A cover letter is a type of business letter that is needed to describe the package of documents sent to the addressee if these documents do not contain the address part.

In this way, information load transmittal letter does not carry, but performs three important functions:

• confirms the fact of sending;
• provides a list of sent documents and instructions for handling them;
• Thanks to the registration data, it allows you to determine the due date.

Like most business letters, a cover letter is written on company letterhead and receives an outgoing registration number sender. We have analyzed the rules for writing official letters in detail more than once in the magazine, so now we will focus on the features of a cover letter.

A detailed analysis of a business letter with many samples of its composition is in the article “We draw up a business letter»

Speech patterns

The basis of a cover letter is a list of attachments. The text of the document is short and conditionally divided into two parts:

• notification of sending documents,
• request for a timely response (acquaintance, approval, return of a signed copy, etc.).

The first part usually starts like this:

• “In fulfillment ... we send you ...”,
• "We're sending you..."
• "We present to you..."

Next, you can specify the purpose of sending documents: "to agree", "for familiarization", "for signature", "for filling"(if we are talking about a survey form or questionnaire). We recommend using the clichés “sending to you” or “sending to you”, because You can submit something only for review, but not for signing or approval.

The second part may contain the following words:

• “Please sign, seal and send one copy to our address...”,
• “We ask you to consider and send to our address within the time period established by law ...”,
• “I ask you to send one copy of the duly executed…” to our address.

Props "Mark of the presence of applications"

As we have already determined, the main thing in a cover letter to documents is attachments. Therefore, we will pay special attention to the issue of designing this particular prop. Regardless of how the application will be drawn up, the practice of business appeal requires a complete listing of the documents attached to the letter, indicating the number of copies and the number of sheets in each of them. Without this information, the cover letter will lose all meaning.

So, when the documents to be sent are already reported in the text of the letter, it is not worth listing their names again. It is enough to specify the number of sheets and copies. See example 1.

Example 1

A fragment of text and a note about the presence of an application (the name of the application is indicated in the text of the letter)

If the application is not indicated in the text of the letter, in addition to the quantitative data, you must specify its name. If the package includes several documents, the annexes are numbered. See example 2.

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Example 2

A fragment of text and a mark about the presence of an application (the name of the application is indicated in the mark about its presence)

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Although GOST R 6.30-2003 says that when listing several applications in the mark about their availability the generalizing word before the colon is in the singular “Appendix:”, in such cases we still recommend writing it in the plural “Appendices:”, as we showed in Example 2.

Firstly, it is correct from the point of view of the rules of the Russian language. And secondly, the developers of this GOST themselves later “corrected” when they began to give explanations regarding its application in their methodological recommendations. See quotes from these two documents below. But many stubbornly continue to write the word "Appendix:" in the singular, even if it is followed by a list of several documents. Don't do it, and we've explained why.

Document Fragment

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GOST R 6.30-2003 “Unified Documentation Systems. Unified system of organizational and administrative documentation. Documentation Requirements »

3.21. ... If the letter has an attachment not named in the text, then indicate its name, number of sheets and number of copies; if there are several applications, they are numbered:

Document Fragment

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Organizational and administrative documentation. Documentation requirements. Guidelines for the implementation of GOST R 6.30-2003

3.16. ... If the letter has an application that is not named in the text, then indicate its name, the number of sheets and the number of copies, if there are several applications, they are numbered:

Discrepancies are also found regarding how to write the word "application" in the text of the letter: with a small or large letter, with or without the “No” sign. The fact is that you can indicate the name of the attached document in the text of the cover letter in different ways; compare yourself, looking at Example 3: in the second case, it is appropriate to indicate in brackets that the document is an application, and in subsequent cases we show how this can be done in different ways. All options are correct, it is just important to adhere to uniformity in the letter. And even better, in the instructions for the office work of your organization (or other local normative act dedicated to such issues) choose and fix one option, then there will be uniformity in all documents and there will be less confusion among performers.

Example 3

Various ways specifying the name of the application in the text of the letter

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For a bound application, the number of sheets can be omitted (Example 4).

Example 4

Description of the bound application

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When there are so many applications that it is more convenient to list them on a separate sheet (it will be called “Inventory of attachments to the letter from ... No. ...”), it will be enough to refer to such an inventory in the letter (Example 5).

