Business Communication 1st Sem Reviewer PDF

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION – 1ST SEM REVIEWER Course Description LECTURE DISCUSSION Purposive Communication is a three-unit course According to GCFGlobal (2024), business designed to develop students' communicative writing refers to any writ...

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION – 1ST SEM REVIEWER Course Description LECTURE DISCUSSION Purposive Communication is a three-unit course According to GCFGlobal (2024), business designed to develop students' communicative writing refers to any written communication competence through multimodal tasks that used in a professional setting, such as emails, enhance cultural and intercultural awareness. business letters, memos, and reports. It is This General Education course equips students characterized by being direct, clear, and with critical evaluation tools for analyzing the designed to be read quickly. relationships including, but not limited to, Effective business writing is essential for language and power, identity, and gender. success in the workplace. It enables Students will produce and disseminate oral, professionals to communicate effectively with written, audio-visual, and web-based outputs for colleagues, clients, and stakeholders, and to various academic and professional purposes. present complex information in a clear and Delivered through lectures, discussions, group concise manner. Many management problems activities, and project-based learning, the course in business stem from communication issues, prepares students to communicate effectively particularly when there is a significant gap and ethically with multicultural audiences in between management and frontline employees local and global contexts. (Manalo & de Asis, 2009). Good business writing should be clear, UNIT 1: LESSON 1 succinct, accurate, and adhere to the standard written form of the language. Foundations of Business Communication Communication is essential for humans. We Importance of Effective Communication in share our thoughts and express them both Business Communication orally and in writing. Since there are always Effective communication achieves the reasons for speaking, we have to ensure that we communicator's intended purpose. To do this, the can deliver clear and fluid thoughts. Companies, communication must have a clear objective. As the schools, and even clubs operate because of communicator, you need to be clear about what communication. you want to achieve. You may aim to present facts, Moreover, your communication skills allow you give directions, suggest ideas, persuade, criticize, to understand not only people's words but also or entertain. Usually, you will have one of these six their tone of voice, nonverbal gestures, and the main purposes, with others as secondary structure of their written documents. This objectives. reflects their identity, values, and priorities. Being an effective communicator also involves In addition, other purposes of effective active listening and reading. communication in business communication As a future professional, part of your success lies include: in how effectively you can convey your facts and 1. It promotes acceptance ideas. Besides having a major purpose, all communication also has a common purpose that promotes a response in the receiver.  The common aim of all business communication 3. It furthers human relations is to promote both a response and a favorable Harmonious relations are vital to good office response. In other words, all business production. Employees must work together communication is designed to promote to get the job done; and no one likes to work acceptance of the message. with someone who is disagreeable, rude, and For example, if you write a letter to sell tactless. Such a person hinders the smooth flow insurance, your primary aim is to convince the of work. To be successful in business, a person recipient that he will be better off by choosing must show courtesy, tact, consideration, and your company's insurance. You want him to genuine respect and liking for his co-workers. accept what you have written and then to These are good human-relations qualities that purchase insurance from you. are expected of all who work in business or Similarly, if you are being interviewed for a serve the public. position, your main aim is to persuade the If you are insensitive to others' feelings, and interviewer that you are qualified to fill that job, show this lack in your communication, you will you want him to accept you. In these two drive away customers. You also will have a hard instances, the major purposes which are time getting people to cooperate with you in persuasion and gaining acceptance are identical. your daily work. 2. It shows empathy Effective communication contributes There is an old rhyme often quoted by sales enormously to good human relations with managers to teach new salesmen the basic art of customers and the public and among people selling: working together in a company. Good human "To sell John Smith what John Smith buys You relations, both inside and outside the company, must see John Smith through John Smith's eyes." spring from an appreciation for the feelings of This well-known aphorism encapsulates a others. This appreciation will result in selecting crucial insight: to effectively sell a product to a the most tactful words and phrases to put across customer, one must first understand the a point of view and in saying and writing things customer's perspective. If you hope to sell a in ways that are understandable, reasonable, product to a customer, you must first put accurate, and pleasant. yourself in the customer's place. You must have empathy for