TRITE EXPRESSIONS TO AVOID BUISNESS AND CORRESPONDECE

TRITE—Overused, worn out, lacking in originality.

AVOID TRITE EXPRESSIONS-T h e s e a r e e x p r e s s i o n s t h a t h a v e b e e n
overused and worn out. Trite expressions can make you seem
ignorant, unoriginal and sometimes shallow.eg. sick as a dog, rat race, cool as a
cucumber, pretty as a picture
Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 6:46 pm
Trite expressions can come off making you sound like a dimwit droid when used too
frequently. Overused business expressions can do the same thing.

When a new business concept comes out it can become very popular for a while. And
using it in the correct context is a way of letting your business peers know that you are
"in the know". But over-reliance on last year's old, tired business concept is a subtle way
of telling people that you are "not in the know" and not worth spending time with or on.

- AndrewZ
Examples:
 No sooner said than done
 By hook or by crook
 Busy as a bee
 A bolt from the blue
 Few and far between
 In this day and age
 Words fail me
 By leaps and bounds
 Better late than never
 A good time was had by all
 Breathed a sigh of relief
 From the ridiculous to the sublime
 It’s a small world
 Life and limb
 Sticks out like a sore thumb
 To all intents and purposes
 In the final analysis

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THE LAYOUT

Writing an Effective Business Letter

E-mail may be the quick and convenient way to relay daily business messages, but the
printed business letter is still the preferred way to convey important information. A
carefully crafted letter presented on attractive letterhead can be a powerful
communication tool. To make sure you are writing the most professional and effective
letter possible, use the business letter format and template below and follow these basic
business letter-writing.

Select a professional letterhead design for your small business: Your business
letter is a representation of your company, so you want it to look distinctive and
immediately communicate "high quality." For a convenient and economical alternative to
using traditional preprinted letterhead, try using our letterhead and envelope design
templates. Simply create a letter within a predesigned color letterhead template and
then print your entire piece quickly and beautifully on your Xerox® color printer.

Use a standard business letter format and template: The most widely used format
for business letters is "block style," where the text of the entire letter is justified left. The
text is single spaced, except for double spaces between paragraphs. Typically margins
are about 1 inch (25.4 mm) on all sides of the document, which is the default setting for
most word-processing programs. If you are using Microsoft Word, you can turn to its
built-in Letter Wizard for additional formatting assistance (look on the Tools menu).
Business Letter Template Fields:
Date: Use month, day, year format, e.g., March 3, 20xx or 3 March 20xx

Sender's Address: It is a good idea to include sender's email and url, if available. Don't
include this information if it's already incorporated into the letterhead design. This will
allow customers to find your small business more quickly.

Inside Address: Use full name. Mr./Ms. is optional

Salutation: Be sure to use a colon at the end of the name, not a comma as in personal
letters

Body Text: State why you are writing. Establish any connection/mutual relationship up
front. Outline the solution, providing proof in the way of examples and expert opinions.
Group related information into paragraphs

Closing "Call to Action": State what the reader needs to do and what you will do to
follow up

Signature Block: Sign your letter in blue or black ink

Enclosures: Use if you have an enclosure

Carbon Copy: Use if you are sending a copy to additional person(s)

Use a professional tone: Save casual, chatty language for email - your printed
business letter should be friendly but more professional. As Scott Ober suggests in his
book Contemporary Business Communication, "The business writer should strive for an
overall tone that is confident, courteous, and sincere; that uses emphasis and
subordination appropriately; that contains nondiscriminatory language; that stresses the
"you" attitude; and that is written at an appropriate level of difficulty." That said, be sure
to sound like yourself - you don't want your letter to read as if a machine wrote it.

Write clearly: State your point early in your letter. To avoid any miscommunications,
use straightforward, concise language. Skip the industry jargon and instead choose
lively, active words to hold your reader's attention.

