Business Letters

The Art of Business The Art of Business Correspondence(Correspondence(The The

letters which pass letters which pass between correspondents)between correspondents)

(Writing Business (Writing Business letters)letters)

The Art of Business The Art of Business Correspondence(Correspondence(The The

letters which pass letters which pass between correspondents)between correspondents)

(Writing Business (Writing Business letters)letters)

Say all you have to say in Say all you have to say in fewest possible words or fewest possible words or

your read er will be sure your read er will be sure to skip them; and in the to skip them; and in the

plainest possible words or plainest possible words or he will certainly he will certainly

misunderstand them. misunderstand them. - George Orwell- George OrwellWednesday, April

19, 20231

Business letters• Business letters are the life breath of

business. • A letter is written to reach where we

cannot say ourselves personally. • Despite of the availability of telephone,

fax, emails etc. letters hold their own importance.

• Just as your personal letters help you keep your relationship with your friends and relatives alive, business letters assist you in sustaining (keeping alive)your business relationships with other businesses and customers.

• They serve as permanent records which you can refer to in future.

• It follows some conventions which have to be learnt.Wednesday, April

19, 20232

Need of Business LettersThe are various reasons for writing

business letters:• To inform• To seek information• To explain• To persuade• To request• To complaint• To congratulate

• To provide a record for future reference etc.

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

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Essentials of Effective Business Letters

• Clarity :The message contained in the letter must be clear at first reading. A letter reflects the writers mind. Therefore he should be clear in his mind about the message to be conveyed and its purpose. For e.g.

Goods are being sent very soon is a vague (unclear)statement.

Goods are being sent on 11 March 2011 is clear.


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Contd.

• Conversational (informal)Style: An effective letter should be like a dialogue with the reader. It should be written in a friendly and conversational style. For e.g.

1. Please be advised that you should submit the form before 30th June.

Revised: You should submit the form before 30th June.

2. I hope this meets with your requirement and approval.

Revised: I hope you approve.3. Kindly advise/inform at an early

convenient date.Revised: Please let us know soon.


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Contd.

• Simplicity: Choose words which are familiar, simple and easy to understand. Long paragraphs and uncommon words, dead phrases and foreign language words reduce the clarity of a letter. E.g.:

1. We grew hot and cold (angry and anxious) when the customers complained about the malfunctioning of the high priced AC’s supplied by your firm.

Revised: We have received various complaints from our customers about the expensive AC’s supplied by your firm. They are not functioning properly.Wednesday, April

19, 20236

Contd.

• Correctness: A business letter should be correct in every respect, e.g. contents, layout, spellings, grammar etc. Incorrect language spoils the message, distracts the reader’s attention and harms the senders image. Untidy appearance, typing mistakes, uneven spacing all should be avoided..

• Persuasion: Use persuasive tone and tactful manner. Well drafted sales letters are the best example of persuasive writing.


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• Courtesy: The tone of the letter should be polite. The language of the letter should not offend the reader. If you want favours seek them politely. At times you may have to write unpleasant messages, such as refusing a credit or not agreeing to customers request. In such situations too, the tone should be positive and sincere. For e.g.

1. The Executive committee meeting is postponed.

Revised: We are sorry to announce that the executive meeting is postponed.

3. We have received your letter.Revised: Thanks for your letter.


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• Cordial and Positive Language: Business letters reflect the image of the company. Positive language should be used in place of negative words such as failure, damage, refuse etc. You need to develop the habit of saying ‘no’ without using negative words.

1. We fail to understand what ails the progress of this firm.

Revised: Please inform us the reasons that are affecting the firms progress.

2. Your report doesn’t throw light on all the aspects.

Revised: We shall appreciate if you send us a detailed report.

3. You have not bothered to send us the order.

Revised: We shall be delighted to receive your order.Wednesday, April 19, 2023

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• Conciseness: We must avoid lengthy letters. Business messages are expected to be clear and concise. Small sentences are simple and more effective. For e.g.

1. We had bought from your main showroom recently launched highly expensive DVD player which is malfunctioning because of some technical inadequacies.

