Introduction to Business Letter
Meaning of business letter:-
The
business letter is the basic means of communication between two companies. It
is a document typically sent externally to those outside a company as well as
is a document sent internally to those within a company. Most business letter
has a formal tone. As the success of a man is implied in good health, beautiful
face and loveable inner qualities, similarly, both the inner and the outer
factors are responsible for making an impressive business letter.
Business letter is a
letter written in formal language (English), usually used when writing from the
business organization to another or for correspondence between such organizations
and their customers, clients and other external parties. It is more formal then
personal letter. The overall style of letter will depends on the relationship
between the parties concerned.
A business letters is
usually a letter from one company to another, or between such organization and
their customers, clients and other external parties. The overall style depends
depend on the relationship between the parties concerned. Business letters can
have many type of contents, for example to request direct information or action
from another party, to order supplies from a supplier, to point out a mistake
by the letter’s receiver, to reply directly to a request, to apologize for a
wrong, or to convey goodwill. A business letter is sometimes useful because it
provides permanent written record, and may be take more seriously by the
receiver than other forms of communication.
Lay out of Business Letter
A
business letter has a distinctive structure and appearance. A letter is usually
an organization’s first visual contact with another organization or person, and
makes an important impression. Thinking reasoning and planning before writing a
letter has many advantages. It enables the writer to compose the letter in a
logical order and in style most suited to the needs of the reader.
Structure of a letter:
Many
letters can be written on a framework of
1.
Opening/introduction
2.
Giving the
required information
3.
Action/response
from the writer or the recipient
4.
Closing
The first point takes
one or two sentences; the second one forms the main context of the letter and
many need more than one paragraph. The third and the fourth can be combined as
they form the ending of the letter and each takes only a sentence.
Composing the letter:-
At the stage of
composing, give attention to the language and style and consider the recipient.
A good deal depends on how much the recipient knows, what is the relationship
between the sender and the recipient, and is the recipient’s attitude to the
issue being discussed in the letter.
Opening and closing a letter:-
The opening sentence
has the important function of establishing good feeling and drawing a favorable
response from the reader. Ex, ‘we are glad to say that we can deliver the goods
a week earlier, as requested in your letter of the 21th.’ Clarity, goodwill,
courtesy and self-respect are most important in the last paragraph.
Parts of a Business Letter
An official letter looks different from
a personal letter and from other type of business documents. Since letters
serve as records, some routine details are necessary in the structure of a
letter. Different parts have their own fixed location on the sheet; there is a
slight variation from left to right in the different styles of layout; there
order of appearance from top to bottom is the same in all styles.
Letter Head or
sender’s address:
This information is
located at the top of the business letter in the return address or by using the
company’s letterhead. This includes name, address, phone number, company logo
or letterhead. The letterhead and the date of the letter are usually printed two
lines below the letterhead. When printing on a blank paper, use address
(without your name) and date as the heading. Date:
In British practice, the date is written
in the order of day, month, year, with no commas. "16
June 2016 ".
In American practice, the date is
written in the order month, day, and year with a comma separating the figure of
the day from the figure of the year. "June
16, 2016 "
Inside Address:
The inside address is the recipient’s
address. Inside address is the name and address of the receiver as it appears
on the envelope. The receivers name should be exactly as they sign it in their
letters. Ex, if a person signs his name “Vishnu B. Kumar”, he should be
addressed “Mr. Vishnu B. Kumar” addressing him as “Mr. V.B.Kumar” is
inappropriate. The name of the country is the last line of the address. The
inside address is typed in block form. In the block form, all lines begin at
the margin and there is no punctuation at the end of any line. This style looks
neat and takes less time to type. Include a personal title such as Ms., Mrs., Mr.,
or Dr. If there is 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. The inside address begins one
line below the sender’s address or below the date. It should be left justified,
no matter which format you are using. The inside address is your reader’s full
address. This includes the reader’s name, position, and organization (as the
company calls itself and complete mailing address).