the customer. In other words, the Understanding your audience salesperson must empathize with the customer's Another important aspect of business needs, desires, and decision-making process. communication is understanding your The same principle holds true when attempting audience. While you might think you know to "sell" a point of view to one's superior or a your audience well, it takes research, time, and colleague. You will get nowhere by demanding effort to write in a way that meets their them to do something, or by insulting them. expectations. What you must do is to try to look at the idea as Understanding your audience means you imagine your supervisor or colleague might considering factors like their age, level of look at it. education, career status, and the groups they By cultivating this capacity for empathy, you belong to. For example, if you are giving a can enhance your effectiveness and maximize presentation on nutrition to a female audience, the likelihood of achieving your desired you would likely include more information on outcomes.  nutrition during pregnancy and menopause Digital vs. Traditional Communication than you would for a male audience. Channels Adopting an audience-centered approach is Communicating business transactions is also also crucial. This means understanding and channeled through the use of the following respecting your audience by focusing on their technology media: emails, fax mails, needs rather than your own. It involves voicemails, and teleconferences. learning about their background, preferences, The electronic mail system (email) helps and concerns to make your message meaningful manage communication from an individual to to them. If you don't know your audience well, its network or to another business entity. Email use common sense and empathy to imagine their communication also serves as a way to promote perspective. This skill, a key part of emotional the services and products of one company. The intelligence, is essential for successful facsimile mail system or fax mail is used to communication and leadership. Additionally, transfer copies of a document to another office practicing good etiquette helps protect your using a fax machine through a telephone company’s reputation and can positively impact network. Voicemail allows callers to leave a your career. short message for later retrieval by intended Lastly, you could ask yourself the following recipients. This is also a practical mode of questions to further help you understand your communication for domestic and foreign audience (The Writing Center, University of business arenas because of its confidentiality. North Carolina at Chapel Hill): With the advent of technology, work can also be 1. What are your audience’s priorities and done remotely through teleconferencing. expectations? Many free and premium software platforms act 2. What does your audience need to learn from as a medium to conduct real-time meetings or your document? conferences. Teleconferencing also allows 3. How will you grasp the attention of readers multiple participants in two or more locations when you are competing for their attention? where sharing and collaboration can be made 4. How will you help your reader move through possible through interaction using audio, your document efficiently? When is it effective video, and other modalities. to use bulleted lists, visuals, boldface, and A quick search in the business and section headers to guide your reader’s attention? employment-focused social media platform 5. What does your audience most need to know? LinkedIn shows that the top three desired skills 6. What is your audience expecting? Is your goal for 2024 by employers are communication, to satisfy their expectations, or do you want to customer service, and leadership (LinkedIn, surprise them with a new idea? 2024). 7. How will you communicate about setbacks? When is it appropriate to spin bad information According to Bovee and Thrill (2018), with a positive outlook? How will stakeholders, employers today expect the following customers, or employees respond to bad news? communication competency that will help you 8. In general, how can you tailor the organization land a job and advance in your career: and style of your writing to address your 1. Recognizing information needs, using efficient audience’s considerations and needs? search techniques to locate reliable sources of information (particularly from online sources), and using gathered information ethically, this  collection of skills is often referred to as digital Skype is best suited for students seeking a user- information fluency friendly platform that seamlessly integrates 2. Organizing ideas and information logically and with other Microsoft products. completely Google Meet fits for students prioritizing a 3. Expressing ideas and information coherently, secure and reliable platform. Lastly, Microsoft persuasively, and concisely Teams will effectively cater to students within 4. Actively listening to others an organization that utilizes Office 365. 