How to Write a Business Letter for Use in Offices Schools

8/12/2019 How to Write a Business Letter for Use in Offices Schools

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HOWTO WRITE A

BUSINESSLETTER

FOR USE IN OFFICES, SCHOOLS, ANDAS A GENERAL REFERENCE BOOK

ByCHAS. R. WIERS

BUFFALO, N. Y.

1915PRESS OF G1ES A CO.

BUFFALO. N. Y.


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B C RW


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CONTENTSBy Way of Introduction 7Requirementsof a Correspondent 9Transcriber 14Spelling 17Paper and Printing 18Brevity 19Courtesy 20Clearness i 23Sincerity 25Sentiment ' 26Superfluousxpressionsith Revisions 27Headings 41Introductions 41Salutations 42Acknowledgments 43Referringo Former Letters 43Paragraphing 44General Information 44Forms 52Concessions and Arguments 56Extent of Responsibility 57ConcludingParagraphs 59ComplimentaryConclusions 60Signature 60Structure of a Letter 62Form for AddressingEnvelopes 63How to Dictate 64Letters OrderingGoods 67Letters of Acknowledgment 67Letters ContainingEnclosures 71Letters of Request 74Letters AnsweringInquiries 75Dunning Letters 79Letters AnsweringComplaints 82Letters of Endorsement 94Letters of Recommendation 96Letters of Commendation 97Sales Letters 100Miscellaneous Letters 109

36669i


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BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION

IT is computed that there are written in the United States anannual average of eight letters for every man, woman andchild of our population. In other words, nearly 650,000,000letters are handled once in every twelve months.

There is no practice so common as letter-writing.There isno one factor in the world of commerce upon which so much de-ends,

nor no method of communication in our social life quiteso delightful. If the sending of letters should become illegal,untold bonds of friendship would be broken, business paralyzedand thousands denied the means of a livelihood.

Letter-writing is rapidly becoming one of the first essentialsof a young man's ability. It is recognized as an all-powerfulinfluence in determining where a position may go. It is notenough to be able to write a good hand, but the young man oftoday must be able to marshal his thoughts in such a way as tocarry weight, interest, attention and conviction.

Letter-writingis also the best and cheapest means for creat-ngsales. When Uncle Sam can take a letter into any part of this

country of ours, many are realizing that if they can only get acorrespondent capable of placing the facts before a possible pur-haser

in a convincing manner, the salesman can be withdrawn.The ordinary salesman of ability,getting a salary of $2500 a year,will cost another $2500 a year to send him around the country.$5000 a year spent in letter-writing,paying the correspondent thesame salary the salesman is paid, will bring a house in contact withfiftytimes as many people.

So much for the importance of the subject. Now read, studyand think about what follows, with a firm resolve to get morefamiliar with the fascinating and profitableart of doing businessby letter.


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HOW TO WRITE A BUSINESS LETTER

Requirements of a CorrespondentIt is not my purpose in the rather limited space of this book

to discuss the merits or demerits of any particularompany, orsales method, but rather to describe the kind of a letter that willgrip and hold a customer. Such a letter,generallyspeaking,isnot given the attention it deserves. We often overlook theimportance of it entirelybecause we seem to believe that ourwhole work is triumphantlyfinished when we get orders, whereasit has only begun. The first order gets your customer startedwith you, and that is about all. The second order is the begin-ing

of your profit,ut whether it ever comes or not will dependupon the treatment you give your customer when handling hisfirstorder. Advertisingis selling,nd sellings advertising.Thepermanent results of one, or both, rest upon the satisfaction of thecustomer. This fact will serve to suggest that the policiesf theAdvertising and SellingDepartments of any business shouldalways be in harmony. Neither one can operate successfullywithout the fullest co-operationof the other. An advertisingmanager who inaugurates a campaign should enlist the help andsympathy of the sales manager before he starts, so that when thereturns begin to come, both will be working hand in hand alongdefinite and well understood lines.

Now we come to the fact that letters are human, and if theyare good there must be good men back of them men of thought,of kindness, and of irreproachableharacter. Men of such caliberought to stand second to none in any organization.And justassoon as the commercial world gets rid of a few hundred, at least,of itsantiquesayingsand formalities,and wakes up to what can beaccomplishedthrough a letter of good sense and fine personality,you will find that a business office without one or more first-classcorrespondents,ommanding a first-classsalaryin proportionto theimportance of their work, will indeed be a novelty. As to whatkind of a man makes the best correspondent,I should say that


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10 HOW TO WRITE A BUSINESS LETTERFirst. He should be liberallyducated in the school of hard

knocks, be thoroughlyoptimisticand broad enough to view thingsin more ways than one. High school and collegeeducation willalways be an invaluable asset, but neither will ever make a finishedcorrespondentnor a real business man.

Second. He should be tactful. Tact, more easilycompre-endedthan defined,is one of the main contributors to an effect-ve

letter. It may be aptly termed a combination of quickness,firmness,readiness,good temper, and facility.Something whichnever offends, never excites jealousy,never provokes rivalry,never treads upon other people'stoes. Nothing can take theplaceof tact. It is the shrewd correspondent'sost powerfulaid.Probably in the ordinarybusiness life tact has done more thangenius.

Third. He should be a keen observer. You have seen menstart to a certain place on a certain mission. You have antici-ated

their return with much interest. You have found thatvery few of them ever came back laden with knowledge, whilethe others were no better than when they started. You haveknown of lands going to waste, machinery rustingby the way-ide

and pricelesstime being sacrificed because men refused tokeep their eyes open. So it is in the field of service. The publicis neglectedevery day because those who are expectedto serveare asleepat the switch. Let us open our eyes and keep them open.

Fourth. He should have a pleasantdispositionthe kindthat puts sunshine into a Good Morning and sends a customeraway with an agreeableimpressionof his abilityo please. Menand women who have not mastered the great art of self controlare not eligibleo serve the public. Those who cannot smile inthe face of defeat or find it beneath them to greet the urchin ofthe alleywith the same cordialitys the banker on the avenueare a positivehindrance to the progress of any firm. Learn tosmile, learn to be decent and generous and noble to everybody,and the world with its favors and burdens and troubles will makea beaten path to your door and return encouragedand inspired.


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REQUIREMENTS OF A CORRESPONDENT 11Fifth. He should be guidedby a sensible degree of self-con-idence.

Unless he believes in himself,not to the extent of gettingenlargement of the cranium, which is an awful disease,but tothat of impressingothers that he can make things come to pass,he soon resembles a cipherwith the rim knocked off. Moreover,a correspondentmust believe implicitlyn his employer,and thegoods he sells,r else his product will bringdishonor to him andinjusticeo those he is expectedto influence.

Sixth. He should be a livingembodiment of the kind ofenthusiasm that enriches and inspires.A great engine standingsilentlypon the track may represent the geniusof a hundred men,but it requiresteam to move its wheels. What steam is to oneof these ponderous piecesof mechanism, enthusiasm is to a man.It's the drivingpower, it's the vital spark the Alpha and theOmega of all worth-while achievement.

The best way to make a correspondententhusiastic is to lethim serve a brief apprenticeshipn the various manufacturingdepartments before he writes any letters,s no man can impartto another what he does not know himself. In our business weconduct a school for our new correspondents,n which we teachthem the company's policy,while for those who have taken upactual work we hold meetings every two weeks, when we havewritten examinations, talks by buyers and heads of departments,or a review of the results shown by our readers. Outside of themethods alreadymentioned we try in so far as possibleto get ourcorrespondentsacquaintedwith the qualityof our products byusing them in their own homes. Our plan of education preventsthe sendingout of senseless and indifferent letters,althoughthereare stilltimes when we failto hit the bull's-eye.A short time agowhile examining the letters of one of our young men, I found thatone of his answers to a coffee complaint practicallygreed withthe customer's statement that it was no good. I sent for theyoung man and told him that I did not believe he liked our coffee.He said I was right. I asked him why, only to receive the answerthat his mother had used it about a year previouswith such poorresults that she had left it alone ever since. I then asked him if


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12 HOW TO WRITE A BUSINESS LETTER

he were positivethe'coffee was at fault. Yes, sir, he answeredmost emphatically,adding that his mother was an expert in pre-aring

coffee. That nightthe young man took another can homewith the suggestionthat his mother subjectit to a more carefultest. Two days later he reportedthat the results were fine. Onthe strength of his report he was given an opportunity to writeanother letterjonhe same complaint. The difference was likethat between daylightand darkness. His firstletter was a hugejoke because he did not know what he was talkingabout, and assuch it was on a par with thousands of other letters sent out dailyfrom business offices all over this country. His second letter didhim credit because the knowledge he had acquiredof our coffee bysubjectingit to an intelligentest enabled him to write in a waythat would convince and enthuse any person susceptibleo reason.

