Rules for business correspondence by email. Rules for conducting business correspondence by email

Life modern man cannot do without constant interaction with other people. In our age of rapidly developing information technology People are increasingly turning to emails, sometimes replacing the need for personal meetings. Ethics business correspondence implies compliance with certain important rules influencing the results of correspondence interviews.

In fact, business correspondence is a significant element of business communication. In some cases you cannot do without it. If a person is going to conduct business correspondence, he needs to know several components. So what should you pay attention to?

Speech literacy

If during an oral conversation it is still possible to allow speech error and the interlocutor will treat this with condescension, then the presence of such flaws in a business letter is completely unacceptable. In this case, your recipient will most likely put the letter aside and not continue reading. Whoever you write to, try to do it correctly, without spelling and punctuation errors.

Literacy of speech is valued everywhere. The knowledge of such an employee will be welcomed everywhere. Sometimes diligence can replace a lack of knowledge, which, if desired, can be made up for and obtained in various ways.

Conciseness and clarity of presentation

A business letter must contain only the essence of information that is of practical value. It is completely unacceptable to indulge in long, lengthy arguments or bore your addressee with unnecessary details. All these details will not bring any benefit, but will only disappoint him and lead him to think that the information offered is unnecessary and useless.

In a business letter, information should be presented in a very structured and concise manner. Your task is to convey a specific thought or news to your interlocutor, and not lead him to deep thoughts about life.

Meeting deadlines

When writing business correspondence, it is extremely important to comply with the deadlines for sending letters and try to respond as quickly as possible. For example, if an established client expects an immediate response from you on some important issue, then postponing and any delay can lead to undesirable consequences, such as cancellation of the contract, failure of an important deal, etc. It is also important to send emails on time because by doing so you show your opponent how important he is to you.

Formatting an email

When composing an email, it is extremely important to consider several important points. The way it is designed will determine what impression the recipient will have of you.

Fill in the “Subject” field

Surprisingly, in practice there is often a situation where important letters, which contain necessary and necessary information, are left without indicating the appropriate subject! Such inattention or a deliberate reluctance to burden oneself with unnecessary actions actually results in missed deadlines and an increase in the likelihood that the letter will not be opened by the addressee at all.

For this reason, it is necessary to fill out the “Subject” field. This must be done even if you are not going to tell your interlocutor anything significant. There is a fairly high percentage of spammers on the Internet who deliberately clog up email and distribute malware.

Availability of personal appeal

Agree, it is much more pleasant to read letters that contain appeals to the addressee than faceless ones addressed to someone unknown. The presence of an individual appeal in a letter emphasizes its importance. In addition, by doing so, you are secretly talking about respect for your absentee interlocutor. There is no need to be familiar; always address the recipient by name and patronymic.

Correct address

How many mistakes could be avoided if all Internet users were extremely careful when filling out their email addresses. Although potential clients or others with whom you interact on a daily basis often leave their email addresses written down on paper, they are later found to be extremely indiscriminate in doing so. It is for this reason that many options arise when a composed and ready letter turns out to be unsent or even goes to the wrong address. Always check the address of an important opponent, try to record it in your diary yourself, or ask them to send you a test letter.

Working with information

Before sending a finished letter to an addressee or group of addressees, it is worth working on the formatting of the information. Sometimes you have to send quite large amounts of information via email. In this case, it makes much more sense to create a data archive. Photos and other documents should be attached to the letter as a separate file. Never unnecessarily overload a letter with unnecessary information.

Thus, the ethics of business correspondence implies strict adherence to reasonable norms and rules that every confident user of a personal computer should know.

1 448 0 With the advent of the twenty-first century and the widespread use of computers, business correspondence on paper has practically died out - it is used only where an exorbitant level of formality is needed. But this does not mean at all that the rules of business correspondence have also died out. Even in emails, they should be followed.

Rules for writing business correspondence

When you sit down to write a business letter for the first time, you will probably feel confused. After all, this is not at all the same as dropping a message to a friend or relative. How to contact your interlocutor? Should I use emoticons or not? How to fill out all these numerous fields?

