UNIT -III
COMMUNICATION BY LETTERS
- Layout and format.
- Drafting effective letters.
- What to avoid?
- A letter Writers check list.
- Business letters:
- Enquiries/Replies
- Requests/Replies
- Letters of Complaints
- Placement of an order.
- Layout and Format:
Physical layout of letter.
The physical appearance of a letter consists of the paper and the envelope.
The first thing a recipient sees is the envelope. It is essential that it is of suitable quality with the name and address spelt correctly. Quality envelopes and paper suggest a professional company.
It is wise to make sure the envelope matches the size of the paper. While you will use 81/2 x 11 inches(A4 size) sized paper for the majority of letters – a 4 x 6 inches(A5) can be used for specific shorter letters. But insist that correctly sized envelopes are used for this AS size paper, allowing you maintain and convey an coordinated image.
Technical layout of letter:
The following elements will constitute the formal outlay.
- Letterhead
- Name and address
- Date
- Reference
- Salutation
- Subject matter
- Communication
- Signature
- Enclosures
The Block Form
1) When you use the block form to write a business letter, all the informationist typed flush left, with one-inch margins all around.
2) First provide your own address, then skip a line and provide the date, then skip one more line and provide the inside address of to whom the letter is addressed
3) If you are using letterhead already provides your address, do not retype that information; just begin with the date.
4) For formal letters, avoid abbreviations where possible.
5) Skip another line before the salutation, which should be followed by a colon.
6) Then write the body of your letter.
7) After writing the body of the letter, type the closing, followed by a comma, leave 3 blank lines, then type’ your name and title (if applicable), all flush left. Sign the letter in the blank space above your typed name.
5,Hill Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53700
March 15, 2005
Ms. Helen Jones
President
Jones, Jones & Jones
123 International Lane Boston,
Massachusetts 01234
Dear Ms. Jones:
Sincerely,
John Doe
Administrative Assistant
Indented Form
1) If you are using the indented form, place your address at the top, with the left edge of the address aligned with the, center of the page.
2) Skip a line and type the date so that it lines up underneath your address. Type the inside address and salutation flush left;
3) The salutation should be followed by a colon.
4) For formal letters, avoid abbreviations.
5) Indent the first line of each paragraph one-half inch. Skip lines between paragraphs.
6) instead of placing the closing and signature lines
flush left, type them in the center, even with the address and date above, as illustrated here:
5 Hill Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53700
- March 2005
Ms. Helen Jones
President
Jones, Jones & Jones
123 International Lane
Boston, Massachusetts 01234
Dear Ms. Jones:
Sincerely,
John Doe
A note about format and font
When writing business letters, you must pay special attention to the format and font used. 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. Another widely utilized format is known as modified block format. In this type,. the body of the letter is left justified and single-spaced. However, the date and closing are in alignment in the center of the page. The final, and least used, style is semi-block. It is much like the modified block style except that each paragraph is indented instead of left justified.
The following table shows examples of the different formats
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March 16, 2001 Ernie English 1234 Writing Lab Lane Write City, IN 12345
Dear Mr. English
The first paragraph of a typical ‘business letter is used to state the main point of the letter. Begin with a friendly opening; then quickly transition into the purpose of your letter. Use a couple of sentences to explain the purpose, but do not go in to detail.
Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting I details to justify your purpose. These may take the form of background information; statistics or first-hand accounts. A few short paragraphs within the body of the letter should be enough to support your reasoning.
Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is important. If the purpose of your letter is employment related, consider ending your letter with your contact information. However, if the purpose is informational, think about closing With gratitude for the reader’s time.
Sincerely, Lucy Letter 123 Winner’s Road New Employee Town, PA 12345
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March 16, 2001
Ernie English 1234 Writing Lab Lane Write City, IN 12345
Dear Mr. English
The first paragraph of a typical business letter is used to state the main point of the letter. Begin with a friendly opening; then quickly transition into the purpose of your letter. Use a couple of sentences to explain the purpose, but do not go in to detail until the next paragraph.
Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting I details to justify your purpose. These may take the form of background information; statistics or first-hand accounts. A few short paragraphs within the body of the letter should be enough to support your reasoning.
Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is important. If the purpose of your letter is employment related, consider ending your letter with your contact information. However, if the purpose is informational, think about closing With gratitude for the reader’s time.
