Write Effective Business Letters Every Time — Here's How

Medical Office Front Desk Pro 2008: Volume 1, Number 5

They don't just reflect on your professionalism ... but on your practice as well.

At the front desk, your physician or practice manager may call on you to write business letters to many different people for various situations. You want to communicate effectively, concisely and professionally. To succeed, keep this checklist at hand.

What's your point? Lead the letter with the most important point you want to make. Time is valuable. Most people only give you five to 10 seconds to capture their attention.

Be concise. Reread what you've written and pare it down to the fewest words possible. Use the thesaurus function of your word processor to select the precise words that best convey your message. At the same time, avoid multisyllable words that others don't easily recognize.

Define benefits for the reader. After making your initial point, spell out the benefits to the reader. Why should they care about your letter? What's in it for them? What will your message do to improve, simplify or enhance the reader's life?

What do you want the reader to do? Spell out your call to action. Do you want the reader to call? Visit? Send a check? Schedule an appointment? Leave no doubt about what the reader should do next.

Final edit. Reread the finished letter for correct spelling and grammar. Read it through the eyes of the recipient. How is the tone? Does it sound too blunt? Too weak? Confusing? Desperate? Angry? Smooth out the rough edges so your tone doesn't speak louder than your message.

Add your contact information. Make it easy for the recipient to contact you with questions. Always provide your full name, address, telephone number and e-mail address on all correspondence.