Example 5

If there are so many applications that it is more convenient to list them in a separate inventory

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If you attach to your letter another letter that has its own attachment, you need to inform the addressee about this (Example 6).

Example 6

The letter attachment has its own attachment

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Finally, if your letter is addressed to several organizations at once, and the attachment is only to one of them (others receive a letter only for information), this should also be said (Example 7).

Example 7

Attachment is sent to only one email recipient out of several

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A mark on the presence of attachments is drawn up below the text of the letter and above the signature. Usually these distances (indents) are made the same and equal to approximately 2-3 line spacing (this is well shown in the example of designing a whole letter in Example 9).

By general rule, if the document has attachments, then a mark is made on it about their presence below the text and above the signature, and on the attached documents (for each in the upper right part of the first sheet) it is written which attachment to which document they are (with the designation of the application number, if they several), as in Example 8.

Example 8

Application number and data of the main document on 1 sheet of the application

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But the cover letter has an accounting function of the documents sent, acting as a kind of inventory of attachments to the envelope, but the documents named in such a letter as attachments are actually sent. If the letter had a different function (for example, it was an offer, making an offer to sign an agreement and listing the terms of the proposed cooperation), then the “key” document would be the letter, and the attached documents would only help it fulfill its function. But we are talking about a cover letter, and in this case you should not “spoil” the forwarded documents with information about the “inventory of the envelope” - i.e. You don't need to mark them like that!

Signing and registering with the sender

Business letter signer executive, as in ordinary business correspondence (as a rule, either the head of the organization or an authorized top manager). If we are talking about sending primary accounting documents, the chief accountant can also sign the letter.

So that the recipient of the letter does not later turn to his signer with all clarifying questions (indicated by the number 1 in Example 9), the performer should also be indicated in this document (ibid., see number 2).

Before sending the cover letter, you must assign an outgoing number (indicated by the number 3).

And the addressee will assign his incoming number to him when registering the fact of receipt of the document, while the date of receipt and the incoming number can be indicated on it (handwritten or with a stamp, as in Example 9 - see number 4).

Example 9

Transmittal letter

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Example 11

Cover letter form for individual applicants

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Surprise for applicants - individuals

The need to write a cover letter for documents applies to everyone, regardless of whether it is an organization or individual. Meanwhile, when an ordinary person comes to the organization, as a rule, no letter is written to accompany his documents. It's a pity, because it would be more convenient for you not to memorize and somehow fix it yourself, but to have the information written by the visitor: from whom, what documents, to which of your employees and why to transfer. If you systematically deal with individuals, especially on a number of typical issues, and at the same time receive documents from them that your organization must do something with, then we recommend that you develop a cover letter form for such cases and ask him to fill out each such visitor. See sample form in Example 11.

You will register the completed form and give a copy of the letter with the incoming number to the applicant, and send the package of documents received from him along the appropriate route. Then, having called to inquire about his documents, the person will no longer ask about the “cottage in Malinovka”, but about a certain letter with a unique index.

Please reply within a specified time

Many organizations like to immediately set the deadline for the addressee in their cover letters, and the methods can vary from polite “Please sign the documents and return them within ten days” to imperative "The response time to the letter is 5 working days". Is it worth it to write like this? And how do we react to such conditions?

Recall that according to the rules of business circulation. This landmark should be remembered if there is no other deadline in the cover letter.

Only a superior, controlling organization or any government agency, binding on you normative document. The parties themselves can also agree and document the voluntarily assumed obligations:

Example 10

The deadline for responding to a letter can be set in the contract.

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The agreement provides for a mandatory pre-trial procedure for resolving disputes and disagreements. The Party, which considers that its rights under this Agreement have been violated, is obliged to send a written reasoned claim to the other Party. The Party that received a written reasoned claim is obliged to consider it and give a written reasoned response within 10 (ten) calendar days from the moment you receive it...

When companies of equal status communicate (if no one above them has previously or they themselves have not set the rules for interaction), you can ask to speed up the answer, but this requires a good reason. For example: “Please send the completed questionnaire within fourteen days, as we must submit a response to the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation by 01.10.2013”. Orders in such cases are incorrect, including from the point of view of business etiquette.

