BUSINESS LETTERS

Business Correspondence
Refers to all written communication

done for the purpose of business. It is a powerful medium to handle business communication Needed to maintain a permanenet record of all transactions, events and happenings Effective way to pass on information

Personal Vs Business Letters

Personal Letters Informal Style Business Letters Formal Style

Follow subjective Follow objective mode of expression mode of expression Lengthy in nature Precise and concise

Steps / Process Of Business Correspondence

Editin g

Features of an Effective Business Letter Subject Audience Purpose Brevity Clarity Accuracy Politeness

Structure of a Business Letter

A business letter is an official dealing with such subjects as enquiry, order , request ,complaint and apology. Have the following elements: Heading : means the return address (senders address) .No need to mention return address if the letter is written on the company letter head. Date: Date should include the month, day and year with no abbreviations. June 6 , 2010 ( American Style0

 Inside Address : The inside address

should include the addressee's name, the company name, state and zip code. This address should be same as it appears on the envelope. The title of the recipient should also be written. Salutation: Is used in the block and modified block letter styles. It names the person or people addressed. Is also known as courteous greetings Subject Line: It indicates the topic or purpose of the letter. Subject should be

 Body or substance of the Letter: Main

part of the letter. Business message should be divided into small paragraphs. It should begin with two lines below the subject line. The body of the letter should contain short sentences and straightforward style. Subscription or Complimentary Closing: marks the end of the body of the letter. It consists of certain courteous words e.g. Your Truly, Yours Sincerely, Yours Respectively. In official

 Superscription : Writing address on

the envelope is the last important step in writing business or official letters. Full postal address of the addresse should be written neatly and properly on the envelop . Optional line : A few more things can be added in an official business letter. 1. Add an enclosure line if the letter contains additional material. Use Enclosure or Enc. 2. If copies are sent to may people place

Basic Letter Formats

Block Format
Contents start from the left hand margin

Modified Block Format

Date line and closing signature is mentioned on the right hand side

Simplified format No salutation . No complimentary close is included

Block Format : It is a popular format of business letter in India . All the elements such as date, address, salutation, paragraphs and the close all start from the left hand margin. First word of each paragraph need not be indented. Different parts and paragraphs of the body of the letter are typed in double

Block Format Sample Letter head Date (2-3 spaces) File number Inside Address (2-3 spaces) Attention line (2-3 spaces) Salutation (2-3 spaces) Subject Line Body ( 2 spaces between paragraphs) Complimentary Close ( 4 spaces for signature) Typed Name (2-3 spaces) PS Enclosure :

Modified Block Format This format is a mixture of Block and Indented Format. Similar to full Block Format except that date line and closing signature are here placed on the right hand side of the page . Modified Semi- blocked Is a variation of the Modified Block Format.

Modified Block Format Sample Letter head Date (2-3 spaces) File number Inside Address (2-3 spaces) Attention line (2-3 spaces) Salutation (2-3 spaces) Subject Line Body ( 2 spaces between paragraph) Complimentary Close

Simplified Format Used for impersonal situations Used for those situations where the identity of the receiver is not known No salutation or no complimentary close id included. The spacing is same as the block letter

Block Format Sample Letter head Date Inside Address (2-3 spaces) Subject Line Body ( 2 spaces between paragraphs) Signature ( 4 spaces for signature) Typed Name (2-3 spaces) PS Enclosure :

Types of Business Letters

 Sales Letter : used for promoting the

sale of goods. Severs all purposes for which advertisement and canvassing are used. Aims at converting the reader into a customer Credit letters: Credit means an agreement that one makes with some business establishments to pay later for something one buys. Details of the applicant, about source of income, and other details can be obtained. Letters of Enquiry : Written to obtain

 Letters of Quotations:

Letters of enquiries seeking information regarding the price, estimate and other terms and conditions of business and other such related matters
Letters of Claims and

Complaints : Letters written to bring mistakes to the notices of those who must own the