Executive communication

group no:3

NAGOOR MYDEEN

MOHAN

BIBIN P. THOMAS
MOHAMED KURAISHI MOHAMED ABDULGAFOOR MUKESH

NIDHUN KRISHNA
NIKHIL SURESH POUNRAJ PRAKASH NARAYANI SELVI

MEANING

A business letter is communication of information on matters of trade and commerce. It serves not only as a communication of information but it is a means of preserving record of the communication.

OBJETIVES
To influence the readers action and attitude. To achieve the desired goal. To make a good relationship. To make a better communication.

NEEDS OF A BUSINESS LETTER

Every business, has to maintaining contacts with its supplies, customers, prospects, governments departments and the like. A business man has to exchange information of varied type with difference parties.

It includes
Mailing & or soliciting enquiries Placing orders for goods Acknowledging & executing orders Granting or applying for credits Requesting for settlement of accounts Making adjustments for customers grievances

For a very small business, letter writing may be less important, but is not unimportant

FUNCTIONS OF BUSINESS LETTER

1. 2. 3. 4.

To provide inexpensive & convenient means communication without personal contact To seek or give information To furnish evidence of transactions entered To provide a record for future reference

written communication can be passed on to the concerned persons or departments as it is. The mode of oral communication may not be passed on in its totality in same style & tone

LETTERS FOR DIFFERENT KINDS OF SITUATIONS

Enquiries

& replies Orders & their execution Credit & status enquires Complaints & adjustments Collection letters Circular letters Sales letters

 Bank

correspondence Insurance correspondence Agency Application letters Interview letters Letters to press

CLASSIFICATIONS

Official

letters Clam-official letters Internal letters or memos Forms letters

STEPS
Know

the purpose of message Visualize the reader Select the ideas Collect all the relevant facts Organize the ideas Revises and proofread

PURPOSE
Find out the main purpose of writing your message Purpose should be simply to quote a price, to complain about defective goods, to collect money against a outstanding bill. To pacify an angry customer, and to collect and transmit some information. The primary purpose is to send quotations and the secondary purpose is to get an order

IMPORTANCE
There are so many

modern communication methods available today , but the traditional business letter remains an important means of sending printed message. The business letter act as an ambassador for the company. It is the vital that it gives a good first impression.

The possible way Less expensive Saves time Confirmation Reaches destination

LAYOUT OF A BUSINESS LETTER

Heading Date Reference Inside address Attention line The salutation Subject

Body Complementary close Signature Post script Identification mark Enclosure

THE HEADING
The letter head bearing the heading creates the first impression of the writers firm. The heading contains the name and address of the firm. The name is usually printed in the middle of the paper. Some times the address given below the name of the firm.

DATE

The date appears two spaces below the last line of the letter head

While writing the date, one should note that the month and year are written in full and no suffix such as nd or th is added to the day.

REFERENCE
In generally to provide two lines to indicate

references in the letterhead, especially for a reply letter. Some firms prefer to indicate the reference number of the correspondent in the body of letters.

INSIDE ADDRESS
The inside address that is the address of the person

to whom we are writing is usually placed two spaces below the date and two spaces above the attention line. If there is no attention line, the inside address is placed two spaces above the salutation in the left margin. Special care should be taken to spell the addressees name correctly.

ATTENTION LINE
An attention line is provided two spaces

below the inside address and two spaces above the salutation. This is for making prompt attention. It is usual to underline this line.
E.g.:

Attention : The Purchase manager

SALUTATION
In a letter, the salutation is placed on the left hand margin two spaces below the attention line. If there is no such line it is placed below the address.

Example

SUBJECT
In between the salutation and opening paragraph of the body of the letter, the subject has to be written in short form.

Example

BODY
It is through the body of the letter that the message is communicated to the reader. Hence utmost care has to be taken for structuring the body.

The body of the message contains three parts

First part Second part Third part

COMPLEMENTARY CLOSE
The complementary close is a polite way of entering

a letter. It is placed two spaces below the last line of the body of the letter.
Its forms varies according to the nature of opening

salutations. EXAMPLES

SIGANATURE
The signature comes below the complementary close. It is the signed name of the writer. Usually the name is typed below the signature. If a person signs on behalf of a firm, the name of the firm will come first and the signature will follow immediately below. EXAMPLE.

POST SCRIPT
Latin word posrscriptum. This is the addition to the contents of a letter conveying an after thought. It is written at the bottom of the letter and is preceded by the abbreviation of P.S. A post script written below the signature under the title Ps near the left hand margin. The post script should be signed or at least initialed by the writer.

