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UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST „VASILE GOLDIŞ” ARAD

FACULTATEA DE STIINTE ECONOMICE

DEPARTAMENTUL ÎNVĂŢĂMÂNT LA DISTANŢĂ

LIMBA ENGLEZĂ
ANUL: II

Lector univ. dr. ŢIRBAN NARCISA


1. Qualities of Business Letters
Letter writing is an essential part of business. It means the efficiency but also the nature of the
business; it determines the standard and maintains the prestige of the house.
For writing good English letters, it is necessary to know how to write English clearly,
correctly and in a business like manner. You should understand the sense of the words, master the
business phrases. You have to have experience in commercial matters, to know the technical
details, of the activities (manufacturing and trading).
Letter should be precise, concise, complete, and courteous. Knowledge of the
requirements, methods and business outlook of the addressee is an advantage of the
communication.
Because of lack of time, business mail is reader under unfavorable conditions, amidst
phone calls, interruptions. To assure attention, a business letter should be direct, readable, logical,
and concise. A brief concise letter does not mean to avoid courtesy, politeness, but all these words
are avoided only in telegrams. The suitable methods of address and courteous endings to letters
are not to be avoided.
Business letters require clearness of expression, use the words in their right relationship
and place them in a certain order determined by grammatical principles and rules.

2. Parts of a letter
Any letter has some parts that are to be present no matter how long or short the letter is. They are
the following:
-Heading-letter heading/ letter head
-Date
-Reference line
-Inside address (addressee’s address)
-Salutation
-Subject line
-Body of the letter
-Complimentary close
-Signature
-Enclosures

3. Special business letters

Circular Letters
Circular letters are frequently used to offer the same information to different people. These kinds
of letters are used when sales campaigns are developing, when there are important developments
in business such as extensions, reorganizations, changes of addresses etc. A circular letter is
written once, and then it is duplicated in order to be distributed to the customers. It may get some
more information such as names, addresses and individual salutations so it gets a more personal
character. Circulars are sent to many people, it is important to suggest an interest in the recipient
by giving a personal touch. The next rules are to be taken into consideration:
• it must be brief- no one has time to read long stories, make the letters as personal as they
can be (address each letter to a particular person, indicating the name if you know it)
• create the impression of personal interest by using you never
our clients, customers, all customers, everyone. Address yourself directly to
someone using formulas such as:
You will appreciate ...
We are pleased to inform you...
You will be interested to learn...
If you visit our new showroom you will see...

If some changes take place in your business, you have to inform your customers about
them. The content is already written but you have to introduce the name of your customer in
order to give the personal touch to the letter.
Expansion of business takes place in your company, announce it to everybody, so write a circular.

Dear X,
To meet the growing demand for hardware and general store in this area we have decided to
extend our business by opening a new department. Our new department will carry an extensive
range of hardware and other domestic goods at prices, which compare very favorably with those
charged by other suppliers.
We would like to demonstrate our new merchandise to you, and are therefore arranging a
special window display during the week beginning 3 June. The official opening of our new
department will take place on the following Monday, 10 June.
We hope you will visit our new department during opening week and give us the
opportunity to show you that is maintains the reputation enjoyed by our other departments for
giving sound value for money.

Yours sincerely,

Opening a new business, you have to let the others know about it:
We are pleased to announce the opening of our new retail store at the above mentioned address
on Monday 1 September. Mrs. Victoria Chadwick has been appointed Manager, and with her
experience of the trade we are sure that the goods supplied will be of sound quality and
reasonably priced. Our new store will open at 8 am on Monday 1 September, and a special
celebration offer a 10% discount will be allowed on all purchases made by the first 50
customers. We hope we may look forward to your being one of them.

You are to have a new branch in another town (or country). Inform everybody about it:
Owing to a large increase in the volume of our trade with the Kingdom of Jordan, we have
decided to open a branch in Amman, with Mr. X. Although we hope we have provided you with
an efficient service in the past, this new branch in your country will result in your orders and
enquiries being dealt with more promptly.
This new branch will open on 1 May, and from that date all orders and enquiries should be sent
to

Mr. X Manager Tyler & Co Ltd 18 Hussein


Avenue Amman

We take the opportunity to express our thanks for your custom in the past, and hope these new
arrangements will lead to even higher standards in the service we provide.
Because of different reasons you are supposed to change the address of your offices, write a
circular indicating the new address, possibilities of arriving there.

The steady growth of our business has made necessary an early move 'to new and larger
premises. We have been fortunate in acquiring a good site on the new industrial estate at
Chorley, and from 1 March our new address will be the following:

Unit 15
Chorley Industrial State
Grange Road
Chorley
Lines CH 2 4 TH
Phone 3521689 Fax 3421768

This new site is served by excellent transport facilities both by road and rail, enabling deliveries
to made promptly. It also provides scope for better methods of production which will increase
out] nit and also improve even further the quality of our goods. We have much appreciated your
custom in the past and confidently expect to be able to offer you improvements in service when
the new factory moves into full production. We look forward to a continuing good business
relationship with you.

You already know that circulars are used to announce the changes that take place in the
membership of a partnership, suppliers and customers. For a retiring partner this is particularly
important since they remain liable not only for debts contracted by the firm during membership,
but also for debts contracted with old creditors in retirement. The correct signature on-such
letters is that of the name of the firm, without the addition of any partner's name. Retirement of a
partner is announced like this:

Dear X,

We regret to inform you that our senior partner, Mr. Harold West, has decided to retire on 31 May
due to recent extended ill health. The withdrawer of Mare. West's capital will be made by
contributions from the remaining partners and the amount of the firm’s capital will therefore
remain unchanged. We will continue to trade under the name of West, Webb & Co, and there will
be no change in policy. We trust that the confidence you have shown in our company in the past
will continue and that we may rely on your continued custom. We shall certainly do everything
possible to ensure that our present standards of service are maintained.

