Business

Writing
Getting Down to Basics!
Why do we communicate?
[Facebook's] whole theory is that people
have real connections in the world. People
communicate most naturally and
effectively with their friends and the people
around them.
~Mark Zuckerberg~
Mark Zuckerberg in Paris in 2008
 Why do we write business letters/
correspondence?

 What is the difference between Business

and Normal Communication?
Towards Effective Written
Communication
 Tactful - language
 Coherent
 Personal
 Clear
 Positive
 Concise
 Unified
 Active - sentence structure
 Readable – fonts, colour…
 Mechanically Sound
Tone
"Tone in writing refers to the writer's
attitude toward the reader and the subject
of the message. The overall tone of a
written message affects the reader just as
one's tone of voice affects the listener in
everyday exchanges." (Ober 1988)
General guidelines when
considering your tone and how to
present information:
 Be confident.
 Be courteous and sincere.
 Use appropriate emphasis and
subordination.
 Use non-discriminatory language.
 Stress the benefits for the reader.
 Write at an appropriate level of difficulty.
Format
 There are 2 basic formats for formal letters
 Block Format

The most common layout of a business

letter is known as block format. Using this
format, the entire letter is left justified and
single spaced except for a double space
between paragraphs.
 Semi Block Format –
It is much like the modified block style
except that each paragraph is indented
instead of left justified.

Idea!!
Microsoft Office 2000 - Letter Wizard can be used to
format business letters. To access the Letter Wizard,
click on the Tools menu and then choose Letter Wizard.
The Wizard will present the three styles (2 mentioned
here), just input the date, sender address and recipient
address into the selected format. 
Block Format Semi-Block Format
Or don't you like to write letters. I do
because it's such a swell way to keep from
working and yet feel you've done
something.  ~Ernest Hemingway
Technical Letters 11
The Importance of Letters
 Represent your company’s public image
and your competence

 More personal than a report, yet more

formal than memos or e-mail

 More permanent than e-mail

 Constitute an official legal record of an

agreement
12
Writing Effective Letters
 Analyze Your Audience:
 Who is my audience?
 Will my audience be favorably or unfavorably disposed to what I am going to
say?
 What kinds of information will my audience expect me to supply?
 How will my audience use the information I am sending?
 What impression do I want my letter to make on readers?

 Have a clear sense of your purpose and theirs

 Select the best communication strategy

 Draft, revise, and edit your letter

13
Letter Components
 Essential Components
 Writer’s Address
 Date
 Inside Address
 Salutation
 Letter Body
 Complimentary Close
 Signed Name
 Typed Name
 Optional Components
 Subject Line
 New Page Notations
 Writer’s and Typist’s Initials
 Enclosure Notation
 Copy Notation

14
Essential
Components of a
Letter

15
 Personal Address
 Street address
 City
 State
 Zip Code
 Company Address
 Company’s name
 Street address
 City
 State
 Zip Code

16
 Full Calendar Date
 May31,2009
 31May 2009

 2-4 spaces

17
 Address of the reader
 Reader’s Name
 Reader’s Title
 Company Name
 Company Street
Address
 Company City
 Company State
 Company Zip Code

 2-4 spaces
18
 IF you know the reader’s
name, salutation will be
 First / Last Name
 Followed by Colon
 For example
 Dear Mr. Smith:
 Dear Ms. Jones:
 Dear Miss / Mrs. Jones:
 Dear Chris Evans:
 OTHERWISE
 Use title
 Dear Vice President:
 Use department’s name
 Accounting Department:
 2 spaces

19
  Includes
 IntroductoryParagraph
 Discussion Paragraph
 Concluding Paragraph

 2 spaces below salutation

 2 spaces b/w paragraphs

20
  Place a comma after
complimentary close

 Preferred close is Yours

Sincerely,

 2 spaces below body

21
  Sign your name legibly

22
  Type your name
 Mention your title
(Optional)

 4 spaces below
complimentary close

23
Optional
Components of a
Letter

24
  Must have a topic & focus

 Can be used instead of

salutation

 All CAPS

 2 spaces below inside

address
25
  If writer and typist are two
different persons
 Writer’s initials- ALL CAPS
 Typist’s initials-LOWERCAS

 Separate both initials with

colon

 2 spaces below typed

signature
26
  Enclose information as
 Enc.; OR
 Enclosure; OR
 Enclosures(2); OR
 Enclosure: August Report

 2 spaces below writer’s an

typist’s initials

27
  For a copy of letter, write
 cc (complimentary copy)
 pc (photocopy)

 For copies sent to other

readers, write
 pc: Reader Ma,e

 2 spaces below enclosure

notation

28
Letter Formats
 Full-block format
 All
text typed on left margin
 Spaces between paragraphs

 Simplified format
 Same as full block format except
 No Salutations
 Subject Line introduced

 No Complimentary Close

29
Full Block Format

30
Simplified Format

31
Classifications of business letters
 Positive
 Customer relations letters responding favorably to a writer’s
request or complaint
 Sales letters promoting a product

 Neutral
 Letters requesting information about a product or service,
placing an order, or responding to some action or question
 Negative
 Customer relations letters refusing a request, saying no to an
adjustment, etc.

