COMMUNICATION SKILLS

DEVELOPMENT

O R D E R , C R E D I T, A N D C O L L E C T I O N M E S S A G E S

PRESENTED BY : ABNER B. DOMINGO

PROF. DR CARINA BELEN GARCIA

Order Letter/messages

A n o r d e r l e t t e r i s a l s o k n o w n a s a P. O o r p u r c h a s e o r d e r l e t t e r .

T h e o b j e c t i v e o f a n o r d e r l e t t e r i s t o p r o v i d e t h e v e n d o r w i t h d e t a i l e d i n s t r u c t i o n s f o r f u l f i l l i n g a n o r d e r . O r d e r l e t t e r s a r e v e r y i m p o r t a n t i n a n y b u s i n e s s . W r i t i n g o r d e r l e t t e r s a r e b o t h a s c i e n c e a n d a n a r t . T h e r e a r e o b v i o u s l y m a n y d i f f e r e n t w a y s t o w r i t e o r d e r l e t t e r s , b u t t h e i d e a l a p p r o a c h f o r y o u r c a s e d e p e n d s o n c o n d i t i o n s a n d s i t u a t i o n .

C r e d i t L e t t e r

Credit comes from the Latin verb credo which means “I believe.” this

indicates the seller’s faith or belief in the buyers ability to pay for the goods

that have been delivered to him. Credit to the individual who seeks it is simply

a device by which he may have something now and pay for it later.to the

businessman who must decide whether or not to grant it, credit is an estimate

of individual’s ability and willingness to pay later. Although credit increases

sales volume, the seller or creditor, runs the risk of losing due to unpaid

debts. It is, therefore, essential that the creditor evaluates the debtor’s ability

to pay.

C o l l e c t i o n L e t t e r

Most businesses find that phoning rather than writing results in faster payment. But as more and more companies install voicemail systems, you may sometimes need to write letter when leaving messages doesn’t work.

Collection l e t t e r s ask customer to pay (as they have agreed to do) for the goods and services they have already received. Good credit departments send a series of letters. Letters in the series should be only a week or two apart. Waiting a month between letters implies that you’re prepared to wait a long time-and the reader will be happy to oblige you.

Early letter are gentle, assuming that the reader intends to pay but has met with temporary reverses or has forgotten. However, the request should assume, that the checks has been mailed but did not arrive.

Middle letters are more assertive in asking for payment. Other middle letters, offer to negotiate a schedule for repayment if the reader is not able to pay the whole bill immediately, may remind the reader of the importance of a good credit rating (which will be endangered if the bill remains unpaid), educate the reader about credit, and explain why the creditor must have prompt payment.

Late letters threaten legal action if the bill is not paid. Under federal law, the writer cannot threaten legal action unless he or she actually intends to sue.

MEMORANDUMThe office memo

The word “memo’’ is a short for “memorandum’’ and it is a short “note’’ passed in an office. Memos are short reminders, quick announcements, or concise pieces of information. Memos are the communication lifeline for inter-office correspondence (rapidly being replaced by e-mail). When you used the memo format, be sure you’re not trying to communicate something of vital importance. Memos tend to be given less attention and import than correspondence written on company letterhead. Memos should also be used sparingly for communications outside the office. When writing to colleagues, customers, clients, vendors, or others, you should use the more formal business letter format.

There is no rule carved in stone about how to set up the format of a memo. But you should pick one format and stick with it. The top of the paper should contain four pieces of information: the date, the recipient, the sender, and the subject matter (“RE’’ means “regarding’’).

MEMORANDUM FORMAT

REFERENCE: ROBERT W. BLY-THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BUSINESS LETTERS, CAREER PRESS

Date:______

TO:________

FROM:_____

RE:________

BASIC ELEMENTS OF MEMORANDUM

• Heading. Every memo should be identified by the heading “MEMO’’ or “MEMORANDUM,’’ typed in capitals and centered at the top of the page.

• Date. The date should indicate when the memo was sent, not when it was written. If the information in the memo changes before the memo is sent, the content should be adjusted and the date changed, if necessary. As with letters, the date should not be abbreviated.

• The Addressee’s Name. In a memo, it is usually not necessary to use a courtesy title like “Mr.”or “Dr.’’ with the addressee’s name. you should include a courtesy title only if you would use the title when speaking to the addressee in person. In many organizations the accepted form is the addressee’s first initial and last name ( e.g., “A. Domingo).

• If the memo is being sent to an entire group of people (e.g., department heads, sales representative), simply indicate the category on the addressee line. If the memo is going to a large number of people who do not fit into an easy category, put the words “See distribution list,’’ or simply “Distribution’’ accompanied by an asterisk, on the addressee line and list the names of all the addresses below the body of the memo (see Figure A-4).

BASIC ELEMENTS OF MEMORANDUM• The Sender’s Name. Use the same format for your name as you do for the addressee’s

name, minus any courtesy titles. If the recipient does not know you, or if it would be helpful to add the weight of your position in the organization, include your department and/ or your personal title (see Figure A-4). A memo doesn’t contain a signature line, but you may add your initials next to your name on the “FROM” line.

• The Subject of the Memo. The “SUBJECT” line helps the receiver identify the nature of your message quickly and makes it easier to file the memo. Try to keep the subject line brief. Instead of saying “Results of the survey you requested on customer satisfaction,” simply type “Results of customer satisfaction survey.”

• Style. The style of most memos is short and to the point, although they should never be so brusque as to seem rude. Memos don’t contain a salutation or complimentary close, and it isn’t necessary to begin or conclude with the kind of niceties (“It was good to see you yesterday”) you might use when writing a letter. It’s likely that the recipient of your memo is a busy person who will appreciate receiving just the necessary facts.

BASIC ELEMENTS OF MEMORANDUMNote:

The body of a memo should resemble a letter in appearance: single-spaced, with blank lines separating paragraphs. The same sort of lists and headings that are appropriate in letters can be used in memos. Ideally, the memo will be no longer than one page, since lengthier ones may not get the kind of full reading you want. If your memo does require an additional page, the second page should be headed just like that in a letter. Other elements that can be used in business letters (reference initials, copy lines, enclosure line, etc.) are also appropriate in memos.