R&w

• Business Correspondence


  The exchange of information in a written format for the process of business activities
• Business Correspondence


  • Can take place between organization, within organizations or between the customers and the organization
  • The correspondence is generally of widely accepted formats that are followed universally
• Major Types of Business Correspondence

  • Business Letters
  • Business Memo/ Memorandum
  • Business Faxes
  • Business Email
• Business Letters


  The most formal method of communication following specific formats. They are dressed to a particular person or organization
• Business Memo/ Memorandum


  A document used for internal communication within an organization. Memos may be drafted by management and addressed to other employees
• Business Faxes


  Have been around even longer than memos, but for long time, very few people had access to fax machines
• Business Email


  Considered as the reigning queen of business correspondence. It is probably even more important that business letter now a days though it does not substitute to them
• Types of Business Letters

  • Sales Letters
  • Order Letters
  • Complaint Letters
  • Adjustment Letters
  • Inquiry Letters
  • Follow-up Letter
  • Letters of Recommendation
  • Acknowledgement Letters
  • Cover Letter
  • Letters of Resignation
• Sales Letters


  Typical sales letters start off with a very strong statement to capture the interest of the reader. Since the purpose is to get the reader to do something, these letters include strong calls to action, detail the benefit to the reader of taking the action and include information to help the reader to act, such as including a telephone number or website link
• Order Letters


  Order letters are sent by consumers or businesses to a manufacturer, retailer or wholesaler to order goods or services. These letters must contain specific information such as model number, name of the product, the quantity desired ad expected price. Payment is sometimes included with the letter
• Complaint Letters


  The words and tone you choose in a letter complaining to a business may be the deciding factor on whether your complaint is satisfied. Be direct but tactful and always use a professional tone if you want the company to listen to you
• Adjustment Letters


  An adjustment letter is normally sent in response to a claim or complaint. If the adjustment is in costumer's favour, begin the letter with the news. If not, keep your tone factual and let the customer know that you understand the complaint
• Inquiry Letters


  Inquiry letter ask a question or elicit information from the recipient. When composing this type of letter, keep it clear and succinct and list exactly what information you need. Be sure to include your contact information so that is easy for the reader to respond
• Follow-up Letter


  Follow-up letters are usually sent after some type of initial communication. This could be a sales department thanking a customer for an order, a businessman reviewing the outcome of a meeting or job seeker inquiring about the status of his application
• Letters of Recommendation


  Prospective employers often ask job applicants for letter of recommendation before they hire them. This type of letter is usually from a previous employer or professor, and it describes the sender's relationship with and opinion of the job seeker
• Acknowledgement Letters


  Acknowledgement letters act as simple receipts. Businesses send them to let others know that they have received a prior communication, but action may or may not have taken place
• Cover Letter


  Cover letters usually accompany a package, report or other merchandise. They are used to describe what is enclosed, why is it being sent and what the recipient should do with it, there is any action that needs to be taken. These types of letters are generally very short and succinct
• Letters of Resignation


  When the employee plans to leave his job, a letter off resignation is usually sent to his immediate manager giving him notice and letting him know when the last day of employment will be. In many cases, the employee will detail his reason for leaving the company
• The 7 C's of Communication

  • Clear
  • Concise
  • Concrete
  • Correction
  • Coherent
  • Complete
  • Courteous
• Clear


  When writing or speaking to someone, be clear about your goal or message. What is your purpose in communicating with this person? If you're not sure, then your audience won't be sure either
• Concise


  When you're concise in your communication, you stick to the point and keep it brief
• Concrete


  When your message is concrete, the you audience has a clear picture of what you're telling them. There are details (but not too many!) ad vivid facts, and there's laser like focus. Your message is solid
• Correction


  When your communication is correct, it fits your audience. And correct communication is also error-free communication
• Coherent


  When your communication is coherent, it's logical. All points are connected and relevant to the main topic, and the tone and flow of the text is consistent
• Complete


  In a complete message, the audience has everything they need to be informed and, if applicable, take action. Does your message include a " call to action." so that your audience clearly knows what you want them to do?
• Courteous


  Courteous communication is friendly, open, and honest. There are no hidden insults or passive aggressive tones. You keep your readers viewpoint in mind, and you're empathetic to their needs
• Parts of a Business Letter

  • Heading
  • Date
  • Inside Address
  • Complimentary Close
  • Body Paragraph
  • Greeting
  • Signature and Writer Identification
• Letter Styles


  • Full-Block Style
  • Modified Block Style
  • Indented or Semi-Block Style
• Full-Block Style


  All the elements are aligned to the left margin and there are no indented lines. This is a standard block-style format that is accepted by most businesses
• Modified Block Style


  The return address, date, closing and signature start just to the right of the center of the page or may be flush with the right margin. All body paragraphs begin at the left margin
• Indented or Semi-Block Style

  Similar to the modified block business letter style except that the first line of each paragraph is indented
• Application Letter


  Job seekers frequently send a cover letter along with their curriculum vitae or applications for employment as a way of introducing themselves to potential employers and explaining their suitability for the desired positions
• Parts of Application Letter


  • The Heading
  • Date
  • Inside/ letter Address
  • Body
  • Salutation
  • Closing Letter / Signature
• Salutation


  • Dear Mr. Smith: (if you know the name of the person to whom you are writing)
  • Ladies and Gentlemen: (if you have no idea as to the name of the recipient)
• Body


  The body of the letter contains four basic parts and should be three or four paragraphs long
• Closing Letter

  Finish your letter with an appropriate Complimentary Closing (Sincerely, or Sincerely yours)