The Write Place

Introduction Letters Can Be Good For Business

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:23:35 +0000

One of the most frequently sought letter types by people who come to my writing help websites is the “introduction letter” or “letter of introduction”. Similar to the confusion with a few other letter types that I have already covered in this blog, there is also considerable confusion as to exactly what these Introduction Letters are, and for what purpose(s) they are used.

Here’s my definition of an Introduction Letter or Letter of Introduction:

The primary purpose of an introduction letter, or letter of introduction, is to introduce yourself and/or your business (or another person or business) to another party.

Introduction letters are important business letters because they are usually the first point of contact when you are trying to develop or grow your business. They are often your first “foot in the door”, so they must be well written for full impact.

The two main types of business introduction letters are: business-to-business introduction letters and business-to-customer letters of introduction. There may also sometimes be a requirement for person-to-business introduction letters.

Again, the specific intent of an introduction letter is to “introduce” one party to another. For some reason, many people confuse introduction letters with application letters or cover letters, both of which have specific purposes other than to introduce a person or a business.

The following letters of introduction templates are real-life examples of two of the most common types of introduction letters that are written for business purposes:

Introduction Letter - self-introduction to client.

Letter of Introduction - to introduce professional contact.

In addition to these two examples, there are various other situations that may call for a letter of introduction, both business and personal.

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR FEEDBACK BELOW:

Are You Writing A Recommendation Letter Or A Reference Letter?

admin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:52:09 +0000

Based on my observations over the years, there has always been a great deal of confusion about the differences and similarities between recommendation letters and reference letters. For instance, which is which, and when to use which one?

This is confusing enough for the average person who only has to write one of these letters occasionally. However, if you look into it in detail as I have, and you realize that many of the so-called “experts” don’t even know the differences between a recommendation letter and a reference letter, the general state of confusion is understandable.

The Confusion

In addition to writing books about it, I have been monitoring this issue over the years and have concluded the following:

1. Many people and institutions use the term “recommendation letter” to mean BOTH recommendation letters AND reference letters (about 2/3).

2. Many people and institutions use the term “reference letter” to mean BOTH reference letters AND recommendation letters (about 1/3).

3. Both groups are talking about essentially the same type of letter in their minds and they don’t seem to draw any distinction between the two.

4. Thus, those who use the term “recommendation letter” ALWAYS use that term. Those who use the term “reference letter” ALWAYS use that term.

Below are my definitions of the terms “recommendation letter” and “reference letter” based on my research into the issue over the years.

“Recommendation Letters” Defined

In the past, the terms “recommendation letters” and “letters of recommendation” usually referred to letters that made a clear and specific “recommendation” about someone.

Accordingly, I define a “recommendation letter” as one that is specifically requested about someone and is therefore always addressed to a specific requestor.

Generally speaking, letters of recommendation are almost always employment-related or college program admission/scholarship related.

In addition, a couple of other person-specific letter types that come under the general “letter of recommendation” heading are: commendation letters and performance evaluation letters.

“Reference Letters” Defined

On the other hand, “reference letters” or “letters of reference” have traditionally been seen as letters that make general factual statements about someone and/or their situation, and do not make specific recommendations about the person.

I therefore classify a “reference letter” as one that is more general in nature, and is not addressed to a specific requestor. Typically “letters of reference” are addressed; “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam”.

Normally, letters of reference include character reference letters and employment reference letters.

Recommendation/Reference Letter Strategy

Nevertheless, somehow over the years the line between the two types of letters has become blurred and many people and institutions now use the two terms interchangeably. As far as those organizations are concerned both letters are exactly the same thing.

Accordingly, please note that many colleges and universities, as well as some companies and institutions, use the terms “recommendation letter” and/or “letter of recommendation” when referring to exactly the same thing as what many other colleges, universities, companies and institutions call “reference letters” and/or “letters of reference”.

So, whenever you are dealing with these types of institutions make sure you use whichever term they use in the same way that they use it. DO NOT try to convert them to your terminology. That will just confuse things and you will pay the price.

For more information and samples please go to the following link:

http://www.writinghelp-central.com/recommendation-letter-resources.html

If You Can’t Write It – Try Speaking it!

admin — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:10:09 +0000

A lot of people are under the false impression that one has to be a “real writer” in order to create content for their websites, blogs, newsletters, etc. That is simply not true. In fact, in some cases being a “writer” can actually be a barrier to creating readable content online.