Yours sincerely

All the other changes are to be announced to the partners you have.

Memorandums
Memorandums are part of the correspondence; they are a kind of letters that are carrying
messages inside an organization (from an office to another one). Their target is to confirm a
conversation, to clarify a previous message, to request information or to supply it, to congratulate
someone, to announce changes in a company's policy, to report meetings, to transmit documents.
If they are in a printed form, they should have some paragraphs presented in a clear and well
organized way, have small words, short sentences, they should maintain your attitude and avoid
clichés. Often the person who gets a memo knows everything about a situation but the position
the boss has adopted towards it for that moment. The memo does not give any explanation,
comes directly to the point. A memo has an introductory part that is to be presented:

FROM: Peter Hening (Manager, Hanover) Date: 2.11.90


TO: David Walsh (Warehouse Manager, Southolt)

SUBJECT: Delayed deliveries Number of pages: 1

The memo has the paragraphs and has no salutation formulas; only the capital letters of
the writer's name are added.
Having these general rules, let's see if we can write a memo on the following subject:

Europart Ltd., of Unit 26, Frilford Industrial Estate, Southold SJ4 7DB, distributes parts for
motor vehicles from its branches through Europe. You work in the Hanover branch.
Your manager, Peter Henning, says to you: We’ we got problems with our delivery dates. You
know we guarantee delivery of any vehicle part to the shop here within 48 hours of a customer
placing an order - the customer gets 20% discount. That's one of our main selling points.
Well, we've had to offer a lot too many discounts on parts we have got from Southold - they often
take 3 days, sometimes even a week to get here. It's not too good enough.
Could you find out what's going on? Write a memo under my name. Send it by fax to David
Walls, the Warehouse Manager at Southold. Tell him what problem we have and ask him what
he's going to do about it. But be tactful. He is usually very good - and I know it's not easy to
handle about 50,000 different parts. See if there are any problems at his end that he's sorting out
- or if there's anything we can do to help. Is our ordering clear enough? Or perhaps he should
charge his express courier. But get him to say when we’re going to get a normal service. We’re
not the only people distributing vehicle parts - there's a plenty of competition if our want to look
elsewhere.
I'm off to a conference today, and I'll be away for a week. Tell David that if he wants to discuss
anything, he can talk to you or he can wait until I get back.

So this is the text that is to be changed into a memo and sent to David. Before writing it,
1 .Read the questions twice at least: get the general idea what it is about; study it into
details. What exactly are you asked to do? WRITE A TACTFUL MEMO TO A
MEMBER OF THE STAFF!
2.Layout correctly a memo. AT THE TOP, you are supposed to write:

FROM: (sender's name and/or position in the company)


TO: (addressee's name and/or position in company)
DATE: (the date the memo is written)
SUBJECT: (very briefly, what the memo is about)
If you are sending the memo by fax, you should also indicate the number of
pages. AT THE BOTTOM, you may put the sender's initials but NEVER a signature.
3.Decide on the correct tone of the memo. Peter Henning is not satisfied with David's
work. He wants the problem solved but he does not want to hurt Peter. The sender is quite
angry but a tactful memo will produce a better impression than an aggressive one.
4.Relevant material should be included in a memo. Decide what is relevant, leave out all
the unnecessary elements!
5.Make a list of the points that are going to be present in the memo. Order the points
logically in paragraphs. This order will not necessarily be the order in which the points
appear in the question. If you use your answer book to make your list, neatly cross it out
when you have finished referring to it.
6. Write your answer
7. Read your memo right through! Make sure that you have included all the
problems
8.Check your work for accurate English! If you discover any errors, neatly cross them out
and add the correction.

Obeying all these rules, we may have the memo:

FROM: Peter Henning (Manager, Hanover) Date: 2.11.90


TO: David Walsh (Warehouse Manager, Southold)

SUBJECT: Delayed deliveries Number of pages: 1


I am sending this by fax because I am off to a conference today and will not be able to call you
before I go.
The problem is this: many of our orders from Southold are arriving late. In fact, some take a
week to get here. That means we have to give our 20% discount to a large number of customers -
and some of them may soon start looking elsewhere. I know it is not a simple thing to stock so
many parts, and your warehouse usually performs very well indeed. However, we need to sort
this out. Are there any problems at your end at present? Is your courier working normally?Or is
there anything we can do to help?
Do please contact (write your own name here) if there are any points you wish to raise this week.
Otherwise, I will be happy to talk things after my return.

Reports
Writing reports is an important part of your work. Reports carry information to those who
want it and need it, inform you what you have found out including little or no commentary and
interpretation. A report informs and analyses, presents facts. It makes you think in terms of the
purpose or function. It gets to know your audience and their needs. Keep all these in mind when
you are planning to write a report.
How do we lay out such a report?
We must maintain one-inch margin all around when typing. If you put it in a binder, leave 2
inches of margins on the left hand side. Type single space but allow a double space between
paragraphs, above and below. If it is typed double space, no double space is allowed between
paragraphs, allow a triple space above headings, above, and below lists, long quotations, graphics.
Use typographical elements to make words, phrases stand out. You may catch your reader's
attention by using italics, underlining capital letters.
Enclose graphics in boxes. If the sequence of a list is random or arbitrary, use bullets (•) or
dashes (-). If order is important, use Arabic numbers (1, 2 ...)
Do not write long paragraphs (about 100 words), they should be put vertically on the page.
The subject should be readable, clear in meaning. Sentences must be short, simple ones, avoid all
the unnecessary words. The language the report is written in, is the language accepted by a
specific group.
There are periodic reports, which record the work over a specific period, giving the
organization of the necessary information, which you base decisions on. Any report should tell
how a project is going, how much has been completed and how much is left. The report has an
introduction that explains the period of work covered by it, the work that had been planned, the
authority to do the work; it assesses the progress to date. It has a body which provides a detailed
account of what has been accomplished and how.
The conclusions explain what work is planned for the future, gives an overall appraisal of
the progress to date.
The reports may have supplemental elements too, such as:
• lists of references or bibliographies
• appendices
The preparatory elements (which include: title page, letter of transmittal, preface, table of
contents, list of figures, tables, abstracts) identify the report, its author, audience, date, subject,
coverage etc. The pages are numbered in small roman numbers (I, II,...). The title page shows the
title of a report, name, position and the date you submitted the report.