Storage of cover letters

A cover letter becomes unnecessary as soon as the contractor picks up his applications and makes sure that they are complete. From now on, work will go on over them, and the letter should be marked as completed and placed in the file.

The question often arises as to how to store cover letters and attachments to them: separately or together? Typically, an attachment to a letter is placed in a special case reserved specifically for this kind of documents. There is no place for cover letters in it: acts of work performed, invoices, contracts and many other documents are stored separately and often for different periods of time.

This point should be taken into account when compiling the nomenclature of cases. Some companies (with a small amount of document flow) create one “Cover Letters” file and put all letters of this kind in it, regardless of what was attached to them. Others have to create several cases from cover letters and put them in case nomenclatures structural divisions. Then, for example, the sent agreement will go to the “Service Agreements” file, and the cover letter to it - to the “Cover Letters to Contracts for Core Activities” file.

It also happens that the letter remains in storage in the company, but the attachment does not. This applies, for example, to draft documents (as in Example 9). The draft regulation is not yet a document and will most likely be corrected more than once, it is not necessary to keep it.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated in writing a cover letter, but it itself can save not only your documents, but also time.

A slight difficulty, as usual, may occur when the company implements the rule to draw up and submit for sending along with a package of documents a properly executed cover letter. But this problem is solved quite simply by establishing this rule in a local regulatory act. And the benefits of it are difficult to overestimate.

Footnotes

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Without business correspondence in business anywhere, whether you are writing on behalf of the company or on behalf of yourself as a private entrepreneur. More specifically, how you abide by its rules. Your potential business partners or clients will judge you a lot by how you communicate with them. Business letter- this, one might say, is the “face” of a businessman. And in order not to lose it, it is important to know about the golden rules of communication in this format.

Business Email Rules

Since now e-mail is used much more often than regular mail, we decided to pay attention to how to properly conduct business correspondence in the network. Here are a few recommendations for you, the observance of which will not allow you to lose face in front of the interlocutor.

Mailbox name

The first thing that catches our eye when we open a new message is the address from which it was sent. Many underestimate the importance of this moment, and send business letters from personal mail accounts. There is nothing wrong with this if the email address contains only your name in a human-readable format. But if there are various nicknames like “kissa1988” or “pupsik-26”, then sending a message from such a box is simply unacceptable. Imagine what emotions a person will have when he receives a business proposal from a "baby" or "sun".

Also, in business correspondence, mailing addresses that begin with [email protected], [email protected] etc. They just aren't taken seriously, and there's a good chance the letter won't even be opened. Most the best way- is to conduct business correspondence from the mailbox [email protected], where name is your first and last name, company is the name of the company.

Recipients

In email correspondence, it is possible to send a letter to a direct recipient and put other recipients in a copy. Recipients in a copy of a message are expected not to respond to it. They are like invited observers. Therefore, before sending, determine from whom exactly you want to receive a response, and correctly arrange the addressees. However, if possible, do not put several people in the direct recipients of letters. It may happen that none of them will answer you if everyone mentally decides to “shift” this responsibility to another addressee.

If you yourself ended up in a copy of a business letter, then, as you already understood, the sender does not wait for your answer. But if it became necessary to answer specifically to you, then you can do this, but it would be polite to apologize at the beginning of the message for “interfering”.

Letter design

Official business style. In business correspondence, of course, is used official style. It lacks adjectives, unnecessary clarifications and details. Only specifics, clarity and logic. After writing a business message, it is useful to read it again and remove all phrases that do not carry a special semantic load and do not change the essence of what is stated. Only when you are convinced that all such words and phrases are removed, then you can say that this rule for writing a business letter has been observed.

Literacy. Saying that it is important to write a message correctly and without errors is like saying “a snowman should be made of snow.” However, it is impossible not to mention this rule. Literacy is the basis of any correspondence. A person who writes a business letter with spelling errors is unlikely to be taken seriously by anyone.

Topic of the letter. It is a must to write it. Try to make it short, but capacious, so that at one glance it becomes immediately clear to the recipient what the letter will be about. The subject should not consist of one word. "Information", "Question", etc. - Wrong business email subject lines. " trade offer from Company X" - right topic. If the information in your letter is particularly important, then you can mark it with a special “importance” flag, which is available in almost all e-mail services.

