Writing a letter seems to be an ancient practice since the dawn of email messaging and instant messengers. But there are still others that prefer writing to their loved ones rather than using emails. One particular reason for this is that some people aren’t as computer literate as to use the internet for sending and reading messages, particularly those that lives in the provinces that the power of the internet haven’t yet reached. This particular situation can be found in the Philippines in which some Filipinos living and working abroad still send Letters to the Philippines for their loved ones. So how do you write a letter?

Just because people use the convenience of the internet doesn’t mean that they won’t be writing any kind of letter. Letters aren’t only used for friendly greetings of “Hi’s” and “Hello’s”. Some letters are also used for professional purposes such as writing a resume, a letter of inquiry, or a letter of proposal. But here I’ll teach you a bit of both, on how to write a friendly letter usually sent to friends and families and a business or professional type of letters which are usually used for business inquiry and proposal purposes.

Steps

Before anything else, its important for the letter to first Provide The Context Or The Summary of the whole body. This way, the reader would have an idea about the letter in which he or she will read later on. This is very important when sending proposal Letters to the Philippines so as to make it easier for the reader to know if this letter will contain the necessary information they want or not. If you’re writing to a close friend, you won’t need much except the date, which will help your friend remember when it was received. However, if you’re writing to a business letter, it may be useful to write the date on the letter aside from the envelope.

Much like any other kind of sent Letters to the Philippines, its important to Start With A Proper Greeting. The opening should begin at the left side of the page, not the middle or up against the right side of the sheet. The most common opening is “Dear” followed by the person’s first name and a comma. Informal greetings such as “Hello” or “Hi” are usually used for friendly letters, whereas the greetings “Dear” and “To whom it may concern are usually used for professional business letters.

Now
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that you know how to make the first part of your letter, its time to make the Body Of The Letter. This is the part that will really be unique to each letter. Most business letters should be no more than two pages long, but casual letters can be as long or as short as you want them to be. No matter who the recipient is, try not to ramble. Keep each paragraph engaging.

After the body of the letter, the Closing Of The Letter would usually follow. Casual letters usually have a closing remarks such as “Love always” ,”Cheers”, “Sincerely”, “Talk soon”, or “Look forward to seeing you soon”. But when it comes to business letters, its important to make the closing as professional as it can be such as using the “Regards,” or “Respectfully,” to address yourself. Business letters usually requires a signature of the sender underneath the printed name.Visit the website http://www.lbcexpress.com.

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The following points are to be regarded with mechanical and physical details of formal letters:

Heading / Title / Caption – The caption or heading comprises of the writer’s address and the date of the letter. Only a date is required and writer’s name is not included.

Inside address – this part demonstrates the name and address of the recipient of the letter. In the inside address, include the suitable title of respect of the recipient and copy the name of the organization same as that organization writes it.

Salutation / Greetings – Greetings like ‘Dear Sir’, is generally followed by a colon, except with a friendly, known or sociable tone is intended, in which case a comma is used. If you are unaware whether the recipient is a male or a female, then you can write ‘Dear Sir’ or ‘Dear Sirs’ and don’t bother about it.

Subject or orientation line –The subject line replaces the salutation or greetings or it is included with it. The subject line states the main business of the letter.

Body of the letter – The real message is enclosed in the body of the letter, the paragraphs between the salutation or greetings and the positive close.

Positive close / Positive conclusion – The ’sincerely yours’ facet of the formal letter is called the positive close. Other common ones are ‘Thanking you’, ‘Cordially’, ‘Respectfully’ or ‘Respectfully Yours’. See that only the first letter is capitalized, and it is always followed by a comma.

Enclosures / Attachments – To be certain that the recipient knows that items accompany the letter in the same envelope, use such indications as ‘Enclosure’, ‘Encl’ or ‘Enclosures’ (when two or more attachments are there in the letter). For instance, if you send a resume and writing sample with your application letter, you would write this: ‘Encl: Resume and Writing Sample’. If the enclosure is lost, the recipient will come to know.

