Format

The basic business letter format is the same across a range of industries, with few variations
for content and style. The letter should be left-aligned, single-spaced with a one-inch margin
and a standard 11- or 12-point type size. The top line below the letterhead should be the
month, day and year, followed by one line of space and the address of the recipient. Place
one line of space after the recipient's address and use a simple, professional greeting,
followed by a colon and another line of space. Each following paragraph should be separated
by a line. Insert one line after the last paragraph, followed by a closing and a comma; leave
four lines of space for your signature, and type your name and title.

Professionalism
A well-formatted letter conveys an immediate sense of professionalism to the reader,
particularly if it is printed on quality paper and folded neatly. It lets the recipient know that
you took the time to craft a letter carefully, even before he reads the content. When it
comes time to follow up, the reader will know where to look for the pertinent information,
such as the date and return address.
Related Reading: How to Fomat a Business Letter

Communication Knowledge
When you use the accepted format for a business letter, it lets the reader know that you
have a basic understanding of standard business communication practices. A poorly
formatted letter, on the other hand, sends an immediate message to the recipient that you
do not have the knowledge or you view the communication as informal; as a result, the
content might not get the attention it deserves.

Showcases Content
When writing a business letter, your main objective is to get a message across; the design of
the letter itself should fade into the background. By using an improper letter layout, you
immediately draw attention to the format rather than the message. By following the
standard guidelines for the paragraph content -- introducing your point and providing
immediate support -- you build your case quickly and concisely, making it easy for the
reader to focus on the letter itself.

Sources: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-good-business-letter-format23826.html

The Importance of Good Business Letter Format

by Elizabeth Smith, Demand Media

tion, and more.

6 Skill Sets Every Modern Day Technical Writer Needs to Succeed

Posted by Kathy Porray on Thu,Aug 29, 2013

inShare
2
Over my multi-decade career as a technical writer, Ive learned about radars,
mainframe computers, weather satellites, Chinook helicopters, air conditioning
systems, furnaces, material handling systems, printing presses, cameras, process
equipment solutions, and medical devices. And, now Im blogging on a regular
basis. Not bad for an English major from LeMoyne College.technical writing services

From my perspective, being a technical writer has been a fun and exciting
experience. It has provided me with an opportunity to interact with a variety of
experts in their field, have a career I enjoyed, travel, take an extended hiatus to
raise my children, and then return to the profession I loved for a second full-time
career. For the past few years, it has also offered me the flexibility of working from
my home office.

In the early days:

When I first came into the profession in the 60s, the primary skills needed to
become a technical writer were:

A college degreepreferably in English Studies or Journalism

Ability to write well and convey information to the intended audience in an easily
understood manner
Ability to create your own graphics, if necessary
Attention to detail
Good interviewing and listening skills

Ability to interact with engineers, scientists, illustrators, typists (we wrote our drafts
in long-hand back then), and printers
Patience (turnaround times were really slow)
How things have changed:

The worlds of communications and technology have evolved dramatically in the

past two decades. Advances in computer and communications technologies have
allowed technical writers to work from almost anywherehome, office, even on the
roadas well as interact with people from around the globe. As a result, the modern
day technical writer must be able to assimilate complex information quickly and be
comfortable working with people from diverse professional and cultural
backgrounds. Their ability to work under pressure and in a variety of work settings
is also essential.

In addition to excellent writing and communication skills, technical writers must now
be able to express ideas clearly and logically in a variety of media. They need to be
proficient with electronic publishing, graphics, and sound and video production. Also
needed is knowledge of computer software for combining online text with graphics,
audio, video, and animation, as well as the ability to manage large, complex, and
interconnected files.

6 Skill Sets Every Modern Day Technical Writer Needs to Succeed

Like any profession, becoming a technical writer requires a mastery of certain skill
sets. The following is a sampling of what a modern day technical writer needs to
bring to the table to be a successful technical communicator.

Write clearly, concisely, and precisely. The ability to write well and convey
information to the intended audience in an easily understood manner is still the
primary prerequisite.

Be proficient in using the tools of the trade. Knowing your way around computer
systems is a given. You also need to be able to learn quickly and become proficient

using computer applications associated with producing your documentation such as

Adobe FrameMaker, MS Word, MadCap Flare, RoboHelp, Photoshop, and Illustrator.

Be able to select the proper support visuals needed to enhance the written word. To
a growing extent, the technical writer needs an appreciation for graphics and
formatting as well as illustration skills. For many organizations, the technical writer
must collaborate with the subject matter expert (SME) to obtain engineering
drawings and the illustrator to design and develop the needed support graphics.
Technical writers are often responsible for taking their own photographs too.

Have a natural curiosity for exploring things technical and learning how they work.
The technical skill of a technical writer depends greatly on the subject matter,
product, or service that requires documentation. Most writers expand their
knowledge through experience in the profession or by taking specialized technical
writing training.

