Writing a Well-Structured Business Messages
Business messages are very important when it comes to business communication. For a person who knows English language very well, does not mean that he will write a business message perfectly. There is a structure, standards or guidelines that needs to be followed in order to come up with a business message which conveys the correct meaning.
A well-structured business message can go a long way and can even earn millions to the company in return. This is a matter of knowing how to structure the business message to give the reader a sense of professionalism and being treated well as a person with whom the company is doing business.
Planning a Business Message
Planning is a very vital step, and if one commits an error in this stage, it will create an irreversible error that can cause the business to lose millions in the worst case scenario. It is necessary that all the steps are taken into full consideration along with adequate emphasis on planning a business message.
When planning on how to write a business message, one should ask the following question, Who is this business message designed for? Is it for a client, a service provider, a creditor, government agency or an employee? It is important to identify who is the recipient of the business message so that certain precautionary measures should be adopted in order to structure the message that will fit for the person who is receiving the message.
Second question is for what purpose is this business message written for? Is it to give appreciation, a constructive criticism or to persuade the reader? If the purpose is identified then the contents of the message will be designed in relation to the purpose.
The answers to these questions will serve as a guide with regard to writing a good business message.
Writing a Business Message
After planning, comes the actual writing stage of a business message. This is most the crucial stage, since one mistake of a word may give a wrong impression to the reader. Make sure that the reader will read the business message and understand its purpose.
In writing a business message, it is the same as writing an ordinary letter, but there are some modifications that need to be considered.
1. The salutation, make sure that the name of the recipient is correctly spelled.
2. It should be justified or in block form, to make it look neat and organized.
3. The message should contain brief and concise information with regard to the information being partake with.
4. Always, check the message for grammar and spelling mistakes. It is very important that the message is proof-read so that the message will convey the correct meaning to the reader.
5. The font size or style should be in a manner that is readable to the normal eye so that the reader will not need eyeglasses to read the message. It does not mean it should be in bold or large font size, but just enough to be read without straining the eyes.
Completing a Business Message
A business message does not end at the writing stage; it needs to be sent to the correct recipient in order to serve the purpose for which it was written.
If it is a post mail, the address of the recipient should be clearly written and double checked the recipients’ address. It is important that the address is written correctly so that the message will definitely reach the recipient and will get the message across. It is also important to update and keep proper reference of changed address whenever the recipient so that mails are addressed to the latest address.
If it is through e-mail, be sure the e-mail address is correctly entered and the subject is properly designated. As a matter of assurance purposes, send a carbon copy to the person who instructed the letter to be sent. This will give a signal to the people within the business organization that an e-mail is being sent to a certain person.
Application of the Message
More often than not, the employees or the managers themselves know how to write business messages by just following a sample and they do not even know the standards or the procedures to come up with a business message. One must identify the target audience, be it for public relations; customer relations or just plain employee engagement, the writer of such business messages should know the steps that needs to be taken in order to come up with a correct and accurate business message.
There should be an emphasis in relation to writing a business message, since this is a medium where the recipient will have a glimpse on the personality of the writer and it will affect the recipient’s view of the business in general. Proper training must be provided to enhance the skills of every employee in order to correct their style of writing business messages or improve their skills.