Business Correspondence refers to the process of interchange of ideas, facts, and information through a written form of communication. The purpose of it is to conduct business-related operations. It can take place amid organizations, their employees, or within the enterprises as well. It incorporates different styles of writing since it covers various fields.
Different Styles of Writing
There are four different styles of writing in business correspondence. These styles have been discussed in detail below.
Instructional Writing
Instructional writing in business correspondence is used to convey the method or the procedure to complete a given task. It is not necessary that the task will have to be completed immediately. The written material can be used for future reference as well.
This business document has to be extremely easy to understand so that its reader gets the instructions well. The procedure should be broken down into points or steps that are to be followed. It should specifically cater to the reader to whom it is going to be sent. Moreover, the target person’s experience and knowledge of the concerned topic are to be considered for better drafting of the written instrument.
For instance, a user manual provided to customers with a product is a form of instructional writing. There the consumers get a vivid description of the product and get instructions on how to use it. Sometimes, it also contains a translation in several languages for better understanding.
Persuasive Writing
Every style of writing is completely different from the other, so is persuasive writing. This form of writing is the most popular one since it hovers around sales-related activities. The write-up can either have a direct or an indirect approach.
The one with a direct approach aims to sell a product or persuades one to develop an interest in a product. Therefore, it straightforwardly talks about the topic. However, the indirect approach aims to build a relationship between the client and the company. It generally doesn’t have a specific focus.
This type of writing helps in achieving two aims at once. One of them is to inform the reader about a certain topic and the other is to persuade them to pay for a product or service. It is one of the most engaging styles of business writing since holds the reader’s attention and also lures their mind.
One of the most common ways to express persuasive writing is to send e-mails for sales promotions. The e-mails received sent by companies to people across the globe intend to multiply their sales volume. These are written in a way that they catch the reader’s attention for a long time. Moreover, it also stimulates the thought process to an extent.
Informational Writing
Out of the four different styles of writing, informational writing is the most formal and straightforward. It doesn’t require a call-to-action context. This type of writing is used to keep essential records of a business.
Keeping an accurate record of business activities is extremely important. This is where informational writing comes into play. For example, financial documents and statements come under this category. These are the ones that provide information about the business operations.
Transactional Writing
This type of writing occurs the most often. Transactional writing consists of day-to-day communication in the business world. It is majorly carried out through emails. However, there is no hard and fast rule as such. It can also take place through business notices, letters, or invoices. It often targets matters related to human resource operations.
Without this writing form, most business operations would come to a halt. This would happen because no matter what, communication is the key. Organizations would shut down without daily exchange of ideas or information.
Significance of Hand-Written Correspondence
Today, handwritten correspondences have almost vanished. However, that doesn’t mean that they are of no use. Organizations often conduct graphology or handwriting analysis examinations to perceive the emotional conduct of a person. This is because everyone has a different style of handwriting and it speaks a lot about them.
Moreover, handwritten correspondences increase personal touch and may help in building professional relationships in the long run. Also, when targeting customers the effort of handwritten write-ups lure them and builds the goodwill of an organization.
Conclusion
Business correspondence is the backbone of almost all business operations. Therefore, the different styles of writing correspondence play an important role. This is because each writing style caters to one or more aims that are significant for any business enterprise. It is known that handwritten correspondences are majorly not in use. However, a person’s handwriting also turns the tables sometimes since every different style of handwriting speaks distinctly.