In reality, as long as you can talk about your subject and then write down the words that you speak, you too can create acceptable content. Seriously.

That really is all that it takes! Presumably, when you are writing something you are either an expert on the subject, or you have researched the topic to the point where you can at least speak about it in general terms. So at that point, all you have to do is imagine yourself sitting across the table from a friend or relative explaining some aspect of your subject, IN YOUR OWN WORDS.

I’m serious here. I’m not just saying this to make you feel good. It’s absolutely true that the writing technique that works best online is a friendly conversational style, very similar to how you would actually speak to a friend or acquaintance about something.

In fact, “writing just like you speak” is now much easier to do than ever before using state of the art voice recognition software (VRS).

While writing my latest book I have been experimenting with widely available voice recognition software that translates my spoken words into text and I have been amazed at how well this works! I simply speak into a standard $15 microphone, and then every word that I say is simultaneously typed automatically onto the page in my word processing program. I can even “speak” my formatting commands!

Early developmental versions of this voice recognition software have been around for a few years now and I have been carefully watching as it has evolved.

Finally, this year I took the plunge and purchased a package and I’m glad that I did. I have to say that I am quite impressed with what they have developed over the years into a highly functional and intelligent voice recognition tool that is fully integrated with standard word processing and e-mail software. (Yes, in case you are wondering, I can even “speak my e-mails” now as well!).

The voice recognition software package that I chose is called Dragon: Naturally Speaking by Nuance Software, and you can take a look at it here:

http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/

There are a couple of competitors for that software but I don’t know much about them so for this article I will stick with the one that I know. If you want to check out other such voice recognition software I suggest you go to a major SE and enter the search phrase “voice recognition software”.

The one time investment I made to buy this software was well worth the money. Now, whenever I’m not quite in the mood to write, I just enable my VRS program with the click of a mouse and then start prattling away.

Believe me, for anyone who has writer’s block issues this voice recognition software is a true godsend. It will give you a great working draft that all you have to do is edit and revise as you wish. No more having to write something from scratch with a blank page or screen staring you in the face.

So, the fact is that you no longer have to be a “writer” at all to create content! As long as you can talk, you can create written material that is suitable for you to post to your website, blog or newsletter.

Actually, there should be no reason why you can’t use this revolutionary voice recognition software for just about any type of writing that you have to do!

http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/

The Dying Art of Personal Letter Writing

admin — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:28:18 +0000

According to an article I just read, traditional letters are being gradually replaced by the newer electronic ways of communicating such as e-mail, e-messaging, texting, and faxes, as well as by cheap long distance telephone and Internet voice transmission services. I’m sure this doesn’t come as a surprise to most of us. Personally, I use most of the above e-methods every day for both business and personal communications. They are quick and easy and, in most cases, get the job done.

Unfortunately, some people are taking this to the extreme and trying to achieve everything via these “quick and dirty” e-communication methods. I find this a little bit sad since the “personal touch” of a real “snail mail” letter in certain situations just can’t be replaced by what I sometimes refer to as “c-messaging”, the “c” standing for “convenience”.

In fact, I believe that there are still many situations where e-communication is not appropriate and/or not effective. In fact, you might be surprised to learn that the 27^th most popular keyword phrase (out of hundreds) entered by people who arrive at my writing help websites is the term “friendly letter”. That means that thousands of people every month are looking for info on how to write something that they refer to as a “friendly letter”.

So, it seems that in spite of the trend towards the quick and easy e-message, some people realize the impersonal nature of these e-missives and are looking for something more. I can understand why. After all, how would you like to receive a text message or e-mail one-liner on something important such as an expression of sympathy or love? Say a parent or other loved one passes away; how would you like to receive an unsigned e-mail of sympathy in your inbox mixed-in with the usual assortment of spam and other junk e-mail? Or, what about receiving or sending an e-mail as a substitute for a traditional love letter? Do such communications ring true; are they really heartfelt? In my opinion, not at all.

To me, such messages speak volumes about their senders. It means that they can’t even be bothered to take the time to jot down a few heartfelt sentences by hand and sign the letter with their own signature. In my view, someone would have to wonder about the true sincerity of the sender and question why they even sent what they did. Was it just to cover off their bases? Were they just “going through the motions”? If so, maybe they might be better off sending nothing.