You should start in order and remember to start general rules handling emails from work.

Examination. If business correspondence is not your main field of activity, you can check your mail twice - in the morning, when you come to work, and after lunch. If communication with clients and business partners is part of your daily activities, it will be easier to install an email client that will display notifications about letters on your desktop.
Answer. Unspoken etiquette requires that the answer to a letter be written as quickly as possible, therefore you can ignore letters only if there is something that cannot tolerate distraction. The official rules state that a letter should be answered ten days in advance if it is received by mail, and two days in advance if it is received by fax.
Storage. You should ensure that emails do not end up in the spam folder. In addition, they cannot be deleted: otherwise, if a conflict situation arises, you will not be able to simply refer to the correspondence and see who is right.
Usage. You can use a company’s email address only when corresponding on its behalf. If for some reason you need to use a personal E-mail for correspondence, you should make sure that it looks official and does not contain obscene or vulgar words.
We sorted out storage, figured out response times and which E-mail to use. All this is easy to remember and you can move on to the next step: a business letter has arrived. How to answer it without offending your interlocutor?
Correctly. Letters like “Hi Vasya, I received your letter and I thought...” should be reserved for personal correspondence. Conducting business correspondence requires correctness and politeness. You cannot use slang, expressive, or rude expressions. You cannot use emoticons, even if you have been working with your interlocutor for several years. You cannot address yourself as “you” and be familiar - the letter must be polite and dry.
Competently. Literacy is an indicator cultural development, intellectual level, a way to maintain the company’s reputation and write a letter stylishly. If you are bad with the Russian written language - which is often the case and is not at all a reason for shame - use special services to check grammar, spelling, punctuation.
Adequately. Even the most competent and correct answer can be wasted if the interlocutor simply does not understand what you are talking about. Therefore, you should either refrain from using professional terms or give them an explanation. Also, you should not use words that are too complex or not too common, which can confuse the interlocutor. And, of course, you should not insert words whose meaning you doubt.
Logical. If you don’t know the answer, ask your interlocutor to wait, find out and write another letter. If known, check that it is presented in the letter consistently, logically and clearly, and only then send it.
Beautiful. Design is no less important than content. You should use paragraphs, quote the question and only then give an answer, use numbered and bulleted lists.

In order to respond to an incoming letter, it is enough to do it competently, correctly, adequately and logically. But how to write a letter first?

First, you need to format it correctly:

Subject . The “Subject” field in the body of the email should not be ignored, because it is by reading it that the interlocutor will form the first impression of what is required of him. Ideally, it should look like this: “Name of the enterprise, Essence of the problem” - “JSC Romashka”. Glass supplies."
Signature . Most email services allow you to set up an automatic signature, which should include: “Name, position, company” - “Makarova I.V., chief accountant JSC "Romashka" This form will allow the recipient to easily figure out who he is addressing and how to begin his response.
Greetings . The greeting should not be familiar - no “Hello”, “good day”, “aloha” or other similar options. A neutral “Hello” or “Good afternoon” would be best.
Appeal . Addresses by name - "Anya" - instead of the full name - "Anna Dmitrievna" look familiar and can spoil the entire impression of the letter. Therefore, it is better to choose an address by name and patronymic.
Length . Letters that are too long are time-consuming and difficult to read. Therefore, the optimal volume is considered to be the one that fits into a standard page of a text editor.

General rules for working with letters, replies and new letters - learning to write all this is not difficult. But there are a few more nuances to remember:

Content . The letter should contain the reason why it was written, a consistent description of it, and then questions and suggestions.
Importance . Most email services have an “Important!” checkbox that you can check when writing. Then such a letter will be highlighted in the recipient's folder.

IMPORTANT! You can’t just use a checkbox - otherwise a truly urgent letter will simply drown in the abundance of thoughtlessly highlighted ones.