Special markings:
If a letter is
confidential, this is indicated above the inside address, either at the margin
or in the center. It may be either in all capitals or with initial capital and
underlined.
CONFIDENTIAL
or Confidential
Attention
line:
Attention: Human
Resource Manager
Salutation:
Salutation
is necessary for every letter. It relates the letter to the reader. If you do
not know the readers gender use full name in salutation, it is also acceptable.
For example, you might write Dear Chris Harmon: if you were unsure of Chris’s
gender.
Subject line:
Subject:
Admission
requirement
The reference:
An example of the
reference is:
Message
The message is the body of the letter.
The message is organized into appropriate paragraphs in order to convey
thoughts. The opening line is like,
With reference to
your advertisement in the newspaper (Times)………………….
And it usually starts with an acknowledgement or
introduction. The opening line or the introductory paragraphs endeavour to put
the message in perspective. The length of the message depending on the thoughts
and details which the letter writer wishes to convey. The message is the crux
or core of the letter and all other features are embellishments or
accompaniments. The message of the letter, in other words, is usually the
content or subject of the communication. The letter is written because the
message has to be conveyed. 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.
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. Closing paragraph should restate the purpose of the letter
and, in some cases, request some type of action.
Closing:
Capitalize the first word only (for
example: Thank you) and leave four lines between the closing and the sender’s
name for a signature. If a colon follows the salutation, a comma should follow
the closing; otherwise, there is no punctuation after the closing. The closing
line paragraph is very important for the letter. It should sum up the message
and emphasize the action intended.
Complimentary
close:
The complimentary closing line comes
after the message and before the signature. When the salutation is Dear sir/madam, the closing line is
yours faithfully and when the salutation is Dear
Shri, or Dear Mrs., the closing
line is Yours Sincerely.
Signature:
The signature is placed
just below the complimentary close. Some companies include the name of the
company just below the complimentary close or below the name and designation of
the person who signs; but most companies do not put the company’s name in the
signature as it is already in the heading.Reference section:
The reference section include: enclosure, names of parties to receive copies, the type of delivery service to be used, and initials of the persons who dictated and typed the letter.
Enclosure:
Enclosure are related documents sent
with a letter; bills, cheques, quotation, brochures, price-lists etc. which
have been mentioned in the letter and are sent as enclosure. If there are many enclosures, they are numbered and
placed behind the letter in the order of their serial number. Enclosure is indicated in the letter by
writing Enc(s) or Encls: at the bottom left of the letter,
after the signatures. If there is more than one enclosure, the total number is
also indicated, e.g. Enc: 2. Sometimes, the enclosure is named, e.g.
Encls: proforma invoice. If we have
included many documents and need to ensure that the recipient is aware of each
document, it may be a good idea to list the names.
Copies:
when a matter concern more than two
parties, a copy of letters related to the matter is sent for information to the
other parties who are concerned. This is indicated by writing copy (or copies)
or cc (copy circulated or courtesy copies) followed by the name and designation
of person to receive the copy. List the name of the people, to whom you
distribute copies. If there is no need to send copy to others than skip it. If
we do not want our reader to know about the other copies, we should type bc on the copies only, not the original.
The copy line is used to left the reader knows that other people are receiving
a copy of the documents. Use the following symbols.
Postscript: postscript or P.S. is an
afterthought. It should never be used for adding something, which was forgotten
while preparing the letter. It can be used to add a friendly personal note to a
formal letter, it may be just a line, but it can successfully established
personal contact by referring to some common experience or by making a friendly
personal enquiry.
The postscript can be
used effectively in a sales letter to impress an action incentive sentence on
the reader’s mind.
Format of Business Letter
[Your Name]
[Address]
[Address]
Letter head or sender’s address
[phone]
[Date of writing the letter]
[Recipient’s Name]
[Company Name] Inside address
[Address]
Attention [Recipient’s Name]
Dear Sir/Madam,
Salutation
Subject:
The
reference
Message
one or more paragraph (body text)
Sincerely, Closing
[Signature]
[Your Name, Title]
Enclosure:
[Number]
Reference section
cc. [Name for Copy]
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Appearance of a Business
Letter
A letter makes a visual
impression before it is read, and the first impression is often decisive.