A report on ... /A study of...

The preface is almost identical to the letter of transmittal and contains statement about
purposes, scope, content, acknowledgement of assistance received. Use a letter of transmittal when
your audience is a single person or a well defined group. The table of contents presents the whole
content of the report while the list of figures and tables present the location of graphics and tables.
The abstracts should be brief, condensed, should state the most important ideas of the report. It
presents an overview of the report, and has no more than 150-200 words. The introduction of a
report contains the general idea of the topic of the report in a few paragraphs explaining the subject,
purpose scope, plan and an order of presentation. The body is the longest part of the report; it has a
detailed message, arranged in a logical order, uses heads, subheads, graphics, quotations,
footnotes. The final part, the conclusions, stresses the most important ideas, summarize the major
points and state clearly the conclusions and recommendations.

Now let us see an example of report:


Mrs. Anne Woods, your Office Manager, asks you to write a REPORT for her, as soon as possible,
on the increase in lateness of many office staff over the last two months. Write a correctly laid out
report!

1. .Read the question several times, you will find out exactly what you are required to do. Write a
report and as you are not given any background material which to base it on, use your
imagination and invent information.
2. . Layout the report:
a.) terms of reference: state what you are reporting on, who asked you to make the report and
the date by which the report is required if you are given one.
b.) proceedings: what action you took to correct the facts concerning the subject of the report
c.) findings: the facts you discovered. You may number them though it is not necessary
3. .Conclusions:
a.) what you think about the facts
b.) comments, which will be useful to the person who commissioned the report, should be
made. You may find it helpful to number these.
4. .Recommendations: practical suggestions to what should be done. Sign the report, put your
position you have in the company in brackets underneath the signature. Add the date.
Report on the increase in lateness of some office staff over the last two months

Terms of reference

Miss Ann Woods, Office Manager, has asked me to write this report on the increase in lateness of
some workers over the last two months and to submit it to her as soon as possible.

Proceedings

I questioned all the office staff individually, asking why there was this sudden increase in
punctuality, and then checked their replies.

Findings

1.The latecomers are those who travel to work by private transport and public road transport.
Those who travel by train arrive on time.
2. The two main roads leading into town have had major road works done on them for the
least eight weeks; this causes unavoidable traffic jams and long delays.
3. About two months ago our company opened its new mail order section. Approximately
sixty new employees were recruited. As this new section starts work 45 minutes before the office
staff each morning, the car park gets filled with vehicles belonging to workers in that section.
The company has not enlarged the car park to accommodate the additional vehicles.
^Consequently, many office staff cannot find parking space and have to drive around
surrounding roads looking for a parking area. 4.1 gathered the above information from my
individual interviews with staff, and confirmed that it was true by observing the two main roads
and the company's car park early every morning for a week.

Conclusions

Obviously, nothing can be done about the road works. I understand that they will be finished in
six weeks time. As people will insist on traveling to work in their own cars, I think the solution is
for the company either to enlarge the existing car park or to obtain another one near the office.

Recommendations

As the road works will be finished in six weeks, I suggest that staff be asked to leave home for
work a little earlier than usual for this period to enable them to arrive on time. I recommend that
the company enlarge the existing car park as it is surrounded by company land which at present
is fenced off from the car park.

(Write your own name here) 12 September 19...


Deputy Office Manager

The report presents clearly all the sections and the document is signed. All the content is
relevant for the purpose of the report. Nothing unessential has been included. It gives reasons
why staff has been late. It offers a solution to the problem. It is easy readable.
The report gives two reasons for the lateness of staff (road works, recent expansion in
demand for the car park). Two good substantial reasons are enough.
Leaflet
In the set of letters that are to be written the leaflet may be also included. It is a document
that informs people about different important things. As the dictionary says, it is a piece of
printed paper, folded and free of charge, advertising or providing information about something.
There are no strict rules that are to be obeyed when writing a leaflet. You have enough freedom in
laying out its structure. But it is very important that it should catch the reader's eye. You must
read it easily and it must contain an address and date. So let us see if we can invent such a letter:

You work for a major department store - Babylon, at 40-60, rue Rune Coty, 75006 Paris.
It is June, and you are planning the summer sale due to last from 2 nd to 20th July. Your manager,
Georges Herbert, says to you: We should have a Leaflet in English about the sale to distribute to
tourist -they don't usually come in here much, but a bit of publicity would help. Tell them we have
English speaking staff- well, not all of them, but most of the assistants can manage a few
sentences. You know our main reductions 40% off furniture and leather goods, 25-30% off men's
and women's summer fashions, 20% off bikes, sports and camping equipment, kitchen equipment,
perfumes,... oh, yes, and there's that special purchase of Beaujolais at 120 francs a case. We
want to get rid of that quickly. Remember to put our opening hours in - 10 to 7, six days a week,
except the 14l. See what you can do.

Read the content several times to see exactly what is it about. It should inform people
about the Babylon sales and persuade them to come and buy something. Your task is to give
readers enough information to achieve this purpose.
Then list all the points you intend to make (either on the question paper or on another
paper). Delete the problems when you have finished referring to them. The question always gives
you some information about things you are supposed to do. You can also invent extra material. If
you add something, it must be very relevant. No particular layout is requested, you have plenty
of freedom. The leaflet must be presented in such a way that it should attract the reader's eye.
Don't forget to indicate the address, date, place where the event takes place.
Check your answer thoroughly for correct English!

