Studio Shodwe

BUSINESS
LETTERS
Technical Writing Across Professions
Saturday | 9:00AM - 12:00PM
Presented by: Renee Claire S. Mina

No of Slides: 56
 OBJECTIVES

Idetify and descibe the different

Identify the parts of a
types of business letters
Business Letter
 DEFINITION
Business Letter
-It is the official form of
communication in the business
industries.
Business letters are usually written in the style of a
formal document; however, they often need to be brief
and well-organized. They are usually used in business,
especially when communicating with or giving
information to clients, vendors, contractors, other
businesses, and/or other business people.
PARTS OF
BUSINESS
LETTER
 • HEADING
• used by the company
01
• consist of the name of the firm or the individual and the address
LETTERHEAD (usually two or three lines).

02
• used by the individual
CONTEMPORARY HEADING

LETTERHEAD
2. DATE
• The date on which the letter is typed should be placed after the letterhead.
• The month must be written in full and never in figures.
• There is a comma separating the year from the month and date.

DATE
3. INSIDE ADDRESS
• consists the name and address of the receiver.
• It is typed two spaces below the date line at the left margin.

INSIDE ADDRESS
4. ATTENTION LINE
• It is used when it is important that the letter reach quickly the person who is best
qualified to take care of it. A number of positions and form for this information are used,
but as a general rule, the attention line should be centered.
• Example:
Attention: Director of Maintenance
Attn: Head Manager
Attn: Dr. Jane Suarez

INSIDE ADDRESS
5. SALUTATION
• The type of salutation depends on your relationship with the recipient. It normally
begins with the word “Dear” and always includes the person’s last name. Use every
resource possible to address your letter to an actual person. If you do not know the
name or the sex of of your receiver address it to Dear Madam/Sir. As a general rule
the greeting in a business letter ends in a colon (US style).
Example:

SALUTATION
6. SUBJECT LINE
• The subject line is inclusion can help the recipient
in dealing successfully with the aims of your letter.
Normally the subject sentence is preceded with the
word Subject: or Re:

• Subject line may be emphasized by underlining,

using bold font, or all captial letters.

• It is usually placed one line below the greeting but

alternatively can be located directly after the
“inside address,” before the “greeting.”
 7. BODY OF THE LETTER
• The body of the letter contains the
message.
• As a general rule, single spacing
should be employed within
paragraphs of the letter body.

BODY OF THE LETTER

8. COMPLIMENTARY
CLOSING
• The complimentary closing is the leave-taking
time line of the letter and should be consistent with
the salutation and the message contained in the
letter in representing the same degree of formality.
• The following complimentary close are arranged
in the order of decreasing formality:
Respectfully
Yours Truly COMPLIMENTARY
Sincerely and Cordially CLOSING
9. SIGNATURE LINE
• The signature applies to the entire signature unit which
usually consist of two to four lines containing the
following.

• name of the business organization in behalf of which the

letter is written
• signature of the writer
• name of the writer
• the designation of the writer’s business rank or position
within the organization.

SIGNATURE LINE
10. ENCLOSURE
• is another document that you add to a business
letter.
• If you have included a document other than the
letter along with the letter, double space after
your name and position, and type your enclosure
notation.
• Both "Enc." and "Encl." are acceptable to note
enclosures.
• If you're enclosing more than one document, you
can note the number of enclosures after the
abbreviation, but don't add an "s" to the
abbreviation. ENCLOSURE
• Example
• Encl: 3
 TYPES OF BUSINESS
LETTER
• Letter of Inquiry and Reply
• Order Letter
• Sales Letter
• Claim and Adjustment Letter
• Letter of Acknowledgement and Follow-
up
• Letter of Instruction
• Letter of Authorization
• Letter of Transmittal
9. Letter of Contract
10. Letter of Appointment
11. Letter of Invitation
12. Letter of Acceptance
13. Letter of Appreciation
14. Letter of Recommendation
15. Letter Reference
16. Letter of Application
 • LETTER OF INQUIRY
• is written for the purpose of seeking information regarding a product, a
service rendered, a price list of books and catalogs, name of dealers, and
other information.
• This type of letter should be polite and concise
• contains the information being sought and an expression of the writer’s
appreciation like “Thank you”.
Pointers in writing a letter of inquiry:
• State clearly and specifically what is wanted. Use a numbered list if
there are more than three queries.
• Give the reason for the inquiry.
• Include an expression of appreciation. A simple “Thank you” is enough.
• Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with the letter of inquiry
sent to an individual.
LETTER OF REPLY TO THE INQUIRY
It should be handled promptly, cheerfully, and efficiently regardless of
whether the information requested above is to be given or refused.

