Module 4 Business Letters PDF

Module 3 Business Letters At the end of this chapter, you should be able to: 1. recognize the key parts of a business letter; 2. learn the different forms/styles of business letters; 3. understand the professional nature of a business letter; 4. un...

Module 3 Business Letters At the end of this chapter, you should be able to: 1. recognize the key parts of a business letter; 2. learn the different forms/styles of business letters; 3. understand the professional nature of a business letter; 4. understand the essentials of good letter content; and 5. write different types of business letters. Business Letters The business letter is one of the important tools used in industries. It is one means to build trust and confidence among people involved in the business. Writing business letters requires knowledge of accurate information regarding the business transaction. It also requires skills so that the reader will be impressed, and good business will be dealt. A business letter would be effective if the writer considers the four C’s: completeness, conciseness, clarity, and courtesy, as suggested by Alcantara and Espino (1995). 1. Completeness. This means including all the necessary details of the matter being discussed in the letter. This will avoid miscommunication between the reader and the writer. This will also avoid the need to write another letter to ask for the missing information and the answer to that. 2. Conciseness. Being concise means being brief, i.e. to say what one means in as few words as possible without sacrificing the meaning. This is not to say that everything should be cut short, but if you can say what you mean in a few words, then do so. This will save both the writer’s time as well as the reader’s. This will also make your letter simple and direct. 1|Page  3. Clarity. To be clear is to be precise and accurate in the use of words. This requires mastery of sentence structure and the meaning of words. The writer should use the precise words and should be extra careful with homonyms (words with the same sound) and use of concrete nouns instead of abstract nouns. 4. Courtesy. As formal as the business letter is, a tone of courtesy or politeness will go a long way to deal good business. This also can gain customers, earn their good will, and retain their patronage. Every kind of business letter requires formality. Tendero, et al. (2010) list the following elements, layouts, standards, and punctuation styles of business letters. Elements of the Business Letter Business letters usually use the 8.5 x 11 inches or the A4 size bond paper. Special paper is acceptable, however, avoid those which are scented and shiny. White is the standard color; light tints are also becoming popular, but strong colors like bright orange or bright green are not advisable. The standard margins of the letter are 1-1.5 inches at the left-hand margin and 1 inch at the right, top and bottom. The following are the elements of the business letter: 2|Page  Image source: https://www.template.net/tutorials/how-to-write-a-business-letter-tutorial/ 1. Heading. The two kinds of headings are the conventional and modern. The conventional heading consists of the home addressof the writer, with the number of the house, street, barangay, municipality or city, province and zip code, with the date on the last line. The modern heading, meanwhile, is the company name and its address written at the center top of the stationery with one-inch margin. It also includes the company logo, telephone and/or fax numbers and webpage and/or email 3|Page  address. This is commonly known as the letterhead which is already written or printed out on the stationery. The writer needs to add the date only. 2. Inside address. This is the address of the receiver which is the same as the one written in the envelope. Written three or four spaces after the date, this includes the name of the person, his/her title and position, department or office, name of company, and address. If there is a possibility that the person you are writing to has some other title (e.g. Dr.), use that title. Usually, people will not mind being addressed by a higher title than they actually possess. 3. Salutation or Greeting. This element of the letter makes it formal. It is written 2- 3 spaces after the inside address. This usually begins with Dear followed by the last name of the person including the corresponding title (Mr., Ms., Mrs., Dr., etc.). Sir/Madam may be used if the name and gender are not known. In the case that you do not know the person’s marital status or her preference, use Miss. To address an organization and not an individual, use Ladies and Gentlemen. If you don't know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation, such as their job title followed by the receiver's name. It is also acceptable to use the full name in a salutation if you cannot determine gender. For example, you might write Dear Zoe Santos: if you were unsure of Zoe's gender. 