The best of France is at Babylon...


and now it's a price anyone can afford! Treat yourself to some Parisian style at our
summer sale, 2nd-20th July inclusive

Our friendly, English-speaking staff will help you find the bargain you want, including
30% Off top brands of perfume
40% off leather goods
up to 50% off men's and women's summer fashions

There are top-quality souvenirs for everyone at Babylon! For that extra item to take on
holiday...
20% off our sports and camping equipment, bicycles, and
kitchen equipment ..

And don't forget our special purchase - take home a

whole case of Beaujolais for fust 120 francs!

Babylon, 40-60, rue RUne Coty, 75006 Paris (tel. 42-50-50-60) open 10 – 7, six days a week
closed for national holiday, 14 July.
The writer has taken a large place so that all the information is spread all over in order to
catch the reader's eye. Babylon’s address and the date of the sales are presented. The answer
contains relevant information and some additional points. It is persuasive and speaks about
clothes and wine, English speaking staff though we are in Paris. It is clear, brief, and readable.

Article

This time we are beginning with the text, here it is:

You run a company group of the Sickness Savings Association and are approached by the Editor
of your company's magazine to write an article about the benefits to be gained from joining the
Association. All the workers will read the article as the magazine is distributed to them.

l.Read the text carefully so that you know what the requirements are. The titles of the group
you run give you some ideas of what it is and does - it collects money from members
and in return makes payment to them when they are ill. The people working for the
same company (a restricted readership) will read the article. The article outlines the
benefits the members gain from the association.
2.Before writing the article, just list all the benefits that come into your mind without worrying
whether or not they are in logical order. Once you have done this, order them in a
logical order.
3.Try to write an opening that will make them want to read on - an arresting opening, as it is
called. Doing this, they will read the article. Deal then with your points one by one and
conclude with the statement or question that "rounds off' the article.
4. Check your grammar and your English. Having in mind all these points, try to write the
article; it looks like this:

"I'm health” "I am never off work.” How often do you hear remarks like these? Yet the fact is
that sickness can strike anybody - even the most apparently healthy person.
People often tell you that when they are off sick, the company still pays their salaries. Yes, they
do, but only for nine months; after that no more salary is paid, and sick benefit is the only money
coming into the house. Even for short illnesses, when the salary is still being paid, all the usual
living expenses still occur, and when you are ill, you often need little extras, such as special (and
often expensive) foods, or a special piece of medical equipment. What can you do to make
certain that if sickness strikes - either on a long-term or a short-term basis -you are free of all
financial worries? The answer is to join our company group of the Sickness Savings Association.
Many of your fellow-workers are already members and they will all agree that being members
relieves them of all financial worries, should they unfortunately fall sick.
How does the scheme work? You complete an application form, which can be obtained from me,
and pay two per cent of your weekly or monthly salary to the Association. Management are
willing to deduct this from salaries to save you the bother of handling over a sum of money to me
each pay day. To take an example, if your monthly income is L 1,000, you pay only L 20 from it.
What benefits do you receive? If you are off sick, you are paid daily the amount you pay monthly.
Using the above example, if you pay L 20 a month, you receive L 20 a day. What a bargain!
In addition to this, financial help is given, you have to pay for dental treatment, if you require
spectacles and (for ladies) during pregnancy. I shall be happy to give you full details of the
scheme - without obligation - if you are interested. Just call me on extension 222 at any time
during working hours.
Surely, for your financial peace of mind during sickness, it's worth making a phone call.

It is an article written not by a journalist but by a company worker. It fulfills the purpose,
the reader would be aware of the benefits to be gained from joining the scheme. The opening
paragraph should attract the attention of most readers. It has a logic structure and the last
paragraph rounds off the article by giving the reader something to think about. The editor did not
ask for a title and the author did not put a name on the article because the Editor, having asked
for the article, would know the author and, when publishing the article, would attribute it to the
author.

Notice
The notice is a simple letter that offers you information about something that happens and
all customers should know. It tells you only very important things. It is formal and impersonal.
Read what you are supposed to do, read it several times. You have all the details in the given
indication, you are not asked to persuade the people to do something. The notice should be
simple and easy to read. But it must be dated and include the name of the person who wrote it,
generally at the bottom. You have to catch the people's attention.. So, write words like Urgent, or
Important at the top in large letters. Say exactly what you have to say! Decide the tone; the
notices are formal and impersonal. There may be some particular warning notices that are going
to tell people what to do. The notice should apologize and suggest alternatives. Before writing it,
just list all the points on a paper not to forget anything.
Moreover, after writing, just check your grammar!
Here is an example of text that is to be put in the form of a notice:

You are an assistant manager at the Hotel Buon Forchetta, Milan. Your manager, Mauro
Cappelletti, says to you one morning: We '11 have to close the hotel restaurant for two days from
tomorrow for repairs to the floor. We can serve a cold buffet lunch to guests in the bar area, but
we won't be able to serve dinner. That shouldn't be a problem - there are plenty of restaurants on
the Via Pomodoro outside. There are several English and American guests booked in this week.
Of course, we '11 tell them about the restaurant when they check into the hotel, but I'd like you to
write a notice for me to put up at the entrance and in the lifts. Otherwise somebody will
complain. Apologize for the inconvenience to guests. Put it out over my name, will you? Oh, and
remind people that we '11 serve breakfast in the bar area, as usual.

This notice has a clear answer in the following form:


HOTEL RESTAURANT

Closure, 23-24 April 1992

We regret that the hotel restaurant will be closed on 23 and 24 April repairs to the floor. A cold
buffet lunch will be served in the bar area on these days, but dinner will not be served during this
period. Guests will find a number of restaurants close to the hotel in the Via Pomodoro. Breakfast
will be served as usual in the bar area. We apologize to guests for any inconvenience caused.