Revised: We had brought a newly launched DVD from you. It is not working properly.


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Contd.

• Sincerity and Consideration: Effective letters must reflect genuineness of feelings and concern for the reader. For e.g.

2. Your proposal doesn’t suit our requirement. We have other better proposals.

Revised: Thank you for your proposal. We are going to discuss all the proposals and shall get back to you.


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• Coherence: Clearness of a letter depends ,to a great extent ,on its unity. One thought should naturally follow another and each sentence must show proper sequence.

• Avoid Verbosity: A study of business correspondence reveals that there is a lot deadwood(something that is unwanted ) and verbosity( the use of more words than are necessary) in it. Some such expressions and their suitable substitutes are given below.


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Wordy Expressions• We express our

inability to• Enclosed herewith• Due to fact that• End of the week• The preceding year• Remuneration• Without any loss of

time• At your earliest

convenience

Concise• We are unable to

• Enclosed• Because• Weekend• Last year• Salary• Urgent• As soon as you can


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The Components of a business letter

An Effective business letter has the following parts

1. Heading/Letterhead2. Reference Number3. Date4. Inside address (Receiver’s address)5. Attention line6. Salutation7. Subject line8. Body of the letter9. Complimentary Close10.Signature block11.Enclosures12.C.C or carbon copy notation13.Reference Initials


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• Heading: The Heading is also called Letter Head. It contains the name of the firm/company and address.

For eg: Bhatia Chemicals Limited

Head Office 26, Narayana StreetNew Delhi 110026Ph: 011/36456754

• Reference Number: Every business letter usually carries a reference number to which the receiver may refer in all future correspondence. Reference numbers are often quoted at the left hand side of the letter. Some companies, especially big ones, have a system of tracking letters by chronological numbers, department codes/numbers or whatever else they choose. This is what they put in the reference line.


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• Date: Date of the letter is very important. A letter should mention the date on which it is written.

• Organizations having printed letterhead also specify the place where the date has to be written.

• The month should be fully spelled out and the year written with all four digits October 12, 2005


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• Inside address: It contains the name of the organization/the individual to whom the letter is being sent.

It should be written below the reference number line, leaving some space.

• .Attention Line: An attention line can be used to draw attention of a particular person or a particular department in an organization so as to ensure quick and prompt action on your letter. you may place the attention line two spaces below the inside address.

Eg: For the attention of Shri R R Khanna• Salutation: Salutation is the greeting to the receiver. Dear Sir/Madam, Dear Mr. Smith• Subject line: This is written to enable the reader to

quickly identify the subject of correspondence. It tells what the correspondence is about.

• Eg: Subject: Regarding replacement of broken items• Complaint against defective goods• request for Loan facility


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• Body of the letter: This contains the message that is to be delivered. It should be drafted in the most careful manner. The body may be divided into three parts where the first serves as the opening, the second as the explanation, and the third and the remaining part as closing lines.

• we hope to get a positive response.• We look forward to your response

• Complementary close: It means one is going to end the letter. The ideal way to close a letter is to say ‘Yours faithfully’, Yours sincerely etc.


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• Signature: As the words suggest signature means to write our name as we sign it. Its written below the complimentary close.

Yours sincerely

(Parul Kapoor)Senior Sales Manager

• Enclosure: If there is anything attached to

the letter, it must be indicated against the

enclosure line.. The general practice is to write Enclosures in abbreviated form such as ‘Encl’

Eg: purchase receipt (one) Copy of order (one)


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• CC / Carbon Copy Notation: Often copies of a letter are supposed to be sent to some other people directly/indirectly concerned with the matter/subject.

• Eg: CC: Mr S.K MihraMr K M Bhatia

• Reference initials: It refers to first the person who directs the letter and the other who types or writes the letter.

• Eg: HK/NB • HK: are initials of person who dictated the letter and

NB: Person who typed the letter.


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Contd.

The Old Expressions

• Thanking you in anticipation,

• Hoping to hear from you soon,

• Looking forward to a pleasant business association,

Modern expressions

• Thanks for your time and attention.