End of dialogue . According to the rules of unspoken etiquette, the person who started it ends the correspondence.
Time. Sending letters at the end of the working day and on Friday afternoon is not only bad form, but also a futile idea - anyway, the answer will only come the next morning or even on Monday.
Politeness . We should congratulate you on the upcoming holiday. Thank you for your reply. If you cannot respond to an urgent letter promptly, you should notify the addressee about this.
Attachments . Any attachment should be archived and the recipient should be notified about it separately in the body of the letter.

IMPORTANT! The rules of electronic business correspondence require attentiveness to the interlocutor - you need to let him speak, ask questions, and not demand anything in the form of an ultimatum.

Types of email correspondence

The rules governing correspondence may vary slightly depending on where the letter is sent.

Internal correspondence implies that it is advisable to respond to letters on the same day, so as not to hinder the work of your own enterprise, and also that the tone of the letter may be somewhat more familiar than in other cases.

IMPORTANT! It would be a good idea to develop a single template for internal correspondence, according to which employees can write letters quickly, without racking their brains over the structure.

External correspondence implies greater degree formality, as well as the need to filter professional slang - often an interlocutor from another company simply will not understand specific words.
International correspondence implies greater formality, as well as the need to take time zones into account. So, you shouldn’t send a letter to New York in the morning and expect that the answer will come in the near future, worrying and rushing, because the employee who must answer the letter is most likely still basking in bed.

However, there are no big differences. Politeness, literacy and the ability to clearly formulate a request are valued everywhere.

How to write a business letter

To prepare a document, use Microsoft Word and the following rules:

organization letterhead;
Times New Roman font;
wide fields;
size 12-14 p.;
line spacing – 1-2 p.;
Place the page numbers of the letter at the bottom right side.

If this is international correspondence, then the letter is written in the language of the addressee.

Structure business letter:

Appeal;
Preamble;
Main text;
Conclusion;
Signature;
Application.

What else is important to remember:

Address your interlocutor using “you”.
If you are writing a response to a received letter, make a note about this at the very beginning, for example: “To your request, dated 01/01/2020...”
If the letter was received with aggression, do not be like your opponent and do not use aggressive, pleading expressions or a commanding tone in your correspondence.
Write each new thought on a new line, so the information will be better perceived. Don't make long paragraphs. Maximum 5-7 sentences.
Avoid words written Caps Lock (in capital letters) - such text is perceived as a threat.
Don't forget to include the sender's contact information and the date the letter was sent.
In business correspondence, do not use emoticons or quotation marks.
Do not use foreign words, choose a Russian synonym.
Write in one font. Do not use colored text or excessive underlining, bolding, etc.
Be polite to your interlocutor and open in communication. Clarify his opinion and ask what he thinks about this. Show empathy and respect.
Watch how your opponent responds to you.

Standard phrases acceptable for use

In order not to think every time in what form to put your thoughts, you can use standard phrases accepted for business correspondence:

Appeal. “Hello, dear Igor Petrovich”- if you know the addressee personally. "Hello, Mr. Smirnov"- if you write to him for the first time in your life. The military is usually addressed "Hello, Comrade Colonel Smirnov".
Notice. Standard example phrase: “We inform you that...”. It can be changed to “We bring to your attention”, “we inform you”, “we inform you”.
Explanation. To inform the addressee about the purpose of the letter at the very beginning, you can use the following constructions: “In response to your request...”, “For the purpose of carrying out work...”, “In order to provide assistance...”, “In accordance with your wishes...”.
Request. The request in the letter should be according to the formula "We ask you...".
Offer. “We can offer you...”, “We recommend you...”.
Confirmation. “We confirm...”, “We have received...”.
Refusal. “Your proposal is rejected...”, “For the reasons described below, we cannot agree...”, “Your proposal has been reviewed and found to be unconstructive.”.

Formality is the best companion for business correspondence, but it is important that the meaning is not lost behind the official phrases. Good example a business letter will look like this:

Hello, Igor Petrovich!