Even in cases where something is too long and laborious to write out by hand one can still add the personal touch. For example, a letter produced on a word processor, and then signed by hand and sent by regular mail conveys a lot more caring than a quick and easy off-the-cuff e-mail. It means that at least the author took the time and trouble to: properly format and edit a letter, address an envelope, purchase and affix a stamp, and finally, deposit the letter in a mailbox somewhere. When I receive such a letter it automatically tells me that the sender made some effort which shows me that they truly care and that their message is heartfelt and sincere.

Don’t get me wrong here; I am not against modern e-communications at all and, as I already stated, I use them every day in both my personal and business activities. However, there are many situations in our lives where e-messages just don’t suffice and a personal letter is the only way to sincerely communicate a message from your heart.

Ok, just before I get down off my soapbox here’s a sample of a typical “friendly letter”; examples of which some people are apparently still wanting to write:

http://www.writinghelp-central.com/friendly-letter-sample.html

Letter Writing For Hard Financial Times…

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:22:09 +0000

A couple of years ago I noticed that more and more people were arriving at my writing help websites looking for info on how to write something they called a “financial hardship letter”. This was something new to me, and I must admit that at first I wasn’t quite sure what they were referring to, because before that time these types of letters were hardly on the radar screen.

But once I looked into it a little further I realized what was going on. It turns out that the increased demand for these types of letters is directly attributable to the recent mortgage insolvency crisis in the USA and some of the spin-off effects on the economy in general as they affect the financial situation of many individuals worldwide.

A financial hardship letter is one that you write to a creditor that explains the financial trouble that you are in and requests that the addressee provide you with some sort of specific relief or remedy, depending on the exact situation involved.

There are many different situations that can warrant a financial hardship letter. The two most common situations these days are: 1.) to request that your mortgage holder let you “short sale” your house, or 2.) request to your bank or credit card company to consolidate or restructure your debt.

Other typical financial hardship letters include: requests to a college or university to reduce their admission fees due to special circumstances, appeals to a hospital or medical care provider to reduce their billings for compassionate reasons, or, a request to an insurance company to cover the costs of an unusual medical procedure or treatment, and others.

By definition, these types of letters are very important; often a last resort in a dire situation. Here are some tips that should help you draft a more effective and convincing financial hardship letter.

7 Tips For Writing Financial Hardship Letters

Regardless of the specific situation, there are a few important guidelines that you should follow if you want to draft a financial hardship letter that will be taken seriously:

1. Keep It Short
Keep your letter short and to the point. Try not to exceed one page. A long, rambling letter will water down the essence of your case and will lose the reader.

2. Make It Personal
Make sure that you personalize your letter as much as possible by including details about you and your family that will get the reader to identify with your situation as a fellow human being.

3. Clearly State Problem
Early in your letter, summarize the specific situation that has prompted you to write the letter. Provide more details in the later paragraphs.

4. Give Enough Information
Your letter should provide enough detailed financial and related information so that the reader can understand your situation enough to be able to consider a decision on your case. Attach clarifying documents as necessary including: cash flow statements, bank statements, income tax statements, invoices, letters, etc.

5. Make Your Request Specific
In the subject-line and the first paragraph of your hardship letter, state exactly what you are requesting. Don’t leave it open or make the recipient have to guess. Reiterate this request in slightly different words at the conclusion of the letter.

6. Stick to the Point

Stick to your point and don’t get into any blame games or side issues. The two main things that your hardship letter needs to do are clearly convey your exact financial situation and ensure that what you are requesting is absolutely clear.

7. Be Humble and Thankful
To reach the point where you have to write a financial hardship letter means that you are in deep financial trouble and this is basically your last resort. Be respectful and thank the addressee in advance for considering your situation.

For more tips and to see two sample hardship letters; one mortgage-related and the other credit card related, click on the following link:
http://www.writinghelp-central.com/write-hardship-letter.html

Resume Cover Letters – 9 Essential Writing Tips

admin — Wed, 27 May 2009 18:42:34 +0000

Resume cover letters are used for one purpose only — to convey a resume or curriculum vitae to a prospective employer. The most common mistake I see in cover letters that are sent to me for editing is that many tend to repeat verbatim almost exactly what the attached resume or c.v. already contains.