• I look forward to hearing from you soon.

• We hope to have good business with you.

• Please let me know if I can be of assistance.


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Types of Letters• Letters of Inquiry/ordering goods/ Quotations/offers• Credit Letters• Routine/special letters• Circular letters• Collection letter• Sales/promotion letters• Bank/Insurance letter• Employment letter• Claim/Complaint/adjustment Letters• Good/Bad News Letter• Interview/appointment letters• Greeting/thanks/congratulation/sympathy letters• Letter of Application• Many others


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Letters of Inquiry and Ordering Goods

• In business organizations, we often have to inquire, order or sent goods.

• These days people order their goods by telephone or by mail. But in order to keep a written record of all sales and purchases the majority of organizations prefer a written order.

• Letter of inquiry should be straight and direct mentioning clearly the purpose of the letter, say inquiry or order.

• The body of the letter should include specific details, such as make, model, number, price and quantity of goods.

• In addition to a polite closing, the letter of order should also refer to the mode of the payment and of transport.


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Invertis Institute of Management StudiesBareilly

Tel No. 0581-263677October 2, 2009

Mr. John SmithMarketing ManagerMultilingual Matters

Dear SirSubject: Looking for a catalogueWe have been using the books of your publishing house for the last six years. Our

students find your books reader friendly. Please send us the revised catalogue for the year 2009.

In the coming academic session, we are going to introduce some new courses, viz. applied linguistics, creative writing and translation studies. Kindly send us the catalouge of latest titles too. This will help us in ordering copies of our library.

We will appreciate if you request your distributor or agent in india to respond to us latest before November 30.

We look forward to your prompt response.

Yours trulyVishwajit AgarwalAssistant Librarian


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Credit Letters• The word credit and collection are integral part

of business transaction. • Business houses buy things on credit and pay

according to their privilege.• Even big business organizations opt for credit

transaction.• There is, however, a lot of risk involved in giving

credit to a firm, retailers , distributors or even sellers.

• An effective credit letter should clearly mentioned the type of credit, items involved when giving a credit and the time by which the credit is to be paid.

• The person desiring credit should make his request strong by giving the details of his company in addition to providing adequate preferences.


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Computer Unique Solutions415 University Campus, Jodhpur

Tel No. 0291-297678www.cus.india.in

December 11, 2008

Mr. Ramse SinghaChairman, Nirmaan Computers117, Mahatma Gandhi roadJalianwala marg, Gurgaon

Dear Sir Our firm, Computer Unique Solutions, is interested in opening an account with your

establishment. We carry an extensive line of computer hardware and software services in most of the towns of this region. We have received a good feedback about our services for the last five years from many reputed institutions.

Kindly provide us with a current catalogue, price list, information regarding your

billing, procedures and a credit application. We look forward to receiving this material in the near future.

SincerelyNikita bhandariP.A to Managing Director


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Sales letters• Writing an effective sales letter is a challenging task.

Goods are being produced and launched everyday in the market. It has just become common for firms or company’s to advertize their products through different media. But these prove very costly.

• Reaching people through post is still the most feasible.• Sales letter can prove to the most effective link

between the buyer and the seller.• The main objective of the sales letter, as the name

suggests, is to sell. As it is targeted at individual customer, the language used in it is usually persuasive.

• While drafting a sales letter , you have to use tact to attract, interest, create desire and persuade the customer to act.

• A sales letter is similar to advertisement and, hence, it to employees' the AIDA technique. This stands for: Attention, Interest, Desire and action


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Glory Cosmeticstaparia Marg, Juhu Colony

Jaipur Rajasthan

12 July, 2009Ms Hima Tapekar256/72 Gogri ColonyJaaz StreetNoidaDear Hima, Don’t you feel that gradually your skin is not only ageing but also crying? When you get out

in the sun, doesn’t it howl even louder as it hurts more in the scorching heat? Don’t you also hear it saying that it is feeling thirsty? Isn't is lately all the eyes have started ignoring you? I think it is time for you to know the reason for this unpleasant situation.

