BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

VOLUME I

HOW TO WRITE THE BUSINESS LETTER: 24 chapters on preparing to writethe letter and finding the proper viewpoint; how to open the letter,present the proposition convincingly, make an effective close; howto acquire a forceful style and inject originality; how to adaptselling appeal to different prospects and get orders by letter—proved principles and practical schemes illustrated by extracts from217 actual letters

BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCEVOLUME I

PART IPreparing to Write the LetterCHAPTER1: What You Can Do With a Postage Stamp2: The Advantages of Doing Business by Letter3: Gathering Material and Picking Out Talking Points4: When You Sit Down to Write

PART IIHow to Write the Letter5: How to Begin a Business Letter6: How to Present Your Proposition7: How to Bring the Letter to a Close

PART IIIStyle—Making the Letter Readable8: "Style" in Letter Writing—And How to Acquire It9: Making the Letter Hang Together10: How to Make Letters Original11: Making the Form Letter Personal

PART IVThe Dress of a Business Letter12: Making Letterheads and Envelopes Distinctive13: The Typographical Make-up of Business Letters14: Getting a Uniform Policy and Quality in Letters15: Making Letters Uniform in Appearance

PART VWriting the Sales Letter16: How to Write the Letter That Will "Land" the Order17: The Letter That Will Bring An Inquiry18: How to Close Sales by Letter19: What to Enclose With Sales Letters20: Bringing in New Business by Post Card21: Making it Easy for the Prospect to Answer

PART VIThe Appeal to Different Classes22: How to Write Letters That Appeal to Women23: How to Write Letters That Appeal to Men24: How to Write Letters That Appeal to Farmers

What You Can Do With a
POSTAGE STAMP

PART I—PREPARING TO WRITE THE LETTER—CHAPTER 1

Last year [1910] fifteen billion letters were handled by the postoffice—one hundred and fifty for every person. Just as a thousandyears ago practically all trade was cash, and now only seven percent involves currency, so nine-tenths of the business is done todayby letter while even a few decades ago it was by personal word. Youcan get your prospect, turn him into a customer, sell him goods,settle complaints, investigate credit standing, collect yourmoney—ALL BY LETTER. And often better than by word of mouth. For,when talking, you speak to only one or two; by letter you can talkto a hundred thousand in a sincere, personal way. So the letter isthe MOST IMPORTANT TOOL in modern business—good letter writing isthe business man's FIRST REQUIREMENT.

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There is a firm in Chicago, with a most interesting bit of insidehistory. It is not a large firm. Ten years ago it consisted of oneman. Today there are some three hundred employees, but it is still aone-man business. It has never employed a salesman on the road; thehead of the firm has never been out to call on any of his customers.

But he

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