Font. The text of the message should be, first of all, readable. Therefore, use the font Arial or Times New Roman, choose an average size (for example, in mail.ru mail, the optimal font size is 3). Don't experiment with fonts or colors. In business correspondence, this is inappropriate. Don't use Caps Lock exclamation points and various special characters (including emoticons). The only thing that is allowed is the selection of some phrases in italics or bold. But try to use this only when absolutely necessary.

For ease of reading and a better message, you can use subheadings in the text of the letter. But there should not be too many of them - no more than 3-4.

One paragraph should not span more than 4 lines. When we read very long paragraphs, the text merges and the main idea can be lost.

Any transfers and lists should be made out with the help of special markers.

Corporate template. It will be great if you develop a corporate email template in your corporate style. And you will send all business messages only with this template. This will allow you to stand out from the rest and maintain the formality required by a business message. However, do not overdo it with "brand" - excessive creativity will only hurt. After all, we are talking about business communication, not entertainment. Do not forget also that recipients can read your messages not only on a computer, but also on mobile devices. Therefore, the template must be optimized for different screen resolutions.

There should be only one informational reason in one letter. And accordingly, only one target action should be implied from the recipient. It is considered incorrect to include several questions, suggestions or requests to the recipient in one message at once.

It should be broken down into the following parts:
- introduction;
- main part;
- conclusion.

In the introduction, briefly state the purpose of the message and the reasons for writing it. The main part is the very essence of the letter. In conclusion, you need to summarize the above - these can be conclusions, requests, instructions, suggestions, and so on. It is highly undesirable to use any "postscripts" in business correspondence. Avoid also aphorisms, metaphors, proverbs and so on.

If you need to submit a graphic image in a letter, then do not insert it into the message text itself, but attach it as a separate file. Images may not display correctly on different devices, or may be completely disabled in the interface of the recipient's email program. In the text, where necessary, simply indicate "the information is in the attached file." If there are several such files, be sure to write their names.

If you use abbreviations and abbreviations, you must be 100% sure that the recipient will understand what is meant by them. In general, it is better to play it safe and not use such things.

Lack of emotion. Business letters should not contain any emotional coloring. At all. Even if you write a complaint and you really want to show the fullness of your indignation, or, on the contrary, you sincerely thank your partner for a successful deal. The message should be restrained and even to some extent cold-blooded. Each person appreciates his individuality, but business correspondence is not The best way to manifest it. A formal letter from a cheerful or sad person, a janitor or CEO should be the same.

Use of vocabulary. To link sentences in business correspondence, the following set expressions are used:

1. for that reason;
3. on what basis;
4. by force (of something);
5. in accordance with;
6. based;
7. pay attention to;
8. Considering;
9. what served.

Etc. Also in business letters it is allowed to use abbreviations and abbreviations that are generally accepted in the industry in which the message is written. If you are in doubt whether the recipient will understand a specific abbreviation, then it is better to write the phrase in full.

Greetings. Please don't ever use the cliché 'Good day'. This, one might say, is a bad form not only of business correspondence, but also of e-mails in principle. The optimal greeting is "Hello, Name / First Name Patronymic." By the way, it's good to address the recipient of the message by name not only in the greeting, but also further along the text. If you are writing to a person you do not personally know, you must indicate at the very beginning where you got the recipient's address from.

Letter size. This is not a work of art and not your personal thoughts "on the subject." The message should be as concise as possible in order to convey the fullness of the information in it. It is optimal if the text of the letter fits into one “screen”. Reading long letters is tiring, and it annoys many people.

Responses to letters. When you reply to a received message, always click the "Reply" button, not the "Compose" button. With the first option, the entire history of correspondence will automatically be pulled up in your answer. This is correct, because a person may not immediately remember who you are and what you want from him if he does not see the background. Especially if more than five days have passed since the last correspondence. Feel free to quote your interlocutor while replying to his message. This will give him a chance to remember what you talked about before.