5. Communicating effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences UNIT 1: LESSON 2 6. Using communication technologies effectively and efficiently Organizational Communication 7. Following accepted standards of grammar, Effective communication is essential for spelling, and other aspects of high-quality successful workplace interactions and writing and speaking collaboration. Individuals must be able to 8. Communicating in a civilized manner that effectively communicate with colleagues, reflects contemporary expectations of business superiors, and clients to achieve personal and etiquette, even when dealing with indifferent or professional goals. hostile audiences In the workplace, communication can take 9. Communicating ethically, even when choices many forms, ranging from formal to informal. aren't crystal clear, or you have to share news Formal communication typically follows that people don't want to hear established channels and protocols, such as 10. Managing your time wisely and using official emails, reports, or meetings, while resources efficiently informal communication is more casual, often 11. Using critical thinking, which is the ability to occurring spontaneously through conversations evaluate evidence completely and objectively or instant messages. Understanding when to use in order to form logical conclusions and make each type of communication is crucial for sound recommendations maintaining professionalism and fostering a Since in-person communication is not the only positive work environment. means to communicate (hybrid However, even the most well-intentioned communication), employees must be equipped communication efforts can be hindered by with knowledge on the use of different channels various barriers, such as noise, distractions, and and platforms to ensure effective technological issues. These barriers can lead to communication. Some of the most popular misunderstandings, decreased productivity, and software for teleconferences that can be installed strained relationships within an organization. and accessed through smartphones, tablets, By recognizing and addressing these obstacles, laptops, and desktops include Zoom, Microsoft individuals can enhance their communication Teams, Google Meet, and Skype. To distinguish skills, contributing to a more efficient and the features between the different harmonious workplace. videoconferencing apps, you may refer to the next table. Overall, all four platforms have their strengths and weaknesses. Zoom is ideal for students requiring a feature-rich and adaptable platform.  memos or tasks. 2. Upward communication moves from the bottom-up where subordinates communicate to supervisors about feedback on rules or issues related to their jobs. 3. Horizontal communication circulates on the same level but from different departments or units that facilitate tasks through proper coordination. LECTURE DISCUSSION 4. Crosswise communication runs from an A system of communication must be put in place employee from one department to another for an organization to be successful. employee of a different level in another Establishing patterns of communication or department or unit. communication protocol must be clear and individuals in the organization must be equipped On the other hand, informal communication with necessary oral and written communication comes from unofficial channels of message skills. flow (―grapevineǁ messages). This occurs Communication channels in the organization due to dissatisfaction of some employees, supervisors playing favorites, unfavorable can be internal and external. From the word company rules and some even resort to gossip. internal, communication happens within the However, if used properly, informal people at all organizational levels while external communication can strengthen workplace communication happens between people within relationships. It is also considered an and outside of it. This includes company important communication channel since it is transactions with its clients, investors, or widespread. Any information, even if it is not suppliers. officially sanctioned by the organization, can Additionally, there are two types of extensively reach anyone if it is discouraged by organizational communication structures or the management. networks: formal and informal. Formal Clear and consistent communication communication flows within different positions procedures are crucial for an organization to in the institution and usually follows the same operate smoothly. Following established lines and patterns of an organizational chart. protocols guarantees that information is shared This makes use of different approaches (1) effectively, minimizes the chances of miscommunication, and ensures alignment downward communication, (2) upward among teams and departments. communication, (3) horizontal communication, and (4) crosswise Interpersonal Communication in the communication. Workplace In the modern workplace, characterized by 1. Downward communication flows from top increasing digitalization and remote work management down to the rank and-file arrangements, the communication skills of employees and could contain important employees have become a critical factor in organizational success. Effective interpersonal  communication can help individuals resolve 3. Use positive body language during conflicts, strengthen team cohesion, and conversations, consciously maintain eye contribute to the overall productivity and contact and nod occasionally to show that you performance of the organization. (Tripathy, are actively listening and engaged. This 2022) positive body language encourages the speaker Interpersonal communication in the workplace and helps build trust, making the interaction is the foundation of effective collaboration, more effective and meaningful. ensuring that ideas, feedback, and instructions are clearly conveyed and understood. It plays a 4. Provide constructive feedback that is specific vital role in building trust, resolving conflicts, and solution oriented. When giving feedback, and fostering a positive work environment. avoid personal attacks and give the person clear Good interpersonal communication involves guidelines for improvement. On the other hand, active listening, clear articulation, empathy, and if you are on the receiving end of a constructive appropriate non-verbal cues. feedback, resist the urge to defend