Everyone is attracted by a good, presentable appearance.The appearance of a
letter depends on all the things that make up the letter.
Stationery must
be good quality. Most companies prefer to use pure white paper, with black
print. The envelope must be of the same quality paper with the same type of
print as the letterhead.
The printers and
typewriters must be maintained well and cleaned regularly; the ribbons need
regular attention. Good quality carbon paper must be used for making copies.
Typing must
be neat, without cancellations or corrections. There should be equal spacing
between words and between lines, and double spacing between paragraphs and
different parts of the letter. The letter should be placed carefully in the
center of the page, leaving equal margins on the sides and at the bottom. If a
continuation sheet is used, it must have the same margins as the first page.
Paragraphing
is necessary for breaking up a composition into readable, logical and
progressive units. It is also needed for a pleasing appearance. A large block
of writing is not pleasant to see; it is restful to the eyes to see a good
amount of white space between the reading materials. In a business letter,
paragraphing is important for appearance as well as for composition. Usually a
letter has three to four paragraphs: a short opening paragraph which may have
only one or two sentence; one or two longer middle paragraph which carry the
main message of the letter; and a short closing paragraph which may be only one
sentence.
Folding of
the letter must be neat. It makes a poor impression if it is badly folded. The
size of the folded letter must be such as to fit in the envelope leaving enough
space for cutting the envelope open.
Address on
the envelope is typed halfway down and one-third from the left in order to
ensure the post office stamping does not efface it. It is typed in block form.
Its appearance is as important as that of the letter as it is seen before the
letter. The practice of writing To, before
the address is outdated.
Forms
of Business letter
Intended FormThis style is now outdated. In this form, the inside address shown earlier, as well as every paragraph began three to five spaces away from the left margins. The indention caused the letter to look uneven at the left margin. Besides, it took more time to type because of the indenting.
18 November, 2016
Excello Typing institute,
14, Green Avenue,
Mumbai 400053.
Dear sirs,
This is the intended form which is
considered old fashioned now. The inside address is intended, I.e., each
subsequent line is intended 2 spaces from the previous line; each line is
followed by a comma, and the last line by a full stop. Each paragraph begins
five spaces away from the margin.
This form was used in the days before
the typewriter when all letters were hand-written. Today even hand-written
letters are not written in this style.
The appearance of this style is not very
neat; besides, it wastes typing time because of the indentions.
Yours faithfully,
(
space for signature)
Office Superintendent
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1 Full-Block Form
This is the most modern style. There is no intention
at the left margin at all, everything starts with left margins including date
and complimentary close. The address has no punctuation at the end of the line.
The salutation and the complimentary close do not have a comma at the end. There
is double line space between the parts and between paragraphs. These forms take
less time to type because it requires no indention and has no punctuation in
the layout parts. Some companies do not like this because it looks heavy on the
left, and rather blank on the right.
May 2, 2016
Windsor
Stationery Mart
86, Main
Avenue, Santa Cruz
Mumbai
400054
Gentleman
This letter
is in Full-Block form. Every part of the letter, including the date and
complimentary close, begins at the left hand margin.
The inside
address is in block form is in block form with no end-of-line punctuation.
There is no punctuation mark after the salutation or after the complimentary
close.
As there is
absolutely no indention, this form takes the shortest time to type, and is
very useful in a firm which sends out a large number of letters. It is the
largest in styles of layout, but it has already become quite popular and is
used in a number of firms.
The drawback
of this form is that it looks rather blank on the right side and heavy on the
left. Besides, when the letter is field, it is difficult to refer to the date
and the signature without taking out the file and opening it fully.
Yours faithfully
Correspondence Supervisor
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Modified Block Form
In this style, the date and the complimentary close
are on the right in their usual position. The inside address is in block form.
The salutation and complimentary close are followed by a comma. All paragraphs
begins at the left margins and double space between the paragraph. This is the
most popular form as it has most of the advantages of the full block form
without its disadvantages. It appearance is balanced and neat.