In connection with the expansion, OJSC Romashka needs to increase batches of raw materials for the production of equipment by 25%. Our cooperation with the Margaritka company has lasted for 5 years and so far we have had no reason to complain. Therefore, we propose to discuss the possibilities of increasing supplies and the difficulties that may arise.

With hope for productive cooperation, General Director of OJSC Romashka, G.V. Smirnov.

******************************************************************************

Over the past decades, business correspondence via email has gained immense popularity and has become one of the main methods of business communication. Today it is difficult to find a person who would not use e-mail in the practice of interpersonal communications. Despite this, many today are asking the question: so that all the rules are followed? How can you use a competent letter to form a good impression of the sender among the recipient?

This article describes the regulations for business correspondence by e-mail, and practical advice The information presented in the article will help you learn proper business communication when composing emails.

Many people start their working day by checking their mailbox for new messages. But, unfortunately, despite the prevalence of this method of exchanging information, many do not know how to correctly use the language of business correspondence, mistaking emails for an informal way of communication.

Thanks to the speed of delivery, it simplifies the exchange of important official documents, forms, applications, but even here people make mistakes when sending letters. It very often happens that when composing an email when exchanging any files, recipients for some reason do not write accompanying essays and do not enter topics, which can complicate the work of recipients. The purpose of this article is to answer the question: how to send a letter by e-mail and comply with all the rules of business written communication via e-mail?

When composing emails, all fields provided must be filled in

The rules of business correspondence by e-mail oblige the sender of the letter to fill out all the fields provided in the e-mail, such as the address and name of the recipient and sender of the letter. A subject must be described that briefly describes the essence of the letter being sent. Very often, the fate of the sent letter and the speed of resolution of the problem stated in it depend on the correctly described topic. A business email should begin with a greeting - this simple show of respect for the recipient is very important when corresponding. After the greeting, there should be a text that is called the “body of the letter”, and at the end a signature should be left, for example, “With respect, Petr Ivanovich Brisov.”

Greetings in business correspondence

It is worth further focusing your attention on this point, since a gesture of respect is very important in any aspect business communications. The optimal greeting phrase is “Good afternoon” or “Hello.” Conducting business correspondence via email limits the sender from using the phrases “Good evening” or “ Good morning”, since the recipient may read the letter long after receiving it. It is also not correct to use colloquial expressions used in greetings.

After a greeting word or phrase, you should address the recipient by name and patronymic, and if the name is unknown to the sender, this moment can be skipped. Then you can move on to stating the purpose of the letter.

Attached files in business emails

If the main purpose of the letter is not only a written narrative and presentation of the essence of the issue, but also sending a file, then it is better to attach the sent object first. It often happens that many senders, due to inattention, having stated the essence of the issue in the body of the letter, forget to attach the necessary attachment. Such negligence can have a negative impact on business reputation sender of a business letter.

The email address should be recognizable and concise

The rules of business correspondence by e-mail require the sender to have a recognizable electronic name, which must contain truthful information about the name of the sender. Official letters and appeals look very unconcise and stupid when the email address contains informal expressions or words, for example, the email address “limon_petya”. This looks very undignified for an adult. To conduct business correspondence, it is better to create a separate email and observe business email etiquette.

Using the quick Reply (Response) function to respond to previously received emails

The Reply or Response function (in its abbreviated version it looks like Re:) helps the user in a fast way Reply to previously sent messages from the sender. This function also has the universal ability to read previous correspondence with an interlocutor via given topic. But the rules of business correspondence by e-mail oblige the sender to rename the subject of the business letter if the essence of the discussion is changed during the correspondence.

Before sending a business letter, you should proofread for spelling errors and punctuation.

E-mail simplifies the exchange of information, but during business correspondence you should not neglect the rules of the Russian language, since a carelessly made mistake can affect the authority of the sender. Before sending a letter, you should review the text several times and carefully check it for spelling and punctuation errors. Many email clients have a spell check feature, so you should pay attention to words underlined in red. If you have doubts about the correct spelling, you should seek help on the Internet or check the spelling using a spelling dictionary.

