The Purposes of Business Letters
Business letters can be written to employees or managers, as well as clients and prospective customers. The business letter is a formal type of communication that is usually typed on 8 1/2 by 11-inch white stationery paper. Business letters must be targeted to a specific individual or group, have a clear and concise purpose, be convincing and end with a specific objective, like a meeting date.
The purpose of a business letter can include introducing customers to new products. In direct mail, a form of advertising, these letters are called sales letters. The sales letter is usually mailed with a brochure and order form. While the color brochure often features a company's products, the sales letter is designed to highlight the key benefits of the products for the consumer or business customer.
All introductory or sales letters will generally follow the AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) principle, reports Business Balls. The heading or letter should grab the reader's attention, interest them enough to read it, increase their desire to own the product, and prompt them to purchase it.
Purposes of business letters also include apprising or thanking business associates or customers. For example, a cover letter sent with a report can apprise business associates about the contents of the report. These letters are often very short, with bullet points highlighting key topics discussed in the report. Thank you letters can be used by companies to thank customers for a recent order. The objective of the thank you letter is to build rapport with the customer, and remind them of the company's products or website.
Another purpose of a business letter is to order products. This type of letter usually takes the form of a purchase order. The purchase order is a legal document between the buyer and seller that states the quantity and dollar amount of a specific order.
The purposes of business letters can include providing sales incentives for customers. Selling incentive sales letters are used to offer rebates, coupons or special deals to long-term customers. For example, a small printing company may offer a 20 percent discount to customers who have used their services for six months or longer. An alternative would be to offer the discount to customers who spend a certain dollar amount with the printer. Companies typically use selling incentive sales letters to promote existing products.
Sometimes, a business must write a letter to acknowledge a complaint. This complaint could involve a customer service issue, damaged product or even an inaccurate shipment. Consequently, the company must write a letter to the customer that informs them what is being done to correct the error. Complaints can lead to potential legal problems. Therefore, it is important for companies to address customer complaints immediately.
Finally, a company may write a business to a "lost customer" or someone who has not purchased products for a while, according to the brand-building website, Authority Alchemy. Internet, mail order, retail and e-commerce companies that use databases often have the ability to pinpoint these customers. Subsequently, they may write to these customers and offer them a special deal. For example, a small cell phone company may send letters to customers who have cancelled their service introducing a new monthly rate that is lower than their competition.