Mauro Cappelletti
Manager
22 April 1992
The notice has a clear heading at the top, the date, and the name and position of the
person who wrote it. It contains all the necessary information, without wasting any words. The
tone is correct, quite formal, and impersonal, with necessary apology for inconvenience to
guests. It catches the eye and presents the message briefly.

Minute

The minutes are official records of the actions taken by the group. They are written, by the
secretaries who are supposed to record the meetings as well as they can. Write out the minutes fully
from your notes; give them to the chairperson for distribution. What you write should be written
down objectively and factually without your opinions being reflected.
A minute is a record of what was done: It should contain the following ideas:
l. name of the group holding the meeting
2.kind of meeting (special, regular)
3.date and place of meeting
4. subject of the meeting
5. names of the persons attending the meeting (names of chairpersons, secretary etc.)
6. time the meeting was open
7. action of the group, stating exactly what motions were made and their disposition. The name of
the persons making the motions, seconding the motions, the members and how each voted
8.time of adjournment and the time of the next meeting
9.signature of the secretary and the signature of the chairman

Here is an example:

H. Hilton & Associates - Hoteliers


Minute of regular meeting of the committee on new construction
June 18,19..
Subject: review of items of work on the Flowers Hotel
Attendees: DickH, Chairman
W.J.
D.G.
S. L., Secretary
Agenda:
1. The meeting was opened by the chairman at 1:15 pm.
2. The minutes of the previous meeting were accepted as read
3. G. H. summarized the status of work

- The project of schedule


- Cooperation was good between contractor & subcontractor
- adequate workforce maintained, no delays in work ,
4.D. C. believes that the wood veneer to be applied is too thin. After some discussion it was
moved by Y. S. seconded by W. Y. to include a heavier veneer if the costs were not more than $ 4
per panel.
5.G. C. reported that the lights were incorrectly connected to the circuit. It was moved by B. C.
and seconded by S. Y. that Charles Mainer should check the electrical subcontractor to have the
lights corrected.
6.C. Mainer moved and he was seconded by W. J. & L. S. that the chairman request procedure
for closing the contract
7.There being no other business, the chairman closed the meeting at 3:00; the next regular
meeting is scheduled for July 26 at 1:15.
D. H., Chairman

L. S., Secretary

Goodwill letters
A very important target of a business letter is to create good business relations. Business
executives use to take the opportunity to send good wishes, congratulations or sympathy on such
occasions as the award of an honor, a promotion, a wedding or a death. Such letters are very
much appreciated by customers, colleagues and businesspersons. Goodwill can be build into
everyday business letters in so many ways. The tone of the letter should be courteous and
friendly, the added touches of personal interest are certain to make a good impression. A personal
touch can take, the form of a short final paragraph conveying a personal greeting.

Dear Mr. Ellis,

I am sorry not to have replied sooner to your letter of 25 October regarding the book "English
and Commercial Correspondence". My export Director is in Lebanon and Syria on business and
as I am dealing with his work as well as my own, I am afraid my correspondence has fallen
behind.
Whether this book should be published in hardback or paperback is a decision I must leave to my
Editorial Director, to whom I have passed on your letter. No doubt, she will be writing to you
very soon. I TRUST YOU ARE KEEPING WELL.

WITH BEST MY WISHES

Yours sincerely,

Sometimes you may write a whole paragraph showing your interest in the way the other person
is.

I have now had an opportunity to review the book you sent to me. This book presents a concise
and very clear account of the new import regulations with good example of how they are likely
to be applied. More detailed comments are made on my written review which is attached. I
remember that you will be spending your approaching summer holiday in the South of France
and wish you good weather and enjoyable time.

Yours sincerely,

You create a very favorable impression if you answer the letter in the same day when you have
received it. If this fact is not possible you are supposed to do it as soon as possible apologizing
you for the delay.

Dear Mrs. Jones,

I am sorry we cannot send you immediately the catalogue and price list requested in your letter
of 13 March, as we are presently out of stock. Supplies are expected from our printers in two
weeks' time and as soon as they are received, we will send a copy to you.
Yours sincerely,

Persons always look for a spirit of friendliness in those with whom they seek to do business.
The writer should be both helpful and friendly. The purpose is to interest the customer, to create
a feeling of confidence and to win their consideration, friendship, their, custom.

Dear Mr. Kohl,


We are pleased to enclose our catalogue and price list as requested in your letter of 12 October.
In the latest catalogue we have, taken trouble to ensure it is both attractive and informative, and
particulars of our trade discounts are shown inside the front cover.
May we suggest that next time you are in Bristol you should allow us to show you our factory
where you could see for yourself the high quality of materials and workmanship put into our
products. This would also enable you to see at first hand the latest fancy leather goods, and to
return with interesting and useful information for your customers. If we can be of service in
anyway, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Yours sincerely,

If you have customers from abroad who are coming to visit you, it is sound business practice to
extend hospitality and to give any help or advice. The tone of this type of letters must be sincere,
friendly, give the impression that the writer is anxious to be on service.

Dear Mr. Brandon,

It was a pleasure to receive your letter of 14 April and to learn that your colleague, Mr.
Peterson, is going to visit our country in July. We shall be very pleased to welcome him and to
do all we can to make his visit enjoyable and successful.
I understand this will be Mr. Peterson's first visit in our country, and am sure he will wish to see
some of our main areas of interest. A suitable program is something we can discuss when he
arrives. I would also be pleased to introduce him to several firms with whom he may like to do
business.
When the date of Mr. Peterson's visit is settled, please let me know his arrival details. I will
arrange to met him at the airport and drive him to his hotel. He may be assured of a warm
welcome.

