How to write an effective letter

Once upon a time--a very different time--people relied on letters almost exclusively as a method of communication. Whether you wanted to stay in touch with family or friends, do business, or create a country, letters were the way to do it. The Declaration of Independence is, in essence, a letter; and before it was ever drafted dozens of other letters flew back and forth between the founding fathers expressing the need for a new country.

Obviously this is no longer the case. But the advent of e-mail, the telephone, video chat, texting, social networking sites, and all the other communications options we now have access to hasn't changed our dependence on the ability to write a good, clear letter. Whether you send it over e-mail, put it in a Facebook message, fax it, or break it down and Tweet it, the need for structure, clarity, and style is still there. Here are six key elements to a well-crafted letter:

Preparation. Before you begin, take the time to establish clearly for yourself what your objective is for your letter. Don't wade in with a general idea, only to be pulled under by a tide of digressions and needless information. What is your motive for contacting this person? What information does he or she need from you in order to explain your motive? What roadblocks do you think might keep the recipient from understanding this information, and how should they be addressed (if at all)? Finally, what do you want him or her to do as a result of receiving the information? Once you know the answers to these questions, you're ready to begin on the letter itself.

Introduction. We're all busy. With the exception of your closest friends and family members, you should always remember that your recipient wants to know why you're writing as quickly and in as few words as possible. Depending on how complicated your subject matter is and how long your missive, this can be a paragraph, a sentence, or even just a phrase like, "Regarding our conversation yesterday on next year's expansion plan..." Open with a friendly greeting if you feel the need to establish tone, but once that's done, get your objective out there ASAP and move on. (Note: this is especially important for cover letters associated with resumes.)

Support or background information. This is pretty self-explanatory. Just remember to be as concise as possible when presenting the details or background needed. Make sure that all information presented is essential to your objective; anything extra will weaken your message and make it less likely that your recipient will read the entire letter.

Response to possible opposition. Letters (apart from family newsletters) are meant to get your recipient to do something. When you ask someone to do something, nine times out of ten you know that there may be certain roadblocks or personal objections that stand in the way of their doing so. It's important to address these in your message; it's even more important that you do so in a positive way. Don't strengthen your recipient's objection by voicing it for him or her ("I know you may think that this would not be cost-effective..."). Focus instead on the benefits of doing what you ask ("This will be a good value because...").

Request. Now that you've made your case, and drawn special attention to the areas of your case that you think your recipient needs to hear pointed out, it's time to ask for your objective. Don't ever make your case and then leave the recipient's next step up to him or her. Even if you're not sure what the next step should be, ask to discuss it further or ask the recipient to come up with a solution. Look on this portion of your message as closing a sale. Good sales people are taught from day one that if you don't ask, you won't receive.

Conclusion. Like the introduction, your conclusion should be as short as possible. Your purpose is only to thank your recipient for their time, and express that you look forward to their response, giving any applicable deadlines. Don't weaken your letter's structure by going back over ground you've already covered. If your letter is informal--for example, an e-mail continuing an established conversation with someone you already know--all the conclusion you need is to sign your name; your request can stand alone.

So there you have it. There are a lot of nifty tips and tricks for each aspect, of course, but these six points are the basic framework for any solid letter. Happy writing!