Seventh. He should be a diligenttudent of human nature.To understand human nature; to be able to read men, their moods,their temperaments, their intensity;o discover their vanity,theirvulnerable points,their likes and dislikes,re every bit as neces-ary

to the man who seeks to serve the publicadvantageouslyaspaintand brush and canvas are to the artist.

Eighth. He must have the power of imagination,and attimes it will not be out of placefor him to do a littledreaming.The man who can get away from the boundaries of his own littleworld into the world of the other man can be relied upon to writeletters that will be big and broad and graciousin spiritrom startto finish.

Ninth. He should have a very definite idea of his individualinfluence. Many men say much too often that ifthey were onlygiftedlike their neighbor,for example,they would perform deedsand dispensepearlsof wisdom that would make their fellows lookupon them with envy. My business brother, have you everstopped to think, in your wasted moments of jealousy,that thereare no two of us justalike? Have you ever thought of what amonotonous placethis earth of ours would be if we all had equalability? As a matter of fact,nobody ever looked upon jthisuni-erse

from your point of view no one will ever see it again as


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REQUIREMENTS OF A CORRESPOXDEXT 13

you behold it now. None can live your lifefor you, perceivewithyour senses, or walk preciselyn your footprints.Every time youcrook your littlefingeror raise your foot you are doing somethingthat has not been done and that no one can do for you. Everythought and act differentiates you from the rest of mankind.There is nobody justlike you, there never was, there never willbe. It follows,then, that you are the only one who can do thework that has been put into your hands as a business man for yourown mind to direct.

The poorest, the weakest, has his placein the scheme of crea-ion,as well as the richest and the strongest. When you came

into the world you took your place. You may exchange it for amore fortunate pointof vantage, you may eventuallyseek a lowerlevel or untoward circumstances may thrust you down to it.But in elevation or depressionyou cannot escape your boundenduty to acquityourselfmanfully in your station. You are one ofa vast marching company with faces resolutelyet in the samedirection,but instead of losingyour independence,with each daythat passes you are becoming more and more your own master,having to do your own work, livingyour own life to the fullestand most useful purpose.

If this rightlydescribes our individual responsibility,t fol-owsthat when we pulland work togetheralong sane and con-istentlines there is nothing that we cannot accomplishfor the

betterment of humanity. Emerson says that Concentrationis the secret of strength. The sun's rays iffocused and harnessedwould furnish lightand power for the world. So it is with busi-ess

men. We have much individual strengthwhich we are usingin some quarters to splendidadvantage, but we are not doing allthat we might because a selfish ambition keeps us from under-tanding

that man is actuallyhis brother's keeper. The momentwe measure up to the absolute truth of that doctrine our differ-nces

and difficultieswill disappear; east, west, north and southwill be merged into one, and we shall march forth as a united armywith sufficient power and strength to triumph in any legitimatecause that may engage our attention.


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Tenth. He should have his every move dominated by ahelpfulspirit.Few men seem to believe when they start to com-ose

a letter that it must be truly helpfulfrom start to finish.The average letter writer gets an idea at 8:30 and then seeks tohave it whipped into shape to convert the multitude at 9:30.Gerald StanleyLee in his admirable book on Crowds was rightwhen he said that Christ was crucified because the crowd wasin a hurry. The publicis being crucified every day because ourmodern commercialism craves the shekels and these in a hurry,no matter what may happen in the operation. A letter has nopermanent value to it unless it is written deliberately,ith theidea of helpingthe person addressed. To get an order for some-hing

from some person who can illafford the expenditureis of nocredit to the one who gets it unless the purchase confers a realbenefit. To influence somebody else to do this or that and thenstand all puffedup askingothers to behold your achievement isa hundred miles from being creditable unless the performanceactuallyrepresents a signalcontribution to real character.

TranscriberThe real transcriber is the one with good common sense who

will take a personalpride in every word she transcribes whowill not write blindlyor thoughtlessly,ut who will examine theletter as she proceedsto find out if it expresses the sense of thedictator. In many of our best and largestoffices,he transcriberreceives little,f any, encouragement. She is looked upon as anordinarymachine and very properlyperformsher work with thatidea constantlyin mind. A transcriber should be educated to useher head along with her hands. Her salaryshould be regulatedby the qualityof her work and the thought and spirithe puts intoit. When she works like a genuinewoman, instead of a machine,give her plenty of latitude put some dignityinto her positionand reliance in her as an individual. Make her a personage ofaccount, your most valued assistant.

No correspondentshould ever accept from a transcriber aletter containingblots,erasures, or interlineations. Every letter


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THE TRANSCRIBER'S RESPONSIBILITY 15

she writes should be clean from start to finish and stand as a dis-inctmonument to a thorough worker with a personalinterest in

everything she does. Every time a poorly-writtenr badly-punctuated letter is accepted and signed,the dictator does himselfan injusticend deprivesthe transcriber of needed discipline.

THE TRANSCRIBER'S RESPONSIBILITY TOWARD A LETTERQuite frequently transcriber believes she has no responsibil-tytoward a letter except to write it in some style,haphazard or

otherwise. The truth of the matter is she has a duty far beyondthat; unless she realizes it,her positionwill be filledin an apolo-eticfashion. It is for her to understand that the composition

and appearance of a letter go hand in hand; if one is neglectedthere will be a tendency to ignorethe other. She should masterthe intricacies of composition and disciplineer mind in all thatbears on correctness and appearance. The dictator givesher theletter,she givesit to the other man and the other man judges ahouse by its letters. If they are slovenly in appearance andweak in presentation,it is right to conclude that an order willreceive the same attention. The care one givesto personalappear-nce

should be appliedto a letter,o that when it leaves the officeit will be a creditable representativef a great house, fit to winfavor anywhere. Quality in a letter should be given preferenceto everythingelse. It is no criterion to say of a transcriber thatshe transcribes one hundred or one hundred and twenty-fivelettersdaily. Every transcriber ought to transcribe in proportion toher ability,ut never any more than she can do neatly and thor-ughly.

Work done carelesslyoday means that is must be doneover tomorrow.

UNCONSCIOUS OPPORTUNITY TO BE NON-PROGRESSIVEThe greater part of a transcriber's positiononsists in putting

into a presentablecondition the words of someone else. She hasthe best kind of a chance to develop into a sort of a machine.Unfortunately, that is what she ordinarilydoes. She reachesthat stage because she does not think. She throws the entireresponsibilityn the dictator,with the apparent belief that she


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is one of the parts of the typewriter. The typewriteris nothingbut a pieceof complicated mechanism. A transcriber is also anembodiment of mechanism, but of a much finer character. Herpart in the commercial world is important. She can easilyin-rease

her importanceby divorcingherself from machine methodsand thinkingabout the work allotted to her, and while a letter isbeingtranscribed,examine it to see if there is actuallyany sensein it. Oftentimes a correspondentbecomes confused and dictatesexpressionsthat are absolutelysenseless. A wide-awake trans-riber

will detect such inaccuracies if rigidthought is applied toher work. The broad correspondent will appreciatea reminderof such errors. Between the transcriber and correspondentthereshould exist a bond of mutual helpfulness.Co-operationof sucha nature will produce a finished product that will reflect crediton the individual efforts of both, as it will upon the firm. Thinkabout your work; think about the way to shape up a letter so itsparts will stand out to the best advantage; think about what con-titutes

good sense in an expression;think about the firm's policy;think about the person to whom you are writing,and try to applythe same degreeof enthusiasm that should characterize the effortsof a high-gradecorrespondent.

MISTAKEN UNDERSTANDING OF AN EFFECTIVE LETTERIt is absurd to say that the ultimate success of a transcriber's

positiondepends entirelyupon what she may know about capital-zationand punctuation. Any one who is anxious to be a first-

class transcriber should study the principlesf correspondencefrom A to Z. You will never be capableof transcribing letterin the best way unless you know what constitutes a good letter.You cannot detect an error in a letter if you do not know whereto look for it. You can never expect to be much of anythingbut amere machine if you do not look upon your work as somethingwhich requiresot only a typewriterbut a liberal applicationfbrains. What is more, if you have a broad knowledge of theprinciplesf successful letter-writingou will not only be able todo better work but much more of it.