Always thank the interlocutor where it is appropriate. For example, you can write "Vladimir, thank you for your letter" or "Irina Alekseevna, thank you for such a quick response." Such nuances will show your respect for the interlocutor and soften the mood of electronic communication.

If the interlocutor sent you a message in which he expressed his dissatisfaction or even frankly rude to you, try not to answer him in the same way, no matter how much you would like to. Situations vary, but always respond politely and with restraint.

Of course, the sooner you answer, the better. Great if you can respond within a few hours. This time frame is optimal. But let's say the answer is within a few days. Psychologists say that a person’s comfortable waiting time for a response to an email is 48 hours, that is, two days. If you have to wait longer, then this may already be perceived as disrespectful or ignored. If the issue that is raised in the message requires more time for you to respond, then be sure to write that you received the letter, took it into consideration and answer as soon as you can. So the sender will at least not feel ignored.

Conclusion of the letter. You should not write phrases that can be perceived as an attempt to manipulate: “I really hope for a profitable cooperation”, “Thank you in advance for your answer”, and so on. It is better to say goodbye in electronic correspondence with the phrases “Respectfully”, “My sincere wishes”, and the like. Yes, such phrases are formulaic, but they are the best suited for business communication. In the signature, write your name, surname, position and company name. Also leave contacts by which you can be contacted, in addition to email.

Sending time. Certainly, emails do not imply that they must be read immediately upon receipt. But in business ethics email considered incorrect to send mail messages on the weekend, holidays, late in the evening or at night. Try to stick to standard business hours.

And of course, before you click the "send" button, carefully check the spelling of the recipient's name and email address. Reread the entire text of the message and check it for typos or incorrect phrases.

Russian

English

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Based on your request, these examples may contain coarse language.

Based on your request, these examples may contain colloquial vocabulary.

Translation of "copy of the letter" in Chinese

Other translations

In a copy of the letter dated July 31, 1990, it is reported from KNK that KNK was to sign a certificate of completion dated July 29, 1990 for segment B.

A copy of a letter dated 31 July 1990 from KOC indicates that a completion certificate dated 29 July 1990 for Segment B was to be issued by KOC.

A copy of a letter dated 31 July 1990 from KOC indicates that a completion certificate dated 29 July 1990 for Segment B was to be issued by KOC.">

Suggest an example

Other results

Pre-registered participants must arrive in Accreditation Center with a copy of the letter- confirmation and a valid photo ID (passport, driver's license).

Pre-registered participants must come to the Accreditation Center with a copy of the confirmation letter and valid photo identification (passport, driver's license).

A copy of the confirmation letter and valid photo identification (passport, driver "s license).">

IN the Group has copy of the letter under the signature of Ringo with the order to appoint Rwaburamba Birekeraho as the manager in Kakenge to work under the protection of Captain Gasana (see appendix 96).

The Group has a copy of a letter signed by Ringo ordering the installation of Rwaburamba Birekeraho as Kakenge manager, under the protection of Captain Gasana (see annex 96).

A copy of a letter signed by Ringo ordering the installation of Rwaburamba Birekeraho as Kakenge manager, under the protection of Captain Gasana (see annex 96).">

IN the same time copies of the letter, shapes and guidelines were sent to all National Focal Points of the Forum that had been officially designated by that time.

At the same time copies of the letter, format and guidelines were sent to all the Forum national focal points that had been officially designated to date.">

The Commission stressed the desirability of the Secretariat sending to all members of the Commission copy of the letter to address of special rapporteurs with a reminder of deadlines presentation of their reports.

The Commission stressed the advisability that the Secretariat be requested to send to all members of the Commission a copy of the letter sent to Special Rapporteurs reminding them of the deadline set for the submission of their reports.

Copy of the letter sent to Special Rapporteurs reminding them of the deadline set for the submission of their reports.">

IN the Group has copy of the letter sent on 4 July 2011 to the Commander of the 10th FARDC Military Region, describing the state of the warehouse, which had been flooded several times, causing weapons and ammunition to rust (see annex 160).

The Group has a copy of a letter sent to the FARDC 10th Military Regional Commander on 4 July 2011 decrying the state of the armoury, which had been flooded on several occasions, exposing weapons and ammunition to rust (see annex 160).