Photocopy – If you want to send photocopy of a letter to others, specify this
information among the end document also. If, for example, you were unhappy by a local trader’s managing your repair issues and were sending a copy of your letter to the Better Business Bureau, you would write this: ‘cc: Mr. Bhatia M
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ason, Attorney’.

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The following article outlines some winning tips on using correct format when write a letter regarding a complaint to an individual or a business:

TIP #1: Using The Correct Format
Correct format does three things. One, it shows the individual your are complaining to that you are serious. Messy or casual letters don’t do this. Two, it lets the other person know that you are organized. It shows that you are preparing to take action if he does not respond. Three, it helps make your point clear. It is the easiest part of your presentation, and is also one of the most important, because a badly formatted letter is usually thrown away. A correct format alone cannot make your case, but it can break it. There’s a better chance that someone will respond to your letter when the letter is formatted and addressed properly. Almost any businessperson you ask will admit to having thrown away letters that are messy or improperly addressed. They assume that if the writer is not capable of the simple task of presenting his case properly, he will not have the endurance to follow through.

TIP #2: Type, Don’t Write
If you don’t have a computer or typewriter, borrow one. Remember that the person who receives your letter can’t tell whether you can type well, or can only hunt and peck. As long as the letter comes out proper, your typing skills don’t matter. The important thing is that the finished product be free of mistakes.

TIP #3: Use A Plain 8 ½ x 11 Sheet Of Paper
Serious letters arrive on serious paper. They don’t arrive on undersized paper with pretty flowers on it. Complaint letters usually go into in boxes, or a file, so they are more likely to be lost if they are not on the right size paper. If you prefer using your business letterhead, that’s fine, too.

TIP #4: Check Your Spelling And Grammar
Good grammar and good spelling are a must. If you have a track record as a bad speller, ask a friend or co-worker to check your work. Proofread everything carefully, and use your word processor tools. Make sure it makes sense. Put yourself on the other side and ask what effect your letter would have on you if you were the recipient. If something sounds wrong to you when you read it, take that part out or chang
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e it. When you are satisfied that your letter will give you the response you want, you can now mail it.

TIP #5: Use Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested
A letter that is written to demand something should be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested. This type of mailing does several things. It shows you are serious. People don’t go to the post office, fill out papers, and pay a fee if they’re not serious. Additionally, this mailing form provides proof that the addressee received your letter: The post office requires that someone sign for a letter sent certified mail. When the return receipt comes back to you, attach it to your copy of the letter; it is proof that your letter was delivered on a certain date, and that the person you’re writing knows this. Certified letters are heavy-handed, however. They may be too much for a first attempt, or if you’re well acquainted with the person you’re sending the letter to.

TIP #6: E-mail Is Not As Effective
I don’t recommend that you use e-mail for a certified letter. E-mail does not have the same impact as a letter, particularly one that arrives certified mail. There is something about a postal carrier standing at the recipient’s door, requiring that person to sign a receipt, that points out the serious nature of your issue. Since your letter has been written to get the recipient’s attention and to get action, e-mail would not have the same impact. Sometimes faxes are a little more convincing because they automatically produce hardcopy, but they still don’t have the same effect as mailed letters. Faxes can be used when immediate delivery is needed, as in disputes involving a medical emergency, but in those cases it’s better to use a private carrier like FED-X or UPS, which also requires a signature.

TIP #7: Address The Right Person Or Department
It’s always best to address your letter to a particular person, so if possible, get the name, title, and address of the person who ideally should handle your type of issue. Make a phone call, they might transfer you around the building, but find out. If James E. Smith III, Sales Manager gets your letter addressed precisely in that fashion, he is most likely to respond than he is to one addressed to “Jimmy Smith, Sales.” If your claim is one that might be somewhat routine, then you can address it to “Customer Service” and a salutation of “Dear Sir or Madam” is proper.