The addressee field should be filled in last.

To avoid sending unfinished or unedited letters, the address of the recipient of a business letter should be entered at the very last moment before sending. This rule is also included in the basics of business email correspondence. It happens that when filling out the addressee field, email may offer a list of previously used recipients; here you should also focus your attention so as not to mistakenly send a composed business letter to a third-party addressee.

Structuring a business letter

The rules for structuring text apply not only to paper media, but also to the rules of business correspondence via e-mail. It is not always convenient for the recipient to read large volumes of text of letters on the monitor screen. To simplify this point, you should break the text into logically formed small paragraphs and avoid complicated sentences when writing the text of business letters. The optimal length of one sentence in a business letter should be no more than fifteen words.

The essence of a business letter should be stated in essence

In addition to the specified topic of the business letter, the recipient should also be interested in the clearly formulated first and second sentences of the main text. The sender’s task is to state at the beginning of the letter the essence of the problem or issue for which he is addressing the recipient. The first sentence should indicate the purpose for which the business letter is being sent. Sample: “We inform you that the terms of the obligation under contract No. 45 of 01/02/2017 “On the supply of bulk materials” are coming to an end. To renew the contract, you must submit a second package of documents.” Thanks to the designated purpose, the recipient has the opportunity to delve into main idea business letter. If the text of the letter is too large, then it is better to use the function of attaching an object as an attachment in the form of a text document, but at the same time, in the text field, you should leave the accompanying essay that highlights the business letter. Sample: “We are sending you an electronic copy of the letter from the company Mak-Stroy LLC for your review.” We ask you to inform us of your decision on the issue of extending contract No. 45 of 01/02/2017 “On the supply of bulk materials” until the deadline specified in the letter.”

Every business email should have a response.

There are negative examples of business correspondence when the recipient ignores the business letter for some reason. Sometimes there may indeed be cases when an answer cannot be given due to certain situations, for example, the resolution of the problem may take several days or the recipient is in thought and cannot immediately answer the question posed. In this case, a brief comment on this matter should be given, for example, “Hello, Pyotr Ivanovich. I received your letter, but today I find it difficult to respond, since I must consult with senior management. I will report your problem general director our company and will give an official answer by the end of the week. Sincerely, Sales Department Manager Belov Ivan Gennadievich.”

It is worth remembering that if a response was not given within three working days, then the fact that the recipient of a business letter remains silent can be assessed as ignoring and refusing to communicate with the sender.

When writing response letters, you should answer all the questions asked.

If the letter sent to the recipient is of an interrogative nature, then when composing the letter, answers to the questions should be given in the order that is present in the received text of the business letter. If questions have been asked, the sender hopes to receive specific answers to them. When composing a letter, you should not number your answers; you just need to state your thoughts in order. In order to answer all the questions posed, you first need to re-read the received business letter several times, and if there are too many questions, it is better to write them out separately to prevent them from being missed. If it is impossible to answer some of the questions posed, it is worth pointing out that at the moment for some reason the answer cannot be given.

Do not overuse abbreviations, emotional design and capital letters

There are negative examples of business correspondence when senders dilute it by using informal signs in the form of emoticons. Their use is popular when communicating in social networks, however, the rules of business correspondence do not welcome such manifestations of emotions, since the recipient may not know them true meaning and take them for an incomprehensible set of punctuation errors.

You should also stop writing text. in capital letters. On the Internet, a set of words written in capital letters is called “flashy phrases” and more often than not such phrases carry a negative connotation. The recipient, when reading an electronic business letter, may evaluate such a font negatively, which will have a detrimental effect on the perception of meaning. If in a business letter you need to emphasize the importance of any point, it is better to use introductory phrases, for example, “Please note that you need to provide a package of documents to renew the contract no later than 02/10/2017” or “Please note that the documents the contract extension must be submitted by 02/10/2017.”