Pointers that will help in writing a letter of reply:

• The letter sender should be thanked for showing his/her interests in your
company, product or service.
• Give the information requested and if necessary add relevant materials.
• Show your willingness to be of further assistance.
• Enclose booklets, leaflets and brochure if they are available.
 2. 0RDER LETTER
• is written by an individual who wishes to buy something from a company or a store. The terms and
conditions of the sale should be clear enough to both parties so that the transaction will be
satisfactory. In purchasing an item through a letter, it is a responsibility of the purchaser or buyer to
state clearly, accurately, and completely what item he wants to buy or order.

Guidelines which may be followed in writing an order letter.

• State clearly and completely the description of the item being purchased (exact name of the item,
quantity desired, size, color, weight, price, and model).
• Give the address where the goods will be delivered.
• Give the price and mode of payment (check or money order, credit card, cash on delivery, or charge
to account).
• Mention the desired method of shipment (air express, truck freight parcel post).
 3. SALES LETTER
• is used to convince the customers for an existing product or a new product.
• It should be persuasive and must contain the main features of the product.

Guidelines in writing a sales letter:

• Attract the reader’s interest and attention in the beginning paragraph.
• Present the benefits of the product
• Lead the readers to wish to see or try the product
• Include how much the product or services cost and how it may be paid
• Include a request that the reader place the order.
 4. CLAIM OR COMPLAINT LETTER
• is written by a customer of a product/service commenting on the poor product/service. It usually
outlines the fault(s) with the product/service and highlights customer dissatisfaction with the
particular product/service.

• It is normally written to deal with a problem situation when other attempts (i.e. phone contacts,
emails, etc.) have failed to rectify the situation. The complaint letter formalizes a problem situation by
putting it into writing and is usually the last resort to try to get a situation resolved.

Guidelines in writing a complain letter:

• Identify the transactions (who, what, when, where, etc.)
• Explain especially what is wrong.
• State the adjustment or action that you expect to be done; and
• Remember that most companies respond favorably to justified complaints.
 adjustment letter
• is a response made to a claim or a complaint letter.

Guidelines in writing an adjustment letter:

• Respond to the claim letter promptly and courteously.
• Refer to the claim letter, identifying the transaction.
• State clearly what action will be taken.
• Remember to be fair, friendly and firm.
5. LETTER OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
• A letter of acknowledgement should be sent immediately when an
order letter is acquired by a store or company.
Guidelines in writing a letter of acknowledgement:
• Thank the customer for his order.
• Restate the order.
• Assure the customer that his order is being filed.
• Mention how it will be shipped.
• Close with a brief sales talk to make him more enthusiastic about your
product.
• Express your pleasure and interest in serving him.
 LETTER OF FOLLOW-UP
• is written when the customer does not receive the merchandise or service he is expecting.
• Is written urging the seller to hasten the delivery of the item.

Guidelines in writing a follow-up letter:

• Give explicit information regarding the order such as the date of the order, the invoice number,
and a description of a merchandise requested.
• If changes are made, indicate fully and explicitly what those changes are.
 6. LETTER OF INSTRUCTION
• contains instruction in the operation of equipment, in the assembly of machines or
in the intake of drugs.

