most of the time, you have to purposely try to reach out to them afterwards. And writing a convincing business letter is a great way to get their attention.

Over the years I’ve sent letters to potential clients and I’ve got freelancers contacting me for job opportunities. I have to say – a properly written business letter could make or break a deal. And I’m not insisting on a rigid business letter form. In fact from my own experience, writing a business letter with your own personality helps you stand out from your competition.

After all, we are in the language business. Here are a few business letter etiquette tips that will help you grab the attention in a positive way:

1- Do your research

Before you contact someone spend some time researching this person. Pay particular attention to their professional achievements and social recognition. If you are asking for a possible contract or a job opportunity, don’t be stingy with your complements. This business letter etiquette not only shows that you respect the person, but also sends a message that you know what you are talking about.

But don’t overdo it. People can see through any exaggerated flattering or insincere appraisal and they hate that. That’s why it’s necessary to do your homework before you write anything.

2- Get to the point

Another business etiquette is that you should always be upfront with people regarding what you are writing for. If you are asking for consideration of a freelance position, just say it in the earlier part of the letter. You don’t need to dance around and wait till the last sentence to mention that.

Many people including your potential clients are pretty busy, they appreciate brevity. So if they don’t understand the purpose of your letter during the first 30 seconds, they simply won’t continue reading. Make your business letters simple and clear. State what you want in the earlier part of the letter.

3- Spell check

This should be a no-brainer. Unfortunately many business related letters I’ve received from translators have spelling mistakes. That’s not acceptable. Just because we use emails more than regular mails doesn’t mean that business letter etiquette is not as important.

I know it’s easy to slip your finger on the keyboard when you get anxious and it’s not uncommon to type "graet" instead of “great”. But the person who reads the letter may translate the misspelling as “less serious” or “not so sincere”. And that could blow your chances.

4- Your writing skill is essential

I don’t care how you learn English, but please get the grammar right when you write a business letter. After all you are in the language business.

Every business related letter you send is a great marketing tool for your skills and qualifications. Make sure you proofread it. Not just check for mistakes, but also to make it read more smoothly. Sometimes even without any obvious grammar mistake, a sentence can sound awkward. Great translators should be great writers too.

You can put some personal touches in your business letters. But do not appear desperate for work. Your language skill and the knowledge of certain subjects are the reasons that you get the job, not because you are destitute.

5- Do not take rejections too personal

Even if your business letter etiquette is perfect and you’ve done all the right things in a letter, you may not get any response from the person you are trying to contact. Don’t take it too personal. Many factors can play roles here – they may not feel like responding or they simply misplaced your letter or it’s just not the right time. They may even like your letter but choose to put it away for future reference.

If this happens to you, just go on with your other business activities. But do not try to contact them numerous times in a relatively short period.

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