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HOW TO WRITE A^BUSINESS LETTER 17Spelling

Bad spellings one of the most marked deficiencies in clericalhelp. With dictionaries so cheap and so accessible,there is noexcuse for one who habituallymisspells.A well-written, care-ully-compose

letter counts for nothingif even a small part of itis misspelled.When constructing letter,never guess at thespellingf any word. Whenever a doubt exists,consult the dic-ionary

so as to assure yourselfthat every word is absolutelycorrect. Thomas Jefferson,in one of his admirable letters to hisdaughterMartha, says:

Take care that you never spella word wrong. Alwaysbefore you write a word, consider how it is spelt. If you don'tremember, turn to the dictionary.It producesgreat praiseto alady or gentleman to spellwell.Lord Chesterfield,a noted authorityin the politeworld,

writes to his son as follows:I must tell you that orthography in the true sense of theword is so absolutelyecessary for a man of letters or a gentlemanthat one false spellingay fix endless ridicule upon him for the

rest of his life.Up in Michigan an estate of $100,000 was thrown into the

courts because the testator misspelled word. He willed the bulkof his money to a home for indigentomen. He spelledt indig-ant.

His maiden aunts foughtso hard that the latter adjectivefitted them perfectly.The court held that the spellingo cloudedthe meaning of the will that the aunts were entitled to a share ofthe estate.

Many transcribers frequentlymake such errors in their spell-ngas to leave a letter in a pitiableondition. Be very careful

about your spelling.Also,be careful about guessingat statements,the plan many use as a last resort when notes are not plain,rdictation in phonograph is not clear. Dictators often receiveletters mangled beyond recognitionbecause the transcriber hasapplieda distant meaning and spoiledthe sense of what the dicta-or

intended to convey. This againemphasizesthe necessityofbeingfamiliar with the vital elements of correct expression.Youare not to hazard opinionsn a propositionot fullyunderstood.


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It is your duty to be right to proceed intelligently.f you donot know what to say or what to do, stop and ask questions. Aperson never gets west by proceeding directlyastward. If youare in the habit of permitting meaningless expressionsto go byunnoticed, your methods of doing your work need disciplining.You may not have known that you were on the wrong road, butyou are. Turn around and go the other way, thus making yourwork count for somethingpermanent and substantial.

USE AND ABUSE OF WORDSEvery transcriber should study,in so far as possible,he deriva-ion,meaning and applicationof words. Words to either a dictator

or a transcriber are like paint and brush in the hands of an artist,but useless without the knowledge to apply them. Hundreds ofpeoplehave largevocabularies,but do not know how to use themto advantage. This shows how necessary it is when masteringthe spellingof a word to become familiar with its definition andcorrect application. Every word improperlyused is like puttingpoor material into a foundation.

Paper and PrintingThe next in line in the making of a distinctive letter is the

paper and printing.Cheap paper and a correspondinggrade ofenvelopesare indicative of a cheap house. They retard sales andinvariablycreate an unfavorable impression; and because theyare not conducive to good results is justwhy every firm with adesire to get the most out of its letter-writingshould be scrupu-ously

careful to use only the best paper and envelopesobtainable.White paper, linen or otherwise,is recommended above all othersbecause it combines quality,dignityand individuality.Closelyassociated with the paper is the printingand lithographing,hichif neglectedr overdone will destroythe purpose of the letter andmake the firm back of it an objectof ridicule.

To forestall any such thing,how should a letter-head beprepared?


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deserve to be treated seriously.His criticisms,ven though brutal,should always be answered with the utmost courtesy. The pointsmade by him should all be covered in detail,so he will be con-incedthat you are not a dodger nor a man who giveshis timeand energy grudgingly.

In the case of complaints,the correct handling of whichdetermines much of the success of any business,you will find thatin a general way they resolve themselves into two classes (1)actual trouble; (2)inabilityf customer to use an article intelli-ently.

Trouble cases deserve a thoroughand liberal proposalfor im-ediateadjustment. The letters bearing upon them should be

clear,short,sympathetic,and courteous, but strictlyo the point.A man who is in trouble must be helpedout of it quickly. Quitethe oppositeis the case where it becomes necessary to patientlyeducate a customer who hasn't been able to use somethingboughtof you because of its complications.He is entitled to a technicaldescription,ogetherwith detailed instructions,and last,but notleast by any means, to an assurance that you want him to writeagain provided he has any further trouble. You could not dojusticeo such a man in a short letter.

The art of writinga brief letter should be rigidlyultivated,but if brevityis overdone, the finished productis sure to be curtand inexpressive.he result isan offended or dissatisfiedcustomer,and a man or woman in that frame of mind can do more harmto the square inch than any other animal that has ever beenbroughtinto captivity.

CourtesyCourtesy in either a written or verbal transaction draws men

togetherquickly. It creates a feelingof mutual respect and con-ributesmuch to the rightadjustment of the very worst difficul-ies.

I recall that only a short time ago a correspondentbroughtme a letter from a customer, read it to me, and then added that hehad made up his mind to heap coals of fireupon the writer's head.


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COURTESY 21

I told him to put the letter aside until morning, when the stormwould probably pass over. If not, the letter was to be returnedto me again. This course was advised because no man has anyauthorityto write a letter when he feels like a wild animal. Dis-ourtesy

is usuallyborn when the animal, and not the man, is inevidence, and discourtesyis what is responsibleor a good share ofour business entanglements. Surely,it will not be an exaggera-ion

to say that discourtesyand ingratitudere much too commonnowadays, and to the shame of modern civilization we are travel-ng

so fast that often the finer thingsof life are trampled in thedust. But regardlessf the speedy demands of the times the factstillremains that no life is so rich as the one that contributessomething to the happinessof another. Courtesy, kindness andconsideration are the bulwarks of safe and sane business. Hewho preachesa doctrine to the contrary is in the same class withthe poor misguided individual who sold out for a mere mess ofpottage.

A genuine letter represents conversation at a distance apassing revelation of human nature. The pleasantriesusuallyapplicableo personalcontact with a man may be appliedwithequalforce in a letter. It is true we do not say as much in a letter,but, nevertheless,the principles the same. Slang of the decentkind such as occasionallyivesease and lifeto an expressionmaybe used to advantage,while that of the alleyand bar-room typeshould be studiouslyavoided, as should all of the other recklesssayings that smack of the street. Another thing to omit is sar-asm.

Some wise man has defined this as the devil's dialect.It is certain that any man guiltyof writinga sarcastic letter hascertain devilish instincts. When you want to talk to your cus-omer

through a letter,do it kindly,do it friendly,o when theletter is finished you will feel good all over because you have actedthe part of a gentleman in all that the word expresses.

If an order is delayed or a mistake made (and such thingsaresure to inconvenience your customer),tellhim the honest cause ofit alland say with all the frankness at your command that you areheartilyorry. An honorable letter devoid of smartness, in which


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you give the other man a square deal, will produce gain for youinstead of loss and antagonism. Be frank in your letters. Sayjustwhat you mean and no more. When you write,put self inthe background and the customer in the foreground. Give hisinterests precedenceover everythingelse. Favor him even thoughit may hurt your prideand take an awful crimp in some of yournarrow opinionsas to what constitutes real justice. Don't imag-ne,

as many peanut minds do, that a letter should resemble anabbreviated edition of Puck. Business is a mighty seriousgame and for that reason business letters should be filled withbrass tacks instead of funny stories and antiquatedjokes. Thesame warning is applicableto cleverness,which is too often usedby writers who unfortunatelybelieve that the parading of theirown smartness is preferableo sincerityand directness.

The clever advertisement may be and generallyis the pooradvertisement. It is pretty, it is attractive,but itstitleto noticearises from the fact that it is a work of art, not from the fact thatit impressesthe idea of the thingadvertised upon the mind of thereader.

So the 'clever' catch phrases of 'Sunny Jim' and his philos-phyare deeply impressed upon the minds of his readers the

merchandise not at all.The 'smile that won't come off',in the minds of the public,is as far away from Quaker Oats as if ithad not been printedupon

the advertisement.It is a mistake, I believe,to placeany value on the kind of

cleverness that produces a thought,that sinks deep into the mind,but in sinkingdeep, does not draw with it a strong impressionofthe goods advertised.

