No matter what your business is and what the objective of any individual letter or memo, you want all of your business communications to deliver the message that you are a competent professional. Of course, the exact message you want to send will vary depending on your company, but there are some constants in letter writing. Use professionally printed business stationery to promote a polished image: when your business cards, letterhead, envelopes and invoices include the same design elements, you subtly establish your company as truly professional. Here are the top tips to keep in mind when writing a business letter.

Keep it professional

The foundation of a good business letter is thinking before writing. Know your purpose and consider who the letter is addressed to and why are you writing to them? Your answer will then influence the style and content of the letter. Every word should be deliberate and contribute to the overall goal of the message. Leave out any words expressing emotion or blatant opinion. Don't use anachronistic language like "heretofore", "alas" or any word you would not normally say in the course of regular business.

Stay true to your brand

Every piece of correspondence sends a message, both written and unwritten. Even if you are not "selling" in your letter, keep in mind that you are leaving an impression, positive or negative, with the addressee. To boost chances of a positive impression, the design of your stationery should coordinate and the letter's format should be in line with the corporate brand. In business writing, you are presenting not only yourself but also your employer. And in a world of communication overload, take every opportunity that you have to promote your brand image.

Know your audience

There is no surer way to make a bad impression than to spell your recipient's name incorrectly. You should not have any spelling errors in the letter, but the addressee's name is especially important -- and spell check will not be able to discern whether or not the name is correct. In the salutation, carefully consider using a title. For business associates that you do not know very well -- err on the side of formality. To address a business woman, if you are not sure whether she is married or what title she prefers, it is best to use Ms. as the title. If you don't feel comfortable with that, you may use just her first and last name together. Try not to use anyone's first name in the salutation of your letter unless you have met them in person and they have given you permission to do so.

Identify the purpose of the letter

You need to state in the beginning what the letter is about. For example, you are requesting a refund for a broken product or you are following up on a proposal. Even if you are just "touching base", state the purpose of your letter early on. That way your audience will know whether your news is good, bad or indifferent. When you don't identify the purpose for your writing up front, the recipient may not place the proper urgency to your letter or may direct it to the wrong department -- delaying your refund or prolonging a decision.

Get to the point

Just as when you don't identify the purpose for your letter, not getting to the point risks having the recipient miss the intended message entirely. If you are really writing to resolve a specific problem, do not spend three paragraphs apologizing in advance or talking about unrelated issues. Also known as disorganization, not getting to the point turns a bad letter into a missed opportunity. Keep it to one side of one page.

Do not use unfamiliar acronyms, abbreviations or technical lingo

Don't assume your audience knows all the acronyms, abbreviations and professional jargon that you know. The same letters can stand for different organizations or meanings depending on the person's background. Or they simply may not have any idea what it stands for. The same goes for technical language or jargon specific to a given profession, industry or interest group. It is always best to spell out names, abbreviations and to use plain language to minimize potential confusion and misunderstandings.

Review your work

Take the time to hand sign the letter. Read every sentence over before putting it in the mail. For the most part, once your letter leaves the building, you cannot retrieve it. Remember that you are representing yourself as a professional and your company as a brand. Keep your language appropriate and follow these few simple tips, and you should do just fine.

Business letters are an important communication vehicle to advance your purpose: increase sales, secure a new contract, resolve a dispute, or congratulate a colleague on a recent achievement. Whatever the purpose, it is best to use professional stationery for your letter. When it comes to communications, quality beats quantity any day!

Shawn Thomas is a freelance writer who writes about writing rules and grammar, letter writing and etiquette, often focusing on specific products used in writing such as stationery. http://www.americanstationery.com/