Business Correspondence- Letter, Emails, Memos

8/10/2019 Business Correspondence- Letter, Emails, Memos

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BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

AND REPORT WRITING

Course content derived from the text book

prescribed by BITS Pilani FacultyAuthors: R.C.Sharma & Krishna Mohan


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NATURE OF COMMUNICATION

Process of Communication

Main components are sender, receiver, message, response

and a common frame of reference

Discuss semantic gap

Non-Verbal Communication

Main components are physical characteristics, appearance,

facial expressions, gestures, body language etc. Ethical aspects of communication

Values of fairness, integrity, honesty, compassion, dignity


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WRITTEN BUSINESS

COMMUNICATION

Letters

Emails

Memoranda

Reports


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WHY DO WE NEED TO WRITE ?

Create a permanent record

Proof of actions taken or intended

Clear and comprehensive mode ofcommunication

Gives both addressor and addressee

time to think and act


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Letter Writing

Principles, Formats & guidelines


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7 Cs of Effective Writing

Clear

Complete

Concise Credible

Constructive & Courteous

Conversational

Correct


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STRUCTURE AND LAYOUT

Elements of Structure of a letter

Heading

Date

Reference

Inside address

Attention line

Salutation

..Contd.


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STRUCTURE AND LAYOUT

Elements of Structure of a letter

Contd.

Subject

Body

Complimentary close

Signature

Enclosure


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FORMS OF LAYOUT

Stationery

Good quality, white or light tinted

Typing

Neat accurate typing Margins

1 inch from left, 1 inch from top & bottom

Punctuation

Mixed punctuation style most widely used and accepted Envelope

Should match the paper size and type


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STYLES OF PRESENTATION

Indented style each new element indented two to fourspaces. Complementary close and signature on rightbottom corner

Block style Dateline, complimentary close & signature

are right aligned. All other parts except printed letter headare left aligned

Complete-block style all parts except printed letterhead are left aligned

Semi-block style similar to block style except theparagraphs are indented

Note: style most commonly in use thesedays is the complete-block style


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PLANNING AND PREPARATION

Five steps to planning

Set aside time specifically for handling correspondence to

avoid interruptions and distractions

Decide main purpose of letter to ensure the appropriateresponse and result

Gather relevant information so that the letter covers all the

necessary points with supporting data, figures etc. Arrange material in logical order, is required make a rough

draft


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Addressing..

When addressing a good friend or

colleague:

Dear Prakash ... Best wishes/Best regards

Addressing whole departments:

Dear Sirs ... Yours faithfully


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The Start

Dear Personnel Director,

Dear Sir or Madam: (use if you don't knowwho you are writing to)

Dear Dr., Mr., Mrs., or Ms. Sawant: (use ifyou know who you are writing to, and have aformal relationship with - VERY IMPORTANTuse Ms. for women unless asked to use Mrs.

or Miss) Dear Rajesh: (use if the person is a close

business contact or friend)


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Some commonly used phrases for

OPENING LINES IN LETTERS With reference to your letter of 8 June, I ...

I am writing to enquire about ...

After having seen your advertisement in ... , I would like ...

After having received your address from ... , I ...

I received your address from ... and would like ...

We/I recently wrote to you about ...

Thank you for your letter of 8 May.

Thank you for your letter regarding ...

Thank you for your letter/e-mail about ...

In reply to your letter of 8 May, ...

This is to inform you..

It gives me great pleasure to..


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Some commonly used phrases for

CLOSING LINES IN LETTERS Why do we need a closing line in a business letter or email?

- to make a reference to a future event- to repeat an apology- to offer help

A few Good Closing Lines:

If you require any further information, feel free to contact me.

I look forward to your reply.

I look forward to hearing from you.

I look forward to seeing you.

Please advise as necessary.

We look forward to a successful working relationship in the future.

Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Once again, I apologise for any inconvenience. We hope that we may continue to rely on your valued custom.

I would appreciate your immediate attention to this matter.


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When 'Yours faithfully' and when 'Yours

sincerely' in a business letter?

When the recipient's name is unknown to you:

Dear Sir ... Yours faithfully

Dear Madam ... Yours faithfully

Dear Sir or Madam ... Yours faithfully

When you know the recipient's name:

Dear Mr. Sharma ... Yours sincerely Dear Mrs. Sharma ... Yours sincerely

Dear Ms. Kapoor ... Yours sincerely


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The Reference

With reference to your advertisement in the

Times, your letter of 23 rd March,

your phone call today

Thank you for your letter of March 5th

With reference to the above (when referring

to the Subject content


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The Reason for writing & Making a

request I am writing to..