Pointers in organizing a letter of instruction:

• The opening paragraph of the letter should explain the situation or problem that
necessitates issuing the instructions.
• Detailed instructions are contained in the body of the letter. Clear, definite and
concise instructions should be used.
• The conclusions of the letter should contain other actions/steps and precautions that
should be taken aside from the instructions.
7. LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION
• Written by the person requesting the report to the person who is conducted the study.
• It establishes the authority for the report.

The Letter of Authorization may include the following:

• The problem to be investigated and the specific question for which he seeks an answer
should be stated.
• The report and the problem situation that gives rise to it.
• The scope and limitations.
• The intended use for the report must be clear.
• Suggested methods for obtaining the report should be stated.
 8. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
• is a communication from the writer of the report to its recipient. it serves the same purpose for
a report that a preface does for a book.

The letter of transmittal has the following parts:

• Reference of authorization, indicating what the report is all about, its purpose and the
authorization date.
• Summary of the report.
• Scope and limitations of the report
• History and background of the report
• Need and use of the report
• Conclusion and recommendation must be explicit
• Personal attitudes and opinions of the writer
9.itLETTER OF CONTRACT
legally binds or commits a letter sender with a firm or an
organization to one particular individual. The commitment may be in
terms of delivery and payment of merchandise or the rendering of
particular service.
Some items many contract letters include are:
• Employee position
• Company name
• Employee start date
• Status of contract
• Salary or wage information
• Company benefits
• Training or probation periods
• Conditions for employment
• Other relevant company information
10. LETTER OF APPOINTMENT
• is written to notify and inform the tasks assigned to individuals appointed to certain
positions, committees, or functions.

Some the key information included in an appointment letter may be:

• Job title
• Start date
• Job description
• Hours
• Salary
• Benefits and
• Additional conditions
 11. LETTER OF INVITATION
• In writing a letter of invitation to a well-known speaker to address your organization, te
following pointers should be considered.
• The opening paragraph should state the name of the club or association and the time
and the location of the meeting or gathering.
• The second paragraph should mention the attainment or qualifications of the speaker
that make his presence so desirable. Suggest the subjects you wish the speaker to to
discuss, the hour and how much time is allowed to him.
• The closing paragraph should request the speaker to let you know whether he will
accept the invitation, thus arrangement for his arrival should be made.
 12. LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE
• In accepting an invitation to speak in a program or seminar, the letter of acceptance must be
prompt.

The following should be included in a letter of acceptance:

• Indicate your pleasure in accepting.
• Name your topic or subject.
• Restate the day and hour of the speech.
• Suggest how much time you intend to speak.
 13. LETTER OF APPRECIATION
is most appropriate to be written when a person wants to thank somebody for a
service rendered, or when a manager wants to compliment his subordinate for a
job well done, or when an individual wants to thank a giver for a beautiful gift.
 14. LETTER OF INTRODUCTION AND
RECOMMENDATION
• A letter of INTRODUCTION is written by an individual, organization, or
company to another individual or organization for the purpose of bringing
about acquaintanceship of two persons not known to each other.

• On the other hand, a letter of RECOMMENDATION, is written to give the

prospective employer information regarding the applicant’s qualification,
moral character, attitudes, and conduct. It should be an honest,
straightforward evaluation of the applicant by the writer.

An introduction letter is used to introduce yourself, your company, or a third party to others.
A letter of recommendation is a formal endorsement of your abilities and accomplishments, written
by someone who knows you well.
LETTER OF INTRODUCTION
LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
15. LETTER OF REFERENCE
• is written by an employer to the three individuals mentioned in the applicant’s letter, in
order to verify if what the applicant wrote in his letter regarding his qualification and
character is true. It aims to seek their judgment or opinion regarding the applicant’s
honesty, industry and trustworthiness. This type of letter should be brief, courteous,
and direct to the point.
16. LETTER OF APPLICATION
• It is an individual’s personal emissary. It is a means by which an applicant can sell
himself to a prospective employer. This type of letter must be clean (white paper of
a good quality), neat (typewritten), and free from errors in spelling, punctuation,
capitalization, and grammar.

Parts of a Letter of Application

• Purpose of the letter
• Background information; and
• Request for an interview
Thank
You!