Technical Writing Topic: Business Letters Prepared by: Mitch Mailed Importance of Business Writing Skills -one of the

inevitable tasks in the world of professionals -competitive edge over others Nature of Business Letters -transact official business -business letters vs. social letters Aims of Business Letters - all letters are classified as sales letters -part of the companys permanent records Effective Business Letters - personal and easy to understand -contain elements essential for standard letters - heading, date, inside address, salutation, body, complimentary closing and signature *layout Writing Materials to Be Used -paper must be white and not glossy -should not show cheapness or extravagance - 8 x 11 Typeface - Times New Roman/ Arial, size 12 Envelopes - 4 x 9 - two parts: outside address and return address - name, title, position, company and address -outside address/ inside address is the address of the receiver -outside address is in the middle of the envelope - return address is in the upper left-hand corner Folding a Standard Letter - folded twice into horizontal thirds - the address of the letter should be faced out if a window envelope is used Punctuation - salutation (colon) - complimentary closing (comma)

Format -indentation, margins, spacing, typeface, page numbering and division of letter sections -contributes to the readability and general appearance of the letter -influences readers perception of the message *The format should not be a combination of any of the styles. 1. Full- Block Style - all parts are left justified -most popular and easiest of all the styles -shows imbalanced letter 2. Modified Block Style - body of the letter is left justified - date, complimentary closing and signature begin near the center going to the right margin 3. Semi- Block Style -much like the modified block but each paragraph is indented -the most balanced of all styles 4. Simplified Letter Style -NOMA - omits the salutation and complimentary close -subject line (in capital letters) -flushed at the left margin