32
Types of Letters
 Letters of Inquiry
 Sales Letters
 Good-News Letters
 Bad-News Letters
 Complaint Letters
 Adjustment Letters
 Cover Letters

33
Letters of Inquiry

34
Inquiry Letter

 You require information about any matter

of interest to you
 It must
 Contain an effective technical writing style
 Involve audience through pronoun usage
 Avoid grammatical errors
 Must contain the essential letter components

35
Components of Inquiry Letter Body

 Introduction
 Tell your reader why are you writing
 Inform reader about subject matter
 What are you writing about? OR
 What info do you want?

36
Components of Inquiry Letter Body

 Discussion
 Specify your needs
 Ask precise questions
 List specific topic of inquiry
 Quantify your questions

37
Components of Inquiry Letter Body

 Conclusion
 Must be precise
 Mention when do you want a response
 Provide a specific date for response
 Explain why do you want response by the
given date

38
Types of Business Letters

• Letter of Transmittal

• Letter of Inquiry

• Claim/Complaint Letter

• Good News Letter

• Bad News Letter

• Letter of Application

• Many others
Letter of Transmittal

• Most examples of this letter type will contain three short paragraphs.

• The first paragraph will state WHAT is being transmitted and WHY it is being
transmitted.

•The middle paragraph will DESCRIBE in moderate detail the item being transmitted; for
example, if a report is being transmitted, the description would include the major
sections of the report and its major conclusion(s).

• The final paragraph will express HOPE FOR SATISFACTION with whatever is being
transmitted.

• Modified block with indentions is the usual format for this type of letter. ALWAYS
include an enclosure notation.
Letter of Inquiry

• Most examples of this letter type contain three short paragraphs.

• The first paragraph specifies the SUBJECT of the inquiry and indicates WHY the
inquiry is being made.

•The middle paragraph lists the specific items or questions that the letter writer wants or
wants answered; usually the items or questions are presented in bulleted list form.

•The last paragraph tactfully indicates a deadline by which the items being requested or
the answers to questions need to be supplied.

• Usually modified block with indentions format is used with this letter type.
Claim/Complaint Letter

• Most examples of this letter type contain three short paragraphs.

•The opening paragraph states the PROBLEM that the letter writer has encountered and
makes a specific CLAIM that will correct the problem.

•The next longish paragraph narrates the sequence of events involved in the creation of
the problem, and it describes the problem in detail. Dates, serial numbers, and other
factual data are the heart of this paragraph.

• The last paragraph tactfully requests timely correction of the problem.

• Usually modified block with indentions format is used with this letter type.
Good News Letter

• Most examples of this letter type contain three short paragraphs.

•The first paragraph makes the “GRANT,” that is, the solution to the problem/complaint
that the complainer has requested.

•The next longish paragraph explains in detail how the problem arose in order, if
possible, to show that is was not a result of bad faith or business practice on the part of
the company.

•The last paragraph HOPES FOR SATISFACTION on the part of the complainer
regarding the solution that has been offered.

• Usually modified block or modified block with indentions format is used with this letter
type.
Bad News Letter

•Letters of this type may contain three or more than three paragraphs, depending on the
degree of detail that is presented.

•The opening paragraph is usually short and neutral with regard to the issue (i.e., We
received your letter of August 29, 2007, in which you . . .).

•The middle paragraph(s) explains in detail the upcoming bad news, but does not
actually state the bad news (i.e., we cannot comply with your request to solve the
problem) until near, but not at, the end of the paragraph: i.e., “bury” the bad news.

• The last paragraph returns to a neutral topic.

• Full block format is usually used with this letter type.

Letter of Application
• This letter usually has three or four paragraphs.

•The opening paragraph states the specific POSITION for which you are applying; if
possible, it indicates how you gained knowledge about the position.

•The middle paragraphs discuss the specific QUALIFICIATIONS you possess that make
you a good candidate for the job; you should mention your resume near the beginning of
the first of these paragraphs

• The last paragraph REQUESTS AN INTERVIEW at the convenience of the company.

• Modified block with indentions is the usual format for letters of this type. ALWAYS
include an enclosure notation.
Suggestions for Letter of Application

• Make it one page long.

•Proofread the letter of application and resume VERY carefully; let there be NO
mistakes in them.

•Make every effort to mail the application letter to a specific person in the company; if
need be, make a call to find out the name of the person to whom to mail the letter and
resume.

•Mail the letter and resume in an envelope that is large enough that the letter and
resume do not need to be folded.

•A day or two before the deadline for sending in the letter of application, call the
company and verify that the letter has been received.