Yours sincerely,

These are situations when you are supposed to refuse requests, increase prices, modify different
lists of requests, apologize for mistakes etc. In these situations, the writer must be concerned by
the tone he uses, offence may be easily created, and bad feeling in the same way and some time
you may loose the business.
It is sometime necessary to refuse a request or to convey bad news. Put yourself in the position of
the reader, try to prepare the way not to disappoint him too much and prepare a suitable
paragraph by using an adequate tone.

Dear Mr. Foster,

It was good of you to let me see your manuscript on “English for Business Studies ". / read it
with interest and was impressed by the care and thoroughness with which you have treated the
subject. I particularly like the clear and concise style pf writing. Had we not quite recently
published "Practical English" by Freda Leonard, a book that covers very similar ground, I
would have been very happy to accept your manuscript for publication. In the circumstances,
however, I am unable to do so and am returning your manuscript with
this letter. I am sorry to have disappointed you.

Yours sincerely,

Sometimes you are supposed to begin the letter by writing an opening paragraph that must
prepare the reader to receive bad news.

Dear Sir,
When we received your letter of 23 November, we sent a representative to inspect and report on
the damage caused by the recent fire of the warehouse she has now submitted her report, which
confirms your claim that the damage is extensive. However, she states that a large proportion of
the stock damaged or destroyed was very old and some of it obsolete. We regret therefore that we
cannot accept your figure of L 15.000 as a fair estimate of the loss, since it appears to be based
on the originals cost of the goods.

Sometimes you cannot get the credit you need, and the bank or a certain customer has to write a
letter announcing you this fact. It is not easy to write such a letter. Refusal will be prompted by
doubts; but the reasons for the refusal it must be tactfully explained. This letter is a wholesaler's
reply to a trader who has not been established long enough to inspire confidence in the owner's
financial standing.

Dear Mr. Johnson,

We were glad you approached with a view to placing an order, and to learn of the good start of
your business.
The question of granting a credit for newly established business is never an easy one. Not a few
get into difficulties because they over commit themselves before they are thoroughly established.
Although we believe that your own business promises very well, we feel it would be better for
you to make your purchases on a cash basis at present. If this is not possible for the full amount,
we suggest that you cut the size of your order, say by half Should you be willing to do this we will
allow you a special cash discount of 4% in addition to our usual trade terms. If this suggestion
is acceptable to you, the goods could be delivered to you within 3 days.
We hope you will not look upon this letter as a refusal, but rather as a mark of your genuine
wish to enter into business with you on terms that will bring lasting satisfaction to us both.
When your business is firmly established, we will be very happy to welcome you as one of our
credit customers.

Yours sincerely,
You have made a mistake or a fault, it should be admitted freely and without create a good will
and it will be difficult for the recipient to feel a grudge against you.

Dear Mr. Wright,

I was very concerned when I received your letter of yesterday stating that the central heating
system in your new house has not been completed by the date promised. On referring to our
earlier correspondence, I find that I had mistaken the date for completion. The fault is entirely
mine and I deeply regret that it should have occurred. I realize the inconvenience, which my
oversight must be causing you, and will do everything possible to avoid my further delay. I have
already given instructions for this work to take first priority, and our engineers will be placed on
overtime to complete the work. These arrangements should ensure that the work is completed by
next weekend.
Once again, I apologize for the inconvenience caused.

Yours sincerely,

Because of different reasons, the prices of the products are to be increased. Customers will
resent increases in price goods, especially if they feel the increases are not justified. Goodwill
can be preserved by explaining clearly and convincingly the reasons for the increases.

Dear Mr. Ben,


Steadily rising prices over the past few years have been a matter of common experience and it
will come as no surprise to you that our own costs have continued to rise with this general trend.
Increasing world demand has been an important factor in raising the prices of our imported raw
materials. A recent national wage award has added to our labor costs, which have been
increased still further by constantly increasing overheads. Until now we have been able to
absorb rising costs by economies in other areas. We now find that we can no longer do so, and
therefore increases in our prices are unavoidable. The new prices will take effect from 1 October,
and revised price lists are now being prepared. These should be ready within the next 2 weeks
and copies will be sent to you. We are sorry that these increases have been made necessary but
can assure you that they will not amount to an average of more than about 5%. As general prices
have arisen by nearly 10% since our previous price list, we hope you will not feel that our own
increases are unreasonable.
Yours sincerely,

Business executives have many opportunities for writing letters expressing appreciation and
creation goodwill. Such thank you letters can be as brief and as simple as you like, but they
express your appreciation with warmth and sincerity, making the reader feel that you really mean
what you say and that you enjoy saying it.
Letters of appreciation do not include specific sales matters, or it may be thought that your thanks
are merely an excuse for promoting business. Having started the business with someone and
having already got the first order, you are supposed to thank him for that.

Dear Mr. Martin,

You will already have received our formal acknowledgement of your order number 564 dated 12
July. However, as is your first order with us, I felt I must write to say how pleased we were to
receive it and to thank you for the opportunity given to us to supply the goods you need. I hope
our handling of your order will lead to further business between us, and to a happy and mutually
beneficial association.
!
Yours sincerely,

The thank you letters are for different reasons; here we are having some types that are to be taken
into consideration.
1. Thank you letter for a large order
I understand that you placed an unusually large order with us yesterday, and I wanted to write
personally to say how very much your continued confidence in us is appreciated.
The happy working relationship between us for many years has always been valued, and we
shall do our best to maintain it.

2. Thank you letter for prompt settlement of accounts

I am writing to say how much we appreciate the promptness with which you have settled your
accounts with us during the past year, especially as a number of them have been found very large
amounts. This has been of great help to us at a time when we have been faced with heavy
commitments connected with the expansion of our business. I hope our business relationship will
continue in the future.