A resume cover letter should be a concise one-page summary that introduces you, explains why you are writing, summarizes your key skills, abilities and experience, and asks the recipient to get back to you. Its main purpose is to capture the attention of the recipient enough to get that person to look at the attached resume with interest.

When drafting a cover letter for a resume or c.v., there are a number of important rules of thumb to adhere to, as follow.

1. Address It To A Specific Person
Even when sending an unsolicited resume to a company you should take the time to find out the name of the appropriate person and write the letter to that person. At least it will reach their office. Resumes sent to “Dear Human Resources Manager” or “To Whom It May Concern” are almost always a waste of time. Name someone specifically and it will at least make it into an in-basket.

2. Keep It Short and Focused
Remember, your resume already says it all. Keep the letter short and focused and don’t repeat verbatim what is already in the attached resume or c.v. Never exceed one page in a cover letter.

3. Be Enthusiastic
Express your interest in the job and the new company with enthusiasm. Show that you really want the job, and that you would really like to work for that particular company.

4. Focus On Needs Of the Employer
Throughout your cover letter make it clear that you are interested in the needs of the employer. You are there to help them. You are part of the solution. Try to make this the subliminal message of your entire letter.

5. Show That You’ve Done Your Homework
Demonstrate a good knowledge of the company and industry for which you are applying. A one-liner, or a phrase or two in the appropriate place in your letter that shows you are interested, and understand the company’s problems, will give you instant credibility (i.e. do some simple Internet research).

6. Use the Appropriate “Buzzwords”
Every organization has its own ways of doing things and its own lingo. Look through key documents such as annual reports, corporate websites, etc. Try to spot key words, terms, and phrases that are often repeated. Every company has them. Use as many of these “hot buttons” as you can in your cover letter - where appropriate, of course. For example, if the “Message From the CEO” in the annual report mentions the phrase “action plan for the future” three times, make sure you work that term into your cover letter. Don’t overdo it, of course.

7. Summarize Your Skills and Abilities
If possible, without making the letter too long, summarize your overall skills and abilities as strengths; listed in bullet-point form. This can make them stand out in a way that they wouldn’t, if they were buried in the resume or c.v.

8. Promise To Follow Up
In the final paragraph, clearly state that you will be following up by telephone in a few days to see if you can answer any questions. Make sure you do this. Industry experts say that over 80% of people never do this crucial follow-up and just wait for the phone to ring.

9. Get It Right
Make sure that your cover letter is free of spelling and grammatical errors. Allowing those types of mistakes to creep into your one page cover letter is a major credibility destroyer. Sloppy and unprofessional are NOT the first impressions you want to give to the reader before they even look at your resume.

The challenge of course, is to try to address all of these points in a four or five paragraph letter. It can be done!

To see a fully-formatted “real-life template” of a resume cover letter, click on the following link:

http://www.writinghelp-central.com/cover-letter.html

How To Format Business and Personal Letters

admin — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:02:37 +0000

Out of the hundreds of pages of “writing help” content on my main Writing Help Central website, two of the top 10 most visited pages are related to formatting business and personal letters. It seems that even when people have been able to string together all of the right words for their letter, they often aren’t sure how to format the final product.

In my opinion one of the most unprofessional things that one can do is to send a poorly formatted letter. Doing such a thing is an instant credibility destroyer. Even if your letter is perfectly worded and devoid of grammatical and spelling errors; sending it out in a sloppy unprofessional format will always reflect badly on the sender.

That being said; are you aware that there is NO single international standard for formatting the three main groups of letters used in day-to-day life: business letters, business memos, and personal letters?

As I mentioned above, among the most sought-after info that visitors are looking for when they come to my Writing Help Central website is how-to properly format letters. In addition, I often receive e-mails from people asking such questions as:

- What should I include in a signature block?

- Where do I place the signature block?

- How do I indicate attached documents?

- Where do I position the address block(s)?

etc., etc…

As I stated above, there is NO ONE international standard for formatting letters.

If you spend some time searching through textbooks at your library or bookstore, or checking out some online info sources you will come across many different ideas about what a properly formatted letter should look like; some reasonable and some questionable. In fact, you will find so many different formatting suggestions that you won’t know where to start.

I encountered this same multiple-choice conundrum a few years ago when I was conducting the research for my two general letter-writing toolkits: Instant Letter Writing Kit and Instant Business Letter Kit. So, what I did to sort things out was to review all of the reasonable letter layouts that I could find, and then I assessed them based on two main criteria: 1) most appealing overall appearance and, 2) most effective visual presentation impact.

