Business communication is vital for building relationships, maintaining professionalism, and achieving desired outcomes. When reaching out to potential clients, partners, investors and other key stakeholders, the medium you choose for your formal business letter, such as an inquiry letter about a possible work collaboration, can significantly impact how your message is received and acted upon. This article explores best practices on when to select email versus printed letters to get the best response.
Use Printed Letters for Initial Outreach and Formal Proposals
Though email may seem an obvious default choice for its speed and convenience, printed business letters sent through the post can be more effective for crucial introductory or sales messages. Recipients tend to afford greater attention and gravity to a professionally formatted and presented printed letter. This lends greater credibility and makes your message stand out from the scores of emails received daily. Consider a printed letter for:
- Introductory outreach to potential new clients or partners
- Pitching services, products or joint ventures
- Submitting formal proposals, quotes or bids
- Addressing important new developments or announcements
Avoid overuse of printed letters, as the novelty can wear off. Strategically leverage them for key first impressions or weighty proposals to interest recipients in further discussions.
Here are some tips for writing effective printed business letters:
Use quality stationery and formatting
- Invest in professional, branded letterhead. Use quality paper and envelopes.
- Format the letter clearly, with ample margins and spacing. Use a traditional business block letter style.
- Print the letter – handwritten letters are too casual for formal business.
Perfect your introduction and greeting
- Open with a proper salutation: “Dear Mr/Ms Last Name:” or use a name if you have an existing relationship.
- Follow with an introduction establishing context and purpose of the letter. Get quickly to the point.
Maintain a formal style
- Adopt a courteous, professional tone. Avoid slang, emojis, or overly casual language. More casual language is sometimes acceptable in emails if you know the other person well, but never in a professional business letter.
- Use a formal style of address. For example, use “You” rather than “you.”
Highlight benefits and make a specific request
- Focus on how your offer benefits the recipient – what’s in it for them?
- Make a clear, specific request or call to action for the reader.
Use clear organisation and headings
- Organise content using clear headings and numbered lists to aid readability.
- Keep to 1-2 pages max. Paragraphs should be 3-5 sentences.
Proofread extensively prior to sending
- Double check for typos, grammar, spelling, titles, and other errors.
- Have a colleague also review to catch things you may have missed.
Following these best practices will help your printed business letters make a polished, professional impression.
When Email Works Best for Ongoing Dialogue
For established connections and ongoing dialogues, email excels for more casual check-ins, status updates, appointment confirmations and everyday communications. After initial introductions and proposals, shift to email to conveniently:
- Follow up on open questions or pending decisions
- Provide requested info or updates to existing clients
- Coordinate details and logistics around projects
- Share calendar invites for meetings and calls
- Facilitate ongoing discussions and monitoring of progress
Email allows rapid-fire back-and-forth for more mundane dealings. Just ensure emails uphold professional presentation and tone.
Consider a Hybrid Approach
A powerful technique is to integrate both printed and digital correspondence together in a coordinated campaign. For example:
- Mail an impressive intro letter to capture attention
- Follow up by email to provide requested materials
- Send a formal printed proposal or contract for signature
- Use email for gathering final inputs and confirming details
Sometimes it may be appropriate to send a printed letter while simultaneously sending the same letter as an email attachment. This is useful for situations when a formal letter is needed but speed of transmission is important.
Orchestrating key printed touchpoints with ongoing email nurturing sustains engagement. This displays greater commitment than email alone.
Choose Your Medium Based on Goals and Context
Beyond these best practices, also consider your specific communication goals, target audience, existing relationship, and industry norms. Printed letters tend to get faster responses from traditional or older demographics, while younger audiences often prefer email. Know when an urgent email is required for timely decisions, versus when a printed letter can make a lasting impact.
With strategic selection of printed and digital correspondence, your business letters will get read, respected and responded to. Combining the right medium with compelling content is key to achieving optimal results.