TIP #8: Use CCs (Carbon Copies)
Business letters usually with something like “cc: Mr. Henry T.Clark, or Wanda C. White, Consumer Commission”, mean that the person who is named after “cc:” has been sent a copy of the letter. Usually that person may have been involved in the dispute or has authority to do something about it. The copies noted on the sample letters will give you a good idea of when it’s appropriate to use them.

This information is in no way a guarantee that you never need a lawyer. However, circumstances like these have been proven to bring results. There are times when you definitely do need a lawyer, You can find more law and self-0help articles: DigitalSoftwareOnTime.homestead.com

I always add this to all of my pages; please don’t forget to spay or neuter your pets to help keep the pet population down. Have a wonderful day!

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Looking for a new business analyst job can be intimidating whether you are a seasoned business analyst looking for a challenging business analyst position or you are applying for entry-level business analyst positions.If you do not handle your business analyst job search correctly, you may be passed over for positions that you are really qualified for or your resume may never get to the desk of the hiring managers or you may get discouraged by the lack of interest in your resume from potential employers. Whatever your situation, what I am about to say next may help you find your ideal business analyst job quickly, fast track your business analyst career or help you become a star player in the business analyst industry, so, pay attention!

Why Do I Need A Cover Letter and a Resume?
One of the things that can set you apart from all the other business analysts out there is your cover letter. This statement may be unexpected because most of us assume that recruiters and human resources departments receive so many resumes that your cover letter barely receives a cursory glance. However, this is no reason not to send out a great cover letter with your business analyst resume. You need a cover letter for the following reason; a cover letter shows that you put extra effort into introducing yourself to the company by creating a customized letter describing your business analyst training, business analyst skills and business analyst experience. Without the cover letter, the company assumes that you may be applying to every single business analyst job out there rather than taking the time to apply to specific business analyst position that matches your skill set and background. Your cover letter helps recruiters to select you from the hundreds of candidate’s resumes they receive. The recruiter scans your cover letter to see if anything jumps out to grab him and if your cover letter is memorable, he or she will move your resume over to the “Read” pile instead of the “Toss” pile.

A Good Cover Letter Will Help You Get Hired Fast!
Your resume will probably look much like that of other candidates who have the same business analyst education, skills, and training. This is why I highly suggest the
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use of a cover letter when applying for a business analyst position if you want to make a favorable first impression. Even if you don’t have much prior business analyst work experience a cover letter highlighting your business analyst education & business analyst training gives you the means to show the hiring manager that you still have what it takes to do the job well. You should showcase your applicable characteristics even if they are mentioned on your resume. This shows that you took the time to create a unique cover letter that specifically addresses the company you are applying to. Note that you may not reuse the same cover letter over and over, as each cover letter must be unique and customized in order to stand out from the other candidates.

How To Write An Awesome Business Analyst Cover Letter!
You have decided to apply for a business analyst job posting and you have read the rest of this article, so you are ready to write a cover letter that makes your resume stand out. Here is what you must do. Read the job description and then use your cover letter to position you for the business analyst job opening. If the job opening is for a Business Analyst with Agile Methodology experience, mention that. If the resume requires Rational Unified Process (RUP) experience, mention that or else mention that you have Rational Unified Process (RUP) Training. List the key, measurable business results you have been principal to achieving. List all UML Training, Agile Training, Use Case Training, Requirements Analysis Training, skills and job experience. Mention any Fortune 500 corporations, business consulting experience, or experience in any industry aligned with that of your potential employer.
Finally, make sure your cover letter matches your key business analysis skills, training, certifications or job experience with the qualifications or requirements of the business analyst job posting.

