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Whether you realize it or not, business letters likely make up a large portion of your writing.  Especially if you’re a freelance writer or business owner.  Many of your emails are probably business letters, as are your proposal cover letters, your project bids, and much of your other correspondence when communicating business-to-business.

Effective business letter writing is essential to success in freelancing, especially in the service industry (such as writing).  A great business letter will have three basic elements: it will limit its scope to the objective at hand, it will clearly state its purpose at the beginning, and it will be addressed as personal correspondence between two individuals.

The first element is scope and objective.  Your objective for your business letter, whether it be a sales letter, a letter of reference, or a project proposal or bid, should be clear, concise, and stated within the first paragraph of the letter (usually the first two sentences).  If, for instance, you are writing a bid proposal for a project on a freelance website, clearly state what the bid is for and what it entails in the first paragraph of that bid.  For example:

Mr. Langley,

This bid is for eight pages of site copy, written with moderate sales pull and SEO aimed for 3 key phrases throughout.  This bid includes two revisions, at your discretion, and is for the complete job, not as a piece rate or hourly charge.

That first paragraph covers what the bid is for, what it will entail, etc.  The rest of the proposal would include details such as what constitutes a “page,” what is expected of the buyer in this case, and how communication should take place.  Any other details pertinent to the bid would be listed through the rest.  That first paragraph, though, focuses on the nitty-gritty to tell Mr. Langley what the bid is for and how much it covers.

Having been on both the buying and selling side of freelancing, I can tell you that bids that are short and to the point, but cover all the important bases, are much more likely to win compared to bids that are verbose and rambling or bids that are too technical or filled with legaleze.  Be concise, direct, and state your business right up front and you’ll find yourself better-received by those who are busy running a business and aren’t interested in wasting time reading a too-long proposal.

Whether your business letter is for a bid or to ask for assistance or something else, busy people appreciate cordial directness.  It gets the job done and doesn’t waste anyone’s time doing so.

As you can see from the example, both the scope and objective of the letter were spelled out right off and the letter began with a personal greeting (“To Whom It May Concern” doesn’t cut it in today’s information-filled world).  That covers all the required bases of a good business letter.

For a last word, I would like to give one more piece of advice: write your letters as if you were speaking to the person.  Being too clipped and professional does have a down side, so try to let your voice come through.  Stay on target with your objective and scope, but use common words and phrases rather than jargon and “five dollar words” unless it fits with what you’re writing about.

A business letter is a professional correspondence, to be sure, but it is also a personal conversation between you and whomever you’re addressing.  Try to be somewhat personable.  Also be aware that what you’ve written is permanent.  It can be printed, stored, photocopied, etc.  Bear that in mind if you’re writing demands or issuing a grievance.

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