Know how to ask questions and learn from the answers. Interacting with SMEs is one
the most overlooked skills. You have to be part journalist and part investigative
reporter. And, you cant be too proud to ask the "dumb technical questions" that
make engineers do double-takes. When setting up an interview or review, consider
the personalities and preferences of your SMEs. Make sure you have all your
questions ready up front and that you understand the answers before you leave the
meeting. If a follow up is needed, schedule it then.

Refine the art of patience and persistence. Unless you have patience, youll never
make it as a technical communicator. I hate to say it, but most SMEs tend to drag
their feet when it comes to a timely turnaround for reviews. Its a delicate balance,
but with a little persistence, they can be trained.
Technical writers and communicators add tremendous value to a documentation
project and to the organization that employs them. They make information more
useable and accessible to those who need that information, and in doing so, they
advance the goals of the organization.

Additional References:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook

Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Technical Writers

Society for Technical Communication, Inc., About the Profession

Source: http://www.novatekcom.com/blog/bid/330465/6-Skill-Sets-Every-ModernDay-Technical-Writer-Needs-to-Succeed

Technical professionals have their own language learn how to translate that into everyday
English for nontechnical colleagues.
If youre like most technical professionals, your communications, whether written or verbal, are filled with
lots of technical jargon and pseudo-codes to communicate meaning in the most efficient way possible.
And thats great when youre talking with other technical professionals. But what happens when youre
talking to nontechnical professionals? Thats where problems can arise.
Learn real, effective strategies for communicating more clearly right away, things like:

Active-listening skills to hear what is really being said

Delivering and responding to feedback

How written and verbal communications differ

Rephrasing technical terms and jargon for those who are unfamiliar with them

And more!

Your technical skills are top notch dont let communication difficulties hold you back.
You know youre good at your job, and you know what needs to be done. But sometimes, despite your
best efforts, nontechnical colleagues cant wrap their minds around what it is youre telling them. And
thats exactly why you need Essential Communication Skills for Technical Professionals. This oneday course has all the information, skills, and strategies you need to eliminate misunderstandings with
nontechnical colleagues, and start performing at a higher level right away!
Effective communication is vital to your success.
The ability to communicate, cooperate, and collaborate is hugely important in todays interconnected work
environment, but if youre struggling to get your point across it can lead to tons of problems, even
impacting your ability to perform your job. Thats where this one-day training comes in. Essential

Communication Skills for Technical Professionals was specifically designed with you in mind, to help
you eliminate communication problems and misunderstandings, letting you spend more time on things
that really matter.
Communicate with ease and confidence and know that you are always being understood!

Source:
http://www.nationalseminarstraining.com/SeminarSearchResults/Essential_Communi
cation_Skills_for_Technical_Professionals/COMTP/index.html

A listener to the Tech Writer Voices podcast suggested I do a podcast on the following:

Give ideas to people who are just starting out in technical writing. What is the
base of knowledge that every technical writer should have?
And so in preparation for the podcast, I offer these five skills or characteristics as
absolute musts for the technical writer:

1. Facility with technology

You have to be somewhat technical, although there are many different kinds of
technicalese. You may have a bent towards one of the sciences, and can understand
the inner workings of cells or atoms. Or you may be web savvy and know how to
interpret code. Or maybe you're just curious about how things work. You can learn
technologies you don't understand, if you have the motivation. I personally enjoy
learning about complicated systems. This understanding brings a sense of achievement
and knowledge that is rewarding at the end of the day.

2. Ability to write clearly

The essential skill of any technical communicator is to disambiguate (to use a word my
father introduced to me the other day). Your core job will consist of taking complicated
things and trying to explain them in easy-to-understand ways. You can't just pass off an
explanation you only half understand. Writing about something (as opposed to talking
about it) requires you to understand it thoroughly. Avoid passive sentences and long

constructions. Go from old ideas to new. Define acronyms and avoid assumptions about
what the user knows. Make the reader feel smart.

3. Talent in showing ideas graphically

I underestimated the importance of using Visio until just a few months ago. Any time you
can show an idea graphically, you score a hundred points with the reader. Almost
everyone is a visual person. People understand better when you can communicate your
ideas visually (and I'm not just talking about screenshots here, although they do count
for something). It is surprisingly easy to create half-decent diagrams in Visio. They go a
long way toward making your writing clear.

4. Patience in problem-solving/troubleshooting
Unless you have patience, you'll never make it. I think 80 percent of IT work consists of
problem solving. What do you do when you can't figure out how to do something? Do
you slam your fist into your keyboard? Do you scream and curse when you can't
immediately figure something out? It's amazing how you can see a seemingly
impossible problem through with patience and persistence.

5. Ability to interact with SMEs

I talked about this in my last podcast on Tech Writer Voices. Interacting with SMEs is
one the most overlooked skills in technical writing. You have to be part investigative
reporter, part journalist. You can't be shy about going after certain people to extract
information. And you can't be too proud to ask the "dumb technical questions" that make
engineers do double-takes. A lot of this interaction can come about if you're lucky
enough to simply sit near SMEs.
I know I'm missing a few more essential qualities. I'd like to add a few more here. Any
ideas?
Sources: http://idratherbewriting.com/2007/09/26/five-skills-every-technical-writerneeds/