4. Body of the letter. The body is the flesh of the letter. It starts 2-3 spaces after the salutation. It is usually single-spaced with 2 spaces between paragraphs. Shorter letters may be double-spaced. 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 4|Page  paragraph should restate the purpose of the letter and, in some cases, request some type of action. 5. Complimentary close. If the salutation or greeting is to start the letter, the complimentary close is to politely end the letter. Three to 4 spaces after the last line of the body of the letter, it is followed by a comma. Only the first letter is capitalized. The following are the commonly used complimentary close: Regards, Sincerely, Sincerely yours, Cordially, Cordially yours, Very sincerely yours, Very cordially yours, Very truly yours. If the person is of high stature, use Respectfully yours. 6. Signature. This is the full name of the writer with the position under it. It is four spaces away from the complimentary close to give way for the writer’s authentication. 5|Page Miscellaneous Elements of a Business Letter Aside from the elements listed above, there are other elements which might be found in business letters for reference purposes. Image source: http://www.savvy-business-correspondence.com/BizLetterElements.html 1. Reference line. This is found on the upper portion of the letter and includes a sequential number. This is used for reference and/or filing purposes for a letter subsequent to a previous one. 6|Page  2. On-Arrival Notation. You might want to include a special notation on private correspondence. This is typed in all uppercase characters or you could prefer to bold them before the inside address. Others prefer to put it between the inside address and the salutation. Remember to put it on the envelope as well, which is probably even more important. Examples of private correspondence notations: PERSONAL CONFIDENTIAL PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL 3. Attention line. This is written two spaces after the inside address. This is written if the letter is intended for a particular person or group of people from the department or company. The attention line is addressed to the person-in-charge of the unit like the head, dean, supervisor. 4. Subject line. This is the topic of the letter. It is written after the attention line or inside address. 5. Identification notation/initials. This is found below the signature and consists of the initials of the sender in all caps and the initials of the typist in small letters separated by colon or slant line. 6. Enclosure notation. This is typed just below the identification notation, this refers to the item/s included inside the envelope besides the letter. The abbreviation “Enc” or “Encl” may be used, or “Encl(3)” to indicate 3 elements. 7. Carbon copy (CC) notation. The phrase “Copies to” or the abbreviation “cc” is typed at the left margin, below the identification notation or enclosure notation, to indicate the others who received the same letter. 8. Noted by signature. If the writer has a superior in charge of the department or office, the said superior must be notified and affix his signature below the letter. This usually applies to inter-office communication. 7|Page  9. Recommending approval signature. This is signed by the superior and is written below the letter if the letter’s content is a request. If the letter exceeds one page, repeat the recipient’s name, the date, the reference or subject line, and show the current page number. Continue the body of the letter 3 lines below the heading. If you have less than three lines on the second page, consider rewriting your letter or adjusting margins to fit on a single page. 8|Page  Layouts (Styles) of Business Letters The elements of the business letter may be placed depending on the layout or style chosen by the writer. The following are common layouts that one may use. Full Block Form 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. Your Name Address Phone Number E-mail (optional) Date Name of Receiver Title Company Name Address Dear __________: When writing a letter using block form, no lines are indented. Include your name, address, and phone number where you can be contacted, as well as the date. You then include the name and address of the person you are sending the letter to. With new paragraphs, just skip a line instead of indenting. Add your phone number where you can be contacted in the last paragraph. If the receiver needs to use a relay service to call you, briefly explain that you are deaf/ hard-of-hearing and that s/he can call you through relay. Give the receiver his/her state relay number and explain that s/he will need to give the operator your number. Then give him/her your number. Sincerely, Your Signature Your Name Your Title 9|Page  Semi-block Form The least used style is semi-block. Semi-block format or style is frequently called modified semi-block because it is a slightly less formal modification of full block format. This letter style places the date line in alignment with, or slightly to the right of dead