IDENTIFICATION MARKS
Identification marks are put in the left margin to

identify the typist of the letter, One or two spaces below the signature. Usually the initials of the officer dictated the letter are put first.
EXAMPLE: If the letter is dictated by K.P.R. Ravi and typed by Mr. Kumar, the marks KPRR/K will appear.

ENCLOSURE
Sometimes it becomes necessary to attach some

other document such as cheque, bill, etc., to main letter. It must be indicated against the enclosure line which is typed two spaces below the identification marks. Generally the abbreviated form Encl is typed against which the number of enclosures is indicated. Eg: Encl: 1. cheque no. T 8764 of January, 2010 2. An order form

STYLES OF PRESENTATION

INDENTED STYLE
o It is the oldest form of business letter.

o This requires the first line to begin at the margin and

the subsequent lines to begin 5 spaces away from the beginning of the previous line. o A coma follows each line o A full stop is put after the last line.

SPECIMEN

BLOCK STYLE
The date line, the complementary close and the

signature are aligned with the right margin. All other parts except letterhead, printed matter starts from the left division. Between the parts and between the paragraphs of the body of the letter is double spacing given whereas there is single spacing within each part and paragraph.
SPECIMEN

COMPLETE BLOCK STYLE

It has all lines beginning at the margin and no

punctuation at the end of any line. This style look neater and also takes less time to type and is preferred by most companies today. This layout reduces typing time as there are no indentations for new paragraphs or the closing section.
SPECIMEN

SEMI-BLOCK STYLE
This is like the block style except that the paragraphs of the letter are indented. Those who use it say that it is easier to read paragraphs which begin with an indented line. In this style mixed punctuation is used.

SPECIMEN

HANGING INDENTED STYLE

The first line of each paragraph is started from the

left margin. The remaining lines in each paragraph have four or five spaces. Its appearance is unusual. Usually sales letters are prepared in this style for catching the attention of customers.
SPECIMEN

KINDS OF BUSINESS LETTERS

ENQUIRY
CIRCULAR OFFERS / QUOTATIONS

ACKNOWLEDGING GOODS RECEIVED & MAKING PAYMENTS

CLAIMS, COMPLAINTS & ADJUSTMENTS

INSURANCE LETTERS

ORDERING GOODS
ACKNOWLEDGING ORDER

FORWARDING OF GOODS

EXPORT & IMPORT

FOLLOW-UP BANKING

GOVT OFFICES

LETTER FOR ENQUIRY

The letter of enquiries asks about specific details

about the product. Today, in business world there are numerous enquiries to be made as more and more goods and services are offered for sale, backed up by the massive publicity. It includes, 1. Request for information with reference to the advertisement. 2. The purpose for which information is sought.

CIRCULAR LETTER
Sometimes information regarding change of address,

opening of a branch office or getting a new telephone connection etc., is brought to customers /clients notice through a circular letter.
Such a circular letter is either cyclostyled or printed.

LETTERS CONTAINING OFFERS OR QUOTATIONS

An offer is in the form of circular and is meant for

the general public including the regular customers. Here the intention may be to clear the old stock or to expand the market. However, a quotation is a specific offer for sale, in response to an enquiry. The language of such a letter should be persuasive in order to win over the customer.

LETTERS ORDERING GOODS

While placing an order for goods, mention the

articles required by you.

Such a letter must contain full directions on

forwarding, full name and address of the sender etc.

Lack of information causes unnecessary delay at

both ends.

LETTER ACKNWLEDGING ORDER

All orders should b promptly acknowledged,

especially if the order requires some time for its execution.

The buyer feels satisfied on getting the

acknowledgement.
However, the probable date of despatch should also

indicated

FOLLOW-UP LETTERS
Follow-up letters are important as they show a

continuing interest in the client.

The language of the letter must be persuasive to win

over the customers.

The aim should be to coax the wavering customer in

to buying the product.

LETTERS ACKNOWLEDGING GOODS RECIEVD AND MAKING PAYMENTS

The acknowledgement of goods soon after they are

received is an effective business practices. Incase there is a delivery note from the sender, it should be signed and returned. The mode of payment may be through a cheque or a bill of exchange. Bill of exchange is used both for internal and foreign trade.

LETTERS REGARDING CLAIMS, COMPLAITS & ADJUSTMENTS

Sometimes the goods are damaged in transit because

of careless handling by rail or road transport. This results in complaints. Such a complaint should be firm and polite in tone. A feeling of adjustment and understanding should be exhibited.