10 September 2016
Pinto
Commercial Institute
23, Rampart
Row
Mumbai
400001
Dear Sirs,
This is the
modified Block Form, and is in most common use today. Most companies adopt
this form as the most convenient and also the most attractive.
The date and
the complimentary close are at the right. The address is in block form, that
is, all lines begin at the margin and there are no punctuation marks at the
end of any line. The paragraphs begin at the left margin and are separated
only by double spacing. As most of the lines begin at left margin, this form
saves the time typist.
This for is
neat and balanced in appearance. It is modification of the ultra modern
full-block form.
Yours truly,
Supervisor
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Semi-Intended Form Intended
Form
This form also called semi-block form. Inside address
in block form but the beginning of every paragraph is intended. The date and
the complimentary close are on the right side. The salutation and the
complimentary close are followed by comma as in the traditional style.
Modern
Typists
29, Mount
Road
Mumbai
400002
Sirs,
The semi-block form combines the
intended and block forms. Some of its features are taken from the old style
and some from the new style.
The date and the complimentary close
are one the right. The address is in block form and the paragraphs are
intended five spaces away from the margin. Many firms use this form although
it does not look so streamlined as the modified block form.
This form
will probably fall out us for typewritten letters and will be used only for
had written letters.
Yours
faithfully,
Sales Manager
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Hanging Indention Form
In this type of form inside address is in block form.
The date and complimentary close are on the right. The beginning of every
paragraph is at the left margin, but the subsequent lines of every paragraph
intended to three to five spaces. This is adopted for sales letter, broachers
and other documents in which striking appearance is useful. The opening line of
every paragraph “hangs out”, and can be used for highlighting important points.
20
August 2016
Expert
Advisory Service
Beach View
Warden Road
Mumbai
400026
Gentleman:
This is the
hanging indention form. It has the address in block form, every
paragraph
starting at the margin, and subsequent
lines of every paragraph intended a few
spaces from the margin.
As the first
line of every paragraph ‘hangs’ out, it attracts attention. Sales and
stunt
collection letters are written in this
style in order to catch the eye. The opening
words of every paragraph must be
striking and the drafting must be done clearly.
Typing time
is wasted in this form because of the large number of indentions. It is
not
used for routine letters.
Yours faithfully,
Sales
Manager
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NOMA Form
This is most recent experiment in layout style. It is
recommended by National Office Management Association of America. It has most
of features of full block form: all lines begin at the left margins, and the inside
address is in block form. The special feature of this form is it has no
salutation and no complimentary close, the subject line is in capital letters
but three line below the inside address. The writers name and title are typed
in capital letter one line below the space for signature.
11 May 2016
Expert
Advisory Services
Beach View
Mumbai 400 026
NOMA LETTER
LAYOUT STYLE
The name
NOMA is an acronym of National Office Management Association. This American
organization has recommended this style. It has been accepted in Britain with
some modifications.
Most of its
features are same as those of the full block style. The address is in block
form with no punctuation at the end of the line. All lines begin at the left
margin.
This style
has the following special features:
a. Salutation and
complimentary close are omitted
b.
Subject is in capitals three lines below the inside address
c.
Enumerated items lists, like this one, begin at the left margin.
Lists of items without number/letter are intended five spaces
d.
There is no full stop at the end of the items in the list
e.
The writer’s name and title are typed in capital letter in one line
at the left margin at the end of the letter, leaving space for the signature
f.
The typist’s initials are at the bottom left corner
Some people
like this form as it eliminates the needless salutation and complimentary
close, but it is impersonal, distant and too far removed from the familiar
conventional styles.
KAMAL
BHUTA - REGISTRAR
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Drafting of Enquiry Letter
There are several categories of
Business letter like, Letters of enquiry,,
letters of quotation, letters of order, letters of acceptance, letters
of cancellation, trade reference letter, adjustment letter, collection letter, letters
regarding complain-claims and their adjustment.
