SESSION OBJECTIVES

• Understand the professional

communication through business
Letters, notices and circulars.
• Explain the different types and formats
of letters.
• To get the tips on improving written
communication.
“THE SOURCE OF BAD WRITING IS THE
DESIRE TO BE MORE THAN A PERSON OF
SENSE- TO BE THOUGHT A GENIUS. IF
PEOPLE WOULD ONLY SAY WHAT THEY
HAVE TO SAY IN PLAIN TERMS, HOW
MUCH MORE ELOQUENT THEY WOULD
BE”
SAMUEL TAYLOR
COLERIDGE
PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION

Business Letters
Letters of Application
INTRODUCTION

• What is a business letter

• Parts of business letter
• How to write a business letter
• Different format of a business letter
• Always remember
WHAT IS A BUSINESS
LETTER
• A business letter is a letter written in formal
language, usually used when writing from one
business organization to another, or for
correspondence between such organizations
and their customers, clients and other
external parties. The overall style of letter will
depend on the relationship between the
parties concerned.
HOW TO WRITE A BUSINESS
LETTER
• A good business letter is brief,
straightforward, and polite. If possible,
it should be limited to one single-
spaced typewritten page. Because it is
so brief, a business letter is often
judged on small, but important, things:
format, grammar, punctuation, openings
and closings. A business letter is not
the place to try out fancy fonts or
experimental writing styles.
A successful business letter is determined by its
structure.
Essentially, it should contain five main parts —
• DATE,
• HEADING (the subject or reference),
• OPENING
• BODY
• CLOSING — plus the name and address of the
addressee (the recipient), and a final salutation
(yours sincerely, etc. then four or five spaces to
the name of the author, with a signature
between).

Business letters should be brief and to the point

and contractions (I’ve, don’t, we’ll etc.) are
best avoided. A copy of all business
PARTS OF A BUSINESS
LETTER
• Return address
• Date of writing
• Recipient’s address
• Salutation or Greeting
• Message (Body of the letter)
• Closing
• Signature, Printed Name and Position of the
Sender
BUSINESS LETTERS

THE LETTER OF APPLICATION: STRUCTURE

Purpose
Refer to job advertisement
Mention company contact
Preview qualifications
Supporting Details
Prove claims with examples
Tie qualifications to the requirements of the position
Quantify evidence
Detail your experience
Goodwill Closing
Offer to meet for an interview
Refer to résumé
Make your final pitch
 PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER
Date
The date line is used to indicate the date the letter was
written. However, if your letter is completed over a number
of days, use the date it was finished in the date line.

For example: June 11, 2001. )

Write out the month, day and year two inches from the top
of the page.

Depending which format you are using for your letter,

either left justify the date or center it horizontally.
Including the address of the
sender is optional. If you choose to
include it, place the address one
line below the date.
Do not write the sender's name or
title, as it is included in the letter's
closing. Include only the street
address, city and zip code.
•The inside address is the recipient's
address.
It is always best to write to a specific
individual at the firm to which you are
writing.

• Include a personal title such as Ms.,

Mrs., Mr., or Dr.

• Follow a woman's preference in being

addressed as Miss, Mrs., or Ms.
• Use the same name as the inside
address, including the personal
title. If you know the person and
typically address them by their first
name, it is acceptable to use only
the first name in the salutation (for
example: Dear Rahul:).
• In all other cases, however, use the
personal title and full name followed
by a colon. Leave one line blank
after the salutation.
• For block and modified block formats, single space
and left justify each paragraph within the body of the
letter.

• Leave a blank line between each paragraph. When

writing a business letter, be careful to remember that
conciseness is very important. In the first paragraph,
consider a friendly opening and then a statement of
the main point.
• The next paragraph should begin
justifying the importance of the main
point. In the next few paragraphs,
continue justification with background
information and supporting details.

• The closing paragraph should restate

the purpose of the letter and, in some
cases, request some type of action.
• The closing begins at the same
horizontal point as your date and
one line after the last body
paragraph.

• Capitalize the first word only (for

example: Thank you) and leave
four lines between the closing and
the sender's name for a signature.
• If you have enclosed any documents along
with the letter:
• such as a resume, you indicate this simply
by typing Enclosures one line below the
closing.
• As an option, you may list the name of each
document you are including in the envelope.
A business letter is a formal way of
communicating between two or
more parties. There are many
different uses of business letters.
Business letters can be
informational, persuasive,
motivational, or promotional.
HOW TO WRITE A BUSINESS
LETTER
A good business letter is brief,
straightforward, and polite. If
possible, it should be limited to one
single-spaced typewritten page.

