English

• Business letter

  A letter written in formal language, used when writing from one business organization to another, or for correspondence between such organizations and their customers, clients and other external parties
• Purposes of business letters

  • Placing orders
  • Making inquiries
  • Making credit requests
  • Requesting claims and adjustments
  • Apologizing for a wrong
  • Conveying goodwill
• Business letters


  • Produce a permanent record
  • Confidential
  • Formal
  • Deliver persuasive, well-considered messages
• Style of business letter

  Depends on the relationship between the parties concerned
• The Seven "Cs" of Effective Communication

  • Completeness
  • Conciseness
  • Consideration
  • Concreteness
  • Clarity
  • Courtesy
  • Correctness
• Completeness


  Letter should not lack its purpose, provide all necessary information
• Conciseness


  Be to the point, avoid unnecessary repetitions and include only relevant material
• Consideration


  Focus on "you" instead of "I" or "We", show reader benefits and emphasize positive pleasant facts
• Concreteness


  Use specific facts and figures, put action in verbs and choose image building words
• Clarity


  Choose precise, concrete and familiar words, construct effective sentences and paragraphs, reader should understand the matter in first reading
• Courtesy


  Whether writing a complaint or a concern, be sincere, thoughtful, appreciative, courteous and respectful, offer to do whatever you can, within reason, to be accommodating and helpful
• Correctness


  Use right level of language, double check the facts, figures, dates, price, spelling and grammar, maintain acceptable writing mechanics
• Parts of a business letter

  • Letter head
  • Reference
  • Date
  • Inside address
  • Subject and receiver's reference no
  • Salutation
  • Body
  • Complimentary close
  • Signature and designation
  • Enclosures
  • Reference initials
  • Copy notation
• Letter head


  Includes the company's logo/symbol, name, address, ZIP, telephone number, fax number, email address and website
• Reference


  Identifies a file or case number, invoice number or any other internal identifying information
• Date


  Consists of the date, name of the month and the year, written in British or American style
• Inside address


  Includes the name and address of the firm or the individual to whom the letter is written, written on the left side, beside the margin, two spaces below the date-line, uses courtesy titles before names
• Subject and receiver's reference no


  Subject is used so that the reader immediately knows what the letter is about, receiver's reference number is mentioned to enable the receiver to easily take out a copy of their own letter
• Salutation


  A compliment or greeting, written beside the left hand margin, two spaces below the Inside address and two lines above the body of the letter, followed by a comma or a colon, depends on the gender, type, number or the social status of the person addressed
• Body


  Contains the message or the information to be communicated, divided into introductory, middle and closing paragraphs, double spaced between paragraphs
• Complimentary close


  A polite way of saying "Good bye", depends on the tone and degree of formality
• Signature and designation


  First comes the signature (pen written), second line is the typed name, third line is the business title, the signature acts as proof
• Enclosures


  Tells the reader to look in the envelope for more, written below the signature block
• Reference initials


  Indicates who composed and typed the letter
• Copy notation


  Indicates when other people are to receive a copy of the same letter, written just below the reference initials or the enclosure
• Business letter layout styles

  • Block
  • Indent
  • Semi block/Modified block
• Block layout


  Everything (except maybe a preprinted letterhead) is flush with the left margin, more formal than modified block
• Indent layout


  Time saving method, beautiful to look at, also known as American style, new paragraphs begin about 1.5 centimeters to the right of the left margin
• Semi block/Modified block layout

  Some parts are typed in block method and other parts are indented, 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, most widely followed method in our country specially in govt. offices
• Resume


  A tool that summarizes your skills, educational background, experiences, and other qualifications, helps you to market your skills to potential employers
• Semi block/modified block


  Some parts are typed in block method and other parts are indented. 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.
• Most widely followed method in our country specially in govt. offices.
• If your letter is only one page, type the complimentary close and optional components as shown below. Otherwise, type them on the last page of your letter.
• Components of a Resumé


  • Contact Information
  • Summary of Qualifications
  • Objective Statement
  • Employment History
  • Education
  • Skills
  • Training
  • Organizations
  • Professional Licensure and Certifications
  • Honors and Awards
  • References
• Resume


  A tool that summarizes your skills, educational background, experiences, and other qualifications. Helps you to market your skills to prospective employer in the same manner that the product is advertised in a magazine.
• Common Questions During Job Interview

  • Tell me about yourself?
  • Why do you want to work at our company?
  • What are your strengths?
  • What are your Weakness?
  • Why should I hire you?
  • Tell me what you know about this company?
  • What are your career goals?
  • Finally, do you have any questions to ask me?
• Tell me about yourself?


  Start with your Name, give your place information, Education in short, Job experience if any, Family details in short
• Why do you want to work at our company?

  Tell them what you like about company, Relate it to your long-term career goals
• What are your strengths?

  Adaptability, Hard working, Honest, Flexibility, Optimistic, Fast decision making, Persistence, Self motivated
• What are your Weakness?

  Straightforward, Impatient, Sensitive, More talkative, Trust people very quickly, Can't say no when someone ask for help, Take decisions very quickly, Gets nervous when talk to strangers, To speak lie is difficult, Lazy about things not interested in