A copy of a letter sent to the FARDC 10th Military Regional Commander on 4 July 2011 decrying the state of the armory, which had flooded on several occasions, exposing weapons and ammunition to rust (see annex 160).">

My views expressed in volume letter, copy which is attached remain unchanged.

In this letter, a copy of which is enclosed, are unchanged.">

IN this letter, copy which was received by the Group, the details of the intermediary company "Culworth Investments Corporation" with an address in Monrovia, Liberia are indicated.

The letter , a copy of which was obtained by the Panel, shows the letterhead of the brokering company Culworth Investments Corporation with an address in Monrovia, Liberia.

letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Panel, shows the letterhead of the brokering company Culworth Investments Corporation with an address in Monrovia, Liberia.">

However, the Board of Directors of the Forestry Board decided on 28 February 2008 that abandoned roundwood can only be exported in within the country according to copies of the letter submitted by the Managing Director of the Forestry Department to the Sanoquele County Court on March 6, 2008.

However, the Board of Directors decided on 28 February 2008 that the abandoned logs should be consumed only locally, according to a copy of a letter sent by the FDA Managing Director to the Sanniquellie county court on March 6, 2008.

Copy of a letter sent by the FDA Managing Director to the Sanniquellie county court on 6 March 2008.">

NAME OF THE GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE CONFERENCE, FORWARDING COPY OF THE LETTER TO HIS ADDRESS BY THE FRENCH MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AND EUROPEAN AFFAIRS, MR BERNARD KOUSCHNER, ACCOMPANIED BY LETTER THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC TO THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE DECLARATION ON THE STRENGTHENING OF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY, ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE ON DECEMBER 11, 2008

When working in IT, there is a great temptation to save time on the quality of email correspondence by sending emails "as needed". However, for large companies this often leads to a deterioration in communication and a decrease in the efficiency of the project (due to the large number of people involved in decision making).

To avoid this, I propose the following a selection of recommendations for email correspondence, selected by me from a dozen sources. I’ll note right away that one of the criteria for the effectiveness of email communication is to get what you want. with minimal distraction other colleagues.

So general:

1. The response time, by default, is expected no later than 24 hours.
2. If you sent two emails and no response, call. If a phone call doesn't resolve the issue, make an appointment.
3. If you can not answer, write down immediately that you will answer then XX.XX.
4. If the letter is not for you, then answer "most likely you have the wrong addressee." Otherwise, the person will wait for an answer and waste time relying on you.

Addressees:

1. If possible, do not drag everyone into a copy. Put others in the copy if:
   • they themselves asked you about it;
   • they should receive this letter.
2. If the issue is clearly solved with one of the people in the copy, then answer everyone that you solve it with him and tell everyone only the final result. Remember that the more people in the chain, the less the sense of responsibility to answer it.
3. But be prepared for the fact that almost no one reads letters where they are put in a copy.

Topic of the letter:

1. One subject - one letter. If, as a result of correspondence, the subject of the letter has changed, change the subject and heading of the letter.
2. Brief essence at once: In the subject, immediately write what you want to receive.
3. Add status tags to the email subject line. , , [Not urgent], [Documents], "FYI" - for letters that do not require action from the recipient. Save him time.

Letter chains (threads)

1. Thread change. Do not "steal" the topic of the correspondence, wedging into the correspondence with other topics for discussion. Just create a new thread (chain of emails) with your subject.
2. Destination exclusion. If you need to discuss a certain issue only with some recipients, exclude the rest, and add a separate line "- Semyon, Igor" at the beginning of the letter so that the recipients understand this change.
3. Also, if someone is no longer required in correspondence, then you can put him in BCC(blind copy) and notify him about it:

   @Ivan, thanks for participating in the discussion, I put you in BCC so as not to distract you

4. Adding recipients. Similarly, don't forget to include "+ Alexey" at the beginning of the letter.
5. Use accepted codes EOM or NNTR. By adding the characters EOM (= End of message) to the subject of the message, you say that the discussion is closed. And NNTR (= No need to respond) - that it is not necessary to respond. This saves both the recipient and your time and you will not receive another email with a question like:
   

   So, what do you need from me?

