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Why to study?

In today's society your professionally done business letter proves your effective communication abilities.

One researcher in the field of communication found that anyone with poor communication skills (writing, speaking, reading, listening) will earn approximately 25 percent less than another worker with the same knowledge but with better writing skills.

Writing a letter provides an opportunity to structure thoughts and clarify ideas to both writer and reader. Unlike literature, business writing should get straight to the point, conveying only the significant information in as few words as possible. Learning to write a business letter that works – one that achieves its purpose – is a first step toward developing and presenting your competitive JOB-RELATED SKILLS.

What is a Business Letter?

Business letters are COMPANY TO COMPANY written DOCUMENTS that will be referred to in the future and even used as legal evidence. DOCUMENTS convey information. .Your letters speak volumes about your company and you to other businesses and individuals . The right STYLE, the CONTENTS and the attractive APPEARANCE of your letter will establish contact and help to maintain the good will of the reader .

Before your potential client reads the letter you need to make an IMPACT. Otherwise they might not be interested enough to even bother to read it. Unless you WIN the TRUST and grab the ATTENTION of your reader there and then, the danger is that the letter will be put to one side, and eventually buried under other paperwork. When a potential business partner or client receives a thin papered A4 sheet with unclear type and spelling mistakes, they won't believe in the company's reliability. Because it is obvious that the sender doesn't even care to act professionally.

On the other side, if the sender has bothered to present a NEATLY typed sheet on DECENT paper, with the text done in correct English in the appropriate tone , - then it is an obvious conclusion to reach that the company deserves RESPECT.Through your letters YOUR COMPANY goes right into the addressee's home or office. Their impression of YOU is formed from your message. Stop and think about that aspect of business. Because it is vital that you fully realize the importance of your business letters

How does this course work (see Introduction in Russian)? Just reading and knowing rules is not enough to become a skilled business correspondent. Likewise, just typing activities will never bring you any closer to effective writing. This course teaches you STRATEGIES, provides EXAMPLES, and encourages you to WRITE and ASSESS your own letters. When you have finished your letter, you will know that you have covered each point clearly and completely . You might as well REGISTER and receive the TUTOR's feedback and recommendations on an individual basis. Registration is FREE.	How much time does it take? A business letter is by its very nature more formal and more complicated than a personal letter; thus it is worth more time and effort to produce. At first it may seem to you that preliminary work of reading rules and prompts given here in English is a waste of time. However, PLANNING your letter according to guidelines will SAVE you time, both NOW and LATER, and will SAVE your readers' time.
Where to start? The first requirement for a good business letter is that the finished product looks like a nice business letter and sounds polite. So we suggest you should start with Layout, Addresses, Dates, Greetings. Then open your first letter in Letter Types and read it carefully. Also pick up prompts from Efficiency Features, which will help you to analyze the structure of the letter and plan your own answer professionally. Go gradually, STEP BY STEP, and visit all sections of this site.	How to measure progress? In every INCOMING letter, in every section of the menu there are detailed GUIDELINES on letter writing. You can proofread your own letters going by the CHECKLIST. If you are REGISTERED, send your answers to the TUTOR. Individual guidance by tutors is a wonderful chance to measure your own progress, taking into account your progress and drawbacks.
Where will your answering letters go? If you REGISTER for this course (which is free), you will be able to send you letters to the "on-line class" office of the course, which is at НОУ ГИМНАЗИЯ "ШКОЛА БИЗНЕСА" in Sochi. This school has been successfully teaching Business English to its students for years. The teacher who developed this course is a PROFESSIONAL in interpretation and office management. By NETWORKING with the Sochi school tutots you will receive first-hand advice on matters of Business correspondence.	What is networking? Networking is a rather new word in Russia, while across the world there are a great many groups that call themselves NETIZENS - citizens of the Net. They are not just net surfers for information or fun. They make BUSINESS on-line, meet friends in chats, and willingly CONTRIBUTE their news and opinions into discussion groups. Networking means INTERACTION. It also means observance of the group NORMS. This course is a 1st step to netizenship.

Business Letters

On-line course

Letter Types

Efficiency features

Why to study?

What is a Business Letter?