And so with a speakerwhen addressingan audience. If oneremembers the speaker for some 'clever' peculiarity,e usuallyforgetsthe subjectupon which he spoke,but if he remembers thethought the speakerendeavored to convey, it matters not whetherhe remembers the speaker, as the thought is the thing to re-ember.

The salesman, too, very often impresseshis own cleverness


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COURTESY 23

upon the trade, and they not only forgethis house and his mer-handisebut forgetto buy from him.

The thought of the merchandise is the thingin salesman-hip.

ClearnessIn a thousand and one cases, the intelligencef the customer

is not equal to yours. You can write to him and shoot directlyover his head, or you can write in a way that will make him seeyou have something for him and that you want him as a customer.The latter is the sensible course to pursue. A wise correspondentstudies the man to whom he is writingfrom the letter he is toanswer. He selects his phraseologyin so far as possibleo meetthe customer's age, sex and intelligence.He doesn't invent a lotof pretty stock paragraphs,and then apply the same dose to allcomers without ever stoppingto think that the medicine good forJones might kill Smith, even though the cases were identical.If you want to see this pointstillfurther,take two letters bearingon the same subject. Both letters will be different because thepersons writingthem are sure to be different in abilityand temper-ment.

If persons are different,he letterswritten to them shouldalso be different. Men are pleasedwhen they are singledout fromthe crowd and treated individually,et with a full applicationofthe firm's generalpolicy. The best letter results from usingonlythe simplestwords, preferablythose of one syllable,aving apt-ess

and plenty of real life. Don't use phrases,sentences, orexpressionssusceptiblef double meaning, words or quotationsfrom foreignlanguages,fancy figuresof speech or high-sound-ng

words of doubtful meaning.Solomon once said that Words fitlypoken are like apples

of gold in picturesf silver. Solomon knew what he was talkingabout. His wisdom was good hundreds of years ago, and, peculiaras it may seem, its value has not diminished with the years. To acorrespondent or an advertisingman words are instrumentsfor good or evil. They build or destroy they attract or repel.


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Unfortunately,they do more repellinghan anythingelse becausetoo many of us insist upon usingwords that the greater number ofpeopledo not understand. One customer wrote us recentlyandasked what we meant by remittance in the sentence Yourremittance is insufficient. We immediately changed it to You didn't send us enough money. Another asked for themeaning of the word reverse, and on the strengthof this wechanged Write your answer on the reverse side of this sheet

to Write your answer on the other side of this sheet. Youwill doubtless concede that both of these revisions,which, by,theway, were inspiredby customers, are a decided improvement.More of a similar character might be cited but these two are quiteenough to prove that a letter with the punch must be a pictureofsimplicity.

Some of you willnot agree with this conclusion. However, I amglad to emphasize it because a writer in Printers' Ink recentlysaid that a letter might be too simple. Did Christ ever teach mento be high browed when appealingto others? Did He shoot overthe heads of His congregationwhen He delivered that memorableSermon on the Mount? Did He ever forget the needs of thecrowd, even though His personalityade such a thing possible?Have the higher critics been able to tear down His teachings?Indeed, they have not. The utterances of this matchless manare stronger today than ever, with the result that the book ofbooks in which His lifeisrevealed is stillthe greatest sellerand therecognizedpeer of any other pieceof literature.

You can go to it for help,consolation or sympathy, with theassurance that you will not be disappointed. You can accept itas your instructor in all that is clear and wholesome in expression,with the knowledge that the other man will comprehend yourmessage. In proof of this I need not do more than to quote afew sentences from the 23d Psalm:

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me tolie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the stillwaters.He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteous-ess

for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valleyof the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,for thou art with me;thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.


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CLEARNESS 25

Every sentence in that wonderful psalm is plainand com-rehensiveand every sentence tells a story throbbing with

interest.One other man who has taught us the value of speakinginthe other person'slanguageis Abraham Lincoln. The battlefieldof Gettysburggave him allthe inspiratione wanted to indulge alot of spread eaglestuff. Yet Abraham Lincoln knew that he wasspeaking to a nation made up of all kinds and that his messagewould be of no avail unless he couched it in language that peopleeverywhere,whether on the farm, the alleyor the avenue, couldreadilyunderstand.

SincerityAn idea quiteprevalentnowadays among men who pose as

correspondentsis that all you need do to get the other fellow con-ertedto our way of thinkingis to constantlytickle him with a

goodlysupplyof fancy bait put out in the form of pretty but in-inceresentences. Of such a man it can be aptlysaid in no un-ertainway that he isplayinga losingame. You cannot compose

a masterful letter with the power to produce the kind of resultsthat endure unless your thoughtsare stronglyfortified by sincer-ty

and truthfulness. This does not mean that praiseis to bebanished from the business letter,or does it even intimate thatthe kindlyword of sympathy or encouragement is ever to be for-otten.

It simply suggests that whatever you say to the manwho may be 500 miles distant should be an earnest heart throb an honest, manly expressionof just how you feel towards himand what you can and will do for him.

In a word, a letter is never at its best unless it manifests anintenselyuman interest in those to whom it is addressed. Putpeople instead of meaninglessgeneralitiesr mummified expres-ions

to the front and you will be on the road that is paved withgood results. By way of emphasizing this thought I cannotdo anythingbetter than to quote from a timely article by Mr.Cottingham, President of the Sherwin-Williams Co.:


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The great factor in sellings the human factor,and not the thingswe sell. The thingsmust be right,of course; but it's peoplewho buy and use the things,nd therefore it'speoplewhom wemust interest and deal with in gettingid of things.

Too many business men are paying too much attention to thethingsthey make, and not enough attention to the peoplewhomake them, the peoplewho sell them, and the peoplewho usethem. It's not thingsthat make life it's people. It's notthingsthat make business, it'speople peoplewith red blood intheir veins, men and women with hearts and feelingsnd aimsand ambitions men and women susceptibleo encouragementand sympathy and trainingnd discipline.

The sales department must recognizethis difference betweenthingsand people. It must understand the importanceof thehuman factor. It touches all sides of the sales proposition.

SentimentFrequentlywe wonder, in the midst of our strenuous activi-ies,if there is or should be any sentiment in business. Some have

convinced themselves that there is not and perhaps never will be.Those of us who have had much experiencein dealingwith thepublic at largethrough correspondence have long since learnedthat a letter without sentiment is like a man without feeling. It'sa poser but not a reality.Sentiment bringsus closer to the otherman. It helps us to get his viewpoint,to respond cheerfullytohis needs, to sympathize with him when in difficulty.It sheds aquietinginfluence over us when we are disposedto find fault withthe ignorant. It strengthensus when strugglingwith temptation,and, all together,it makes us broader and better and biggerforany and all of our duties.

It must be applied in letters with sense and discrimination.Never should it be permitted to overstep the bounds of dignityor get the better of one. That you may better understand itsforce for good, suppose you imagine that a customer has sent youan exceptionallylargevolume of business during a certain period.Doesn't he deserve to be commended? Yes, but not in the formof a stingythank you, but rather in a warm personalletter of


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We have taken the matter up with R. R. Co., askingthem to starta tracer.

The R. R. Co. will be asked to trace.An order has been entered and a rocker willbe shipped.A rocker will be shippedto you at once.All goods are carefullyinspectedbefore theyleave the factory,and we think the damage occurred in transit.The damage must have been caused by an accident in transit.Your order was entered and we will arrange to ship,etc.An order has been entered for a hall seat.We cannot account for the error, as our records show that the

order was entered correctly.The order was entered correctly.We wish to explainour terms.Just go ahead and explainthem. Never mind the preliminaries.We ask you to signenclosed order blank.Please signenclosed order blank.Shipped from here with allchargespaid.Shipped from here chargesprepaid.An earlyanswer will be greatlyappreciateds we wish to adjust

this matter to your satisfaction,lso sending the missinggoodswithout additional expense to you.

As we wish to adjustthis matter satisfactorilyn earlyanswerwill be appreciated.

So we may balance your account in full and close our records ofthis transaction.So we may balance your account.Our records,here in Rochester,show.Our records show.We deeplyregret.We regret.


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We are now enclosing.We enclose.

Kindly arrange to send.Please send.

We can no longerfurnish them at present.At present we cannot furnish them.If the goods do not arrive before you have occasion to leave town.If the goods do not arrive before you leave town.It isjustpossiblehat you do not keep complete record.It is possibleou do not keep complete record.We feel sure the order will then be completeand giveentire satis-action

to all concerned.We feel sure the order will then be satisfactory.It is not likelyhat a misunderstandingof this kind that occurred

concerning this order will ever cause any inconvenience in thefuture.