Get the Attention of the Hiring Manager
How do you get noticed from a cover letter? The answer is getting the hiring managers attention right from the beginning of your cover letter. The introduction of your cover letter should be concentrated on grabbing attention in order to interest the reader into reading the letter through to completion. In the introduction you can tell of how you became interested in the business analysis industry, any formal experiences you may have in gathering business requirements, your successes, and your passion for being a business analyst. Then get into some of your previous business analyst projects and the results of the projects. Continue on by filling in the details about the business analyst skills you have mastered and the experience that makes you the better choice for the position. Accentuate how those learned skills will help the company to accomplish its objective of requirements gathering.

How To Format A Business Analyst Job Search Cover Letter
When writing your business analyst job search cover letter stay close to the straight and narrow path in formatting the letter. Use normal business conventions in the opening paragraph, when addressing the business analyst job position, and in the closing paragraph of your cover letter. This will apply to cover letters that you send to business analyst job postings by email, fax, snail mail or business analyst jobs posted on job boards like Monster.com, Dice.com, etc. Be courteous and business-like. Formality will not take away from you if you have something interesting to say, so keep the cover letter short by being focused and getting straight to the point. The entire cover letter should not be more than four paragraphs. Avoid starting out with “to whom it may concern.”, that is old school If possible, you should use the name of the recruiting manager mentioned in the business analyst job posting. Do not use slang, cute phrases, emoticons or graphics. Make sure your spelling and grammar are correct. Use a spell-checker and if possible, get a friend or mentor to proof-read the cover letter be
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fore you send it out.

Finally, remember that your cover letter presents you with an opportunity to get your ideal business analyst job. It is your opportunity to connect with and capture the recruiter’s or hiring manager’s attention, tell your professional story and stand out from the crowd. It may take hard work to create great business analyst cover letter, but it is worth the effort, when you land that great business analyst job while others wonder why they are not as lucky as you.

I wish you success with your business analyst job search.

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Mailstation 2 Digital Expressing System For Small Companies

Pitney Bowes has a powerful new tool for any business that sends packages, letters, invoices, or any number of other items through traditional mail. The Mailstation 2 is a digital mailing system, or individual postage meter system, that is perfect for any small business. The Mailstation 2 postage meter can help streamline business and save money.

Pitney Bowes is the master in professional mailing services and the Mailstation 2 is the product of years of technological advancement and improving efficiency on multiple levels. The Mailstation 2 postage meter allows businesses to print professional, business-looking postage on any letter as well as print just the appropriate amount of postage for packages based on weight and destination.

No more lingering in long lines at the post office to deliver different items. No more adding costly postage to letters that feel as though the may be heavier than the standard rates qualify. No more running out at the most inopportune times because you ran out of stamps and the letter absolutely, positively has to get out that day.

Having a postage meter by Pitney Bowes, like the Mailstation 2, is advantageous for any business, regardless of its size or how much mail it creates on a weekly or monthly basis. Most businesses have to deal with the consistent ritual of mailing letters, bills, expenses, invoices, orders, or any number of other items through the mail. A business that regularly produces three to five letters and such per day may not realize itself large enough to qualify for a Pitney Bowes Mailstation 2. Yet that would be the wrong generalization.

Considering that an average of five letters per day are produced from any given business, that’s over one hundred fifty per month. If that same business needs two trips per week to the post office for postage, weighing packages, or other services that the Mailstation 2 provides in a opportune size, then that would be eight per month. Multiply the gas expense and the time that the business manager, or an employee, takes to make that travel and the figure begins to add up rather quickly.

Businesses that send out larger numbers of letters or packages will profit that much more. The Mailstation 2 postage meter allows an office
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to print out accurately the postage needed for any package. It can then be delivered to the postal receptacle or handed to the postal carrier on their daily route. No more drives to the post office will be required.

The Pitney Bowes Mailstation 2 is easy to use and communicates to the Internet so it can easily and accurately deem how much postage is necessary based on current and updated information directly from the postal service. It will also monitor up to five or ten different accounts for expense purposes.