Do not transmit sensitive information via email

When transmitting personal or confidential information, it is better to refuse electronic mailboxes, as there is a threat of information being intercepted by attackers for use for their own selfish purposes. Such information may include: telephone numbers, passwords from bank cards, personal bank accounts, etc. It is important to remember that information is stored on the mail agent server and can be stolen if hacked.

The sender's signature must be at the end of the letter.

As mentioned earlier, every letter sent must contain a specific signature. Often, mailbox developers introduce a signature block function in which you can enter your job title, name and contact phone number. Subsequently, this block will automatically appear at the end of each letter, which will make typing easier. It is important to formulate the signature correctly so that the recipient has the opportunity to correctly address the sender when replying to the letter. An example of a signature might look like this: “With respect, Nikolai Alexandrovich Petrov, +79810000000.”

Drawing conclusions, it can be noted that in order to understand how to conduct business correspondence by email, you do not need to master additional and complex basics. You just have to adhere to the basic rules of etiquette and observe the norms of the Russian language.

In conditions modern world business contact often begins with business correspondence - a written form of business interaction, which includes any type of correspondence (letter, message, etc.) sent by any official on his behalf and by virtue of his position.

An important aspect is compliance with certain etiquette standards. Otherwise, established connections may be severed and a client or business partner may be lost. Well-designed business correspondence contributes to the most favorable impression of you or the company.

Mastering the magic of letters is important for every person. Let's say when searching new job: compiling and sending resumes, test tasks, cover letters, additional information about yourself, agreeing on a meeting time.

Interestingly, the rules of business correspondence that exist today were developed about 150 years ago in England.

Types of business letters

To decide how to compose a letter, you need to know the differences between its types. This will help you decide on the topic of the message and its correct design. This will help you avoid looking stupid in the eyes of an important opponent.

According to the design structure there are:

Letters of communication

This includes letters of refusal, claims, excuses, and confessions. Everything that an employee uses in the course of his professional activities.

Letters of agreement

An important type of writing. Thanks to her, the results of the meeting are summed up, agreements are formed, the time for completing tasks is determined, and both parties are convinced of the correct understanding of the contract.

Business Letter Rules

The way bloggers allow themselves to express themselves is not your choice. There is no excuse for mistakes and typos. You can’t console yourself with the difficulties of learning a language from childhood. You need to be as demanding of yourself as possible. Otherwise, it paints an unfavorable picture of your personality and education.

The peculiarity of business correspondence is that errors in the spelling of professional words are considered an indicator of a person’s incompetence in the chosen field.

Basic rules:

Stop using words precise definition which you don't know. As a last resort, check their meanings in dictionaries.
Avoid using specific terminology. Some words may be unfamiliar to the interlocutor and may be misinterpreted by him. Business correspondence etiquette involves in such cases providing an explanation of terms and abbreviations.
Write in short sentences. Length and floridness of constructions are appropriate when writing a novel, and not during business negotiations.
First type the message not in the body of the letter, but in a document on your computer or online editor. A positive aspect is the automatic spelling and punctuation check of the text. This also prevents the letter from being accidentally sent to the recipient prematurely or lost due to the browser being closed or the Internet being lost. When working in Microsoft word, use autosaving of material at certain intervals.
You should avoid typing a message on your phone or tablet. There is a risk of inappropriate autocorrection.
Before sending, check for errors and the consistency of the text. It is recommended to recheck the typed text again after an hour, temporarily switching to other things and forgetting about writing it. This will help you look at the text from a different perspective, seeing all the inaccuracies.

Formatting a business letter

Particular attention to detail is required when preparing and conducting correspondence. It also shows respect for your opponent and allows you to save time that could be spent on redoing the material.

The following aspects should not be neglected:

Correct filling of the subject line of the letter

If this is the first message, the title may be bright. However, if communication with the opponent already exists, the subject of the letter should be stated briefly and concisely. These are the basics of communication. They help you find the message after a while so that re-reading will be easy for both the sender and the recipient.