It is-not likelythat you will ever be put to such inconvenienceagain.Return to us togetherwith our letter.Return to us with our letter.

Return with this letter so it can be properlycancelled.Return with this letter so it can be cancelled.

Arrangement you have made in deductingfor missing goods isquitesatisfactory.Your deduction for the missinggoods is satisfactory.To balance your account on our books.To balance your account.

We will duplicateand shipwithout extra charge to you.We will duplicatewithout extra chargeto you.


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SUPERFLUOUS EXPRESSIONS WITH REVISIONS 31

Arrangements have now been made.No pointto any of this. The job of a correspondentis to tell a

customer justwhat has been done in the fewest words possible.Preliminaries foreignto the real point are simply a waste oftime and money.

Upon investigatione find.We find.We are indeed sorry.We are sorry.As soon as this is in our possessione will,etc.As soon as we receive this we will,etc.We are very pleasedthat,etc.We are pleasedthat,etc.

Kindly mark the coat in your possession.Please mark the coat.We packed and shippedyou.We shippedto you.It is indeed regretted.It is regretted.We would thank you to send us B/L.Please send us B/L.If chair is not in your possession.If chair is not received.

Please pack chair in your possession.Please pack chair.You are welcome to do so.You may do so.We wish the freightilltaken to the freightagent.Please take the freightillto the freightagent.


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Was sent forward.Was sent.Inasmuch as you have not told us.As you have not told us.We hope you will pardon us.Please pardon us.Please accept our apologyfor any annoyances.Apologies are unnecessary for trivial matters. No such thingshould ever be offered unless the trouble is very serious.We find that we actuallychecked.We checked.In reviewingour records we find the goods,etc.We find the goods,etc.Upon careful investigatione find.We find.

This amount has been taken to balance in full your account.This amount balances your account.On carefullygoing over our records.Simply state your conclusion. Then customer will know justwhat you can or cannot do for him.At the present time we cannot locate.At present we cannot locate.Upon receiptof this letter we trust you will,etc.Upon receiptof this letter is unnecessary because the customer

couldn't do much of anythinguntil he knew what you wanted.We are pleasedto advise you that it was sent.It was sent.WTe have entered your order and instructed the manufacturers to

send you.We have instructed the manufacturers to send you.


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We have entered an order for a locket to be sent postpaid.A locket will be sent postpaid.We are enteringn order and will send you postpaid.We will send postpaid.We will take the matter up with Railroad Company and have

tracer sent.We will have tracer sent. (No one but the R. R. could send

the tracer.)We are sending you, by mail, under separate cover.We are sending you under separate cover. (The impliedmeaning

of such an expressions that the other pieceisgoingby the mailroute.)

If you preferto send stamps they will be acceptable.Stamps will also be acceptable.Accept our thanks for your remittance of $5.19,received November

4th. This has been placed to your credit in settlement of in-oicedated August 2nd.

We thank you for your remittance of $5.19, which pays your billof August 2nd in full.The goods ordered will be shippedat once.The goods will be shippedat once. (You couldn't make shipment

of anything if it had not been ordered.)We have received the express receiptou sent to us showing the

return shipment of,etc.The express receiptshowing the return shipment has been re-eived.

Through an oversightn our part we failed to send, etc^Through an oversighte failed to send.The football was received in our receivingdepartment.Customers are not concerned about any of your departments.The thingthat interests them is whether or not a returned article

has been received.


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36 HOW TO WRITE A .BUSINESS LETTER

We will promptly proceed with your order.We will fillyour order promptly.It should be in your possessionby the time you receive thisletter.You should have it by the time you receive this letter.This day we are enteringyour order.We have entered your order.When the bill of ladingis in your possession.When the billof ladingis received.You are no doubt in possessionf our January 18th letter.You have no doubt received our January 18th letter.We guarantee the safe arrival of allgoods to destination.We guarantee the safe arrival of allgoods.As itrequires$10.00 to pay for the goods and we have the equiva-entof $8.83 to your credit,you can see from the above figures

that we need $1.17 more.As itrequires$10.00 to pay for the goods and we have only $8.83

to your credit,we need $1.17 more.Sign your fullpersonalsignature.Sign your name in full.The mirror was finallyhippedto you January 27th, and we trust

has been placedin your possession.The mirror was shippedto you on January 27th, and we hope ithas

been delivered.

Through an oversighton our part the waist was not sent withyour order,but has been mailed to you separately.

Through an oversightthe waist was not sent with your order,but has been mailed separately.

Since we cannot send the music bag we are returning the 16c instamps which you enclosed in your January 25th letter andenclosed is that amount in stamps.

Since we cannot send the music bag we are enclosingthe 16c instamps you sent with your letter of January 25th.


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Up to the present time we have not as yet received any informa-ion.

Up to the present time we have not received any information.An urgent tracer has been sent.A tracer has been sent.

This day we are enteringyour order for the thermometer whichwill arrive in due time.

We have entered your order for the thermometer, which we hopewill arrive soon.

Please take possessionf this package.Please accept this package.On January 24th we wrote you askingyou.On January 24th we asked you.

The mistake whereby a statement was sent you statingthat yourDecember 8th account was unpaid, whereas we received aremittance of $10.00 in settlement of it January 15th, is verymuch regretted.

Our mistake in sendingyou a statement for your December 8thaccount, which was paidon January 15th, isvery much regretted.

In the future do not return anythingwhich isdamaged or defect-vereceived in your future orders without first receivingur

instructions.In the future pleasedo not return anythingto us until you havewritten us for instructions.We would say.We would state.

If you are sure you have somethingto say, justsay it. Beat-ngaround the bush takes allthe gingerout of a real message.


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We beg to say.We beg to inform you.

These might be all rightfor the common tramp who mustbeg to live,but not for the up-to-datebusiness man whomust sellto live.

Enclosed herewith.Herewith means the same as enclose, hence a repetitionf

no meaning.We beg to acknowledgereceipt.

We acknowledge is sufficient. To add the word receiptis unnecessary. You could not acknowledge anything thathadn't been received.

At the present time.At present tellsthe same thing,o leave out the and time.

We have investigatedur books and find,etc.Of course you have investigated,r else you could not reach

an accurate conclusion. It is always best to state a thingdefinitelynstead of weakening it by one or more prelimi-aries

that do not mean anything.Enclosed pleasefind.

The word please is out of place. To say, Enclosed findcheck for $2.00, for which pleasesend, would be correctas it bringsthe word please in its rightrelation to thesubjectmatter.

We shall be pleasedto receive your further patronage.Patronage can hardly be called a commercial term and at the

best it is too big for a business letter. Use the wordfavors in preferenceo patronage, as it is simplerandmeans more.

Allow us to explain.Permit us to advise you.


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We have your favor of the 24th, contents of which have been care-ullynoted.

Probably there is nothing so often repeated to no advantagein business letters as this nonsense about contents havingbeen carefullynoted. Nobody can explain the reason forit. All we know is that it has been an heirloom amongbusiness letters and as a result we have continued to use itwithout any thought as to its meaning. The omission ofit will improve the beginning of a letter and incidentallyhelp one to be watchful over the remainder.

%

The most comprehensive letter is the one wherein elaborateacknowledgments and introductions are tabooed and the subjectapproached quickly. The day of reaching the subjectby means ofsome sillyapology or a request for a permissionto write the cus-omer

has been consigned to Davy Jones' locker. Today the manwho wants a letter that will get him somewhere puts the primarypoints in the earlyparagraphs and then ranks the secondary pointsaccording to their importance in succeeding paragraphs. Theobservance of such a method captures the attention of the otherman just as soon as he gets the letter,because he doesn't have towade through a mass of meaninglessmaterial to reach the informa-ion

he needs and deserves. Now, assuming that we have founda way to get the other man to at least start to read our letter,howshall we proceed in order to hold his attention to the end to makehim think as we do; to create in him a desire to learn more aboutus and our products. First,try to form a picturein your mind'seye of the man you are addressing. Second, try to appreciatethe local conditions under which he works or conducts his business.Third, try to get a fairlyaccurate idea of his likes and dislikes.Fourth, remember that there is no man, no matter who he is orwhere he lives,who is not susceptibleo the rightappeal. Fifth,when you have finished the study of your man and his local situa-ion,

talk to him sensiblyas man to man. Don't write to him.