As our body needs 7 to 8 glasses of water everyday, your skin too requires proper nourishment. Winter glory has brought the moisturizer with the fragrance of natural flowers, which makes you feel young again. It helps you regain your youthful vibrancy and also the glow. The fragrance makes you feel as fresh as dew drops.

Winter glory is available in three different sizes. The small 2ml bottle is easy to carry in your bag. The family pack of 1ltr is very economical while the regular pack is just right to be kept on your dressing table. Before your skin dies of thirst, get hold of a pack of winter glory and everyone hold their breath to ask ‘Who is she?’

Yours sincerely

Ashish MehrotraSales Mnager


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Claim or Complaint Letters• Business organizations are usually careful while

responding to orders or sending goods. But there is always the probability of things going wrong as the element of human error cannot be ignored.

• Organizations often receive complaints of delayed and dilapidated consignments and at times of wrong goods sent. Such situation arise due to huge orders or heavy demands to be supplied at short notice.

• No organization would like to lose its valued customer therefore these organizations have a complaint cell where people are deputed to entertain customers complaints.

• A claim or complaint is like a sales letter, it should be persuasive in tone.


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• Make a clear explanation of the problem mentioning the make, model, type, price and all other specification of the product.

• The language used should be polite and the tone formal. You should impress on the fact that your claim is genuine.

• Your aim should be to motivate the reader to take immediate action by referring to the integrity and reputation of the company.

• Moreover, you can also state the sort of compensation or adjustment you expect and is genuine.


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November 1, 2009

The Chairman

Juneja Motors

Kapilavastu Marg

Govindpuri, Mumbai

Dear Sir

Subject: Complaint regarding faulty Sprint 900

This is to bring to your kind notice that last week we bought 10models of newly launched Sprint 900 from your company. Unfortunately, almost all the models expect two that we have sold have come up with complaints of faulty cars.

The power steering system usually loses control and fails to respond to a turn. In addition to this, the built-in speaker added as a facility, too, does not work properly in many models.

Consequently, we are returning 8 of these models for servicing to your company. As we have promised our customers to deliver the cars before Christmas, should we request you to send eight new SPRINT 900 soon. Since you are an old associate, we hope that you wont let us down.

We hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely

David Brown

Chief managing directorWednesday, April 19, 2023

‘Encl: letter of order and copy

of receipt.31

Adjustment letters

• The task of the complaint cell is to listen to the customers complaints. The letter for this purpose is termed as adjustment letter written.

• Through an adjustment letter, an angry customer can be brought back in order to continue the good will between the customer and the organization.

• The writer has to be more polite than the receiver. A proper verification has to be made.

• Accept and apologize for the mistake, if the mistake is genuine offer the adjustment.


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Hindustan Computers LtdAndheri Road, Mumbai

www.hclmum.net.inOur Reference: TC/TI?422Your Reference: MA/TO/312

December 25, 2009

Dear Sir

Subject: Regarding your complaint against the supply of 25 computers

Thank you for bringing to our notice the malfunctioning of some of our computers. We are sending brand new 25 computers with the specification as desired by you. The consignment will be delivered to you in a couple of days.

Since the order was placed just two days before the dispatch, we could not check for the quality of all the computers. We extend an apology for the inconvenience caused to you. The quality control division has been strictly ordered to test the computers within 24hours before dispatching the computers.

Please keep writing us about our services. We shall accept the payment only after you approve of the computers quality.

Yours truly

Rohit sharma


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Collection Letters• Business organization believe that collecting

money from customers is the most difficult task.• The collection letter has to be drafted cleverly.

The letters end initially should be cordial and persuasive.

• The main objective is to get the money without losing the customers, the language used should be indirect.

• But once the reminders don’t bring any response , the language can be little tough.

• One can make the customers aware of their responsibilities. While sending the last reminder, a symbolical hint can be given for further action.


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Dear Sir

We want to bring to your notice a balance of Rs. 75000 against the credit purchase of 25 DVD players. A letter in this regard had been sent you dated 25 September, 2009. We have not heard anything from you.