3. Thank you letter for a service performed

Thank you for your, letter of 30 March returning the draft of the catalogue we propose to send to
our customers.
I am very grateful for all the trouble you have taken to examine the draft and comment on it in
such detail. Your suggestions will prove to examine the draft/ most helpful. I realize the value of
time to a busy person like you and this makes me all the more appreciative of the time you have
so generously given me.

4. Thank you letter for information received

Thank you for your letter enclosing an account of the organization and work of your local trade
association. I am very grateful for the interest you have shown in our proposal to include details
of your association in the next issue of the TRADE ASSOCIATION YEAR BOOK, and for your
trouble in providing such an interesting account of your activities. Your account is sure to insure
and encourage associations in other areas.

Letters of congratulation
A way of promoting good will is to write a letter of congratulation. The occasion may be a
promotion, a new appointment, the award of an honor, the establishment of a new business,
success in an examination, a marriage, a birthday. The letter must be short and formal, or
conversational and informal, depending on the circumstances and the relationship between you
and the recipient.
Letters of congratulation sent to mark the award of a public honor need to be short and formal.
To show a sign of personal interest, the salutation and complimentary close could be
handwritten.

/ was delighted to learn that your work at the South Down College of Commerce has been
recognized in the New Year Honor List. At a time when commercial education is so much in the
public eye, it gives us all at the Ministry, great pleasure to learn your OBE.

When you find out that an acquaintance of yours has been awarded a public honor, you may
write him a letter congratulating him for such a success:

On looking through the CAMFORD TIMES this morning, I came across your name in the NEW
YEARS HONOURS LIST and I would like to add my congratulations to the many you will be
receiving. The award will give much pleasure to a wide circle of people who know you and your
work. Your services to local industry and commerce over many years have been quite
outstanding, and it is very gratifying to know that they have now been so suitably rewarded.

With very best wishes

Some people are promoted and on such an occasion, you may write them congratulating them:
Dear Mr. Roberts,

I would like to convey my warm congratulations on your appointment to the Board of Electrical
Industries Ltd. •
My fellow directors and I are delighted that the many years of service you have given to your
company should at last have been rewarded in this way. We all join in sending you our best
wishes for the future.

Courtesy requires that letters of congratulation should be acknowledged. In most of the cases, a
formal acknowledgement is all that is necessary. This kind of letter is to be a suitable reply to the
letter of congratulation. The writer takes the opportunity to acknowledge her debt to colleagues
who have supported her in her work.

Dear Mrs. Fleming,

Thank you for your letter conveying congratulations on the award of my OBE.
lam very happy that anything I may have been able to do for commercial education in my limited
field should have been rewarded by a public honor. At the same time 1 regard the award as being
less of a tribute to me personally than to the work of my college as a whole work in which I have
always enjoyed the willing help and support of my colleagues. Thank you again for your good
wishes.

Yours sincerely,
Unpleasant events take also place in people's lives and writing letters on such occasions is not a
pleasure. Letters of condolence are not easy to write. There is no pattern for such types of letters;
a lot depends on what kind of relationship is there between you and the others. As a rule, such
letters should be short and written with sincerity. To show special consideration, letters of this
kind should be written by hand. It should be written as soon as you learn the news. Express your
sympathy in simple words, which are warm and convincing and say what you really feel.

LETTER OF CONDOLENCE TO A NEIGHBOUR:

Dear Mrs. McDermott,

It was not until late last night that my wife and I learned of your husband's tragic death. Coming
as it did without warning, it must have been a great shock to you. I want you to know how very
sorry we both are, and to send our sincere sympathy.

Yours sincerely,

LETTER OF CONDOLENCE TO A CUSTOMER:


Dear Mr. Kerr,

I have just learned with deep regret of the death of your wife. There is no much one can say at the
time like this, but all of us at Simpsons who have dealt with you would like to extend our sincere
sympathy in your loss. Please count us among those who share your sorrow at this sad time.

Yours sincerely,
LETTER OF CONDOLENCE TO A BUSINESS ASSOCIATE

Dear Mrs. Anderson,

We were distressed to read in THE TIMES this morning that your Chairman had died and I am

writing at once to express our deep sympathy. I had the privilege of knowing Sir James for many

years and always


regarded him as a personal friend. By this untimely passing, our industry has lost one of the best
leaders. We will be greatly missed by all who knew him and had dealings with him. Please
convey our sympathy to Lady Langley and her family.

Yours sincerely,

LETTER OF CONDOLENCE TO AN EMPLOYEE

Dear Maxim,

I was deeply sorry to learn of your father's death. I remember your father very well from the years
he served in our Company's Accounts Department until his retirement 2 years ago. 1 well recall his
love for his family and the great sense of pride with which he always spoke of his daughters.
He has been greatly missed at Wilson's since his retirement, and I know that we all Join in
expressing our sympathy to you and your family at this very sad time.

Yours sincerely,

All this type of letters should get an acknowledgement. The reply letter needs to be short but it
shows that you are moved by the warm expression of sympathy you have received.
To relatives and close friends, the acknowledgements should be made to each personally.
Dear Mr. Hughes,

My mother and family join me in thanking you for your very kind letter on my father's death.
We have all been greatly comforted by the kindness and sympathy of our relatives and friends.
Both at home and in the hospital, where my father spent 2 weeks prior to his passing, the
kindness and sympathy shown by everyone has been almost overwhelming.

Yours sincerely,

When many letters of condolence have been received, it will be enough to prepare a printed
general acknowledgement such as:
Mr. and Mrs. Aston and family thank you most sincerely for your kind expression of sympathy in
their sad loss. The kindness of so many friends and the many proofs of affection and esteem in
which Margaret was held will always remain proud and cherished memory.

