Key Elements of Business Letter Etiquette

Added: 05/31/2006

An integral element of any business relationship, business letter etiquette is concerned with establishing relations built upon politeness and courtesy between business partners. One of its important aspects, business letter etiquette embraces more than just expressing ideas clearly, but involves the way a letter is written, which may have a considerable impact on failure or success in business. Before writing a business letter, you should consider whom it is addressed to, which will influence structure, style, and content.

Speaking about business letter etiquette, we should emphasize the following aspects: ways of addressing the letter, confidentiality, style, responding, and managing conflict. While addressing the letter, make sure to spell the name of the recipient correctly. His name should include qualifications, honors, and titles if deemed necessary. In case the content of the letter is confidential or personal, it should be marked appropriately. If a letter is assigned for the receiver only, without secretary's interception, mark it as strictly confidential, personal or private. If you receive such a letter, it is considered good business letter etiquette to ensure that all the future correspondence is kept at the level of confidentiality.

Good business letter etiquette requires employment of clear and consistent approach combined with courtesy. Even in case the receiver is familiar to you, business etiquette is necessary, since the letter may be referred to by a third party or seen by others. This does not mean, however, uncommon or long words are necessary to express yourself. All business letters must be signed personally. It looks cold and unprofessional if a letter is left unsigned.

Good business letter etiquette implies all letters should be responded to promptly, which is generally considered to be five working days. If it is impossible, some sort of acknowledgement must be sent by e-mail, fax, or phone. It is advisable to state purpose of the letter or use reference numbers, which allows your business partner to set your letter immediately within a context.

As business letters are frequently an arena for disputes and conflicts, there exist some rules of business letter etiquette, which should be adhered to. Those initiating the dispute should explain your case clearly and simply, offer information, which may be helpful in settling the dispute, and indicate a time scale, by which they expect a reply. Businesspersons receiving the dispute should inform their colleagues who are likely to be affected, or who can offer assistance, stick to the facts of the case, and be patient and polite.

Using business etiquette ensures you maximize your business potential, communicate effectively, and avoid misunderstanding. One of the aspects of international business etiquette is exchanging business cards, which is a convenient way of capturing important personal details and has different meanings in various cultures worldwide. For example, Chinese business etiquette implies having one side of a business card translated into Chinese and printed in gold ink. You should also make sure your business card is translated into the appropriate Chinese dialect, such as Mandarin or Cantonese. In India, business partners use only the right hand to receive and give business cards.

Business cards should not be translated into Hindi, since English is spoken within the business community. In Japan, business cards are exchanged with even greater ceremony, given with one hand, but received with two. By contrast, business card etiquette in the United Kingdom is relaxed and involves little ceremony.

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