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Part One LETTERS ( ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF A GOOD BUSINESS LETTER Letter-writing is an essential part of business activities. In spite of the great advances made in the field of telecommunication, the letter remains one of the most effective ways in business communication. A business letter is often evidence of an arrangement or a contract, and must therefore be written with care; even the shortest and most usual of letters may have this importance. Business letters have two purposes: to inform, and to organize. The way to get the right amount of information in your letter, and to get it in the right order is, by planning your letter in advance. Everything to be put down in writing must be carefully considered and well organized. You have to be clear, and by means of your letter you have to make things happen. In the first instance the letter has to be functional. In the second instance?since you are stuck with having to write the letter anyway?what you have to do, you should do well. Let every letter be at least readable, and then see if you can add some extra quality. The need for thought in writing is clear when you realize that in speaking?either face-to-face or by telephone?the reaction to the spoken word can be seen or heard immediately, but reaction to a letter is not known until the answer is received. When you have written a letter, read it through carefully; see that you have put in everything you intended, and have expressed it well; read it again, trying to put yourself in the place of the recipient to find out what impression your letter will make. A question frequently asked is “How long should a good letter be?” The answer is: “As long as is necessary to say what has to be said”, and this will depend on the subject of the letter. The right length includes the right amount of information. Because the aim of the letter is to secure the interest of the reader and his cooperation, it is important to try to adopt the right “tone” in