Business & Technical Writing/leeterhead

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Expert: - 12/17/2007


Question
Hello,

We just started a non-profit association, we don't really know how to write our letterhead. Is there a specific format we have to follow?

thank you,
Damaris Garay

Answer
Hi, Damaris--

Thank you for your question, and thank you for using AllExperts.com.

Whether in for-profit or non-profit organizations, letterheads are highly personal. The best ones are simple, are easy to read, have a tag line, and motivate the recipient to remember it.

Some organizations, including my own, have an icon. I strongly recommend that. You can see ours on our homepage @ www.beckmill.com. We are a deep-specialty, narrow-niche professional services business. The concentric hexagons circumscribing a triangle that comprise our icon mirror a proprietary analytical framework that we have developed.

The icon, in turn, shows up at the top of every e-mail we send out. We have also had a watermark created with the icon, so the watermark shows up on every page of our reports and letterhead correspondence. My next step is to have a lapel pin in the shape of the icon, have the icon put on golf balls to give to clients, and have it put on dress shirts and polo shirts. Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat. That's essential.

I do NOT recommend that you have your organization's letterhead printed professionally. That costs money and is unnecessary with today's technology.

However, you will probably find it helpful to engage an advertising agency with a history of successful work with small non-profits like yours. Ad people can sometimes come up with great stuff. But be sure to keep them on a short leash with a tight budget that has progress milestones in it. Otherwise, you can end up spending a chunk of change and not have something to show for it that's a bell-ringer. Be sure to check references on the agency before you engage it. Be prepared to pay a small retainer as a show of good faith. That will really motivate the agency.

Hope this helps. If not, please write again.

All best--

Warren

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Warren D. Miller

Expertise

I believe I can answer nearly any question about business writing. That goes in spades if the target audience is a lay readership. I make my living writing and speaking. N.B.: I DO NOT ANSWER QUESTIONS MARKED 'PRIVATE' because I believe that knowledge should be shared, not hoarded. I also believe such questions are likely to be submitted by people trying to cheat. In addition, don't waste your time asking me to write something for you. You don't learn anything if I do that. I'm happy to critique something that YOU write, of course. That's the best way for you to learn how to write well.

Experience

My profession is business valuation, which means appraising businesses whose shares are not publicly traded. This requires in-depth knowledge about a number of disciplines, including economics, finance, strategic management, accounting, anthropology, statistics, and psychology. The left-brain part of me must conduct rigorous research and financial analysis. The right-brain side must then separate what matters from what doesn't and then explain it all in writing (and in everyday English) to people (usually business owners, but sometimes judges and juries) who do not have the expertise that I have been lucky enough to acquire over the years. I love what I do and consider myself fortunate to live in a country where I can do what I love doing and make a nice living doing it. I am glad to help with writing issues, but NOT, please, with any valuation, business consulting, or other non-writing questions.

Organizations
CFA Institute, American Society of Appraisers, Strategic Management Society, Academy of Management, Culver Legion, National Association of Scholars.

Publications
Besides two published books (search for "Warren D. Miller" on Amazon), I have written for the Harvard Business Review, American Fly Fisher, Business Valuation Review, CPA Expert, Academy of Management Executive, CFA Digest, Valuation Strategies, and others.

Education/Credentials
MBA - Oklahoma State U. (1991); BBA - U. of Oklahoma (1975); Chartered Financial Analyst designation (2006) Accredited Senior Appraiser (2006) Certified Public Accountant (1992)

Awards and Honors
Business Valuation Volunteer of the Year (2001) - American Institute of CPAs Winner - Oklahoma Humorous-Speaking Contest - Toastmasters International (1971)

Past/Present Clients
Confidential.

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