97 Lake Rise
Romford
Essex, RM1 4EF

Letters of application
A letter of application is in fact a letter that sales yourself. So you have to keep in mind that by
applying for a job, you must arouse interest in your qualifications: then, by presenting your past
records and testimonials, you must convince the employer about your capacity of doing the job;
and finally, you must reach the target: get an interview and finally get the job. Job application letters
can be difficult as it is not always known whom are you writing to some advertisements appear
under the name of a consultancy, an employment agency, a box or telephone number. Some
application letters are written as replies to advertisements. There is a method of writing a letter to a
firm in the line of business, which the applicant wants to enter. In the case, he knows the person
whom he is writing to he can formulate some idea of the type of letter likely to appeal. If the
advertisement does not specify that you must apply in your own handwriting, your application
should be typed. It is easier to read and attract attention at once and create a favorable first
impression. First, write an application as short as possible and state that your curriculum vitae is
enclosed. Your curriculum vitae must give all the details of your personal background, education,
qualifications, experience. Do NOT duplicate this information in your letter.
Study the advertisement carefully. From it, you can get much information about the
advertiser. For example:
The old-fashioned firm dealing with wine and seeking a representative for the Midlands, will
be better approached by an impersonal letter, carefully phrased, giving all detailed information asked
in the advertisement and lots of particulars about your career.
The applicant must read the requirements for the post closely and in his reply, he must state
clearly which he is able to fulfill. He must answer the advertisement fully; no element should be
omitted! You should remember that the purpose of your letter is to get the job, but first you should
get the interview.
Ensure that your application is well typed, neatly presented; make your application stand
out for the rest. The letter should be brief, give lot of information in as few words as possible.
Write sincerely in a friendly tone but not familiar. Do not make exaggerated claims; show a proper
appreciation of your abilities. Do not suggest that you are looking for a new job because you are
bored of the one you already have. If you are asked to state the salary you expect to get, do so
and do not evade the question. If your main interest is the salary, do not state the figures you
expect, mention just what you are earning now.
The tone of the letter must show keenness for the post. Do not send original documents,
send just copies with your application, but take the originals along to the interview. As the
employers are busy and have little time for long correspondence, try to offer them the most concise
form of what is important no matter how important that information seems to be for you. Avoid
generalizing.

References
Testimonials are provided at the time of sending an application letter. It is usual to state on your
curriculum vitae or on covering letter the names of one or two people who have consented to act
as referees. Employers may contact such referees by either phone or letter to obtain further
information about an applicant's work, performance and character. Such a letter may look like
this:

Dear Mrs. Lambert

Mr. X, at present employed by you as Foreign Correspondent, has applied to us for a similar
post and has given your name as reference. I should be grateful if you would state whether his
services with you have been entirely satisfactory and whether you consider him qualified to
accept fully responsibility for the French and German correspondence in a large and busy
department.
I am aware that Mr. X speaks French and German fluently, but am particularly interested in his
ability to produce accurate translations into these languages of letters that may be dictated to
him in English. Any other information you can provide would be appreciated, and of course will
be treated as strictly confidential.

Yours sincerely,

Such letters get answers, the writer recommends the employee very highly, and without
hesitation, feeling confident that he can carry out the duties required in the post stated.

Dear Mr. X.,

I am pleased to be able to reply favorable to your enquiry of 6 April,


concerning Mr.____.
Mr.____is an excellent linguist and for the past 5 years has been in sole
charge of our foreign correspondence, most of which is with European companies, especially in
France and Germany.
We have been extremely pleased with the services provided by Mr.
and should you engage him, you may rely upon him to produce well written and accurate
transcriptions of letters into French and German. He is a very reliable and steady worker and
bears an excellent character. We wish him success, but at the same time shall be very sorry to
lose him.

If a reference is required about a person who lacks some qualities, the employer is a bit more
cautious. The writer is very careful not to say this in so many words.

Dear Mr. X,

Thank you for your letter of. Mr. X is a competent linguist, and for the past 5 years has been
employed as senior assistant in our foreign correspondence section. He has always been
conscientious and hard working. Whether or not he would be capable of taking full responsibility
for a large and busy department is difficult to say, since his work with us has always been
carried out under supervision Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate
to contact me.

Applicants thank you letters


The persons who have given references would be very pleased to get information about the
persons they gave reference for. Applicants-should inform and thank those who supported them.
An example:

/ would like to thank you for supporting my application for the post as Manager of……….
in………. .
/ know that the generous terms in which you wrote about me had much to do with my being
offered the post, and I am deeply grateful to you for the reference you provided for me. Your help
and encouragement has always been appreciated and remembered.

There are employers that are asking to get certain information; they enumerate them assuring the
partner of strict confidence. The replies can be favorable or cautious. Sometimes, the replies can
be negative:

We released Mr. X because his work fell below the standards, as we normally require. His
punctuality also left a lot to be desired, and he had a disturbing influence on other members of
our staff. Mr. X is an intelligent young man and with some exercise and self-discipline, he could
do well. However, from my personal experience I am afraid that I cannot conscientiously
recommend him.

An alternative unfavorable reference is this:

This young man was a member of our clerical staff from_______till


but I am sorry to say that we did not find him suitable. It is quite possible that he will do better
in another office.
Giving reference to an employee of yours implies responsibility to a certain extend. Always
remember that your comments, whether verbal or written, must be made in good faith. They
should be protected by the words Private and confidential and are addressed to a senior official
of the firm. The only reference where it has value is when the person from whom it is produced
knows the writer personally. Most people like to give a good reference whenever they can.

Curriculum vitae
As you have already written your letter of application, you must not forget that is should be
accompanied by some other documents such as: curriculum vitae, testimonials.
Your, curriculum vitae sometimes called resume, should present all your personal details,
together with your education, qualifications and working experience. It should be presented in an
attractive for so that all the information can be seen at a glance. All the details should be presented
on two pages not more.

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