PowerPoint PresentationChapter Index
S. No
4 Topic 3 Types of Business Letters 14-19
5 Topic 4 Writing a Cover Letter 20-24
Learning Objectives
List the features and layouts of business letters.
Describe the types of business letters.
Discuss the concept of cover letter.
Written Communication
or groups by means of written symbols.
The goal of written communication is to present ideas and information in a
coherent manner.
audience, content, language and organisation
Purpose of Writing
inexpensive Accurate and dependable
Permit revision
Various forms of written communication are used internally for business
operations routinely including memos, reports, bulletins, manuals, e-mails, etc.
Advantages of Written
Time consuming: Putting one’s thoughts into words and
formulation of the same is of course time consuming, as proper
structuring is required.
language is required to communicate effectively.
Money consuming: A large amount of resources are wasted in an
organization on stationery and storage of files and records.
L im
it a
ti o
ri n
ci p
Principle 3 – Clarity
Principle 5 – Be specific
Principle 7 – Avoid jargon
Principle 9 – Avoid grammatical errors and spelling mistakes
Principle 10 – Take care of structure and format
Business Letters
A business letter is quite different from other
kinds of letters that we read or write in terms of
content, format and other features.
Care should be taken in writing a business letter
so as to avoid any miscommunication or
incomplete communication.
Some important or
business letter are:
Quality of paper used reflects the economic status of the organisation.
Quality of paper
The size of paper is usually the standard A4 size and this is convenient, for both the
receiver and the sender, for filing purpose.
Size of the paper
Size of the paper
The folding of the letter should be done with utmost care, giving it minimum folds
so that it looks neat and also fits in the envelope that is being used.
Envelope
Care should be taken in selecting a good quality and right sized envelope to keep
the letter. The receiver’s name and address should be either typed or written very
neatly
Parts of Business Letter P
a rt
letter
initials
is centre-aligned and the address of
the company that may be either at the
centre along with the name or near
the right hand margin.
open pattern of punctuation is used,
which means that only essential
marks are used outside the body of
the letter.
the full block format,
although some parts are
start a line of text or
position the line or text
further from the margin
the text) format. No
comma marks are used
after the salutation or
Types of Business Letters
price, mode of delivery and payment,
etc.
purposes is known as an enquiry
letter.
After receiving the letter of
enquiry from a prospective buyer,
the seller supplies the relevant
information by writing a letter
that is called quotation letter.
A quotation letter is written keeping in view the information asked for, like price list, mode of payment, discount to be allowed, etc.
Order Letter
seller for giving the
order to purchase the
goods is called order
his satisfaction.
Recovery Letter
money for the goods
called recovery letter.
without annoying the
Writing a Cover Letter
The cover letter you send with your resume initiates contact with the person who holds the power to hire you.
The HR manager who receives hundreds of letters and resumes often must make snap decisions based on instant evaluation.
The cover letter creates the first impression about you. A vague and ineffective letter conveys a negative impression-and stacks the deck against you.
The cover letter that communicates well makes a good impact on the HR Manager.
Purpose of a Cover Letter
Introduces you and your credentials to the prospective employer.
Highlights reasons for your interest in the company and the position.
It is a kind of sales letter that tells why you are particularly qualified for that specific job.
Establishes a more personal connection with a prospective employer in a way that the resume cannot.
Provides a glimpse of your unique personality and tries to prove your suitability.
A good cover letter would stimulate the employer’s interest in meeting you for a personal interview.
Guidelines to Write a Cover Letter
Follow the accepted format for writing a
cover letter.
single spaced.
across to be sure that it is grammatically
correct and that there are no spelling errors.
Address the letter to a specific person, rather than to the
attention of the personnel or human
resources department.
but do not copy.
reader to continue reading.
cover letter.
single spaced.
across to be sure that it is grammatically
correct and that there are no spelling errors.
Address the letter to a specific person, rather than to the
attention of the personnel or human
resources department.
but do not copy.
reader to continue reading.
Types of Cover Letter
Solicited or invited letters
These cover letters respond to classified ads in newspapers, journals,
and online postings. postings. This category would also include letters
in response to jobs posted by companies in recruiting interviewing on
campus that pre-select students to interview.
These letters have a broader marketing approach designed to tap the
hidden recipients. Letters are sent to contacts at your targeted list of
companies from commercial databases, books, directories, newspapers,
trade journals, company literature, etc.
Unsolicited/targ eted letters
Referral letters use names of people you know or names of people you
have met or obtained through networking. Referral letters