A business letter is often judged on

small, but important things:
format, grammar, punctuation,
openings and closings.
There are two main styles of business
letters:

• Full block style: Align all elements on the

left margin.

• Modified block style: Down the middle of

the page, align the return address, date,
closing, signature, and typed name; align
other elements on the left page margin.
DIFFERENT FORMAT OF
BUSINESS LETTER
• BLOCK
• MODIFIED
• SEMIBLOCK
• SIMPLIFIED BLOCK FORMAT
 BLOCK FORMAT
Return address
Dateline
Recipient’s address
Subject
Salutation or greeting
Message (body of the letter)
Closing
Signature
(Recipient’s name)
Designation
* BLOCK FORMAT IS MOSTLY USED
Return Address Line 1
Return Address Line 2
Date (Month Day, Year)
Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. Full name of recipient.
Title/Position of Recipient.
Company Name
Address Line 1
Address Line 2
Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name:
Subject: Title of Subject
Body Paragraph
1...........................................
..........................................
Body Paragraph
2...........................................
..........................................
Body Paragraph
3...........................................
..........................................
Closing (Sincerely...),
Signature
 MODIFIED FORMAT
Return address

Dateline
Recipient’s address

Subject

Salutation or Greeting

Message (body of the letter)

Closing

Signature

(Recipient’s
name)

Designation
Return Address Line 1
Return Address Line 2

Date (Month Day, Year)

Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. Full name of recipient.

Title/Position of Recipient.
Company Name
Address Line 1
Address Line 2 Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name:
Subject: Title of Subject
Body Paragraph
1.............................................
..............................................
.................................
Body Paragraph
2.............................................
..............................................
.................................
Body Paragraph 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
..............................................
..............................................
Closing (Sincerely...),
Signature
Your Name (Printed)
Your Title
 SEMIBLOCK FORMAT
Return address

Dateline
Recipient’s address

Subject

Message (body of the letter)

Closing

Signature

(Recipient’s
name)

Designation
* In this only body of the letter means paragraph’s is indented and
everything is same as the modified.
Return Address Line 1
Return Address Line 2

Date (Month Day, Year)

Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. Full name of recipient.

Title/Position of Recipient.
Company Name
Address Line 1
Address Line 2 Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name:
Subject: Title of Subject
Body Paragraph
1....................................................
.....................................................
...............................................
Body Paragraph
2....................................................
.....................................................
...............................................
Body Paragraph
3....................................................
.....................................................
...............................................
Closing (Sincerely...),
Signature
Your Name (Printed)
Your Title
SIMPLIFIED BLOCK FORMAT
Return address

Dateline

Recipient’s address

Subject

Message ( body of the letter)

Closing

Signature

(Recipient’s name)

Designation
ALWAYS REMEMBER

• A good business letter should be

polite and to the point.
• Do not use the short form of the
words.
Business
Letter in
Block Style
(notice that
you don’t
indent at all
in a block
style
business
letter)
2. You need
your own
address.
This part
goes in the
“heading”
section.
Underneath
your
address, put
Skip
thefour lines.
date.
1. Margins:
the space
around your
letter.
1. Go to “File.”
2. Scroll down
to “Page Set-
Up”
3. On the
“Margins”
Tab, Put “1-
Inch” for the
top, bottom,
left, and
right
2. You need
your own
address.
This part
goes in the
“heading”
section.
Underneath
your
address, put
Skip
thefour lines.
date.
4.Salutation/
Greeting
Dear Mr.
Sharma (or
whoever is
the head of
your
organizatio
Usen)
Ladies
and
Gentlemen
when name is
Double space.
unknown
 5. Body:
State your
purpose for
writing this
letter. Be
formal and
polite; the
organizatio
n is doing
YOU a favor
by sending
you the
information
You may or
may not have
more than
one
paragraph. If
you do,
between each
paragraph, be
sure to double
space.
 6. Closing:
Yours Sincerely
Four spaces
after the
closing
Then your name. In
between the closing and
your name, that is where
you would sign your name.
PRINCIPLES TO KEEP IN
MIND
BUSINESS LETTERS: WHERE TO BEGIN
• Think about your purpose and what requirements are
mentioned or implied in the description of the task

• Identify qualifications, attributes, objectives, or answers that

match the requirements.

• If there are industry- or field-specific concepts or

terminology that are relevant to the task at hand, use them
in a manner that will convey your competence and
experience.

• Avoid any language that your audience may not understand.