your work or To improve interpersonal communication at deny the validity of the feedback. Remaining work you can apply the following: open to criticism is not easy when you have 1. Practice active listening by giving full attention invested considerable amount of time and and acknowledging the speaker's points. When energy in a project or work, but good feedback someone is speaking, focus on them by provides a valuable opportunity to learn and maintaining eye contact and putting away any improve the quality of your work. distractions, such as your phone or computer. This shows that you are fully present and 5. Develop emotional intelligence to better engaged in the conversation. understand and manage your own emotions and Another way to practice active listening is by those of others, enhancing overall paraphrasing and asking clarifying questions. communication. For example, practice active After the speaker has finished making a point, listening during team meetings to understand paraphrase what they said in your own words to your colleagues' perspectives and respond confirm your understanding. For example, you empathetically, fostering stronger interpersonal can say, "So, what you're saying is..." or "If I relationships. understand correctly, you mean...". This not only Barriers in the Organizational Communication demonstrates that you are listening but also In any communication setting, messages can be helps clarify any potential misunderstandings. disrupted by barriers like noise, distractions, competing messages, filters, and channel 2. Be clear and concise in your messages to avoid failures. misunderstandings. Before sending an email, 1. Noise and distractions can disrupt letter, or any message within your company, take communication in various ways. External a moment to review it and remove any distractions include things like uncomfortable unnecessary words or jargon. Focus on meeting spaces or computer screens cluttered delivering the key points in as few words as with pop-up messages. Internal distractions, possible, ensuring that the main message is clear such as thoughts and emotions, also prevent and easy to understand. This will help avoid people from focusing on messages. confusion and ensure that your message is Multitasking—trying to do several tasks at quickly and accurately received.  once—often leads to more distractions, reduced UNIT 2: EFFECTIVE BUSINESS WRITING productivity, and increased errors, especially as In the field of business, having effective and communication increasingly happens on mobile clear communication is highly important. This devices. The need to minimize these means that in business, writers need to make distractions is more important than ever. sure that they convey their ideas clearly in a professional manner for organizations to run 2. Competing messages are another challenge, as smoothly. In order to do so, there are different getting your audience's full attention is rare. You styles and parts that will be needed to be often have to compete with other messages familiarized and applied to each document that vying for their attention at the same time. will be sent. 3. Filters can block or distort messages, whether Writing using the proper parts and format can they are human or technological. Filters can be help individuals appear formal and improve intentional, like automatically sorting incoming credibility, which could reflect professionalism. messages, or unintentional, such as an overly Effective business writing requires aggressive spam filter that deletes important improvement, which can be done through emails. practice and sensitivity to information in the documents that will be written. Organizational structure and culture can also hinder communication, as can intermediaries PURPOSE OF BUSINESS LETTERS who may alter the message to suit their own 1. Providing a permanent record purposes. 2. Safeguarding confidentiality 3. Conveying Formality and Sensitivity 4. Channel breakdowns can occur when the 4. Delivering Persuasive, Well-Considered communication channel fails entirely. This Messages might happen if a colleague forgets to pass on a message or if a computer server crashes, Different Parts of Business Letters preventing the message from being delivered. The elements or parts that usually appear in a Everyone in an organization can help reduce business letter are the following: barriers and distractions. As a communicator, you have to be mindful of anything that might Principal parts of business letter - most basic prevent your messages from reaching your elements of the letter audience. As a manager, watch for (1) Heading organizational barriers that could block (2) Dateline information flow. Simple actions like silencing (3) Inside address your phone before a meeting, avoiding loud (4) Salutation conversations, and being considerate with your (5) Body/Text audio can make a big difference. (6) Complimentary closing (7) Signature block Supplementary Parts (Optional/ Miscellaneous Parts) – secondary elements of a business letter (1) Subject line (2) Attention line (3) Identification / Reference initials Name of company and its complete address, (4) Enclosure reference Official company logo as its distinguishing (5) Carbon copies notation / Courtesy copy trademark, notation / Computer copy notation The nature of company business and, (6) Blind carbon copies notation Other vital information Telephone / Fax (7) Reference line number, and Website address (if available) (8) Special notation (9) Mailing notation DATE LINE (10) Continuation line The date Indicates when the letter is written (11) Postscript and is to be found at the last line of the MAJOR PARTS heading. When letterhead is used, only the date THE