When Letters Work

Good business relationships depend upon personal, human understanding and on expressing that with personal sensitivity. Letters must state clearly what they are trying to achieve and show that the writer cares about the readers needs and wants. As this video says Companies without care tend to become companies without clients.

In When Letters Work, Penelope Keith guides David, a newly-appointed manager, away from cold, stereo-typed letters and teaches him how to communicate more directly and more effectively by following some simple rules:

Assess the situation and what you want to achieve from your letter
Plan what to say
Put your thoughts into sequence and use paragraphs to break-up your letter
State the subject of your letter in a heading
End by pointing the way forward
Anticipate your readers reaction to what you write
Use simple words and short sentences
Use punctuation effectively

Show your employees how good letter writing skills can open doors to more business.

Who could benefit?
Everyone who composes letters

Key learning areas
Letters convey impressions as well as information
Poorly written letters confuse the reader and damage your image

Running times
Main video 24 minutes
Summary video: 6 minutes