BUSINESS WRITING IS DIFFERENT

• Assume that your audience has limited time and is likely

to skim. Therefore state the “bottom line”

• The business letter will be the first impression that you

make on someone. Take great care that your letter's
content is clear and that you have proof read it carefully.

• In business writing, as in all writing, you must know your

audience.
THE LETTER OF APPLICATION: COMMON
ERRORS

• Don’t overuse “I” – try me/my or

“burying” the I in mid-sentence
E.g.: “When working in the sales
dept., I accomplished….”
• Negative comments
• Vague form of letter
BUSINESS LETTERS

THE LETTER OF APPLICATION: STRATEGIES

Fit the Argument to the Context

3. If your skills and experience don’t fit,

persuade with your interest

Eg. “Although I’ve worked in the fashion

industry for ten years, I’ve always wanted to
be an interior design assistant.”
BUSINESS LETTERS

The Letter of Application: Strategies

Fit the Argument to the Context

1. If you’re well qualified for the job,

convince with your experience

E.g.: “ My record as assistant marketing director

at ABC publishing is excellent, and I am
excited at the possibility of contributing to
the success of your company as your
marketing director.”
BUSINESS LETTERS

THE LETTER OF APPLICATION: GOALS

• To connect yourself with the job
• To connect with the recipient
• To demonstrate you’ve done your
“homework”
• To impress with your style and clarity
• To “flesh out” the résumé
 THE START

• Dear Sir or Madam: (use if you don't know who you are
writing to)
writing to)

• Dear Dr, Mr., Mrs., Miss or Ms Sharma: (use if you know

who you are writing to, and have a formal relationship
with)

• VERY IMPORTANT use Ms for women unless asked to

use Mrs. or Miss)
use Mrs. or Miss)

• Dear Rahul : (use if the person is a close business

contact or friend)
contact or friend)
THE REFERENCE

• With reference to your advertisement in

the Times, your letter of 23 rd March,

• With reference to your phone call

today,

• Thank you for your letter of March 5th.

THE REASON FOR WRITING
• I am writing to inquire about
I am writing to apologize for
I am writing to confirm

Requesting
• Could you possibly?
I would be grateful if you could
I would be highly obliged to you if you would
It would be very kind of you to

Agreeing to Requests
• I would be delighted to
It would be my pleasure to
Giving Bad News
• Unfortunately
I am afraid that
I am sorry to say that
 ENCLOSING DOCUMENTS

• I am enclosing

• Please find enclosed

• Enclosed you will find

• Enclosed herewith
 CLOSING REMARKS
Thank you for your help
•

Please contact us again if we can help in any way.

•

Please contact us if there are any problems.

•

Please feel free to contact if you have any questions.

•
REFERENCE TO FUTURE
CONTACT

I look forward to ...

hearing from you soon.

meeting you next Tuesday.

seeing you next Thursday.

THE FINISH

• Yours faithfully, (If you don't know the name of the person
you're writing to)

• Yours sincerely, (If you know the name of the person you're
writing to)

• Best wishes,

• Best regards, (If the person is a close business contact or

friend)
We write friendly letters to people
we know well. We might write a
friendly letter to our parents,
grandparents, or our friends.
 311 East Street
New Delhi
August 16, 2004

Dear Anil,

How has your summer been? Not too hot I hope. Did you get to visit
your grandparents? Did you go on your trip to Shimla as you had hoped? They
say Shimla is a beautiful city.
This is my second season at Camp . I just passed my swimming test.
Now I can swim out to the raft and also use the boats. To pass I had to jump
into the water with my clothes on (as if I had just fallen out of a boat). Then I
had to take them off down to my trunks, even my shoes and socks, and finally
swim back to shore. It was tough, but I did it!
I’m looking forward to seeing you soon. There is lots of news to catch
up on!

Your friend,
Mahesh
 What are the parts of a friendly
letter?

heading greeting body closing signature

 311 Street
heading New Delhi
August 15, 2004

The first part of a friendly letter is

called the heading. The heading
includes the writer’s address and the
date. The heading is written in the
upper right-hand corner of the page.
Dear Anil,
greeting

The second part of the friendly letter is the

greeting. It is written under the heading at the
left margin. It begins with a capital letter and
ends with a comma.
What do you want to say to the person
you are writing to? We put what we
want to say in the body of the letter.
The body of the letter is in paragraph
form. The first line of each paragraph
is indented.