What I arrived at in the end were three (3) distinct layout formats as follows:

1. Business letters - Full-block format

2. Business Memos - Full-block memo format

3. Personal letters - Semi-block (modified) format

Accordingly, these are the three standard formats that I have adopted and use in all of my Writing Help Toolkits. You can see a fully-formatted real-life example of each of these letter layouts at the following link:

http://www.writinghelp-central.com/letter-formats.html

7 Tips For Writing Successful Proposals

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:43:14 +0000

Over the years I have written many business and project proposals. I have also been involved in developing a number of grant proposal submissions. In addition, in a number of my jobs I was directly involved in proposal evaluations as a member of Proposal Evaluation Committees.

As a result of those experiences I have been intimately involved in the proposal submission and evaluation process from both sides of the fence.

Although each proposal is different in terms of situation, approach, and specific content, there are a few basic rules of thumb that apply to almost all proposal writing situations.

1. Address the Terms of Reference

Almost all proposal submissions, no matter what the subject, are in response to some sort of Request For Proposal (RFP). An RFP is the document that specifies the specific expectations of the organization soliciting the proposal (i.e. Client). Make sure that your proposal addresses all specific points requested in the RFP document.

2. Structure Your Proposal After the RFP

In addition to the previous point about making sure that you cover all requirements specified in the RFP, it is a good idea to organize your proposal in exact lock-step with the RFP. In other words, respond to the RFP points in the exact order that is laid out in the RFP. Do not try to impose your own thinking and/or structure on the client. Your proposal will be evaluated based on the RFP specifications, so it’s best to follow those exact criteria.

3. Understand the Project

Make sure that you study the RFP carefully and demonstrate clearly and simply in the Introduction to your proposal that you have a clear understanding of the exact scope and nature of the project at hand. I have been involved in the evaluation of many consultant proposals where it was unclear to evaluators as to whether the bidder truly understood the full extent of the work outlined in the RFP. Missing this is a fatal error that will almost always eliminate your proposal from serious consideration from the outset.

4. Use the RFP As A Checklist

Both during the proposal development process, as well as after the draft proposal is complete, go through the RFP point-by-point, against the proposal, to ensure that you have addressed each and every point mentioned in the request document. Failure to address any point in the RFP will penalize your proposal when it is being evaluated.

5. Check Your Summary

If your proposal submission includes an Executive Summary make sure it is a true summary. Depending on the complexity of the actual proposal, the Executive Summary should be a one to three page presentation of the highlights of the proposal from an overview perspective. The Executive Summary should not repeat any parts of the proposal, it should summarize it and present an overall bottom line conclusion(s).

6. Follow the Instructions

Almost all RFP documents contain specific instructions about how the proposal should be submitted. For example, it may specify that the Cost/Fee Section be submitted separately from the main proposal. Or, it may request a specific type of Executive Summary. Many RFPs have detailed instructions as to how many copies to submit, where to submit them, etc. The important point here is to be sure that you carefully follow the submission instructions provided.

7. Do A Final Edit

In my experience evaluating proposals over the years, how well a proposal is written in terms of correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation is an important factor. Even if the proposal is good technically, if it is poorly written and/or riddled with spelling and grammar errors, it will definitely be penalized. Such a proposal indicates sloppiness and a lack of professionalism. If you really want your proposal to have the best chance to be accepted, make sure you have it professionally edited.

As I stated above, there are many different types of proposals for a variety of situations. Nevertheless, if you follow all of the above guidelines your proposal will have a much better chance of being accepted.

By the way, if you need help with a proposal I have found a company that produces high quality proposal templates and software for almost any type of proposal. It’s called ProposalKit.com and You can check it out right here.

http://writinghelptools.com/cgi-bin/a/t.cgi?pkitxwhc1

Go With the Flow: Use Transition Words and Phrases

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:52:35 +0000

One of the most common weaknesses I see in day-to-day writing is poor logical flow from one idea or point to the next. This usually takes the form of a bunch of seemingly unrelated phrases thrown together with little or no sense of sequence, continuity, or relativity.

Although the overall subject may be obvious, the words to describe it seem to be scattered on the page like an almost random set of unconnected thoughts. On a regular basis, I see letters and reports in which each phrase seems to be independent of the one before and the one after; when in reality there is an actual sequential and/or logical flow.

