CHAPTER XXII 



BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE 



Business is annually transacted between firms and indi- 

 viduals who have never come in personal contact with each 

 other. They have become acquainted and started a business 

 relation with each other entirely through correspondence. A 

 business house writes frequently to its customers and may 

 possibly write from twenty to a hundred letters for each time 

 its representatives have the opportunity of calling in person. 

 It is therefore evident that the letter is one of the big factors in 

 business. It is of as great importance, or even greater, that a 

 business letter be considered as a credit to the institution where 

 it originated as that a call be made by the proper representative. 

 The latter will make only a short call and should the impression 

 he made be unfavorable, the effect therefrom may gradually die 

 away and be forgotten. The letter, however, becomes the 

 property of the one to whom it was addressed and if it creates an 

 unfavorable impression it reflects on the firm even more force- 

 fully and wiU continue to convey the same impression at least 

 as long as it remains in the possession of its recipient. Such a 

 letter may not merely prevent an immediate sale, but sales for 

 a period of years. 



A. THE APPEARANCE OF LETTER 



I. Stationery. — The stationery selected by a firm should at 

 least not be out of harmony with the business of the company. 

 A dairy firm should select paper of good quality. It cannot any 

 more afford to write letters on poor, cheap-appearing stationery 

 - than it can afford to send its salesman out in cheap and shabby 

 clothing. 



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