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HOW TO WRITE A BUSINESS LETTER 41

HeadingsThe average business letter iswritten on a printedletter-head,

which makes itunnecessary to write anything in the headingexceptthe date. If plainpaper is used, the heading should begin in themiddle of the sheet,with an allowance of about one inch marginfrom the top. If ruled paper is used, the headingshould begin inthe middle of the sheet on the first line. It may occupy one, twoor three lines,but never more than three.

[No. 1.] Batavia, N. Y., March 12, 1915.rM pi 48 Elmwood Ave.Detroit,Mich., April 9, 1915.

Chicago University[No. 3.] Chicago,111.

May 20, 1915.When writingfrom a largecity,always givestreet address or

name of institution,t beginningof letter,where mail will reachyou.

IntroductionsThe firstline of an introduction,consistingf the name of the

person or firm addressed, should beginJ^ to J^ of an inch from ex-remeleft side of sheet,while each succeedingline should be in-entedabout J^ inch more.Mr. William R. Heath

60 Soldiers PlaceBuffalo,N. Y.

Enclosed find my check for $300.00 in full payment of ac-ountto date.

Messrs. Ball PufferRochester, N. Y.The enclosed draft for $1000.00 will cancel my subscription

toward the McKinley monument about to be erected in your city.Martin Coal Co.

Cleveland, OhioPlease quote me lowest priceson 1000 tons Stove coal,quick

delivery,. O. B. cars, this city.


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Mr. James CollordAmerican Delivery Co.

Chicago,111.We have shipped in your care 100 cases French plateglass.Bill of ladingis enclosed.

SalutationsThere is not much to be said about these because it is under-toodby practicallyverybody that the salutations of business

letters are so limited as to admit of littlediscussion. They havealways been Dear Madam, Dear Sir and Gentlemen, butfor the purpose of improving the letters of the future,it is hererecommended that they be cut out entirely.The reasons for thiscriminal operation are as follows:

1st. Dear Madam and Dear Sir haven't the warmthand ringof real life;they are decidedlystiffand formal.

2d. They are not applicableo personalconversation. Whatis not appropriatein such a sense seldom is in a business letter,although it is true that not all the thingssaid in a conversationcould be advisedlyused in a letter.

3d. The omission of them makes it possibleto address thecustomer as you would face to face. In ordinarylife,our answerto a man who givesyou an order or promises one would probablybe Mr. Smith, we thank you, or Mr. Smith, we shall beglad to receive your order. A letter without the salutation alsomakes a material reduction in the stenographer'swork.

4th. A person who asks a questionor states a propositionsmore concerned about the answer than a lot of senseless prelimi-aries.

The fancy covers of a catalogcut a very small figureifthere are no attractive offers inside.

5th. Their omission gives a letter originalitynd distinc-ion.Salutations are in letters today solelybecause they have

been dictated by custom and custom is often deficient in pro-riety.


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Furthermore, if you deem it advisable to repeat the generaltext of a previousletter,ee that your introduction touches uponthe previousletter by using some such expressionas On Aug. 25th, we wrote you as follows.

Our letter of Aug. 25th reads.From our letter of Aug. 25th, we quote.Following these introductions repeat verbatim all necessary

parts of letter to which reference is made.

ParagraphingWhen a new subjectis introduced, or a new division of a long

subjectis taken up, a new paragraphshould be formed; that is,the first sentence of the new division should begin on the nextline below the ending of the last sentence of the former division,and twice as far from the edge of the paper as the other lines.Make the ending of alllines in the body of the letteruniform; thatis,have them even all the way down the page. If necessary todivide a word at the end of a line,divide it only at syllables,singa hyphen to show the division. If in doubt at any time aboutthese points,consult the dictionary,which givesfull informationregardingthe division of all words. Paragraphing is generallymatter of taste on the part of the writer. No set rules can begivenfor the guidance of any one, for the reason that no two writersparagraphan articlein exactlythe same way. Some writers makeadditional paragraphsfor the sake of impressiveness; if this isdone, each paragraph should represent a particulardivision ofthought. Paragraphing enables the reader to grasp, easily,thethoughts presented,and makes reference to any part of the lettermore convenient.

General InformationEvery letter should be grammaticallycorrect, notwithstand-ngsome loose magazine talk to the contrary. We all crave the

best,but we haven't any time to waste on a man who will arguestrenuouslybout a synonym and then overlook some strong sell-ng

point.


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GENERAL INFORMATION 45

In arrangingthe matter throughout a letter,take pains toavoid extreme compactness. If you write a full sheet with thelines close together,the matter will be more or less confusingtothe reader. Plenty of white space is always advisable. Doublespacing between paragraphs is also helpful,particularlyn longletters or those sent out in sales campaigns. Never crowd matterat the bottom of a sheet.

* * * #

When commencing a second sheet,always number the sheet.If

yourletter is addressed to the American Manufacturing Com-any,

have the second sheet numbered at the top in the left-handcorner in this manner: A. M. Co., No. 2, and so on, number-ng

consecutivelyach additional sheet in the form as indicatedabove.

# * # #

Not every letter should be called your favor. Some lettersare complaints,ome inquiries,ome requests and others are justplainletters. The letter which asks a priceis an inquiry,whilethe one seekinginformation is a request. The one that tellsyousomethingis a favor. Call thingsby their rightnames.

# * * *

Different persons must be addressed differently. manusuallyneeds argument while a woman has to be shown by suchmeans as samplesor pictures.Farmers likelongletters. Women,also,ifinterested will read longletterswhich a man would cremate.

# -X- # *

Use familiar expressions,haracteristic of every-dayMe. Inyour practiceof these do not go too far and get familiar or face-ious.

If you insist on using salutations,do not address somestranger who has written for a catalogas Dear Mr. Johnson,Esteemed Friend, or Valued Patron.

# * * #

As allletters should be very personal,t stands to reason thatthe word deservingof the most prominence throughout a goodletter is you, meaning the customer. The constant repetitionof we in a letter is of no interest to the customer. His concernlies in what you can do for him, not what you have done for yourself.


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The letter in which you stands out distinctlyis sure tohave the rightsort of a ring to it,because it will magnify the im-ortanc

of the man who receives it and also show him that it wasintended for no one in the universe but him. To illustrate:You are familiar with the facts of the case you can be relied

upon to adjustit allright.You can understand that we want to deal with you as an

individual.You would have probably done the same thing under like

circumstances.You will agree with us, we are sure, when you look the

whole situation squarelyin the face.* * * *

Vain repetitionsshould be eschewed. Clearly stating apropositiononce in a letter is sufficient. A repetitionmeanschallengingthe intelligencef the reader,as well as acknowledgingcarelessness or ignoranceof the writer.

* * *Contractions, such as don't,doesn't,isn't,aren't,should be

used frequently.They are simple and easilyunderstood. Theyimpart to a letter a touch of every-day conversation and help torelieve it of formality.

The occasional use of the customer's name in the bodyof a letter will giveit added warmth. For example:

We regret your inconvenience, Mrs. Johnson.Please look over our samples,Mr. Smith, at the earliest date

possiblend advise us of your selection.We have reviewed this matter at length,Mr. Adams, in order

to put the facts before you in detail.The best way to answer any inquiry,particularlyf it touches

upon several subjects,is to give the name of each subjectat thetop of the paragraph dealingwith it. This is reallythe logicalway to write any business letter. It is peculiarlydapted to longletters. In certain letters it invariablyhelpsto make necessarypointsconspicuous. It also aids in disciplininghe mind alonglines of concentration. At present, many correspondents put


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expressionsn the firstparagraphwhich properlybelongin the thirdand vice versa. If you outline your letters with subjectsyou willknow that whatever is to be said under one head should be putrightthere and no other place.

* * # *

If you send a booklet,touch brieflypon some meaty part orparts of it in your letter,o as to inspirea readingof it. Thereare many men who wouldn't pay any attention to a booklet whowould read a letter from beginning to end.

When reproducingtestimonials givefull names and addresses,togetherwith any other information that will impress the personaddressed with your honesty and sincerity.Fac-similes of checks,orders,letters,tc., are strong convincers at a criticalstage of thegame, and are quite helpfulwhen dealing with the stubborn orthose who view every new thingwith suspicion.