center. Another option for placing the date line in semi-block is flush right. Similar to full block, semi-block places the inside address, salutation and any end notations flush with the left margin. However, unlike full block, each body paragraph of semi-block is indented five spaces. The complimentary close and signature block are aligned under the date. Your Name Address Phone Number E-mail (optional) Date Name of Receiver Title Company Name Address Dear __________: When writing a letter using blocked form, indent each paragraph. First include your name, address, phone number, and the date. This information should be located at the top of the page, either in the center, or indented on the right side of the paper. You then include the name and address of the person to whom you are sending the letter. At the end of the letter, place your signature on the right side of the page. Don't forget to provide any relay information if necessary. Sincerely, Your Signature Your Name Your Title 10 | P a g e  Indented Style Indented style is one of the older formats for business writing currently in use, though other formats are becoming more popular. Indented style is a format that many of today’s business people were trained to use. Your Name Address Phone Number E-mail (optional) Date Name of Receiver Title Company Name Address Dear __________: When writing a letter using indented form, indent each paragraph. First include your name, address, phone number, and the date. This information should be located at the top of the page, either in the center, or indented on the right side of the paper. You then include the name and address of the person to whom you are sending the letter. At the end of the letter, place your signature on the right side of the page. Don't forget to provide any relay information if necessary. Sincerely, Your Signature Your Name Your Title 11 | P a g e  Hanging-Indented Style The most common place hanging indents are used is on a bibliography reference page. When typing you can change the indentation by either formatting the paragraph or changing the page margins. Your Name Address Phone Number E-mail (optional) Date Name of Receiver Title Company Name Address Dear __________: This very useful style places the first words of each paragraph prominently on the page. It is useful for letters that deal with a variety of different topics. However, for normal business communications, this style is very rarely used. The first line of the paragraph begins at the left-hand margin. And the other lines of the same paragraph are indented three to four spaces. This is the reversal of semi-indented style discussed in other page. Sincerely yours, Your signature Your name Your position 12 | P a g e  Memorandum Style Name of organization Address Contact details TO: Readers’ names and job titles FROM: Your name and job title DATE: Complete and current date SUBJECT: What the memo is about, highlighted in some way The purpose of a memo is usually found in the opening paragraph and includes: The purpose of the memo The context and the problem The specific assignment or task The context is the event, circumstance, or background of the problem you are solving. Sincerely yours, Your signature Your name Your position Punctuation Styles There are three punctuation styles in business letter writing: 1. Standard or Mixed Punctuations. This is the most common kind. The salutation and complimentary close are the only ones punctuated. The salutation is followed by a colon, and the complimentary close is followed by a comma. 2. Closed Punctuations. In this style, the special lines are punctuated. The dateline is followed by a period, each line of the inside address is followed by a 13 | P a g e  comma and a period for the last line, the salutation is followed by a colon, and the complimentary close is followed by a comma. 3. Open Punctuations. The opposite of close punctuation style, the special lines as dateline, inside address, salutation and complimentary closed are not followed by any punctuation mark in the open punctuation style. Kinds of Business Letters 1. Application Letter. A student goes to school to finish a degree in the hope of getting a good job after college. The application letter is probably the first formal letter that a student shall write after graduation. There are two kinds of application letters: solicited and unsolicited. The solicited letter is a response to an announcement through ads, newspapers, billboards, etc. The unsolicited application letter is sent by chance of being hired. Here are some guidelines in writing the application letter: a. If the application letter is solicited, mention the source: the name of the newspaper and date; name of the person if by words. If unsolicited, just say you are sending the letter by chance of possible needs. b. Say your intention in applying for a particular position. c. Enumerate your educational qualification. d. Enumerate your work experiences. e. Give your reason for applying. f. Give your personal and physical information, especially if the job asks for it. g. Give your contact number. Do not give them a schedule on when or when not to call you. h. Attach your resume and supporting documents like a transcript of records. 