A business operator with several employees may not fully understand how many packages, letters, or invoices are sent out by an employee or department, but with the Mailstation 2, you will be able to figure these figures accurately and help modernize your business right down to the penny.

By: Mr. Christopher Ulrich

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Christopher Ulrich: Christopher Ulrich is the operator of Postage.ws which covers the Pitney Bowes Postage Meter which include Pitney Bowes MailStation and provides small businesses $100 free postage when you sign up online. Discover how much your business will save by utilizing a Pitney postage meter.

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Tips For Writing A Good Memo In Business Communication

Business writing differs significantly from article or academic writing. Business communication is generally in the form of reports, policies, instructions, procedures, memos, letters, orders or rules & regulations. Memos are business letters but only for employees & used within an organization.

Memos are used to give information to employees such as changes in some procedures or rules, policy change or for specific purpose like request to attend a meeting. The format of the memo differs from business letter format. Memos generally contain sections like to, from, date, subject & text of memo.

Points to remember while writing a memo:
If you are sending memo to specific person, then you should write correct name of the reader. You can write job title along with name to make it more formal.

Subject should not be vague or unclear. It should be brief & specific, which can give an idea about the purpose of the memo.

Generally, memos do not contain salutation or complimentary closing.

The text in text section of memo should be concise, clear, to the point.

Avoid use of long and complex sentences that contain too much information. Short sentences make your message more readable and understandable. You can use headings & bullets to make your memo easy to read.

First paragraph in text area or opening paragraph should contain background of the problem & purpose of the memo. Memo’s recipient should get an overview of the memo by reading the first paragraph only.

In next paragraphs, you can explain the steps you have taken or methods and sources you have used to solve the problems.

Last paragraph should be the closing segment, where you can request your reader to take an action to solve the problem. Some people use conclusion at the end of memo to summarize the content. Conclusions are also useful for suggestions and recommendations or if you wish to make a request to the reader.

If there are any attachments, always mention at the end, after closing segment.

Always proofread your memo before sending it. You can use software programs, which are available for business writing, for pr
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oofreading & to check and correct English grammar & spellings in your memo. Some software programs enrich your text with adjectives & adverbs, which enhances the simple sentence into more professional and sophisticated one & suggest context related synonym for repeated words.

For information on business English writing software please visit
http://www.truevalue4money.com

By: Stephen Thomson

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Author is a freelance writer & contributes to several websites
You will get details on the software to enrich your English writing at
English writing software website.

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Do You Need A Guide For Writing Business Correspondence?

Strange as it might seem, there are very few resources on the web about writing business correspondence as a whole. There are a lot of sites about business letters and maybe even more about email, with good advice on how to write both. Web pages about memos are not so common, and you would need to look real hard to find sites about writing faxes. You could argue that faxes are dying a slow death and that is almost true, they are also merging with email, but nowadays they are still used by a lot of businesses and individuals.

So, there are four distinct types of business correspondence:
• letters,
• emails,
• memos and
• faxes

And those of us who write business correspondence (and that’s practically anyone who works in a contemporary office), whether every day or from time to time, would really like to have a comprehensive resource with recommendations on writing all types of business correspondence, samples, formats and such.

Each type of business correspondence has its own place and role, and its own peculiarities.

Business letters are the most formal of all, there are quite a few rules that you need to remember or at least be aware of in writing business letters. They have a few distinctive formats and business letter formats are slightly different in the US and the UK. They can also be subdivided into two huge groups, business-to-business and business-to-customer letters (or customer-to-business, though we usually don’t distinguish those). There’s also such thing as an envelope… And since business letters are now less common than about ten years ago it would be great to just have at hand a reference resource that would outline all those small but important issues.

Writing a business email message is easier than writing a business letter. The email message is formatted for you, so there are much fewer format related peculiarities to take into consideration. But on the other hand, email is a relatively new means of communication and it is sent instantly, those are probably the major reasons for so many email blunders. Email’s inherent ability to pile up is also something everyone of us needs to learn how to deal with, and this problem is becoming more and more serious.

