Business writing classes are designed to smarten up the image that a company presents to the outside world. One of the first things that is obvious from business letters received from overseas companies is the attention to detail as far as etiquette and presentation are concerned.

Unfortunately, most native companies have allowed their standards to drop when it comes to business communication and it reflects poorly on the company. This failure in maintaining high standards can be attributed to the following two reasons. The first reason is the school system; most schools no longer spend significant amounts of time instructing children in the use of proper English grammar anymore. The second reason is because electronic communications have become more prevalent and these types of communication tend to be more lax.

The question still remains: Why are overseas companies better at formal business writing? How do they manage to keep proper etiquette? The answer to these questions isn’t as complex as you may believe. Because English is most often their second language, they must learn proper English grammar in order to fully become fluent in English. Imagine the surprise of a company overseas when they receive a business letter from a domestic company which is lax and not up to the formal standards of English they are used to.

One of the biggest mistakes most modern companies commit is their reliance on over familiarity. It’s quite easy for a deal that has been negotiated for months verbally to be lost because of a poorly written business letter. For example, if Fred has been speaking to and negotiating with Francisco over the course of several months, if Fred feels too over familiar and addresses a letter to him trying to be humorous “Dear Paco” this can have disastrous consequences. While something this obvious should be common sense more and more companies are starting to realize that they shouldn’t let just anyone be responsible for writing their official business letters.

What else can a business writing class help with? Business letters and pro-forma applications need to be set out in such a way that there is no ambiguity in either the words used or the phraseology. Although you might be dealing with a domestic company, it is possible that words could be used that have different meanings or connotations.

One very famous incident that could have turned out very differently was the use of the word ‘wicked’ in a letter from one young executive to another. Although the phrase ‘Thomas you are so wicked’ was meant to be high praise, Thomas did not understand. Hardly surprising, I suppose, but a good business writing course would certainly warn against the use of colloquialisms.

Although it might seem to be a bit ‘over the top’, a business writing class will attempt to ensure that ambiguity is avoided. While a bit ‘over the top’ might seem perfectly clear and self explanatory to most English speaking people, the simple substitution of ‘excessive’ will ensure that there can be no confusion.

Another good reason why business writing should stay focused and concise is because it will cut down on back and forth communication from sender and recipient. The clearer the written message, the least likely the recipient will have to write back asking for clarification. Another good example of unclear business writing is when employees utilize the words “ult’ and “inst” when alluding to dates. For example, it is much simpler to write: “Thank you, I received your letter dated 6th May.” Rather than writing: “I got it 6th ult.” A good business writing course should cover concepts similar to this one.

Barry Walls business writing classes have developed into what many internet marketers are calling the fastest day job killing program online ever. His training course and forum show experienced and new people alike how to make full time incomes in weeks, not months, using his online business course

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