How has your summer been? Not too hot I

hope. Did you get to visit your grandparents? Did
you go on your trip to Shimla as you had hoped?
They say Shimla is a beautiful city.
 311 East Street
New Delhi
heading August 15, 2004

Dear Anil,
greeting
body

How has your summer been? Not too hot I hope. Did you get
to visit your grandparents? Did you go on your trip to Shimla as you
had hoped? They say Shimla is a beautiful city?
This is my second season at Camp.I just passed my swimming
test. Now I can swim out to the raft and also use the boats. To pass I
had to jump into the water with my clothes on (as if I had just fallen out
of a boat). Then I had to take them off down to my trunks, even my
shoes and socks, and finally swim back to shore. It was tough, but I did
it!
I’m looking forward to seeing you soon. There is lots of news to
catch up on!
The closing and signature are the last parts
on the friendly letter. Your closing might be:
Your friend,
Yours truly,
Sincerely,
Your son,
The closing is lined up directly under
heading. It begins with a capital letter and
ends with a comma.
The signature is your name written directly
under the closing.
 heading 311 East Duke Street
Stanley, N.C. 28164
August 15, 2004

Dear Phil,
greeting body

How has your summer been? Not too hot I hope. Did you get to visit your grandparents?
Did you go on your trip to Toronto as you had hoped? They say Toronto is a beautiful city?
This is my second season at Camp Bellaire. I just passed my swimming test. Now I can
swim out to the raft and also use the boats. To pass I had to jump into the water with my clothes on
(as if I had just fallen out of a boat). Then I had to take them off down to my trunks, even my shoes
and socks, and finally swim back to shore. It was tough, but I did it!
I’m looking forward to seeing you soon. There is lots of news to catch up on!

closing
signature Your friend,
Mahesh
Cover
Letters

66
 Why do cover letters
matter?
•• They
Theycreate
createaamutual
mutualinterest
interestbetween
betweenreader
readerandandwriter
writer
•• They
Theydrawdrawon onjob
jobdescription
descriptionto todefine
definequalifications
qualificationsandand
experiences
experiencesthat thatfitfitthe
theprofessional
professionalneeds
needsof ofthe
theemployer
employer
•• They
Theymay mayleadleadan anemployer
employerto toconsider
consideryou
youforforan
aninterview
intervieweven
evenifif
your
yourresume
resumeisisnot notexactly
exactlyonontarget
target
•• Cover
Coverletters
lettersmust
mustanswer
answer22main mainquestions:
questions:
•• Why
Whyyou youare areinterested
interestedininthe theposition?
position?
•• How
Howyou youdo doqualify
qualifyfor forthe
theposition?
position?
•• What
Whatcan canyouyoucontribute?
contribute?
•• (Use
(Usespecific
specificresume
resumepoints
pointsand
andexpand
expandto toshow
showexamples
examples
of
ofabilities)
abilities)
•• When
Whencreating
creatingyouryourcover
coverletter,
letter,keep
keepininmind
mindthat:
that:
•• Research
Researchisiscritical:
critical:Demonstrated
Demonstratedknowledge
knowledgeof ofthe
thepotential
potential
employer
employermakes makesyour yourtotal
totalresume/cover
resume/coverletterletterpackage
packagemore more
effective
effective
•• Customization
Customizationisisimportant.
important. LikeLikeyour
yourresume,
resume,aatargeted
targetedcover
cover
letter
letterbuilds
buildsaabetter
bettercasecasefor
forthe
theapplicant’s
applicant’smatch
matchwith
withthe
theopen
open
position
67 position
Structure of a Cover Letter
Return Address/Your Address: The address should be aligned with the rest of the text (generally
Return Address/Your Address: The address should be aligned with the rest of the text (generally
left)
left)
Date:
Date:Written
Writtenout:
out:ex.
ex.April
April18,
18,2002
2002

Name
Nameand
andAddress
Addressof ofthe
theRecipient:
Recipient:The
Thefollowing
followingshould
shouldbe beincluded
includedininthis
thissequence:
sequence:
•Line
•Line 1: Person’s full name (always make an effort to know the name ratherthan
1: Person’s full name (always make an effort to know the name rather thanjust
just“Human
“HumanResource”)
Resource”)
•Line 2: Person’s Title
•Line 2: Person’s Title
•Line
•Line3:3:Department
Department
•Line
•Line 4: CompanyName
4: Company Name
•Line 5: Street Address
•Line 5: Street Address
•Line
•Line6:6:City,
City,State,
State,ZIP
ZIPcode
code

Salutation:
Salutation:Dear
DearMr.,
Mr.,Ms.,
Ms.,Dr.,
Dr.,etc
etc

Opening:
Opening:11short
shortparagraph
paragraphthat
thatannounces
announcesthe
thepurpose
purposeofofthe
theletter
letterand
andgives
givesthe
thereader
readeraareason
reasontotoread
readon
on