Citation

The message you send may contain questions that you must answer. It makes sense to answer them, quoting each one separately. When sending a letter with several forwardings, it is worth using numbering and breaking the text into paragraphs. This way it will be clear to the interlocutor what question you are answering.

Excessive quotation chains create a sense of chaos in communications. However, if there is a need to return to previously sent messages or remind the interlocutor of something, it is worth doing. In particular, when it comes to budget, service package, time.

Take into account all information received

When composing a letter, you must briefly comment on all documents attached by you or your interlocutor. This way it will be immediately clear to the recipient what contents of the files await him.

Your own signature is an analogy to a business card

Business correspondence requires a signature. It can be made automatic, then it will be present in every letter sent. How to create an informative signature? Use your first and last name, current position, work contacts and company logo.

For example: “With respect, Ivan Ivanov, your project manager, phone number or any other messengers.” Or “Best regards, Ivan Ivanov...”.

The signature can also be catchy and creative, indicating a special connection with the company or cause. For example, employees of a book industry network can use the phrase “I’m currently reading...” when inserting the name of current new products. But it is better to coordinate such things with your superiors.

Postal address

The rules of business correspondence require the display of a postal address. It would be better if he was purely a worker. The company name, position, first or last name may be displayed there, but not the year of birth or playful nicknames/words. It is better to think about the correct name of the address for many years if you plan to leave it even if you change activities or positions.

Font and spacing

In documentation, the font most often used is Times New Roman, size 12 for tables or 14 for text. 1.5-2 intervals. These are the unspoken basics.

Business communication style

Business correspondence involves a delicate balancing act. Friendly communication is inappropriate here, but emphatically harsh communication is not appropriate either.

Features of communication:

Severity of designs

Diminutive words and slang expressions will be inappropriate.

Using emoticons

Use emoticons carefully or avoid them. The first contact does not allow their presence in principle. In the future, brackets may be present, but only positive ones, in moderate quantities. Niceness and humor are unacceptable in this style of communication. This form is unacceptable if you are subordinate to your interlocutor.

Greetings by name and patronymic

The rules for conducting business correspondence imply respectful attitude to the interlocutor, attention and interest in his person. This increases the opponent’s interest in you and increases the chance of his leniency. It is advisable to know in advance the name of the person you are addressing, as well as his preferences for address.

Reply within two days

It is correct to send a response to the message within a few business days. Otherwise it is considered disrespectful. If the letter was sent before the weekend or vacation, you don’t have to respond to it if it is not urgent. Otherwise, you need to warn your interlocutor about the temporary absence of your response or briefly unsubscribe about the contents of the letter.

Lack of intrusiveness

Constantly asking about something, asking for confirmation will show you in a bad light. If confirmation from the interlocutor is required, you can remind him of the need to respond in three days. If the matter is urgent, it is better to mention it initially in your first message.

Mirror rule

Business correspondence etiquette often allows you to address your opponent the way he does. This increases the possibility of mutual understanding and communication on the same level. Keep track of what terms, style of communication, and address your interlocutor uses.

Happy holidays

If communication takes place around or during official holidays, it is worth congratulating the interlocutor. These are the rules of business correspondence. It is also useful to know when your opponent's birthday is.

Gratitude

Elementary politeness would be words of gratitude in response to a congratulation, invitation, or explanation.

Taking into account all the above features, it will not be difficult to establish contact with your interlocutor and form a favorable opinion about yourself.

The importance of business writing rules

In fact, any letter sent is a business card, a reflection of our chosen business position. So that it looks decent, inspires respect and trust, and negotiations are accompanied by comfort and efficiency in solving problems, knowledge of the rules good manners and their constant observance is an unshakable guarantee of success.

With regard to any correspondence, on the Internet or in letters, the same strict standards apply as when communicating by phone or personal negotiations. The principles on which interaction is built:

mutual respect between opponents for the personality and business position of the other person;
attention to the business interests of the opponent;
maintaining confidentiality;
punctuality in solving important tasks.