Consider the following three sentence example:

1. The entire building had to be searched.

2. They started the search on the third floor.

3. It took three hours to complete the search.

Notice that the three separate statements are all valid sentences. They convey the bare essential facts of the situation, but nothing more. In fact, they raise almost more questions than they answer. For example:

- Why was the building being searched?

- Was it a serious incident?

- Had it ever happened before?

- Why did they start on the third floor?

- What about the first two floors?

- Is three hours a long time for that?

- How long does it usually take?

These are all logical (and obvious) questions that the average person might ask when reading a paragraph made up of the three sentences above.

Now, let’s transform these three statements, using transition phrases, as follows:

“UNLIKE the minor incident last year, this time the entire building had to be searched for occupants. BECAUSE the fire was still smoking on the first two floors, they started on the third, working upwards to the tenth, covering the first two floors last. CONSEQUENTLY, it took them a full three hours before they finally completed the typical one-hour job.”

Notice the use of the transition words: UNLIKE, BECAUSE, and CONSEQUENTLY. Using these three words has allowed us to easily connect the three independent sentences and give them a sense of chronological order and logical flow. They also allow us to answer ALL of the obvious questions, either with the transition word itself, or by adding a couple more words.

In short, transition words/phrases have turned three dry independent phrases into a little story that makes sense to the reader.

These types of words/phrases are ideal for allowing one to easily connect thoughts, and create logical sequences between sentences and paragraphs. They are usually inserted at the beginning of a sentence and normally refer directly back to the previous sentence and/or paragraph without repeating the specific subject.

The following paragraphs list some of the more common transition words and phrases that will help make your text more understandable and interesting to the reader. For each one, I have included a typical example of how the word/phrase might be used in a typical sentence. (Note that I have capitalized the transition words/phrases for emphasis and easy identification).

CAUSE AND EFFECT…

THEN, he moved on to the next work station.

AS A RESULT, the team lost the game.

FOR THIS REASON, she always went home for the weekend.

THE RESULT WAS always predictable.

WHAT FOLLOWED was as painful as it was inevitable.

IN RESPONSE, he quickly upped the ante.

THEREFORE, the aircraft overshot the runway.

THUS, it was just a matter of time.

BECAUSE OF THIS, the results were always the same.

CONSEQUENTLY, he was no longer friends with Frank.

THE REACTION to this event was swift and decisive.

IN CONTRAST TO…

UNLIKE last year, this one was highly profitable.

DIFFERENT from this, was our approach to manufacturing.

IN SPITE OF the dot com bust, the company prospered.

ON THE OTHER HAND, earnings per share have increased.

ON THE CONTRARY, the impact was less than expected.

OPPOSING that idea was the move to new technologies.

HOWEVER, that approach may actually prove better.

CONTRARY to his findings, the revenue picture is good.

NEVERTHELESS, something still appears to be missing.

SEQUENCE AND RELATIVITY…

THEN, each one followed in numerical sequence.

IN ADDITION, a fourth material was added to the mix.

TO ENUMERATE, first there was the car, second the boat,…

NEXT in the series was the “outrigger” brand line.

BESIDES THAT, there were two other possible sources.

FOLLOWING THAT, he returned to New York for more therapy.

SIMILARITY AND COMPARISON…

LIKE always, he took the company on a dangerous course.

SAME as before, he managed to meet all of the requirements.

SIMILAR things were known to happen at certain times.

CLOSE to that was the result of the second round of voting.

LIKEWISE, they made similar changes in the factory.

ALSO, there were the worker’s families to consider.

NEAR that one, was where we found the faulty component.

EXPLANATION AND EXAMPLE…

FOR EXAMPLE, last year’s model was underpowered.

ONE SUCH occurrence was last week’s power outage.

FOR INSTANCE, earnings this year are higher than last.

TO ILLUSTRATE, he went to Chicago just to make his point.

ALSO, there is a new approach to sheet-metal molding.

THAT TOO, just goes to make my point even stronger.

TO DEMONSTRATE, I will use the new model throughout.

The above are just examples, and there many other such transition words and phrases that are used in everyday conversation and writing. In my opinion, appropriate use of these words/phrases is the number one technique for making any type of writing flow more logically and clearly.