* * * #

No matter how you word your letter,r what kind of styleyou cultivate,be sure you do not command or dictate. Avoideverythingthat might in any way create offense. Aim to makeyour letter a politeinvitation or suggestion.

* * *

Avoid generalitiesnd technical terms. Be plainand clear.Remember you are cateringto the masses. Make your letterseducative. You can interest almost any person if you go aboutit in the rightway. Interest,however, cannot be created by in-ulgin

the use of extravagant statements like those which follow:Ours are the cheapeston earth.This is the best and cheapestin the world.The mechanism is the most reliable ever devised.Our hand-tailored suits are by far the best value ever shown.

* * * *

If you are to interest a person, you must necessarilygivehimtangiblefacts something that will immediatelyexcite his interestand inspire quick appreciationf the product you have to sell.You must talk to him just as if he were standingbefore you.You must give him such convincing proof of the qualityand


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usefulness of your goods as to satisfyim for a certaintyhat heneeds you and you need him. Perhaps this point can be bestemphasized by quoting from a recent advertisement about akitchen cabinet:

A PRACTICAL EXAMPLESuppose you are baking a cake. You want the recipe. It is on a card,filedin the cabinet,rightat hand. The flour is just above the table space in asanitaryin. A few turns of the crank and you have it,sifted,all ready for use.

The sugar is in the cabinet,in a dust-proofbin,where you get it without a step,twenty pounds of it,and there is a scoop to take it out of the bin. The eggs,chocolate and extracts are in one of the littlecupboards. The bakingpowder andspicesre rightat the fingers'nd in air-tightans. The egg-beaterand nutmeggrater are on the hooks, above the table space. The crocks,the cake pans andother utensils are in the bottom cupboard. You do your work on a sanitary,aluminum table space. When your cake and bread are done there is a metalbox, or drawer, to keep them in.

FOUND IN No OTHER CABINETThis convenience of arrangement is found in no other cabinet. The Hoosierspecialfeatures,the sanitaryself-cleaninglour bin, the automatic sugar bin,

the specialaluminum slidingtop, the Hoosier cake and bread box, thehousekeeper'srecipebox and want listyou can't get unless you buy the Hoosier.THE HOOSIER INDEX SUPPLY CASE

Another great convenience is the Hoosier Index Supply Case, an entirelynew feature in kitchen cabinets,consistingf labelled,dust-proofstoragebins ofmetal, where bulk foods can be stored away, alwayswithin easy reach, can neverbe misplaced,nd where theywill keep perfectly,oingaway with allwaste. TheHoosier Index SupplyCase can be furnished with any Hoosier Cabinet and withno other.

OAK USED BECAUSE IT LASTSHoosier Cabinets are made of oak, sturdyand strong,with a grainof unusual

beauty. It wears like iron,will not warp nor splitn the heat of the kitchen. Buya cabinet made of oak; cheapermaterials will not last.

If the firstletterof a follow-upseries does not bringsome kindof an answer, do not repeat it verbatim when making the secondattack. Put into each letter followingthe first a new offer or anew argument, making only casual reference to the firstone, andomitting any and all criticism of your prospect for not answeringit.

* * * *

We are sorry you found it necessary to bringyour complaintto our attention. The above expression,aken from a letter,written in answer to a complaint,will surelyhit you, as it did me,rightin the funny bone. It must have made the customer wonder


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how the firm could learn of his troubles if he didn't say anythingabout them. Contrast it,if you please,with the one that tells acustomer about how pleasedyou are to be given an opportunitytoadjusthis complaint,and you will see the part that thought andspiritlaysin a real letter. Not many letters that are dictated orread at lightningspeed strike twelve. Put a littlesand upon thetrack, so you will not go ahead without consideringhe possibleeffect of your words upon the other fellow.

* * * *

Is it a good plan to make giftsto customers? Maybe it is,in some cases; but the cases are rare. The firm that enjoysexten-ive

relations with the publicat large cannot ordinarilygive toone without establishingprecedentapplicableo all.

A customer who receives a gift,largeor small, from the bigfirm,may be depended upon to exhibit it to his neighbor,who mayalso be a customer of the same firm, and, if the neighbor startstalkingor asks for a gift,only to be refused, there is sure to bemuch trouble,which, in the long run, may result in one or moredisgruntledustomers.

Moreover, it requiresthe wisdom of a Solomon for a man inChicago to pass intelligentlypon a request for specialaid fromOklahoma, for the reason that absence from the seat of troubleor a lack of acquaintancewith the individual makes it impossibleto determine what would be rightor wrong. The best way per-aps

to avoid even a semblance of partiality,r an overdose ofliberality,sto put the value of giftsinto the qualityof your goods,thus openingthe way to treat Jones of Philadelphiahe same asyou do Smith of Boston.

* * * *

The Hotel Statler in Buffalo, which, by the way, has 400rooms and 400 baths, has acquiredan enviable reputationthecountry over for providingthe qualityof service that makes aguest long to come again. The man back of this service,who isno lessa person than the proprietorimself has recentlyemphasizedthe principlesf it in a little folder, entitled, What Stabler


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not even given me a hint about your troubles nor have you dis-losedthe nature of your business. The proverbs, taken as a

whole, are most commonplace and ordinarilywould not inspireanybody. Moreover, I do not believe that such thingsappeal tothe rank and fileof men because the average individual is so con-tituted

that he wants to be left alone to work out his own salva-ionalong lines which at times may impress the rest of us as being

mighty peculiar. My sympathies on this subject are with theother fellow because he knows, the same as the rest of us, that toomany preachments emanate from men whose hearts do not res-spond generouslyto the pressingneeds of humanity. Employeesserve us best when we accord them the fullest applicationof theGolden Rule, and pay them a wage, a share in the profitsr prefer-bly

both, sufficientto make them stand before the world like realmen instead of galleyslaves.

Let me also add in all kindness that I believe you are radi-allywrong in circulating pay envelope which contains the adver-isement

of a dollar down and a dollar a month firm on theback of it. Some pertinentsuggestionsr tables showing howmoney increases when depositedin a savingsbank would be agreat deal more to the point,s the latter would helpa man, whilethe former wouldn't.

FormsWhile form letters are a necessityin every office of any im-ortanc

it is stilltrue that a goodlypercentage of those now inuse have all the earmarks of a first-classcorpse. An analysisofthis unfortunate condition will show you that in many cases themen who are responsibleor the preparationof our form lettersdo not know what they are talkingabout or else they givebirth toan idea at 10:15 with the expectationthat it can be put into suit-ble

shape to conquer worlds at 10:30.A firm in New York city once put so much confidence in an

outsider who was receiving$25,000 a year that they turned thepreparationof their form letters over to him, only to have them


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FORMS 53

developinto an absolute failure. The outsider while not lackingin generalabilityas unable to deliver the goods because he wasnot in close touch with the other man's proposition. You mustlive,eat and sleep with a subject before you can write a tellingletter about it. That is why the men who are on the job all thetime can turn out the result-producingtuff if they will only getdown to it. Actual knowledge of an article gained by livingwithit,mixed with good every-day common sense will work wondersin the production of a live form letter.

A form letter is not an accident; it is a permanent and im-ortantfactor of modern business life. It should be composed

and edited with the utmost care. The features which give a dic-atedletter character such as life,warmth, individualitynd neat-ess

should always be conspicuousin a form letter. The genuineform letter then, the one with a message worthy of an audiencewith a prospectiveustomer, should always be a frank talk insteadof a hot air circular or a Fourth of July oration.

Your form letters are nothing more or less than personalrepresentatives,nd upon the firstimpression they create largelydepends the final results. A crackerjack salesman couldn'teven get interviews in a tramp's dress. Neither will your formletters reach any destination but the waste basket unless they aredistinctlyeat and attractive in appearance. Indeed, it may besaid that unless they are well nigh perfectin composition andappearance they will be detected clear across the street. Evenpeoplein rural communities are so up-to-datenowadays that theycan readilydistinguishetween a form letter and one that hasbeen dictated,particularlyhen the body of the form is printedin a clear,strong stylewhile the name and address are put in by amachine equipped with antiquatedtype and ribbon. The super-ision

over forms sent out should also be very thorough,or elsesome customer will get a prescriptionhat doesn't apply to hiscase, while some other worthy individual will have to contenthimself with a form even though he deserves a warm dictatedletter.