Business correspondence is necessary because:

when sending a letter there is no answer, even if it was implied;
letters get lost in the flow of unnecessary information and employees constantly call each other asking to check their mail;
after reading the email it is completely unclear what is needed from you;
due to the abundance of details and chaos of information in messages, thoughts are confused, and difficult question it is still not resolved.

You can save a lot of free time if you implement general rules for conducting business correspondence. This will help avoid the above problems.

Business communication It is impossible to imagine without correspondence, since a personal meeting to resolve cooperation issues is not always possible. Most pressing problems business correspondence

Business communication cannot be imagined without correspondence, since a personal meeting to resolve cooperation issues is not always possible. Business correspondence helps solve most pressing problems in a short time, but failure to follow the rules of etiquette or illogical construction of a letter can harm partnerships or alienate a potential client. As in formal negotiations, there are certain rules: the format of the letter and the style of communication.

General rules for conducting business correspondence

1. Before writing a letter, decide on its characteristics:

type of letter (covering, guarantee, order, reminder, notice, etc.; presentation letter or inviting a response);

degree of accessibility for the addressee (whether you can state all the necessary points in one letter or will you need a second, clarifying one);

urgency of delivery (if the letter is urgent, it is better to send it by registered mail or by e-mail).

2. Create a letter using existing templates, based on its type, and also rely on GOST R 6.30-2003. “Unified documentation systems. Unified system of organizational and administrative documentation. Documentation requirements."

3. Any business letter has the following general structure:

name of the sending organization;
date of writing;
recipient's address, indication of a specific correspondent;
opening address;
an indication of the topic and purpose of the letter;
main text;
conclusion (politeness formula);
sender's signature;
indication of the application and distribution of copies (if any).

4. When preparing a business letter, use the text editor Microsoft Word:

use Times New Roman typeface, font size 12-14 points, line spacing – 1-2 points;

Place the page numbers of the letter at the bottom right side;

when printing text on A4 format, use 1.5–2 line spacing, A5 format or less - one line spacing. Details are always typed with one line spacing.

5. If you are speaking on behalf of an organization and intend to send a printed letter, be sure to use company letterhead, since its presence will be business card your company. Take special care when preparing an official form; this skill should be mandatory for any office employee.

6. For international correspondence, the letter must be written in the language of the addressee or in English(as the most common in business relationships).

7. Maintain a correct, business-like tone. Begin the letter with an address, which, depending on the degree of your closeness with the correspondent, can begin with either the words “Dear + Full Name” or “Dear + Full Name.” Remember, the words in the address or in the indication of the addressee must in no case be abbreviated (for example, “respected” as “uv.” or “to the head of the department” as “head of the department”) - these are the rules of business etiquette. Always end your letter with a thank you for your cooperation. Before the signature there should be the phrase “With respect, …” or “Sincerely yours, …”. Addressing “you” in official correspondence is unacceptable, even if you maintain friendly relations with the correspondent.

8. Choose your vocabulary carefully, avoid inaccuracies and ambiguous phrases, and excessive use of professionalisms. The letter must be understandable.

9. Divide the contents of the letter into meaningful paragraphs so that it is not cumbersome and difficult for the recipient to understand. Follow the rule: the first and last paragraphs should contain no more than four printed lines, and the rest - no more than eight.

10. Respond to business emails according to accepted etiquette: for a written request - within 10 days after receipt; for letters sent by fax or email - within 48 hours, excluding weekends.

Intra-organizational business correspondence

Business correspondence between company employees is more simplified compared to correspondence sent to a third party.

be concise;
be of a business nature;
the letter must indicate the date;
At the end of the letter there is a politeness formula and a signature.

An example of intra-organizational business correspondence could be a letter of congratulations on behalf of the manager or team, addressed to the hero of the day or an employee who has received a promotion.

When discussing projects in writing, only a few mandatory elements of a business letter are usually used - indicating the topic, appeal, summary the essence of the issue and the politeness formula with a printed signature.

Remember that the form of the letter and the required template must be selected based on the level of business correspondence and the type of information that you want to provide to the addressee.