Bottom line: Smooth, orderly and logical transitions from one thought to the other, one sentence to the next, and one paragraph to another, are key to creating clear meaning and flow in any document. Transition words and phrases will achieve this for you.

This article is an excerpt from my comprehensive style guide for personal, business and school writing, Instant Home Writing Kit:

http://InstantHomeWritingKit.com

Letter Writing: The 7 Deadly Sins…

admin — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:42:57 +0000

Through my various websites and my Quick Edit Service I receive scores of letters (as well as other docs) that people have drafted but want me to review, revise and finalize for them. Over time, I have noticed that there are some common errors that many people make when drafting letters in particular.

Based on those observations I have put together a list of what I call “The 7 Deadly Sins of Letter Writing”. Keep on reading to find out what they are…

In case you’re wondering, in my view the term “deadly” is entirely appropriate here. After all, it just takes one sloppy and/or unprofessional letter to cause serious damage to your personal credibility or that of your business.

So, here are what I have observed to be “The 7 Deadly Sins of Letter Writing”:

1. Too Long

Most people have a tendency to draft their letters too long. Letters involving business (personal or corporate) should be concise, factual and focused and should not normally exceed one typical single-spaced page of 350 to 450 words. If you can’t get your point across in 4 to 5 short paragraphs you probably haven’t done enough preparatory work prior to drafting the letter. If necessary, phone or e-mail the recipient to clarify any fuzzy points and use the letter to summarize the overall situation.

2. Weak Opening

Many letters I receive launch straight into the details of the subject without setting things up to provide a clear context. The introductory paragraph of your letter should be one or two short sentences that state the specific reason for the letter and specify what the primary focus will be.

3. Lack of Focus

Many letters I receive for editing are all over the place, in terms of subject. In other words, it is often not at all obvious to me what the main point or the desired outcome of the letter is. Prior to drafting the letter you should decide on a number of specific points that you want to focus on and what the bottom line of your letter needs to be. Ask yourself what exactly you want the letter to achieve in terms of an action or a response from the addressee.

4. Too Confusing

People often jump straight into their letter without first organizing their thoughts in some sort of logical order. Even if you have a clear idea of the points you want to cover, it is important that when you present them, one point should flow naturally and logically into the next. It is always worth the few minutes it takes to jot down the logical sequence of your letter in sequential point form before starting to write the letter. This practice will invariably result in an improved final product.

5. Poorly Formatted

If your letter isn’t properly formatted, in terms of layout, it will look unprofessional which will diminish its credibility and thus its impact. Once you have your words finalized, make sure you clean up the format of the letter in terms of margins, paragraph breaks, address blocks, signature blocks, etc., before sending it. A very common error that I see these days is when people add their own extra space after a period at the end of a sentence. This is NOT necessary since word processing programs automatically insert some extra space at the end of each sentence. This practice is a carryover from the days of the typewriter (Anyone remember those?) and is no longer necessary.

6. Weak Closing

Frequently I see closing paragraphs that don’t clearly sum up what went before and what is supposed to happen next. Similar to the opening paragraph, the closing paragraph should also be short, comprised of one or two sentences. One sentence should briefly summarize the overall conclusion that can be drawn from the points presented in the letter; a second sentence should clearly state what you will do next and/or what you expect from the addressee as a result of them receiving the letter. Depending on the situation, the final sentence can also provide contact info such as phone number and/or e-mail address.

7. Too Many Errors

You would be amazed at the number of spelling and/or obvious grammatical errors I see in the letters submitted to me. That’s fine if you are asking a professional to edit your letter. However I have the impression that many people send their letters out riddled with these types of errors. Sending your letter in such a condition is a serious credibility destroyer and will definitely hurt your reputation as a professional in the eyes of any knowledgeable recipient. Make sure you use the spell checker feature of your word processing program and if you aren’t sure of your grammar get a professional to edit your letter before it goes out.

As I said above, I see these kinds of errors on a regular basis. In addition to getting professional help if you need it, I recommend that after you have drafted your letter you read it out loud to yourself. I find that if something doesn’t sound right when I read it aloud it’s usually something that needs to be corrected.

Of course, the foregoing are general observations. Depending on which specific type of letter you are writing, there is plenty more letter-specific info, advice and tools available in terms of letter writing style guides and templates. You’ll find many of those letter writing resources at this link:

http://writinghelptools.com