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Memos are now often sent by email, but they are still a separate type of business correspondence. They are usually printed out and filed, which is less common in dealing with email (though it happens to email messages, too). Memos have also preserved their format and are mostly sent as email attachments, not email messages as such.

Faxes… They resemble memos a lot, but mostly in format. Faxes have a cover page which makes them different from other types of business correspondence. They also include page count, and somehow we often wonder whether the cover page needs to be included in the fax page count (oh yes!). Faxes are still very good for transmitting hand written forms, signed pages, newspaper clips, handwritten notes, etc.

There’s nothing complicated about writing any and all types of business correspondence. But there are some little things that people don’t really like to remember and would prefer to look up just as they need to write a letter, an email message, a memo or a fax.

By: Alya Leuca

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Want advice on writing all types of business correspondence? Alya Leuca offers it at www.savvy-business-correspondence.com based on over twelve years experience in business including business consulting.

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Business Letter Characteristics

There’s a big difference between a casual letter and a business letter. The business letter’s main purpose is to present your point clearly and concisely. It doesn’t beat around the bush. With this in mind, you’ll put your main point in the first line. Tell the reader exactly why you are writing and what you want.

A business letter also needs to have a formal tone. Don’t use slang or other expressions. On the other hand, don’t pull out your thesaurus and use complicated words. Keep the tone and your vocabulary professional, yet understandable.

The Parts of a Business Letter

Business letters follow a specific format. Any missing parts will be quickly noticed by the recipient, and might get your letter tossed or put aside.

The first part of your letter is the heading, or letterhead. You should type your name, address, phone number and (if necessary) your e-mail address at the top of your page. Some people like to center their letterhead for a more professional look.

Next will come the recipient’s address. This goes on the left side of the page. On the first line, type their name. Then on a separate line add their title, like Human Resource Manager, if they have one. Next add the address and phone number.

The date follows the recipient’s address and on the next line you’ll need a salutation. Typically you’ll address your letter Dear Mr. Smith:. Make sure to add the colon following the name. If you don’t know exactly whom your letter is going to, then address the letter To Whom It May Concern:.

Next comes the body of your letter. Use short paragraphs and don’t indent the lines. After you’ve gotten your point across, it’s a good idea to summarize the purpose of the letter in the last paragraph.

All you have left is the closing. You can use the old standby “Sincerely.” Other options are “Yours faithfully” or “Regards.”

Sending Your Business Letter

Make sure to proofread your business letter very carefully before you send it. Watch for errors in spelling and grammar. It can help to have someone else read it for you before you send it.

Print out a clean copy on nice paper. This is especially important if you’re applying
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for a job. You’ll want to make sure there are no ink smudges or other printing errors on the copy that you send. Finally, either print out an envelope or neatly hand address one. Fold your letter in thirds, starting with the bottom, then covering that fold with the top third of the paper.

When you follow all of these steps, your business letter will be well received.

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10 Best Home Based Business

We decided it would be fun to interview 10 of the smartest marekting guruswe know, including 7 multi-millionaires, about the best ways to increasecustomer and cash flow for just about any business.What we got were a variety of fresh, innovative ideas — and once you readthem, you will know that they came from a group of folksd who have alreadymade it big in businesses of their own.

The following are the “15 Best” ideas for super charging your business, nomatter what kind of business you are in.

1. “Same-Old” is out — Getting attention with something new is in. To getnew business, you must strive to be innovative and dramatic. For example,an insurance agency, offered “the biggest steak dinner in town” if itcouldn’t save any person money on their car insurance.

This challenge wasenough to make the telephone start ringing off the hook for days at a time.The customer flow was “absolutely crazy” for days. The bottom line:dozens of new insurance buyers and tons of new cash flow — and all theyhad to do was fork out the cost for a half dozen steak dinners!

