1.1　Essential Writing Principles of Business Letters

There are many principles to be followed in writing English business letters，and they can be summarized into 7Cs：courtesy，consideration，completeness，clarity，conciseness，concreteness and correctness.Now let’s look at them in detail.

1.1.1　Courtesy

Courtesy is very important in international business interaction because impoliteness may end the business relations and push potential customers to the competitors.Then how to make business letters sound courteous？The following tips may be very useful：

（1）Try to avoid irritating and offensive statements in your letters.

（2）Even if you receive a rude letter，try to write a reply courteously.

（3）In addition，to write back promptly is also a matter of courtesy.

1.1.2　Consideration

When you write a business letter，put yourself in the reader’s/receiver’s shoes.That is，you should keep the reader’s requests，needs，desires as well as his feelings in mind.Try to understand and respect your reader’s point of view.If your reader thinks you are standing in his shoes，he will feel more comfortable.You can make yourself considerate by following the two tips below.

1.Using you-attitude/approach instead of we-attitude/approach

You-attitude/approach means the other party-oriented or from the other party’s viewpoint whereas we-attitude means self-oriented or from one’s own viewpoint.When we write letters，we often take it for granted that everyone is interested in our products，our wishes and our problems.Actually this“we-attitude”is not always true.In letter writing，it is a good principle to forget yourself for a while and think about the people to whom you are writing.They probably will not be interested in our affairs unless we show them that they should be by appealing to their interests.We can accomplish this purpose most effectively by adopting the receiver’s viewpoint.This is known as the“you-attitude”in business correspondence.Let’s compare the following sentences.

1a：We allow you 2％ discount for cash payment.（we-attitude/approach）

1b：You can enjoy 2％ discount for cash payment.（you-attitude/approach）

2a：We will not be able to send you the pricelist this week.（we-attitude/approach）

2b：You can get the pricelist next week.（you-attitude/approach）

Obviously，1a and 2a are from the writer’s own viewpoint and 1b and 2b are from the reader’s viewpoint and they are more easily accepted.

2.Using positive tone instead of negative tone

In business correspondence，we should create as positive a climate as possible，as words that create a positive image are more likely to help you achieve your objective than negative words.For example，you are more likely to persuade someone to do as you ask if you stress the advantages of doing so rather than the disadvantages of not doing so.Generally，positive tone gives readers a pleasant feeling whereas negative tone sounds unpleasant.For instance：

1a：This kind of unfortunate incident will not occur in the future.（negative tone）

1b：Future transactions will be handled with the utmost care.（positive tone）

2a：We can not release the names of our clients.（negative tone）

2b：Releasing the names of our clients would violate their privacy.（positive tone）

1.1.3　Completeness

Completeness means a business letter should include all the necessary information.Though a commercial communication should be concise，it must include all the relevant information.A complete letter should include whatever details are needed to generate the effect you want.If you leave out something the reader should know，it will be annoying and costly because it holds up business transactions and duplicates work.Omission of anything the reader wants to know causes suspicions，and may cost you a sale or even an important customer.And even worse，it may cause costly lawsuits.

If it is a reply to a letter previously received，it should answer all the questions or solve all the problems mentioned in that former letter.Before the letter is sent out，it is essential to check the message carefully to make sure that no information required is omitted.A complete letter may bring about expected result and be greatly beneficial to the company.

1.1.4　Clarity

In writing business letters，you must try to express your meaning clearly.Make sure that your letter is so clear that it cannot be misunderstood.The message should convey exactly what you wish to say and is not liable to misunderstanding.A business letter is effective only when it communicates the necessary idea to its readers with clarity.In order to convey your meaning clearly，you should：

（1）Avoid using words/expressions which have different meanings or understandings or ambiguous meanings.

（2）Paragraph the letter carefully and properly.Generally if there are several points to make clear，be sure to follow the principle：“one point，one paragraph”.

1.1.5　Conciseness

Conciseness means using the fewest words and concise sentences without losing completeness，courtesy and clarity.You should：

（1）Avoid using wordy or redundant expressions.

（2）Avoid unnecessary repetition.

（3）Use simple and plain words and short sentences.

（4）Use words to replace phrases or clauses.

1.1.6　Concreteness

Concreteness means that the message should be specific，definite and vivid.Effective business communication is marked by concrete words.In business letters，try to use expressions with precise meanings rather than general language.Let’s compare the following two sentences：

1a：We have drawn on you as usual under your L/C.

1b：We have drawn on you our sight draft No.1234 for the invoice amount $7，000 under your L/C No.4567.

Obviously，the second sentence contains more specific information：specific draft and L/C and definite amount of the draft.That is what is required in the process of doing business.Comparatively，the first sentence conveys little valuable information.Nowadays everyone is busy with work，so the best way to make the business letter more efficient is to convey concrete information.

In addition，avoid using vague expressions but concrete words.Abstract words cover broad meanings，concepts or ideas.Compare the following two sentences：

2a：We are interested in your vehicles.

2b：We are interested in your HS800 racing cars.

The first sentence is too abstract whereas the second one is more specific.

1.1.7　Correctness

Business letters concern the duties and obligations of both parties，and sometimes they can be used as proofs.So correctness refers not only correct spelling，grammar and punctuation in the business letter，but also the accurate figures and correct use of technical terms or commercial jargons.