..inquire about

..apologize for

..confirm

inform you about Requesting

Could you possibly?

I would be grateful if you could

Would it be possible to..?I would appreciate it if you could.


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Agreeing to requests & giving bad news

Agreeing to Requests

I would be delighted to

..I am glad / happy to

Giving Bad News

.Unfortunately..

.I am afraid that.

I regret to inform you that..


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Enclosing documents & closing remarks

Enclosing Documents

I am enclosing

Please find enclosed

Enclosed you will find Closing Remarks

Thank you for your help

Please contact us again

. if we can help in any way..if there are any problems.

.ifyou have any questions.


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References and the finish

Reference to Future Contact

I look forward to

..hearing from you soon.

..meeting you next Tuesday.

..seeing you next Thursday. The Finish

Yours faithfully, (If you don't know the name of the person you'rewriting to)

Yours sincerely, (If you know the name of the person you're writing

to)Best wishes,

Best regards, (If the person is a close business contact or friend)


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DIFFERENT KINDS OF LETTERS

Quotations, orders and Tenders

For giving quotations one should remember to cover thefollowing

mode and terms of payment place and time of delivery

method of transport

charges on account of sales tax

freight, insurance etc

packing and forwarding charged


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Quotations, orders and Tender

For placing orders one should remember to cover the

following

Place a firm and clear order

Even if repetitive, one should not hesitate to give detailed,

accurate and complete description of items being ordered

Specify quantity being ordered Indicate mode and terms of payment

.contd.


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Quotations, orders and Tender

.contd.

For placing orders one should remember to cover the

following Clearly spell out the time frame in which you expect

delivery, and if your requirement is urgent, mention that aswell as date by which you want this urgent need met.

State full address of where goods are to be delivered Indicate if you require and want special packing

Specify if you require the consignment to be insured


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Sales Letters

Qualities required for a sales letter:-

Catching the readers attention

Arousing his desire to buy

Convincing him that the product/ service is the best

Motivating him to act quickly


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Sales LettersWriting a Sales Letter The Introduction

Making a striking statement

Stating a significant fact Relating an anecdote, joke or story

Making special offers

Mentioning the Central selling point

Making an appeal to the pride of possession, vanity etc. ofthe customer

Asking a question ? ..contd.


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Sales Letters

Writing a Sales Letter The Body

Trial offers

Guarantees

Free samples

Testimonials by users

Test results

Statistics / additional literature


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Sales Letters

Writing a Sales Letter The Conclusion

The letter should be concluded on a positive note and

should not threaten or irritate the customer phrases likeYou will regret your decision if you do not buy now should

be avoided.

The conclusion should contain some offer or deadline thatwill induce the customer to take immediate action

example Limited Stock Offer Valid for next 5 days etc.


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Claim and Adjustment letters

Claim letters are letters that are written when one wants to

draw the attention of the manufacturer/ dealer/ service

provider to some lapse in service or defective or faultyproduct.

The claim letter is also written with the intention of

demanding the replacement or repair of the product,

compensation for bad service or inconvenience or loss

suffered because of defective product or service


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Points that claim letters should cover:-

Clear explanation of whats gone wrong

Full information of defective product or faulty service like

date of purchase/usage, amount paid, order number,colour, size, model number, make, receipt number etc. This

makes it easier for the manufacturer/ service provider to

trace the case being complained about.

A clear statement of the loss or inconvenience suffered

.contd.


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Points that claim letters should cover:-

contd.

An appeal to the sense of fair play, honesty, professional

pride etc. of the manufacturer/ service provider A statement of what compensation/ adjustment you

consider fair

Important Note: Even if extremely angry over a defective

product or faulty service and the consequent loss orinconvenience suffered, please avoid writing a claim letterthat contains sarcasm, accusations & threats.


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Adjustment letters: Points to note- Answer the claim letter promptly delay will further annoy

the client

Address your letter personally to the customer Thank the customer for bringing the matter to your attention

Apologize for the trouble/ inconvenience caused

If the claim is reasonable offer the adjustment promptly and

graciously Mention preventive measures taken by you to avoid such

situations arising again


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Adjustment letters: Points to note-

Offer further co-operation and assistance if required

If the claim is unreasonable and unjust, state clearly why

you are unable to accept the same or only partly accept hisclaim

Show understanding and sympathy towards the clients

problems If the claim letter is sarcastic or angry DO NOT reply in a

similar fashion, this will cause irreparable damage to the

relationship with the client.


