While few business people dispute the importance of carefully crafting persuasive, demanding, conciliatory, and bad-news letters, the regular flow of routine communications receives very little meaningful consideration or scrutiny. These routine communications (letters, inquiries, requests, collection letters, complaints, confirmations, acknowledgments, adjustments, invitations, reminders and replies) may seem trivial and of minor importance unto themselves, but they often form the basic impression that customers and others have of an individual and his or her organization. Such communication needs to possess certain qualities if they are to accomplish the task at hand while also influencing future sales positively. Courtesy is critical. Proper use of English is a must. Business communication education should focus on the recipient's point of view. Form letters should be employed selectively. Personality should be included in routine communications, and local norms in the use of electronic mail should be respected. Professional business communicators should also use a sensible approach and ask relevant review questions before finalizing a communication. (Contains 29 references.) (RS)