Letter writing

Letters
 Letters are among the most important and official business
documents. They are vital because:
1. They represent your company’s public image and your competence.
2. They are far more formal – in tone and structure – than other types of
business communication.
3. They constitute an official legal record of an agreement.
4. Unlike e-mails, they are routed before they are sent out.
5. They are more permanent than e-mails.
6. They are the official and expected medium through which important
documents and attachments are sent to readers.
7. The are still the standard medium through which to conduct business
with many international audiences.
8. A hard-copy letter is confidential
 Letter format
 Full Block Format: All information is flush
against the left margin, with spaces between
paragraphs.
 Modified Format: The writer’s address (if not
already imprinted on the letterhead), date,
complimentary close, and signature are
positioned on the right side of the letter. All of
these elements are aligned. Paragraphs may
or may not be indented.
 Full Block Format Business Letter Template

• Your Name
Address
Phone
Today’s Date
• Recipient’s Name
Company
Address
Dear (Recipient’s Name),
• Body
• Sincerely,
• Your First name, Last name, and Title
 Modified Block Format Business Letter Template

• Your Name
• Address

Phone
Today’s Date
• Recipient’s Name
Company Name
Address
Dear (Recipient’s Name):
• Body
• Sincerely,

• Your First name, Last name, and Title

 Parts of a letter
 Heading: The heading may be either your company’ letterhead or your full
return address.
 Date line: Spell out the name of the month in full, and include the date and year
 Inside address: The name and address of the person to whom the letter is being
written.
 Salutation: For instance, “Dear Dr. Brown.” Never use a comma after the
salutation in a formal letter; use a colon instead.
 Body: The complete message portion of the letter.
 Complementary close: For instance, “Sincerely” or “Yours truly”.
 Signature: Allow four spaces for your handwritten signature, and type your
name and title below the handwritten signature.
 Enclosure(s) line: Indicate any enclosures sent with the letter. You may simply
write “Enclosures” or be more specific.
 Copy notation: The notations “cc” (carbon copy) or “pc” (photocopy) indicate
who else received a copy of the letter.
 The Five Most Common Types of Business
Letters
 The five common types of business
correspondence that you will be expected to
write on the job are:
1. Inquiry letters
2. Cover letters.
3. Special request letters
4. Sales letters
5. Customer relations letters
 Inquiry Letters
 Inquiry letters ask for information about a product,
service, or procedure. An effective inquiry letter:
1. States exactly what information the writer wants.
2. Indicates clearly why the writer must have the
information.
3. Keeps questions short and to the point.
4. Specifies when the writer must have the information.
5. Thanks the reader.
 Cover Letters
 Cover letters accompany documents (a proposal, a
report, a catalogue, a portfolio) that you send to your
readers. An effective cover letter:
1. Provides a written record that you have transmitted a
document.
2. Tells readers why you are sending them the document.
3. Briefly summarizes what the document contains.
4. Explains why the document is of interest to readers.
5. Expresses a willingness to answer questions.
6. Thanks readers for their time.
 Special Request Letters
 Special request letters make a special demand, not a routine
inquiry. When writing a special request letter, remember to:
1. Make sure you address the letter to the appropriate person.
2. State who you are and why you are writing.
3. Indicate clearly your reason for requesting the information.
4. State precisely and concisely the questions you want answered.
5. Specify exactly when you need the information.
6. Offer to forward a copy of your report, paper, or survey (for which you
need the information).
7. Thank the reader for helping.
 Sales Letters
 Sales letters are written to persuade readers to buy a product,
try a service, support some cause, or participate in some
activity. An effective sales letter follows the “Four A’s”:
1. It gets the reader’s attention by asking a question, using a how-
to statement, complimenting the reader, offering a gift,
introducing a comparison, or announcing a change.
2. It highlights the product’s or service’s appeal by making it
appear attractive, necessary, or profitable.
3. It shows the customer the product’s application by supplying the
right evidence and mentioning costs.
4. It ends with a specific request for action by telling readers
exactly what you want them to do.
 Customer Relations Letters
 Customer relations letters maintain working relationships
with customers. Types of customer relations letters include
follow-up letters, adjustment letters, complaint letters,
refusal-of-credit letters, and collection letters.
 In a customer relations letter, the news may be good or bad,
which requires different writing tactics.
 For a good news message, use a direct approach. Start the
letter with the good news.
 For a bad news message, use an indirect approach. Do not
open the letter with the bad news, in order to keep the
tension level down.
 Follow-Up Letters
 Follow-up letters are sent by companies after a sale
to thank the customer for buying a product or using
a service and to encourage the customer to buy
more products and services. An effective follow-up
letter:
1. Begins with a brief and sincere expression of
gratitude.
2. Discusses the benefits already known by the
customer.
3. Ends with a specific request for future business.
 Complaint Letters
 Complaint letters are exactly what they sound like and may be sent
by a customer to a business or from one business to another. Avoid
angry complaint letters, which rarely get positive results. An
effective complaint letter should maintain a professional tone and
follow these guidelines:
1. Send your letter to the right person.
2. Be concise.
3. Begin with a detailed description of the product or service.
4. State exactly what is wrong with the product or service.
5. Briefly describe the inconvenience you have experienced.
6. Indicate precisely what you want done.
7. Ask for prompt handling of your claim.
 Adjustment Letters
 Adjustment letters respond to complaint letters and should
restore customer confidence, whether the answer to what
the customer wants done about the problem is “yes” or “no.”
 An adjustment letter saying “yes” should:
1. Admit immediately that the customer’s complaint
is justified and apologize.
2. State precisely what you are going to do to correct
the problem.
3. Tell customers exactly what happened.
4. End on a friendly – and positive – note.
 An adjustment letter saying “no” is more difficult, because it
involves giving bad news while at the same time convincing
the reader that your position is fair, logical, and consistent.
 A diplomatic adjustment letter saying “no” should:
1. Thank customers for writing.
2. State the problem carefully to reassure customers that you understand
their complaint.
3. Explain what happened with the product or service before you give
the customer a decision.
4. Give your decision without hedging.
5. Leave the door open for better and continued business
 Collection Letters
 Collection letters are letters sent out to
individuals for nonpayment of bills. These
letters require the same tact and fairness as
complaint and adjustment letters.
 Each case should be handled individually. A
nasty letter sent to a customer with a good
payment history will be ineffective, as will
three easygoing letters to a customer with a
poor payment history.
 Sending Letter-Quality Messages: Final
Advice
 Regardless of the type of business letter you write,
the following guidelines will help you draft, shape,
and evaluate the letter to insure its quality:
1. Identify your reader.
2. Determine your purpose for writing.
3. Determine the reader’s reason for writing.
4. Organize information.
5. Include essential information.
6. Use the appropriate style and tone