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Adjustment letters: Pitfalls to avoid-

Do not express surprise about a complaint

Do not try to trivialize or minimize the error

Do not suggest that the client is insincere or making adishonest claim by saying No other customer has every

complained about ..

Do not give the impression of doing a favour to the client byentertaining his claim

Never try to pass the buck to another party


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Credit and Collection Letters

Three types of letters of credit:-

Requesting credit

Granting credit

Refusing credit

Requesting credit such a letter should contain :

State the source of information about the product. Place the order, mentioning the desired terms of credit and

asking for a continued credit arrangement contd.


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Requesting credit such a letter should contain :

contd.

Give essential information about the business

Supply credit references financial institutions and banksthat will vouch for promptness and reliability in payment

Promise to supply further information if required to establish

financial credibility


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Granting credit such a letter should contain :

The acceptance letter should be written and dispatchedpromptly

Mention the grant of credit right at the beginning Assume the order is being executed immediately Show that the credit references have been obtained

Explain clearly the terms of credit


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Refusing credit such a letter should contain :

Thank the applicant for the request State the reasons for refusing

Try to retain the customer by encouraging him to pay cashfor the present transaction (a cash discount could be

possibly offered)

Suggest the possibility of making credit arrangements inthe future


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Collection Letters Some points to note:-

These are important letters as prompt collection of moneyowed is essential for the success of any business

Collection letters should be courteous, tactful and patient. Appeal to the clients sense of fairness, good intentions,

sympathy

One should never assume any dishonesty on the part ofthe debtor always assume he intends to pay Talk of legal action or appeal to the clients sense of fear

only after all the above methods have been used.


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Social Correspondence

Fulfill social obligations or meet personal needs

They can be letters of :

Congratulations

Invitations

Recommendations

Condolences

Conveying acceptance or regret

Letters for making reservations at hotels or travel bookings


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HANDLING CORRESPONDENCE

Receipt and dispatch of Mail

Noting on files

Filing systems

Regularity in filing

Description and pagination

Maintenance

Storage

Classification of mail


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Email Etiquette


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Email Etiquette

Some Dos and Donts


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Some specific points to remember for

emails:-

Similar to letter writing with regards to the 7 Cs

No addressor or addressee address block

E-mail is never secure.

Smoking gun e-mail can worsen an already badsituation

Avoid e-mail misuse and abuse.

Take care of punctuation, language, grammar

Avoid indiscriminate forwards


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emails:-

Even with the use of a common language i.e.

English. Be aware of cultural, racial, social and other

differences in case of international emails. For

example In the USA a boot is a type of shoe while

in the UK it means the trunk of a car.

Avoid jargon, slang, acronyms, abbreviations and

even humour when sending mail across countries.

Avoid sexist language Keep your email gender neutralEg The executive should read HIS mail everyday.

The executive should read mail on a daily basis


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emails:- Crossing time zones can also create a lot of confusion is

the email is not crystal clear and specific.

For example saying Our video conference will begin at 6p.m. on 6/3/03 could have unfortunate results!!

Americans will read it as June 5, 2003 (as they follow themm/dd/yy format) Europeans will read it as May 6, 2003(following the dd/mm/yy format) and the Japanese usingthe yy/mm/dd order will be even more confused !!

Because Europeans use a 24-hour military clock, be

sure to write using the following format: The videoconference will begin at 18:00 on 5 June 2008.


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Writing Memos

Formats & Guidelines


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Memoranda

Used when brief and quick official

communication is required

To create a record that certain

information has been communicated to

the concerned persons


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Various situations which call for

memosTo inform the concerned people about :- changes in company policy

about new appointments and resignations

Changes in profile, portfolio, designations or

promotions meetings, training workshops, official gatherings

Felicitations or congratulations on successes orachievements

breach of rules or misconduct


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A SAMPLE MEMO FORMAT

MEMORANDUM

******************************************************TO: FROM:

SUBJECT: DATE:

njsdf kjdfskj jksjdfks kjfskj jsjdkmjlk okkoos jdksjks jjsklfdjskjk

Njsfhjks kjfslkds kds lskdl


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The End

Thank You.