14 | P a g e  Image source:https://www.sampleletterword.com/7-application-letter-samples.html Resume Writing A resume is an important document one needs especially when applying for a job. As with the letter of application, it should be neat and formal. 15 | P a g e  The basic elements included in the resume are: 1. Name and contact information. The name is usually in bigger font size and style to highlight it. Contact information includes your mailing address, telephone and cell phone numbers, and email address (if any). Email addresses should be at least your name or initials. Do not use email addresses that will not make a good impression on your would-be employer. Example: [email protected] 2. Objective. This is a brief statement on your objective for applying in the company or the particular job or position. However, this part is optional. If you were going to write “to secure a job in your company”, better leave this blank. 3. Educational background. Starting with the latest degree or course finished, this will give the prospective employer an idea of your training as a student. Highlighting your college degree is also suggested. 4. Work experience. This includes all the positions you have handled in different companies. New graduates who do not have work experience yet may do away with this. 5. Seminars/trainings attended. Seminars and trainings are supposed to give out the latest trends, rules, findings, etc. on a certain field. Attending such would make an impression that you are continuously widening your knowledge. List them starting from the latest, include only those related to the position or field you are applying for. Personal information such as religion, weight, height, etc. and photos, just like in the application letter, should only be included if the job requires it. 16 | P a g e  Image source: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/resume-formats-with-examples-and-formatting-tips-2063591 17 | P a g e  2. Letter of Inquiry and Reply. A letter of inquiry is written to obtain something from the recipient. Here are some guidelines in writing the letter of inquiry: a. Be courteous in tone. b. Write a clear and specific question. c. Be detailed as to what information you want to obtain. If you have several questions, it is better to write them in numbers or bullets. d. Express appreciation. A reply to the inquiry is written immediately to show importance and courtesy to the writer of the inquiry. An immediate reply is also good for the business. Here are the guidelines in writing a reply to an inquiry: a. Reply immediately. b. It must also be courteous and appreciative. c. It must answer all the questions and inquiries. If they were numbered, make sure to answer them also in a list and in order. d. Give whatever request is asked. If it is not possible to give the request, be honest to say so and offer some alternative. 3. Sales Letter. A sales letter is written to sell commodities, services, and ideas. This is somehow to promote business and give details on the product. To be effective, its scope must describe a particular benefit the reader will gain by making the purchase, such as a problem solved or a need fulfilled. Here are some suggestions in writing a sales letter: 18 | P a g e  a. It should attract the interest of the reader by using fresh, suitable and personal language. b. It should describe the product in detail like appearance, features, cost, etc. c. It should explain clearly the benefits the reader will get if they buy the product. d. It should lead the reader to act to at least see the product or call for the representative and discuss it. 4. Order Letter. The order letter or purchase order (PO) begins the proper trail of a specific purchase. The objective is to provide the vendor with detailed instructions for fulfilling an order. It also serves as a legal record of the transaction and, consequently, should be written with care. a. Be explicit and precise on what goods you want to buy. b. Give the complete and specific information of the goods such as the number of items, color, size, weight, finish, and price. c. Specify the mode of payment, whether cash, check, credit cards, COD, postal money order, or charge account. d. Give the specific direction of shipment and time of delivery. 5. Letter of Claim and Adjustment. There are times when miscommunication occurs and the goods delivered are not right or are defective. The customer then may write a letter of claim and the merchandiser may reply to this letter through a letter of adjustment. Here are some guidelines in writing a letter of claim: a. Even if this is a letter of claim or complaint, be courteous still, include information when the delivery arrives. 