Sincerely, Lucy Letter 123 Winner’s Road New Employee Town, PA 12345
Modified Block Format |
March 16, 2001
Ernie English 1234 Writing Lab Lane Write City, IN 12345
Dear Mr. English
The first paragraph of a typical business letter is used to state the main point of the letter. Begin with a friendly opening then quickly transition into the purpose of your letter. Use a couple of sentences to explain the purpose, but do not go in
Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting I details to justify your purpose. These may take the form of background information; statistics or first-hand accounts. A few short paragraphs within the body of the letter should be enough to support your reasoning.
Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is important. If the purpose of your letter is employment related, consider ending your letter with your contact information. However, if the purpose is informational, think about closing With gratitude for the reader’s time.
Sincerely, Lucy Letter 123 Winner’s Road New Employee Town, PA 12345
Semi- Block Format |
- Drafting Effective Letter:
How to -writing–an Effective
Business Letter.
Writing an effective business letter is an important skill for every manager and business owner. In this brief overview we will examine the five main: steps in creating an effective business letter. With this knowledge you can quickly amend and personalize business letters.
Main Steps:
1) Identify your aims
2) Establish the facts
3) Know recipient of the letter
4) Create sample Copy
5) Decide on Physical layout of letter.
Identify your Aims:
Clearly establish what you want to achieve from the letter- whether it is to win back a dissatisfied customer or to reprimand an employee. Whatever the aim, create your letter from these goals.
Establish the facts:
Make sure you have the relevant accurate facts available. For a late payer, this might include relevant invoices, complaint forms, talks with your sales department and any previous correspondence from the customer.
Know the recipient of the letter:
Write in the language of your recipient. Try to put yourself in the position of the recipient. Read it from his. point of view. Is the letter clear or open to misinterpretation.
If you know the recipient, use this knowledge to phrase the letter to generate your desired response.
Create a sample Copy:
Having established your aims, amassed the relevant facts with a conscious view of the recipient write down the main points of your letter.
Decide on Physical layout of letter:
The physical appearance of a letter consists of the paper and the envelope
Parts of a Business Letter
Date: The date line is used to indicate the date the letter was written. However, if your letter is completed over a r.-am Per of days, use the date it was finished in the date line.When writing to companies within the United States, use the American date format. (The United States-based convention for formatting a-.date places the month before the day. For example: June 11, 2001. ) Write out the month, day and year two inches from the top of the page. Depending which format you are using for your letter, either left justify the date or center it horizontally.
Sender’s Address: Including the address of the sender is optional. If you choose to include, it, place the address one line below the date. Do not write the sender’s name or title, as it is included in the letter’s closing. Include only the street address, city and zip code. Another option is to include the sender’s address . directly after the closing signature.
Inside Address: The inside address is the recipient’s address. It is always best to write to a, specific individual at the firm to which you are writing. If you do not have the person’s name, do some research by calling the company or speaking with employees from the company. Include a personal title such as Ms., Mrs., Mr., or Dr. Follow a woman’s preference in being addressed as Miss, Mrs:or Ms. If you are unsure of a woman’s preference in being addressed, use Ms. If there is a possibility that the person to whom you are writing is a Dr. or has some other title, use that title. Usually, people will not mind being addressed by a higher title than they actually possess. To write the address, use the , US. Post Office Format. For international addresses, type the name of the country in all capital letters on the last line. The inside address begins one line below the sender’s address or one inch below the date. It should be left justified, no matter which format you are using.
Salutation : followed by a colon Use the same-name as the inside address, including the personal title. If you know the person and typically address them by their first name, it is acceptable to use only the first name in the salutation (i.e.., Dear Lucy:). In all other cases, however, use the personal title and full name. Leave one line blank after the salutation.
If you don’t know a reader’s gender, use a nonsexist salutation, such as “To Whom it May Concern.” It is also acceptable to use the full name in a salutation if you cannot determine gender. For example, you might write Dear Chris Harmon: if you were unsure of Chris’s gender.
Body: For block and modified block formats, single space and left justify each paragraph within the body of the letter. Leave a blank line between each paragraph. When writing a business letter, be careful to remember that conciseness is very important. In the first paragraph, consider a friendly opening and then a statement of the main point. The next paragraph should begin justifying the importance of the main point. In the next few paragraphs, continue justification with background information and supporting details. The closing paragraph should restate the purpose of the letter and, in some cases, request some type of action.