HEADING OR RETURN ADDRESS is necessary to add either beneath the printed heading, at the left margin, or to the right center This presents basically the complete business so that it ends roughly at the right margin. The address of the firm or the individual address, as date line consists of the month, day of the well as the date when the letter is written. month, and year. The normal orders of elements in the date line are the month, day and year. Writing a dateline using all numerical figures like this (09/01/20) must also be avoided because this date might result into confusion 1. Conventional/ Traditional Heading for having two possible interpretations either The number of the house and name of the as September 01, 2003, or January 19, 2020 street are both written in the first line. The town and the province; the city and the state; city or state Zip Code are written in the second line. The date is written in the last line of the However, in the U.S government and many heading foreign countries, the preference style is to 2. Modern Heading present the day before the month. The modern heading usually uses letterhead or typed heading which consists of the name of the firm and complete business address. Business firms usually use stationery with a printed letterhead containing optional printed information as follows: In either case, the month should always be written in full, and abbreviations should not be used. BODY/ TEXT OF THE LETTER The body or text of the letter contains the actual message. The body is located between the salutation and complimentary close. It begins INSIDE ADDRESS two spaces below the salutation and ends two The inside address consists of the name and spaces above the complimentary close. complete address of the individual or the firm In writing the body, the letter must be correct, to whom the letter is written, just as it appears clear, courteous, concise, and neatly typed. As a on the envelope. This includes the following general rule, 11 single spacing should be elements: observed within paragraphs of the body, and 1. Name of the addressee and the courtesy title- double spacing between paragraphs. Mr., Ms. Mrs., Dr., Prof. Major components of Body of the letter 2. Business title, rank or official position in the 1. The introductory statement organization 2. The message proper 3. The name of the company or organization 3. The closing or concluding statement 4. Complete mailing address (The street address, post office box, suite number, mail drop, or other COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE mailing information.) The complimentary close is the formal and courteous way of signaling the end or the leave- The inside address is written from two to ten taking line of the business letter, which spaces below the date line or depending on the corresponds or conveys to the degree of length of the body of the letter. formality of the salutation of the letter. In general, a complimentary close is followed by SALUTATION a comma. Only the letter of the first word The salutation is the courteous greeting of the should be capitalized. business letter. It directly tells whom the letter is addressed. It also establishes the positive atmosphere between the writer and the recipient. The only permissible punctuation mark in the business letter following the salutation is a colon (:) and not a comma (,) because the latter sounds to be less professional in tone. A comma is used only when the writer and the recipient are so familiar with each other that they can address themselves by their first names. In other words, comma is satisfactorily used when the letter is friendly, familiar, and sociable tone, but not for business correspondence. These salutations for individuals shown below NOTE: After the complimentary close, provide are arranged from the most formal to the least at least 3 lines below that for the space of your formal order. signature. SIGNATURE BLOCK "Ladies and Gentlemen". A signature block in a business letter is a section The envelope address must be addressed either that includes the writer's name, title, and to the organization or department. signature, and is typically located at the bottom Possible Positions of Attention Line in Business of the letter. Letter (1) Two spaces before the inside address EXAMPLE OF A BUSINESS LETTER (2) Between inside address and salutation (3) On a line with the salutation (4) Two spaces between salutation and body of the letter SUBJECT LINE The subject line is the title of a letter, memo, or e-mail. It is an effective device to indicate the main business subject with which the letter deals. In other words, it instantly informs the reader at a glance about the general content of the letter. Subject line is required in memos yet, optional in letters. The word "subject" is highlighted by boldface type, underlining, or by the use of all capital letters. It may be placed in various positions in the business correspondence: (1) two spaces above the inside address SUPPLEMENTARY PARTS– these are optional (2) two spaces between inside address and or miscellaneous parts of a business letter which salutation depend on the company’s letter format. (3) on line with the salutation (4) two spaces between salutation and the body ATTENTION LINE of the letter It is used when the inside address does not include either the name of an individual or the REFERENCE LINE name of the department. This refers the readers to the number used on It may be addressed directly to the desk of a the previous correspondence, or the order or particular individual; this happens when the invoice number which this letter is about. writer wishes to direct the letter to a particular If the recipient specially requests information