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Next, I want to bringto your attention some of the stuff thatis inflicted upon the poor publicin the shape of form letters andleave you to grasp the opportunityfor a much needed reform.First,there is 'the growing tendency to encourage personalcorrespondence,and as a result the firm itselfis thrust into thebackground, while the Sales Manager, or some other high andmighty individual,receives the bulk of the letters. Maybe thispractices a good one, althoughthe average person who has stoppedto analyze it will probablycall it questionable.The firm that isworth anything deserves to have its name kept constantlyto thefront,s in no other way can the respect so necessary for the cement-ng

of a proper understandingon the part of a customer be attained.For example, I recently read a sales letter,supposedly

written by the General Manager of a company, in which thereappeared these statements: Simply send your order to me per-onally.

Now if you wish other samples or information, writeto me personallyand I will take care of it for you. Now all thishas an appealingsound, but it is reallygenuine buncombe, and theaverage purchaserknows it,because no General Manager, if heis fillingis job plus,has time to open the mail and record orders.Then againthe purchaserdoesn't want to think of a General Man-ger

in the lightof an office boy, but instead he wants to believethat somewhere behind a big advertised propositionthere is astrong personality,hinking and planning ways and means togive increased values, and a greater degree of satisfaction.

Stillanother illustrationbearing on this I business may begained from the followingparagraphstaken verbatim from a formletter:

I didn't want to send you a cataloguein the regularay. I wantedto write to you myselfand send the cataloguemyself. I haveheard a greatdeal about your abilitynd your honesty,nd beingthe President and Manager of this Company, I am tempted tomake every effort to win your confidence, and get you to send yourorders for our pure guaranteedgoods,promisingyou the besttreatment it is possibleo giveto any one.


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FORMS 55

You see, I am goingto make a special,ersonalffort in your partic-larcase to enlist you as an agent. I am goingto personallyake

care of everyorder

you maysend us. I am not goingto trust this

to any one else. I have made up my mind to use every effort toinduce you to giveus a trial,and if I once do this I know you willnever regretthat I took this opportunityo write this letter to you.

There are times when the personalelement is all right,butwhen it is overdone the whole letter resembles a huge joke. Markyou, I do not mean by this that the man who makes the personalpronoun I conspicuous never puts it over, because he does.There is a certain percentage of the publicthat is capturedby suchstuff,but,nevertheless,the bigbroad-minded man uses itsparingly.Nobody deserves any credit for a result won by ticklinghe publicfancy with statements that do not mean anything.

One more ticklinggame that is practicedcame to me theother day in the shape of a neatlytypewrittenletter from a prom-nentmagazine, solicitingy subscription,nd with it was ablank form on which somebody had written with a pen Specialfor Mr. Wiers. This special business might have made a hitif the regularsubscriptionpricehad been reduced for my special-benefit or if exactly the same letter had not been sent to manyothers. Moreover, this same dictator also made himself ridiculousby writing this fool expressionjust below his signature Dic-ated

by Mr. H. but signedin his absence. Why is it that men insearch of business will proceed on the principlethat the otherfellow is blind, or hasn't sense enough to study a propositionandthe way it is presentedbefore investinghis shekels in it?

Perhaps you have had enough on this phase of my subject,but I must give you one more illustration justto afford a glimpseof the supposedly clever form man. Note these three paragraphsout of a four-paragraphletter:

Prettyrough when your bookkeeper'sife gets a new lid and yourwife is wearing the old one which she has trimmed over. Shesays a few thingshich are pleasant(?)for you to hear; she doesn'trealize that you have, perhaps,ne or two of those sixty-dayoys


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CONCESSIONS AND ARGUMENTS 57

On this same pointlet me tellyou that it doesn't pay to arguewith a customer, as he is the one who keeps your establishmentgoing. Argument with him cannot produce anything but dis-atisfaand antagonism. You cannot get every man to dobusiness as you would do it. If you could there wouldn't be any-hing

attractive in the game of business. So take it for grantedthat your customer is doing things accordingto the lightgivenhim, and whether he is whimsical in method or repulsiven per-onality,

extend him the best your time and talents will permit.If you happen to be dealingwith a woman who has many thingstosay, pleasantor otherwise, let her say them without unfavorablecomment from you, as tomorrow she is likelyto forgether ownsayings,hereas she would not forgetsomethingunpleasantfromyou. If a customer wants his money back, send it to him quickly,and be sure that whatever you say about the refund has no stringsattached to it. If you are asked to accommodate a customer in away entirelyforeignto your complicated system, justtake careof the customer firstand let the system come trailinglongafter-ards.

An Irish washerwoman complained recentlyo our Phila-elphiaBranch about being short ten bars of Laundry Soap. The

clerk in chargethought he would defend us the best he could byexplainingat some length our methods for packing,checking,etc., while the washerwoman patientlylistened. After he hadfinished she said, Yis, but how about me tin bars of soap?She wanted soap and not system.

Extent of ResponsibilityIt's no uncommon thingin all offices to receive complaints

about some article or articles shipped a number of years ago.We cannot eliminate delayedcomplaintsbecause some men wereborn with the slow habit and will continue to be hitched to it untilGabriel blows his trumpet. The sensible adjustermakes properallowance for peopleof such a type and in adjustingtheir com-laints

forgetsthe delayand deals with the facts. The questionof whether one's responsibilityowards a sale ends after a term of


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years should have littleif any influence. Indeed, I doubt if thereare many men, no matter how gifted,who can tell with any rea-onable

degree of accuracy as to when responsibilitynds. If youwere to press me for an opinion I should say that it never ends.In our business we occasionallyet complaintsabout goods shippedfive and six years ago, and sometimes longer. The persons mak-ng

them are as a rule conscientious in their belief that they havea real grievance entitled to adjustment in accordance with theirwishes. They expect us to take them seriouslyinstead of criti-ising

them for not complainingpromptly. We believe that theonlyway to handle such peopleis to helpthem, and this we alwaysdo, unless their propositionsre totallyabsurd. Only a few daysago we received a complaint from a customer, who said that aset of dishes she bought eightyears ago began to craze soon aftershe received them, with the result that she became so disgustedasto desert us in favor of a competitor. We learned of this griev-nce

through a follow-upletter sent out by our AdvertisingDept.and immediatelyproposed to her that she have the set securelypacked and returned to us, by freight,when we would gladlyexchange it at our expense for another set. She complied withour request and also accompanied the billof ladingwith a $15.00order. The set of Dishes upon its return showed that the womanwas right. Her reason for delayingthe complaintwe never foundout, although we believe she thought a bunco game had beenworked upon her and accordinglydropped us like a hot potato.On another occasion a woman claimed that she had returned firsta Rug and then a Dress to us without receivinganything in ex-hange.

We wrote her repeated letters to find out when thesearticles were originallyrdered and when and by whom they werereturned. Our efforts did not avail anything but stillthe womanpersistedthat she had a case. Finally,we took the ground thatwhere there was so much smoke there must be a littlefire,andduplicatedboth the Dress and the Rug, only to receive by returnmail a $23.00 order. I could go on and cite cases like these in-efinit

but believe the two mentioned will serve to prove apoint that it'sworth while to adjustold complaintsstrictlyn a


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In conclusion,we thank you most heartilyor the loyalandefficientresults of your efforts.

Please decide as to what will accommodate you best and letus hear from you promptly.

Complimentary ConclusionsThose particularlyadapted to first-class business letters

follow :Yours truly,Yours very truly,Yours respectfully,ours veryrespectfully.Conclusions are too frequentlyused in a promis-uous

way. Of all those used the four mentioned above shouldbe generallyadopted. It is not advisable to use the word yoursat the end of the conclusion, as Very trulyyours. Observe thatthe firstword is capitalized,hile all words followingbegin withsmall letters.

SignatureYou can avoid much confusion if you will be careful to sign

alllettersin exactlythe same way. Do not signJohn H. Smithtoday and J. H. Smith tomorrow; either adopt John H. Smithor J. H. Smith as your signatureand adhere closelyto it all thetime. You should also make it a point to write your name soplainlythat it can be read at a glance. Those who get your lettershaven't any time to decipheran illegibleignatureand you haven'tany rightto ask them to, no matter how much of a master youmay be in executingfancy strokes.

* * * *

A person may be stamped as ignorantwho will prefixMr., orany other title,o his own signature;it is,however, allowable fora lady to placebefore her signaturein a letter the title Miss orMrs., enclosed in brackets, in order that the answer may be cor-ectly

directed. In officialletters and those from corporations,rsmaller companies,the signatureshould be followed by t

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