19 | P a g e  b. Be explicit and precise in your complaint. If the wrong goods were delivered, specify the goods that you ordered alongside the goods that were delivered. If the goods delivered are defective, specify the defect and how you want them adjusted. c. Send back with your letter the defective goods. For the letter of adjustment, you may consider the following suggestions: a. Apologize courteously for the goods that were not delivered correctly or were defective. b. Explain why the mishap happened and offer your solution and adjustment. c. Suggest that you are happy to do business with the person or company and that you will do your best to get everything right next time. 6. Letter of Invitation and Reply. The letter of invitation must be cordial and gracious in tone. Here are some guidelines in writing the letter of invitation: a. State the name of your club, organization or association. b. Specify the occasion, date, time, and venue where it will be held. c. Mention why the recipient is chosen to be invited and why his presence is desirable. d. If the one invited is to speak, tell him the subject of his message and the amount of time he is given to deliver it. It might also be good if the writer can specify the part on the occasion when the person would speak. e. Give some provision for the recipient to accept or decline the invitation. In replying to an invitation, here are some guidelines: 20 | P a g e  a. Reply promptly whether you are accepting or declining the invitation. b. If declining, indicate your regret and mention your reason for declining. Learning Activity Directions: Write a letter to an office supply store. Explain that you are looking for a product, and ask the store to consider carrying it. Key Points 1. Business letters are often the most appropriate choice for formal communications with professional associates or customers. 2. A business letter would be effective if the writer includes all the necessary and accurate information in as few words as possible while maintaining a tone of politeness or courtesy. 3. The elements of a business letter are: heading, inside address, salutation, the body, complimentary close, and signature. Some business letters have reference line, attention line, subject line, identification notation, enclosure notation, carbon copy notation, noted by signature, and recommending approval signature. 4. A business letter may be written in full block form, semi-block form, indented style, hanging-indented style, or memorandum form. 5. In standard/mixed punctuations, only the salutation and complimentary close are punctuated. 6. In closed punctuations, the special lines (dateline, inside address, salutation, and complimentary close) are punctuated. 7. In open punctuations, the special lines are not followed by any punctuation mark. 8. A solicited application letter is a response to an announcement of a vacant position through ads, newspapers, billboards, or through the internet. 9. An unsolicited application letter is sent by chance of being hired. 10. A resume is a document attached to an application letter to serve as a persuasive summary of qualifications. 21 | P a g e  11. The purpose of writing a letter of inquiry and reply is to obtain responses to requests or specific questions. 12. A sales letter is a marketing tool that promotes a good or a service. 13. An order letter is written to provide the vendor with the details for fulfilling an order. 14. A claim or complaint letter is written to the concerned company to bring the mistake or damage done to the notice of the supplier or provider, and to ask for rectification and/or compensation. 15. An adjustment letter is a response to a claim letter expressing a clear understanding of the issues conveyed by the buyer and providing reasonable solutions to it. YouTube Videos to Watch 1. CrashCourse. (March 27, 2019). The secret to business writing: Crash Course Business – Soft Skills #3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E-oqahDnb8 2. GCFLearnFree.org. (November 22, 2017). Business Writing Tips. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrKesGslOYs&list=PLpQQipWcxwt9wHBf7 bCw27sS3BMylg7tU&index=9&t=0s 3. GCFLearnFree.org. (November 30, 2017). Writing a formal business letter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xUTguLaaXI 4. Mad English TV. (September 17, 2017). How to write a business email. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAqkBwruxT8 References 1. Purdue Writing Lab. (n.d.). The Basic Business Letter // Purdue Writing Lab. Retrieved September 02, 2020, from https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/professional_technical_writin g/basic_business_letters/index.htmlSimple. (2012). Style format business letter. https://okhtablog.wordpress.com/2012/11/20/styles-format-business-letter/ 2. Writing@CSU. (n.d.). Welcome to Writing@CSU. from https://writing.colostate.edu/guides/page.cfm?pageid=1466&guideid=71 22 | P a g e  3. Simplynotes. (n.d.). Claim & adjustment letters. https://www.simplynotes.in/e- notes/mbabba/business-communication/claim-adjustment- letters/#:~:text=An%20%E2%80%9D%20adjustment%20letter%20is%20a,to%20 a% 23 | P a g e 24 | P a g e