2. Tight target marketing. The big job in marketing and sales is gettingto the right people inside another company.

Addressing mail to “FacilitiesManager” or printing a “routing slip” on the outside ofthe envelope isineffective. Hitting the target is the challenge.Scoring a bull’s eye meansmaking contact with the right individuals and is the only way to make thesale. Taking time to be highly targeted in business communication isessential.

3. Be more creative.

Pushing direct-mail pieces out the door or sendingthe newsletter to the mail room isn’t doing the job. Ask yourself: “Willanyone be intrigued enough to read the mailer–before tossing it in thewastebasket?” Ask the same question about the company newsletter.

A highlycreative approach is necessary to be different and distinctive. Creativitycosts money. But, if more peopleread the ad, take time with the newsletteror decide that the offer in a mailer makes sense, you have accomplished thegoal.

4. Focus on what customers care about. After listening to the admissionsdirector talk about what should be shown in the school’snew recruitingvideo, the marketing consultant asked, “Is this whatparents and prospect
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ivestudents are interested in knowing?”Suddenly, everyone became lessconfident. Someone suggested askingthe student tour guides what questionsthe visiting parents and kidsasked? Whether creating an ad, a brochure, ora sales presentation,knowing what the customer wants, needs and expects iswhat works.

5. Tell customers how to think about your company. We come toconclusionsby making comparisons. If you don’t let customers and prospects know why itis in their best interests to do business withyou or buy your product, theywon’t. The rating of life insurance companies makes an impact on customers.The J.D. Powers’ customer-satisfaction survey on cars and personal computermanufacturers influences buying behavior.

Wise companies spend time andeffort consciously influencing the way they are perceived bycustomers,prospects, bankers and stockholders.

6. Make your offers outstanding. Customers are cautious. They don’t likebeing put on the spot; they don’t want to make a mistake. This is whyoffers are essential. “Try it for 30 days…free.” “We won’t deposit yourcredit card slip for a month.” “Your satisfaction is guaranteed.” “Take thecar for the weekend and drive it all you want.” The goal is to overcome thecustomer’s reluctance.

7. Be in the right place at the right time. “Why didn’t I think of you lastweek when we bought the new…” Some salespeople simply shrug off suchcomments. “Oh, well. I can’t be in the right place every time.”

Wrong.

Beingin front of the customer is today’s assignment. Developing a consistentprogram for staying in front of customers regularly is the challenge. A mixof seminars, newsletters, bulletins, fact sheets, special events andinformative articles will keep you in the customers’ minds.

8. Name your product or service.

One of the best ways to differentiateyour products or services from all the rest is to give them distinctivenames. A building contractor with expertise in remodeling during off-hourscalls himself the “stealth” remodeler. A fuel oil dealer doesn’t talk aboutservice–he emphasizes “ComfortCare Service.” The idea is to imbue ordinaryideas with new meaning thereby separating your com-pany from yourcompetitors. Make sure, however, that the name appeals to your customersand not just to you.

9. Be relentless. Persistence is power in marketing and sales.

Far toomany firms fail in their efforts because they don’t follow through longenough to produce proper results. Marketing momentum comes from acon-sistent effort. Once you start a newsletter, issue it on schedule. Ittakes time for customers to comprehend what you are doing and for prospectsto get acquainted–and comfortable–with a business.

10. Get rid of the self-serving nonsense. Most company publications, ads,letters, brochures, and other sales materials are filled with words,photographs and information that do nothing more than toot the company’shorn. No one cares that the business says it is the “best,” “oldest” or the”biggest.” Pictures of the staff are only interesting to the staff. Abetter approach is to ask prospects what they want to know about yourcompany. We doubt anyone will be anxious to see pictures of the CEO,chairman of the board or the executive vice president.

