This document contains two sections about writing business correspondence. The first section provides tips for writing inquiries, such as making questions specific, concise, numbered, and limited in number. It also suggests offering an inducement and contact information for responses. The second section outlines how to write effective sales messages, including attracting attention, describing appealing features, and suggesting immediate uses of products or services while ensuring claims are truthful. It stresses making customer responses easy.

1. Chapter Nine
Writing That Works | Chapter 9Bedford/St. Martin's (c) 2013
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Writing Business Correspondence

2. Chapter Nine
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Table of Contents
 Considering Audience and Purpose: Writing Inquiries
 Writer’s Checklist: Writing Effective Sales Messages

3. Considering Audience and Purpose: Writing
Inquiries
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 Make your questions specific, clear, and concise.
Phrase your questions so that the reader will know
immediately the type of information you are seeking,
why you need it, and how you will use it.
 If possible, present your questions in a numbered list to
make it easy for your reader to address them.
 Keep the number of questions to a minimum to improve
your chances of receiving a prompt response.

4. Considering Audience and Purpose: Writing
Inquiries (continued)
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 Offer some inducement for the reader to respond, such
as promising to share the results of what you are doing.
 Promise to keep responses confidential, if appropriate.
 Close by thanking the reader for taking the time to
respond. Provide contact information, such as a phone
number or an e-mail address, to simplify a reply.

5. Writer’s Checklist: Writing Effective Sales
Messages
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 Develop your letter to accomplish three basic goals.
– Open by attracting your reader’s attention and
arousing his or her interest.
– Describe features of the product or service that would
appeal strongly to your reader’s wants or needs.
– Suggest ways that the reader can immediately use the
product or service.
 If sending an e-mail message, create a subject line that
encourages recipients to read the message (“Special
Offer When You Respond to This Message”).

6. Writer’s Checklist: Writing Effective Sales
Messages (continued)
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 Be certain that any claim you make in a sales letter is
truthful, not an overstatement.
 Present evidence to convince your reader that your
product or service is everything you claim it to be.
 Don’t exaggerate, make unreasonable claims, speak
negatively of a competitor, or use other unfair tactics.
You can build confidence with a money-back guarantee,
a free trial offer, testimonials, or case histories.

7. Writer’s Checklist: Writing Effective Sales
Messages (continued)
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 Make the customer’s response easy and worthwhile.
You might include a map to your store, a discount
coupon, instructions for phone-in orders and free
delivery, or a Web address for more information, special
discounts, and online orders.