The Seven “C’s” of Style to write a letter

1. Conversational. Write the way you speak. Get rid of
stilted phrases. Why say “due to the fact that” when you
can say “because”? Would you normally say “the aforementioned
information”? Why not “the information” or, if
you need to refer to a point, “the previous information”?

2. Clarity. The goal of clarity is that the reader understands
precisely what you are saying. The language of your letter
should be adapted to the recipient. This means that
you write in a matter-of-fact, conversational tone. Use
specific examples the reader can relate to. Don’t assume
that your reader understands the jargon of your trade.
Remember, most letters will be read by people other than
the recipient of the letter. These people may be unfamiliar
with the technical language or jargon you use. Clarity
also means organizing your letter so each paragraph deals
with only one main idea and presenting your ideas in a
logical order. Your letter should not be a collection of
random ideas. It should be single-minded in its purpose.

3. Concise. A concise letter eliminates all unnecessary
words. Why use four words, “in as much as,” when you
can use one word, “because”? This is not to say that you
can’t write long letters, but the longer the letter, the more
ineffective it becomes. It is better to write a short letter
with attachments than a long, detailed one. Short letters
are read and remembered; long letters are skimmed and
filed.

4. Complete. Make sure you have included all the
information the reader needs to know. (Don’t include
details that are interesting but not relevant.) The biggest
problem with leaving out information is that the reader
has to make assumptions. For example, don’t say,
“When we last spoke about the situation,” when you can
say, “When we spoke on June 8 about hiring a new
administrative assistant.”
Remember that the reader can’t read your mind. The
reader can only guess at what you left out.

5. Concrete. Use specific terms that cannot be
misunderstood. Don’t say, “The large order that we
requested has not arrived.” Say, “The order for 10,000
basins that we requested on May 3, 20XX, has not
arrived as of June 20.” Identify names and numbers.
Write about what people can count or do. Include what
people can see, touch, smell, taste or hear. In other words,
make your language tangible. Make it concrete.

6. Constructive. Use words and phrases that set a positive
tone. Constructive words are like smiling when you greet
someone. They leave a good impression. Words such as
“failure,” “you neglected” and “error” tend to distance the
recipient from the writer. Words such as “agreeable,”
“proud” and “success” help create a positive tone.

7. Correct. The last step in writing any business letter is to
proofread it. You automatically check your image in a
mirror before going out or meeting someone. The letter
you send is your image on paper. If it is riddled with
spelling, grammatical and typographical errors, it will
detract from what you are trying to get across. The
reaction will be, “He can’t spell,” or “She doesn’t know
how to type.”
If you have a secretary, don’t assume your secretary
knows how to spell or punctuate. Luckily, most do, but
proof your own letters. Why? Because it is your name
that is signed at the bottom of the page, not your secretary’s.
You will be the one who looks bad.