Body:
Body:2-3
2-3paragraphs
paragraphstelling
tellingthe
thereader
readerwhy
whyyou
youare
areinterested
interestedand
andwhy
whyyou
youare
arequalified
qualified

Closing:
Closing:2-3
2-3sentences
sentencesthanking
thankingthe
thereader
readerand
anddefining
definingnext
nextsteps/follow-up
steps/follow-up

68
Cover Letter Opening, Body and
Closing
Ms. Jane Student
Ms. Jane Student
10 Terp Drive
10 Terp Drive
City, MD 20748
City, MD 20748 Opening/Introduction: Reference previous conversation or
April 18, 2002 correspondence, if there has been any. State how you found
April 18, 2002
Mr. John Benefit
the job – were you recommended by a person the employer
Mr. John Benefit
Human Resources Manager
Human Resources Manager
may know? Briefly state your current situation – why are you
Human Resources Division
Human Resources Division
Shell Shock, Inc.
interested in the job? Mention company name, job title, etc. –
Shell Shock, Inc.
19 Saddle Street
19 Saddle Street customize.
City, MD 20748
City, MD 20748
Body: Define your accomplishments and how they relate to
Dear Mr. Benefit:
Dear Mr. Benefit: the job. Elaborate on experiences on your resume that
Opening/Introduction
Opening/Introduction connect with the qualifications/experiences the employer
seeks – be specific and customize. Show that you have
Body
Body researched the company, Ex. “Shell Shock, Inc. has a long
standing tradition of great customer service, my experience
Closing
Closing as a . . . will contribute to …” You may also explain large
gaps of unemployment.
Sincerely,
Sincerely, Closing: State the action you expect from the recipient
Jane Student and/or the action you will take. Offer specific time frames for
Jane Student
the action, Ex. “I will follow-up with you in two weeks.” Thank
Jane Student
Jane Student the reader for his/her time and consideration.

69
ALWAYS REMEMBER

• A good business letter should be

polite and to the point.
• Do not use the short form of the
words.
NOTICES AND CIRCULARS

NOTICE
• An announcement containing information about
an event; "you didn't give me enough notice"; "an
obituary notice"; "a notice of sale
• The act of observing; perception; A written or
printed announcement; Formal notification or
warning; A published critical review of a play
etc...
NOTICE OF MEETING
• It is a form of communication to summon
or call persons who are entitled to attend
the meeting.
• Notification of the meeting should be sent
well in advance of meeting date.
• Only the chairperson is authorized to call
for a meeting.
The notice should mention the name and
address of the organization, and the date
on which it is issued besides indicating
the day, date, time and venue of the
meeting. The business to be transacted
should be mentioned in the notice if the
number of items is small; otherwise it
should be indicated in a separate sheet
and enclosed with the notice as
annexure.
The notice of a meeting
must specify:
 

• The date, time and place of the meeting.

• The name of the company.
• The type of meeting.
• The authority by which notice is issued
• The name and signature of the person issuing
the notice.
• The matters to be discussed at the meeting.
• In the case of special business, an explanatory
statement.
• The exact wording of any proposed resolution.
• The date of issue of the notice.
• Any enclosures required to be sent with the notice.
 IMPORTANCE OF
NOTICES & CIRCULARS :
• Notice or circulars are circulated in advance
to the members participating in a meeting.
• They help the members to come prepared
for the meeting.
•  Notice can also be circulated to inform the
members of the organization of some
important information or event .
• It ensures that only matters relevant to the
topic are informed and suggestive
• measures are invited by the members.

• It ensures that every point is properly taken up

for discussion
• It ensures that the meeting is organized in a
cordial and formal manner.
 FORMAT OF NOTICE
NOTICE

NAME OF THE INSTITUTION

date
place

body of the notice -must include what, where, when, who and how

sign
(name)
designation
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN :
NOTICE CIRCULAR

1) Is an official document The official document is

which announces an prepared to get the
important event. consensus of the people.

2) The notice is prepared and The circular is circulated

is put up on the notice board among the people in order to
for everyone to view it. get the response.
A notice or a circular is a formal document that aids
in initiating any new activity or announcement in
the corporate organisation. It helps the
management to reach out to the members of the
organization within the short span of time and
acquiring their suitable suggestions that would
indeed prove to be beneficial in the growth of the
organization.
 THANK YOU
Prof. Dr. Madhulika Jha
Director
Amity Institute Of English & Business
Communication
Contact: 9810362914
E-mail: madhulikaj@amity.edu