We hope that you will send the payment soon. Or business relationship in the past has been quite cordial. Please send the payment before we send our agent to your end.

Yours sincerely

Vikas Raj


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Format of a Business LetterBusiness letters have different formats however one

should follow the format practiced in one’s organization. The main formats of business letters are:

• Full Block

• Modified Block

• Semi-block or indented

• Simplified Block


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Full Block• Many organizations follow full block format as it is

easy and takes less time.• In full block format all parts of the letter start at the

left-hand margin except the heading which is printed in the middle.

• The date, salutation, complimentary close and signature are placed left.

• There is no punctuation followed, except in the body of the letter.

• Double space is followed between salutation and subject line and between the end of the body and complimentary close.


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25 November, 2008.

The Regional ManagerState Bank of IndiaCivil Lines, Bareilly- 243001

Dear Sir

Subject: Transfer of my Savings Account

I would like to bring to your notice that I had a Savings Bank account in your bank. Recently I have been transferred from Bareilly to Rampur. The details of my account are as follows:

Savings Bank Account No: 534466675, Single operationI would be highly grateful to you could kindly transfer the above policies as early as

possible to any branch of Rampur.I look forward to your early response.

Yours truly

Rajeev Kapoor

Encl: 1. Pass Book2. Cheque book


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Modified Block

• It is a block because the address, subject line and salutation are aligned with the left-hand margin.

• The Paragraphs in the body are blocked.• What makes it a modified block is that date,

complimentary close and signature are placed between the right-hand margin.


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To 20 November, 2009The Dean (Academics) Bareilly College Bareilly

Dear Sir

Subject: Confirmation to act as a Management Expert

Thanks for your invitation to call me as the expert member of the management committee to recruit lecturers in Department of MBA, in your college on 11.12.08 at 10:00 A.M.

I express my delight to be called and give my consent to be there on the said date.

With regards,

Yours faithfully

(Pyarelal Pathak)


Semi-Block

• This format is more or less similar to the modified block.

• In this format the paragraph begins with an indented line.

• The date and complimentary close are same as in the modified block style.

• This format allows punctuation in salutation and complimentary close.

• This format interests the reader as it makes reading easier and causes less strain to the eyes.


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Rajat Steels company Ltd.

1234, Steel House Complex

Mehsana Road, Mumbai

Tel No: 022-24538

July 2, 2008

Regional sales Manager

Akansha Steel Company

275, Malleshwari Road

Pune 580008

Dear Mr Mathur,

Subject: Regarding delay in payment.

Your order for 250 steel trunks was sent at your address on June 1, 2008. We have also received the intimation about safe delivery of the said items. Hope the trunks have been sold by now.

We have received a good number of orders again from other distributers. We would like to know about your requirements too. That would help us send your order in the same lot. We shall also appreciate if the payment of the previous order is also sent soon. This would facilitate our business transaction timely.

I look forward to your prompt response.

Yours cordially,

Vijendra Sharma

Sales Executice


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Simplified Format

• This format is used when writer is not aware of the status and the gender of the receiver.

• The letter doesn't seem to have salutation and complimentary close, and is addressed quite often to the company and not to any specific individual.

• The date, complimentary close and signature are spaced on the right-hand margin.

• To make the letter more specific, subject line is written in capital letters.


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Invertis Institute of Management Studies Bareilly

Tel. No.: 0581-2636785Fax: 0582-2365743

July 2. 2009Regional Tourist officerUttaranchal TourismDehradun

REGARDING EXCURSION

We shall be delighted if you kindly let us know about the tourist places in Uttaranchal and the appropriate time to visit them. Our Students are planning for an excursion trip. We would like to send sixty students in a batch. Each batch will have five teachers too.

The details about the tourist spots, accommodation and transport facility would allow to proceed in this regard. We shall appreciate if you can also make and send us the total estimate so that we can chalk out the plan.

Thanking youRavindra Shetty


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Documents

Business Letters