department or to one of its representatives but such as a job reference or invoice number. Type does not know the name of a specific individual it one or two lines, immediately below or align in the organization. with the date. In this case, although the letter is directly addressed to an individual, the salutation must be plural like "Gentlemen” or CONTINUATION LINE B. BLIND CARBON COPY ("bcc") The continuation line is used when the letter is When the writer wishes not to inform the longer than one page. This appears after the recipient of the letter that a carbon copy or a first page of the letter. duplicate of the document is sent to someone This only consists of the name or initial of the else. addressee, the page number, and the date. Just simply type the abbreviation "bcc" on the The contents of this line can be written in two succeeding copies, not on the original. In ways: other words, this notation is listed on the copy A.) CARBON COPY NOTATION / saved for the file with the abbreviation "bcc" COURTESY COPY NOTATION ("cc") preceding the names of people getting these The abbreviation "cc" originally meant copies. "carbon copy" since it comes from the days when carbon paper was the only way to make copies of correspondence. But now this means "computer copy", however, REFERENCE INITIAL/ IDENTIFICATION this abbreviation is still used to indicate who INITIAL besides the primary recipients will receive the Identification initial presents the writer or documents. dictator's initial and the transcriber 's Other accepted abbreviations like "pc" for (secretary/typist) initial separated either by photocopy or simply "c" for copies. Thus, this colon (:), dash (-), hyphen (-), or diagonal line notation is used to inform the addressee of the (/). letter that a duplicate or a carbon copy is sent Writer's initial is usually capitalized then to someone else. followed by the transcriber's initial written in If copies are distributed, the phrase "copy to" lower case. or the abbreviated "cc" is typed at the left In short, if someone else types of the letter, the margin, below all other notations, so that it will reference identifies this person, usually by be the last item on the page. initials. These symbols should be followed by the names of the other recipients, either individual, department or organization, listed either alphabetically or according to official If the writer is different from the person sending function/rank. the letter, the identification lin should appear with three sets of initials, separated from one another by any of the symb markers mentioned above. This should appear two spaces below the typed signature abetting the left margin. ENCLOSURE (“Encl.") complimentary close and the signature line are The enclosure notation informs the addressee of justified to the left margin. the letter that there are other items enclosed in the same envelope besides the letter. 2. Modified block It may help both the letter sender and recipient - contain the same elements as both the full- to safeguard important documents inside of block and semi-block letters. the envelope. In doing so, simply type this - The placement of the dateline, symbol "encl.", ordinarily one or two spaces complimentary close and signature line are below the last line of the signature block. aligned to the right while the rest of the parts are aligned to the left which are the inside address, salutation, and the body of the letter. - The reason this is preferred by many writers is because according to them this style POSTSCRIPT promotes a balanced alignment of the This is used to re-emphasize very important parts of the letter. details in the body of the letter to draw the 3. Semi-block reader's interest. This is usually typed two - promotes an exact placement as the spaces be leather last notation of the letter. modified block with the exception of the This notation should appear two spaces below first line of each paragraph being indented any other notation abetting the left margin. instead of justified. PRINCIPLES OF BUSINESS WRITING 7Cs of Business Communication (Letter Writers’ Creed) SPECIAL MAILING NOTATION The following are the seven characteristics or 1. Prepare the envelope in the same style that you 7Cs of effective writing which is used in business write the body of the letter. writing (Mulder, 2020). 2. Do not use titles as Mr., Mrs. or Ms. In your own name. Completeness - This quality refers to the 3. Include all necessary mailing information in the completeness of the information being written address of the recipient of the letter. in the letter. 4. Avoid any abbreviations in addresses that will Concreteness - This refers to having a clear, not be immediately clear to everyone specific and concrete message. Information included must be based on updated data, Styles in Business Letter Writing credible sources and factual evidence. Business letters can be written with a variety of Courtesy - To achieve this quality, writers styles such as: should use a friendly and courteous tone 1. Full block when writing their letter. - is commonly used in business letters Correctness - This quality is applied through because of its simplicity. the avoidance of errors in writing business - All of the parts including the dateline, inside letters. To attain this principle, writers should address, salutation, body of the letter, have a correct use of language and observance  of proper grammar and punctuation. PERSUASIVE LETTERS (Letter Asking Clarity - This refers to having a clear or plain Donation and Favor) language through use of concrete words. Persuasive letters are written formally to Consideration - This quality emphasizes the convince or influence the receiver to act in importance of