Organize your information logically: Group related information into separate

paragraphs. In a long, information-packed letter, consider organizing information into
sections with subheads. You may want to highlight key words to make them "pop" - this
technique is possible with most word-processing programs and your color
multifunction printer.
Use Color To Emphasize Words In Text: It's easy to put a few words in color to draw
attention to them. Just select the type and click the arrow to the right of the Font Color
button, choose the color you want, then click the button. Or, try highlighting a few words
in the text. Select the type you want to emphasize, then click the Highlight button. Note:
When highlighting parts of a document you intend to print, use a light color such as
yellow, light green, or light blue. If you wish to remove the highlighting, select the text
and click the Highlight button again.

AutoText automates applying color (or any type style), which would ordinarily take
numerous clicks or commands. Say you're creating a report that compares your
organization's performance against that of your competitor. Word can automatically
color your company's name every time it appears, making those entries easy to locate.

Be persuasive: Establish a positive relationship with your reader right away. If you
have a connection to the reader - you've met before or have a mutual colleague, for
example - mention it in your introductory paragraph. Whether you think your reader will
agree with the point of your letter or not, it is important to find common ground and build
your case from there.

Understand your reader well enough to anticipate how he or she will react when
reading your letter. Address his or her needs or wishes, or a specific problem, and then
outline your solution. Provide proof in the way of examples and/or expert opinions to
back up your point. Make sure to maintain a friendly tone.

Conclude your letter with a "call to action." State clearly what your reader needs to
do or believe to achieve the desired solution and then state what you, the writer, intend
to do next to follow up.

Proofread your letter: All your careful crafting and printing can't cover up spelling or
punctuation errors, which leave a lasting negative impression.
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SELECTED KINDS OF BUISSNESS LETTER

Sales Letters

Typical sales letters start off with a very strong statement to capture the interest of the reader. Since
the purpose is to get the reader to do something, these letters include strong calls to action, detail
the benefit to the reader of taking the action and include information to help the reader to act, such
as including a telephone number or website link.

Order Letters

Order letters are sent by consumers or businesses to a manufacturer, retailer or wholesaler to order

goods or services. These letters must contain specific information such as model number, name of
the product, the quantity desired and expected price. Payment is sometimes included with the letter.

Complaint Letters

The words and tone you choose to use in a letter complaining to a business may be the deciding
factor on whether your complaint is satisfied. Be direct but tactful and always use a professional tone
if you want the company to listen to you.

Adjustment Letters

An adjustment letter is normally sent in response to a claim or complaint. If the adjustment is in the

customer’s favor, begin the letter with that news. If not, keep your tone factual and let the customer
know that you understand the complaint

Inquiry Letters

Inquiry letters ask a question or elicit information from the recipient. When composing this type of
letter, keep it clear and succinct and list exactly what information you need. Be sure to include your
contact information so that it is easy for the reader to respond.

Follow-Up Letters
Follow-up letters are usually sent after some type of initial communication. This could be a sales
department thanking a customer for an order, a businessman reviewing the outcome of a meeting or
a job seeker inquiring about the status of his application. In many cases, these letters are a
combination thank-you note and sales letter.

Letters of Recommendation

Prospective employers often ask job applicants for letters of recommendation before they hire them.

This type of letter is usually from a previous employer or professor, and it describes the sender’s
relationship with and opinion of the job seeker.

Acknowledgment Letters

Acknowledgment letters act as simple receipts. Businesses send them to let others know that they
have received a prior communication, but action may or may not have taken place.

Cover Letters

Cover letters usually accompany a package, report or other merchandise. They are used to describe

what is enclosed, why it is being sent and what the recipient should do with it, if there is any action
that needs to be taken. These types of letters are generally very short and succinct.

Letters of Resignation

When an employee plans to leave his job, a letter of resignation is usually sent to his immediate
manager giving him notice and letting him know when the last day of employment will be. In many
cases, the employee also will detail his reason for leaving the company.

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