General

Whether by email or post, email-based communications are some of the most important in our lives. From our pen pals in obscure countries to close friends at school or work, it's always great to connect with a letter. Some helpful tips to getting your meaning across, and even finding the right meaning for your letter are within this article.

Before you begin your letter, make sure you understand the reasons you're righting it and possible ramifications if it were ill-received. This isn't something you should agonize over, but it's important to know your motivation. Are you trying to convince someone to help you? Are you trying to convince someone to seek help? Is it friendly, or do you want to inspire urgency? Make sure you don't confuse your intentions, which is easier to do than most people think, and keep the focus on what you set out to do.

Once you have correctly identified your goals, it's all downhill, right? Wrong. You must keep aware of your intentions throughout the letter. A letter requesting business information should not be overly friendly. After you do start writing, you should also be sure to avoid padding your letter with useless information. Be direct and to the point, or, if you do take the indirect approach to bad news, set up your letter with the following format:

Buffer: Begin by setting up the reasons for bad news- if a problem with a product, express the reasons for the faulty product

Bad News: Clearly state the bad news. Don't be harsh, but don't marginalize it either.

End Positively: Close your letter with a positive outlook on the bad news, whether having the product fixed or something else that suits the condition.

After you finish writing your letter, you should always read it aloud and check the spelling. After your letter is complete and you are satisfied with what it says, all you have to do is send it! I told you it was simple, didn't I?

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