Closing : The closing begins at the same horizontal point as your date and one line after the last body paragraph. Capitalize the first word only (i.e.., Thank you) and leave four lines between the closing and the sender’s name for a signature. ?f a colon follows the salutation, a comma should follow the closing; otherwise, there is no punctuation after the closing.
Enclosures :If you have enclosed any documents along with the letter, such as a resume, you indicate this simply by typing Enclosures one line below the closing. As an option, you may list the name of each document you are including in the envelope. For instance, if you have included many documents and need to insure that the recipient is aware of each document, it may be a good idea to list the names.
Typist Initials : Typist initials are used to indicate the person who typed the letter. If you the letter yourself, omit the typist initials.
There are a few simple rules:
- Always be polite. This rule is essential and invariable. Your aim is to help a prisoner, not to relieve your own feelings. Governments don’t respond to abusive or condemnatory letters (however well deserved).
- Always write your letters on the basis that the government concerned is open to reason and <: discussion.
- It is important where possible to stress a country’s reputation for moderation and justice, to show respect for its constitution and judicial procedures, and to demonstrate an understanding of current difficulties. This will give more scope to point out ways in which the human rights situation can be improved.
- Follow strictly the instructions given by Amnesty International in the case in question. For instance if the World `’Vide Appeal asks you to appeal for medical treatment for a prisoner, sure that you request this, and not a speedy trial or release which might be appropriate in another, case.
- Never use political jargon. Don’t give the impression that you are writing because you are ideologically or politically opposed to the government in question. It is far more effective to stress the fact that your concern for human rights is not politically based in any way, but in keeping with basic principles of international law.
- If appropriate, please explain who you are and what you .do. This indicates that the letter is genuine, and also shows that people from varying walks of life. are following events in the country concerned.
- If you have any special interest or link with the country, it is a good idea to mention this in your letter. For instance, you may have visited it or studied its history. (See sample letter H.) BE BRIEF. A simple; one-line letter is adequate (see sample letters A and B) and is certainly better than no letter at all. Sample letters C and D might be considered the standard length to aim at where you have nothing special to add. A good rule is not to write more than one page (i.e. one side).
3) What to avoid ?
1) Do not delay. It will cause inconvenience to the reader.
2) No repetition of ideas. The reader will get bored.
3) Do not use unnecessary and difficult words.
4) Do not use harsh and impassionate words.
5) Do not make the letter lengthy: Limit as per the subject demands.
6) Do not make too many corrections if it is handwritten.
7) Do not make more than 2 folds of the paper.
8) Do not write without leaving space for margins.
9) Do not underline or highlight the words at many places.
10) Do not close the letter without your signature.
4) Letter. writing – checklist
When you write a business letter, use this checklist to remind you of the key principles of effective letter writing.
Keep it Short
- Cut needless words and needless information.
- Cut stale phrases and redundant statements.
- Cut the first paragraph if it refers to previous correspondence.
- Cut the last paragraph if it asks for future correspondence.
Keep it Simple
- Use familiar words, short sentences and short paragraphs.
- Keep your subject matter as simple as possible.
- Keep related information together.
- Use a conversational style.
Keep it Strong
- Answer the reader’s question in the first paragraph.
- Give your answer and then explain why.
- Use concrete words and examples.
- Keep to the subject. .
Keep it Sincere
- Answer promptly. L
- Be human and as friendly as possible.
- Write as if you were talking to
BUSINESS LETTER WRITING: ENQUIRIES – ASKING FOR INFORMATION
We write an enquiry, when we want to ask for more information concerning a product, service or other information about a product or service that interests us. These letters are often written in response to an advertisement that we have seen in the paper, a magazine, a commercial on television when we are interested in purchasing a product, but would like more information before making a decision.
Remember to place your or your company’s address at the top of the letter (or use your company’s letterhead) followed by the address of the company you are writing to. The date can either be placed double spaced down or to the right.
Important Language to Remember
The Start: Dear Sir or Madam
To Whom It May Concern -(very formal as you do not know the person to whom you are writing).