The letters written for the purpose
of knowing about the quality, quantity and price of goods and the condition of
the business are known as enquiry letters. The enquiry letter is the foundation
of business relation. There should be three paragraphs in these letters. In the
first paragraph the circumstances should be mentioned which have made it
necessary to make the enquiry. Along with that the request should be made for
sending the sample of the goods, the price list and the conditions of the
business. The second paragraph should include an assurance like “if the
condition and terms are favorable and the goods are in accordance with the
market demands the order will be placed in a short time.” The third paragraph
should extend thanks for the cooperation. In this case, following the below
mentioned four guidelines will be helpful:
a) State your
purpose b) List your questions or requested action
c) Offer something in return to encourage action
d) Follow up with a thank you note, e-mail or phone call to the person who helped you with your request
Sub: Enquiry
M/S Ramesh
Book Depot,
150 Purana
Bazar,
Agra(UP)
Sirs,
We shall be
really pleased to establish business contacts with you for the purchase of
some publications of Uttar Pradesh. Kindly send the price list available with
you and the terms and conditions of the business at the earliest, so what we
can immediately place the order.
Yours
faithfully,
For Videshi Pustak Mandir
(Rajesh
kumar Verma)
Manager
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Solicited Enquiry Letter
It is in response to advertisements/sales letter of a seller. Here
already the buyer has some information on the product or service, but he
requires further details. Here questioning or message (which given by writer)
particularly relate to the areas of a sale/service. A solicited enquiry may ask
for a brochures/catalogue or for a clarification of the items mentioned in
them.Unsolicited Enquiry Letter
It is written by a potential buyer interested in the best bargain. He
(writer) does it at his own initiatives and convenience. He mentioned that, he
requires such a kind of products or service than asked about the price coasts,
quality, availability and other terms of sale.
Letters of
Quotation
After receiving the letter from a
willing party, the seller writes a letter to the possible purchaser replying to
his query. This letter is called the reply to enquiry or the quotation letter.
The subject matter can be changed in the quotation letter according to the
enquiry. The reply should be prompt and the information sent should be true. In
business, ambiguous, untruthful and indefinite statements are not proper. The
quotation letter includes the price list, availability of goods, and the terms
and conditions of business. If possible, samples should also be dispatched.
Sub: Quotation
Sir,
We are grateful to you
for your letter No.53 dated August 31, 2016 and thank you for the interest
shown in our commercial concern. We feel ourselves very fortunate for having
attracted your keen interest.
The samples and the
price list of the goods under your enquiry are being dispatched separately by
a registered parcel. Kindly acknowledge its receipt.
We are sure goods will be
according to your market requirement and the terms of business will prove
favorable, in you will give us an opportunity to serve you by placing the
order for goods.
It will not be out of
place to mention here that it is our policy to sell on cash on delivery, but
we assure you that our prices are far less and more appropriate than those of
other suppliers of this city.
We are waiting for your
order.
Yours faithfully,
For
Shital Brothers
(Ajay Kumar Mittal)
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Letters of Order and their execution
The purchaser should send the
order describing the quality of goods, quantity and other details should be
mentioned clearly in the order. It includes all the information that reader
will need to identify the merchandise such as quantity, model number,
dimension, material and price. There are some points must be kept in mind while
writing letters of order:
- Detailed description of goods: size, color, number of product
- Also mentioned whether goods will be purchased against cash or credit
- The place and time of delivery should also be stated in the letter
- The means of transport to be used also clearly indicated. It should be clearly stated whether the goods are to be transported through train, goods train, and truck or by post. It should also be clarified as to who will be bear the cartage.
Sub: Order for Goods
Sir,
Kindly accept thanks for
your letter no.31-D/301 dated July 25, 2007. Sending the price list, sample
of the goods and the terms of business on our request so promptly is really
commendable and is a clear indication of the fact that you are keen to increase
business relations with new enterprises.