6. Answers in other people's letters:
   Reply in the body of the letter by putting initials at the beginning of the answer so as not to get confused:
   

   Do you agree with the layout changes?
   [BUT. S.]: Yes, I agree.

   
   You can also change the color/font (but some recipients may have message formatting disabled and only plain text is visible to them!)
7. Do not drag all correspondence with your tail. Many correspondences drag on and huge tails of past letters grow. Don't pull them. Just imagine what lies ahead for a colleague or partner who has just arrived in the SS. It is better to leave 3-4 last answers and retell past agreements in your own words.

Letter:

1. essence: What you are asking for or offering should be in the first 15 words in the body of the email. Also indicate the time frame when you need a response - a task without a deadline runs forever.
2. Context: At the beginning of a long letter, describe the context in one sentence, and one sentence, as discussed below. Especially for the first letter or when adding a person who is not up to date with the correspondence.
3. Be Specific. Avoid open abstract questions, ask closed questions. If you have a question, then in order to get an answer as quickly as possible, offer the addressee possible solutions:
   

   There is such a problem, we offer the following solutions:

   • Solution A
   • Solution B
   • Requires discussion

   Which solution is right for you?

Meeting minutes:

Write further actions first, then conclusions and agreements, since they are less important and may not be read to them.

Email attachments:

1. Attached files are not sent when replying to an email. Use "forward/forward".
2. Report attachments in the body of the email (on Mac OS, attachments in emails are easy to miss).
3. Upload large files (more than 5 Mb) to dropbox or google drive and provide via the link. In addition, pictures in the body of the letter are often thrown out of the history of the letter by mail programs, so the link to the cloud wins again.

Signature:

Don't make a big caption with pictures that often takes up more space than your message. It's awkward to scroll. Yes, and pictures are attached to the letter in the form of attachments, and they constantly need to be checked to see if anything important has been attached.

Before sending:

1. Re-read and check spelling before submitting.
2. Difficult/emotional letters – write, set aside for an hour, then re-read and, if you are sure, send.
3. You can set up a rule in MS Outlook that delays any sent letter for N minutes in a special Outbox folder. During these N minutes, you can cancel / edit the letter, thereby insuring against errors.

magician_roman in The concept of "hidden copy", learning not to do stupid things

Surprisingly, many people, when they are asked to send a letter to several people at once, simply list the addresses in the "To" field, this is normal when this letter is addressed to your colleagues or friends, but when sending letters to a group of clients, you thus show everyone addresses and other recipients, actually revealing your address base.

It is enough for any of the clients to forward this letter to your competitor and your contacts will be immediately leaked.

It's strange, but many far from stupid people are surprised to learn that if you need to send a letter to many recipients so that they do not know about each other, then there is a "Bcc" field for this.

For example, for mail.ru it will look like this:

And once again briefly:indicated addresses in "to" - everyone can see to whom you sent letters, indicated in "blind copy" - everyone thinks that the letter is only for him.

And each recipient will receive a letter where in the "to" field will be only his address . For other programs, if you can't find where to put the Bcc, ask someone to show you. Another small point, be sure to specify one address in the "to" field, most programs or mail servers you will not be allowed to send an email without this parameter.

And so, when it comes to sending out offers, news to a group of your customers - here the practice of using a hidden copy is unambiguous, you must hide your address base. An interesting point with sending a letter to your colleagues, it is recommended here to act according to the situation, for example, sending a letter with a request to send suggestions (for example, to improve customer service) and if each colleague sees that other people have received the same letter, then most likely they will not answer - rely on others, so you need to use a hidden copy. If this order is fulfilled, then, for example, an indication of the "whom" of your colleague's boss will simply work wonders, and your order will be fulfilled.

A separate issue with suppliers. On the one hand, the indication of all recipients in the copy should show the supplier that you have a choice and that he should offer you good prices. On the other hand, the manager who received your letter, seeing that it was sent not only to him, will most likely treat your request as "cool". Personally, in my opinion, I think that in the case of suppliers, you need to use a blind copy, at least for protection trade secret, but more soon for good relationship with the supplier manager.

You can read a recent case of a specialist's mistake, when all recipients saw other recipients: Smack everyone in this chat, there were really respectable people there - directors, but still many received spam in response.

Well, as always, discussion in the comments is welcome.