Giving Reference: With reference to your advertisement (ad) in… Regarding your advertisement (ad) in …
Requesting a Catalogue, Brochure, Etc..: After the reference, add a comma and continue … , would (Could) you please send me …
Requesting Further Information: 1 would also like to know… Could you tell me whether …
Signature: Yours faithfully – (very formal as you do not know the, person to whom you are writing)
An example letter
Kenneth Beare
2520 Visita Avenue
Olympia, WA 98501
Jackson Brothers
3487 23rd Street
New York, NY 12009
September 12, 2000
To Whom It May Concern:
With reference to your advertisement in yesterday’s New York Times; could you please send me a copy of your latest catalogue? I would also like to know if it is possible to make purchases online.
Yours faithfully
(Signature)
Replies to enquiries and requests
It is very important to make a good impression when responding to enquiries from potential customers. Of course, the best impression will be made by providing the materials or information that the perspective client has asked for, this positive impression will be improved by a well written response.
Remember to place your or your company’s address at the top of the letter (or use your company letterhead) followed by the address of the company you are writing to. The date can either be placed double spaced down or to the right. You can also include a reference number for
correspondence.
Important Language to Remember
The Start:
Dear Mr, Ms (Mrs, Miss VERY IMPORTANT us: Ms for women unless asked to use Mrs :
or Miss)
Thanking the Potential Customer for His/Her Interest: Thank you for your letter of … enquiring (asking for information) about … We would like to thank you for your letter of … enquiring (asking for information) about …
Providing Requested Materials
We are pleased to enclose …
Enclosed you will find …
We enclose..
Providing Additional Information.
We would also like to inform you …
Regarding your question about …
In answer to your question (enquiry) about…
Closing a Letter Hoping for Future Business: We look forward to … hearing from you /
receiving your order / welcoming you as our client (customer).
Signature: Yours sincerely (remember use yours faithfully when you don’t know the name of the person you are writing and ‘Yours sincerely’ when you do.
An Example Letter
Jackson Brothers
3487 23rd Street
New York, NY 12009
Kenneth Beare
Administrative Director
English Learners & Company
2520 Visita Avenue
Olympia, WA 98501
September 12, 2000
Dear Mr Beare
Thank you for your enquiry of 12 September asking for the latest edition of our catalogue.
We are pleased to enclose our latest brochure. We would also like to inform you that it is possible to make purchases online at hrip:\\jacksonbros.com.
We look forward to welcoming you as our customer.
Yours sincerely
(Signature)
Dennis Jackson
Marketing Director
Jackson Brothers
Placement of an order:
Sample Letter
Here is a sample letter using some of these forms:
Ken’s Cheese House
34 Chatley Avenue Seattle, WA 98765 Tel:
Fax:
E-mail: kenny@cheese.com
October 23, 2006
Fred Flintstone
Sales Manager
Cheese Specialists Inc.
456 Rubble Road
Rockville, IL
Dear Mr Flintstone:
With reference to our telephone conversation today, I am writing to confirm your order for: 120 x Cheddar Deluxe Ref. No. 856
The order will be shipped within three days via UPS and should arrive at your store in about 10 days. Please contact us again if we can help in any way.
Yours sincerely,
Kenneth Beare
Director of Ken’s Cheese House
GUIDE TO BASIC BUSINESS LETTERS
The Start
Dear Personnel Director,
Dear Sir or Madam: (use if you don’t know who you are writing to)
Dear Dr. Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms Smith: (use if you know who you are writing to, and have a formal relationship with. – VERY IMPORTANT use Ms for women unless asked to use Mrs. Or Mr)
Dear Frank: (use if the person is a close business contact or friend)
The Reference
With reference to your advertisement in the Times, your letter of 23 ‘d March, your phone call. today,
Thank you for your letter of March 5th.
The Reason for Writing
I am writing to inquire about
apologize for
confirm
Requesting
Could you possibly?
I would be grateful if you could
Agreeing to Requests
I would be delighted to
Giving Bad News
Unfortunately
I am afraid that
Enclosing Documents
I am enclosing
Please find enclosed
Enclosed you will find
Closing Remarks
Thank you for your help Please contact us
there are any problems.
you have any questions.
Reference to Future Contact
I look forward to …
hearing from you soon.
meeting you next Tuesday.
seeing you next Thursday.
The Finish
Yours faithfully, (If you don’t know the name of the person you’re writing to)
Yours sincerely, (If you know the name of the person you’re writing to)
Best wishes,
Best regards, (If the person is a close business contact or friend)
English Study Material 