11. Tell them everything you know. Spill the beans, so to speak.Sincetoday’s customers want information, knowledge and helpful ideas, doeverything you can to share everything you know. This is the only way tobecome a valued resource to your customers. When people use your ideas,they will buy what you sell.

12. Be generous. No one wants to do business with firms operatingon aone-way street. Buy a new car and the dealer hands you a 20-cent plastickey holder! It sends a message that this dealer doesn’t under-stand hiscustomers. You may forget the car, but you will never forget the lousy keyring! Another auto dealer delivers the new car to your office. What adifference. This dealer sends a powerful messa
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ge–our customers areimportant.

13. Make prospect identification your mission. The single mostimportantdaily activity in any business is prospect identification.By makingprospecting a continuing process, companies produce asteady flow of newsales leads. They never stop asking, “Who do wewant to do business with ifwe have the chance?” Then make sure all prospects are entered into adatabase so they can be cultivated over a period of time.

14. Scrutinize your corporate identity. Yes, how a company presents itselfmakes a difference. Is the logo appropriate? Is it dated? Does itcommunicate the right message and the correct image? Is the president theonly one who understands it? What about the company colors? Are theyreminiscent of the late ’50s? Do the letterhead, mailing labels andbusiness cards convey a strong, positive message? Or, are they dull andordinary looking? If you don’t think this is important, your competitorswill be thrilled. Corporate identity is the face you put on your company.

15. Write customer-centered letters. Most business letters have cold,impersonal words. “As per our conversation…” “Pursuant to ouragree-ment…” When was the last time you heard anyone talk this way atlunch (other than perhaps a lawyer)? Yet, give the same executives a penand they become stilted. There is no reason why business letters should notbe warm, friendly, conversational, interesting–and customer-centered.Write as if you were the one reading it.

Should a letter end at the bottomof the first page? Yes, if that’s what it takes to tell the story? But itmay take two, four or six pages. A letter should be as long as necessaryand always interesting to the reader.

By: spikezak1

Technorati Tags: business letter, home business, sales letter

Representing a memo, a business letter of intent contains the details of a ‘business deal’ between two or more parties and includes the supply of products & services

A business letter of intent can be used in a number of situations including a commitment to purchase something, usually a business. It is also referred to as s Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

IN THE EARLY STAGES THERE’S VARIOUS OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU.

It is extremely important that you choose the most suitable style so your document presents as professional as possible.

You can select from varying styles including Block Style, Modified Block Style, Semiblock Style. You can have a look at these varying options and select the one that you consider is most suitable.

WHILE DRAFTING A BUSINESS LETTER OF INTENT, THERE’S A NUMBER OF ISSUES YOU NEED TO CONSIDER -

1/ - It’s best mentioned that it is a non-binding document. The letter only needs to include the discussion points whilst exposing as little as possible about the actual issue.

If this is not adhered to, the other party may well commence litigation for breaking the contract if you cancel.

2/ - It should be clearly written in a neat & tidy fashion. The intentions of all concerned needs to be recorded in the document. Before commencing to write you’re best to make yourself familiar with the various styles of business letters.

3/ - After all the entities involved in the deal sign the memorandum of understanding, a joint press release should be issued. It sends a very positive message to the stockholders of the businesses involved.

4/ - A memorandum of understanding needs to note a time frame within which the agreement should be finalized. This is a significant point. Once you sign the document and issue a press release, all will be watching you.

For the sake of efficieny, it’s to everyone’s advantage that the agreement is completed as soon as practible.

5/ - A confidentiality accord is something which is an inherent component of any business contract. By signing a confidentiality accord, all those included agree that the details hashed out will remain co
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nfidential.

These are but a few of the possible issues that you need to keep in mind when drafting up a business letter of intent. And, although it can be an expensive exercise, you really should consult your lawyer before you commence.

The money that you save in the event of a problem, may far outweigh the cost of legal advice.

By: Peter Kirkham

Technorati Tags: business letter