Since your goods are
according to our demand and the terms and conditions of business are
favorable to us, we are pleased to order the following goods with a request
for early supply:
1. Polplin
No. 37.3 Blue 4 bales
2. Latha
Kohinoor 5 bales
3. Sarees
No. 328 (six yards size) in different colors 1 bale
4. Assamees
silk No. 11 (different colors) 10 rolls
5. Kashmiri
silk No. 7 (different colors) 10 rolls
Kindly send the above consignment by
passenger train and the related railway receipt through the state bank of
India (city branch). Kindly pay special attention to the packing of goods.
Yours faithfully,
For Lovely Cloth Store,
(Ram Dayal Aggarwal)
Proprietor
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Letter Acceptance (Execution letter)
As soon as the reader letter is received, the seller
acknowledges the receipt of the letter, thanking the purchaser and assures
prompt supply of the goods. The order for the purchase of goods in just a proposal
and it has no meaning until and unless it gets a standing shape. Commercial
customs demands that as soon as the order is received, a letter should be
written acknowledging its receipt; because morality demands that it must be
done, by this you provide an opportunity to your purchaser to express his
gratitude.
Sub: Receipt of Order Letter
Sir,
We are grateful to you
for your order letter No. 360/July 15, 2016. All the goods ordered shall be
dispatched to you within a week.
Your instructions regarding packing, etc., shall be fully followed.
Yours
For
Sachin Cloth house
(Kamla Prasad Tiwari)
partner
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The 7cs
of Letter Writing
Letters are written for business convenience, for that they should be
impressive and purposeful. The qualities, which are essential for a good
letter, are collectively called CS and in English Language, there are seven
essential characteristic for commercial correspondence.Correctness and neatness:
correctness is the first quality of a letter. There should not be an ugly and dirty manner in writing. Whatever details and statements are written in our letter must be correct and true. Honesty is the first essential requirement of any business. By a false statement, we may succeed in trapping a customer, but dishonesty never plays twice. Letter must be correct in spelling, grammar and use of language, because incorrect language spoil message and created poor impression of the sender.
Clarity, comprehensive & simple:
It is necessary that the writer himself should have a clear thinking and should represent his thoughts in well-known manner. The letter should be written in a simple language. So, that the receiver can understand its meaning. The letter should not be made complicated by using unnecessarily difficult words. Instead of ambiguous words, use everyday words. Like instead of optimum-best, utilize-use, and terminate-end, substantiate-prove.
Conciseness:
It means expressing a much in few words. In
business writing, it means keeping to the point, using few words as possible
without sacrificing clarity or courtesy. Reducing less important ideas or avoid
phrases like, in many cases-often, on the vent of-if, at the present time-now,
have no alternative but-must. No unnecessary fact should be mentioned in a
letter.
Courtesy:
In a letter the choice of words, reflect
courtesy of writer. Express appropriate feelings according to the situation
like, sympathy when someone suffers, good wishes when someone begins something
new, and congratulation when someone achieves something. Make the other person
feel comfortable. This is an important factor of courtesy. Care and
consideration for the reader is reflected in the letter. Use sentences like,
“Thank you for
sending your quotation so promptly.”
“Will you please look
into the matter at once?”
“We are sorry to
learn that you were inconvenienced.”
Concreteness:
A
letter should have the reflection of an impressive and strong detail (message),
which is actually concrete. The latter must have the capacity to impress the
receiver directly. Avoid general words, use specific words like, high
performance-95% efficiency, unfavorable weather condition-rain. So, the letter
should be solid and concrete in itself.
Completeness:
while
writing a letter make sure that necessary or relevant details are included or
not, because incomplete letters create the problems of unnecessary
correspondence in the future. Incomplete information is the most harmful thing
in a letter; it leads to waste of time in making corrections. A letter is
complete only when it presents all the ideas and information required for the
particular situation.
Consideration:
The purpose of the letter should provide the
profit and satisfaction to the reader. Consideration of person (to whom we want
to pass message) and message is necessary like, we will always earn profit
(means interested in profit) but when we get profit we are not habituated to
consider whatever will be the person behind that. Therefore, consideration is
important in writing.
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