considering the receiver of the favor of the sender’s intentions or objectives. letter or your target audience in the document This letter usually provides due reasons, that you will be writing. examples, tasks, and solutions. Factors to consider: (Professional Knowledge, Donation Letter Age, Interests, Level of Education, Position) - Seeks to ask for support either financial or in- Conciseness - This quality refers to the succinct kind. delivery of the message. This means that the - Donation letter is usually written by non-profit message of the letter should be brief while at groups or organizations. Donation letter the same time complete. includes organization’s advocacies and its impact to the intended beneficiaries. TYPES OF BUSINESS LETTERS Everyday Letters REFUSAL LETTERS (Orders, Requests) During this part of the writing process, the - Refusal letter is a letter commonly written in following tips may be helpful: formal form to notify the receiver about the Letter of Inquiry unfavorable decision of the sender. This letter seeks to request information from the - Refusal letter is usually short and only includes receiver. It is therefore the objective of this letter necessary information on the reasons for the to make the receiver respond to satisfy the negative response. - Even if there is no particular format in writing inquiry which is beneficial to the sender and the a refusal letter, it is important to be as polite as receiver. possible in stating the rejection. Letter of Reply/ Response The main function of this letter is to provide an Letters and Services Needed answer or information being requested from a letter of inquiry. The letter of reply must Order Letter satisfy the inquiry of the sender even if the - Orders letters are used to fulfill an order from a response is unfavorable or negative. customer to the vendor. - Detailed information such as quantity, Acknowledgement Letter description, price as well as instructions for the - The letter of acknowledgement serves a vendor is written carefully. confirmation that the message has been received - This also serves as a legal record of a or a communication was established. transaction. - It is sometimes called a letter of receipt and an important indication of professionalism in Adjustment Letter building and maintaining business relationships. - Adjustment letter answers to customer’s - This letter is commonly short and concise as it complaints which should be written in a also serves a legal document. diplomatic, tactful, and positive manner.  2. Subject line 3. Message, consists of: Claim Letters a. orientation (background) - Claim letters are used to alert the responsible b. information (message or report) itself party about an error in the transaction or that the c. action (steps to be taken or recommendation) recipient is not satisfied with a product as suggested advertised or a service rendered. d. signature of sender THE MEMORANDUM Example of a Memo Format A memorandum is an interoffice or department report used to communicate information to individuals within the organization or company. Characteristics of the Memo 1. A memorandum does not have the inside address, salutation, and the close. 2. It uses the block paragraph pattern. 3. The “From” part is initialed to signify that the sender has proofread the memo and to prevent anyone from sending memos in someone else’s name. Some organizations require the memo sender to sign and not just put initials on the Organization memo. The signature is placed beyond the last There are two strategies to organize the line of the memo to prevent anyone from adding memorandum: unauthorized information. The direct organization strategy is focused on 4. The language used is usually the informal first the purpose of the document usually stated in person (I, we, me, us, our) or second person the first paragraph or first sentence. It gives (you); although the formal language which uses supporting details and additional third-person pronouns, such as he or she, they, information in the body. and them, may also be used. The indirect organization strategy starts with relevant, attention-getting details. The purpose Parts of the Memo – it consists of the heading is revealed in the body of the message, usually (company name, to, from, and date), subject line, sandwiched between supporting details. and message. 1. Heading In choosing which strategy to observe, keep in a. Company Name mind that the direct strategy is best for good b. Word memo or memorandum news or routine messages while the indirect c. Date strategy is more appropriate for bad news or d. To/For (to when the sender writes to who persuasive messages in order to build the has a higher or lower rank than he has; purpose. For when the sender writes to someone who occupies an equal rank) e. From (initiated) EXAMPLES OF MEMORANDUM (DIRECT Style and Tone AND INDIRECT) Memo reports and policy memos have a more formal tone, but most memos have a Sample Direct Memo conversational style—slightly informal but still professional. The writer’s style for memos is based on the audience. The relationship is a professional one, so the writing should reflect that. Furthermore, as with all workplace documents, the audience may contain a variety of readers, and the style and tone should be appropriate for all of their technical and authority levels. CONTINUATION: SALUTATION Unknown Genders of recipients When neither the name nor the title of the recipient is unknown. The following salutations can be used. Sample Indirect Memo When the name of the intended reader is unknown, the salutation should be addressed to a position title. If it is written to an organization, it should be addressed to the name of the organization.