Group 1 Report

Characteristics and Elements of a Business Letter

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Characteristic of a Business Letter

Business letter is one of the vital components in the success of a business. To ensure
that we are writing an effective business letter, there are “Ten (10) C’s” we should consider.

1. Completeness – refers to the inclusion of complete information. The business letter

should answer the question WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE and HOW to produce a
good and complete business letter.

2. Correctness – refers to the correct grammar, punctuation, spacing, information and

structure. It also refers to the correct format of a business letter.

3. Conciseness – refers to being direct and brief without compromising the complete
idea. In writing a business letter, we should not include unnecessary information
which might confuse the reader.

4. Coherence – refers to the smooth flow of ideas in a business letter. The content of a
business letter should be in order and easy to follow.
Some of the devices that you may use to achieve coherence are use of
synonyms, use of transitional words, use of pointers, use of repetition of words, and use
of sentence patterns.
5. Clarity – refers to the readability of information which is easy to understand. We
should bear in our minds that simple words are more preferred than complex ones.

6. Concreteness – refers to the use of specific words not general words.

7. Courteousness – refers to the politeness of the tone of the business letter. Being
friendly by showing positive approach is the key for a successful communication in
business.

8. Consideration – refers to the use of professional tone to show respect to the reader
of the letter. Also, we need to anticipate the “YOU” attitude in writing our letter.

9. Consistency – refers to the uniformity of the time and style of the writer of a
business letter.

10. Credibility – refers to the personality of the writer as himself which might reflect on
his writings.
Elements of a Business Letter
Because business letter is a part of communication, it also follows the communication
process. There are three elements in the communication process that are also present in
business writing. There should be a sender, message, and receiver.
The sender of the letter is the one who is writing it. It is one of the protocols in business
writing that the receiver of the letter should be known by the sender. The complete name,
position, as well as the address of the receiver should be included in the letter. The sender or
writer must also be knowledgeable in basic grammar, punctuation, spelling, and mechanics skill
so that he might build a good impression to the receiver of the letter.
The message is very important in the communication process because it is the reason
that moves the sender to start the communication process. The message of the letter should be
well-written, simple, and understandable. The message should be direct and persuasive and
should avoid including unnecessary information. It should be concise and complete so that
everything you want to say is included.

Sender Message Receiver