INSURANCE LETTERS
Often the exported goods are insured to avoid future

complications.
The fire and marine assurance are necessary as it

saves the businessmen from future losses and risks.

LETTER REGARDING FORWARDING OF GOODS

The goods with in the country are moved through

private carriers and the railways. Usually there is no correspondence while despatching or receiving goods except filling up a few forms. Complaints or claims, however, may crop up on account of delays, losses or damage of goods.

EXPORT AND IMPORT CORREPONDENCE

This correspondence calls for not only skilful

handling but alertness of mind, technique and complete knowledge on part of the correspondent. The business is usually done through forwarding agents / commission agents. The forwarding agent is responsible for receiving the goods and their safe shipment.

CORRESPONDENCE WITH GOVT OFFICES

Every company has to correspond with a number of

Government departments. At times there are proformas to deal with them but correspondence is also necessary on a number of occasions. Some of the Government departments with which an ordinary citizen may have regular dealings include those of Income tax, Sales tax, posts and Telegraphs etc.

BANKING CORRESPONDENCE
The bank accepts deposits and maintains different

types of accounts with its clients. The services of the bank are many and of varied types but usually done through printed forms and proformas like cheque, bills, bills of exchange etc., But sometimes correspondence becomes necessary. Take care to be polite and learn the routine bank terminology for effective correspondence.

ENQUIRIES

When a buyer wishes to get some information about

the quantity, price, availability, etc., of goods to be purchased, or about the terms of sale, etc., he writes a letter of enquiry to the seller. Enquiries may be solicited, unsolicited, for some favour, or a routine enquiry.

TYPES OF ENQUIRIES
Solicited enquiry: An enquiry made in response to the sellers advertisement and publicity. Unsolicited enquiry: An enquiry made at the buyers own initiative. Enquiry for some favor: An enquiry not about goods but about some other information, may be about some special price or some favorable terms. Routine enquiry: An enquiry made by an old buyer in the usual course of business.

KEY POINTS
Straightforward; Positive Brief

and confident in tone;

and top the point, yet clear, complete and

correct

HINDS FOR DRAFTING ENQUIRY

State the purpose of your letter, whether you need goods, service or information. Request for price-list, catalogue, etc. Ask for samples or demonstration, if needed. State the details of your business and what you are interested in. Ask for terms relating to discount, credit, mode of delivery, packing, etc. This will enable you to prepare the order. Give an idea of the quantity you need in order to enable the supplier to quote the best possible price.

REPLYING TO STATUS ENQUIRIES

It is recognized custom among traders to regard it as a duty to answer status enquiries The reply should be frank and specific and helpful to enquirer as possible Replies are often so worded that no express or implied responsibility is assumed by the writer

FAVORABLE

RATHER UNFAVORABLE

UNFAVORABLE

FAVORABLE REPLY

Writing favorable replies is not difficult Give the nature of the account and the amount of credit Say whether you recommend the credit asked for

RATHER UNFAVORABLE REPLY

Referring to the enquiry, tell how long you have been acquainted with the applicant

Mention the amount and period of credit granted Dont fail to mention the good qualities of the applicant

UNFAVORABLE REPLY

Any unfavorable reply requires care in drafting The plan for drafting an unfavorable reply is the same as for rather unfavorable reply

Care should be taken

MAKING STATUS
Give the name of the person or firm about whom you are enquires Indicate that you have been asked to refer to the address Assure that any information given will be treated as confidential Express your willingness to render similar service to the reference if he even needs it Enclose a self-addressed envelop While writing a status enquiry letter

Customer complaints letter

Definition
As long as men are men and machines are machines and not infallible, there are

bound to be imperfections and mistakes.

SOURCES OF MISTAKES GIVING RISE TO COMPLAINTS

Incomplete or defective order. Wrong directions to the dispatch section. Mistake by the accounts section in preparing the invoice. Dispatch section carelessly dispatches 1.Goods of wrong quality, size, brand, pattern, color etc. 2.Defective pieces. The article supplied may have some inherent manufacturing defect not at the time of inspection. Defective packing that might lead to the damage of goods in transit.

Collection letter

COLLECTION LETTER

Collection letter aim at collecting the dues without

affecting the business relations

The language and the tone of collections letters is not same for all the customers

Companies writes a series of collections letters from early polite requests, to stronger request, to warning

It includes
Request

and remainders
collection letter

Stronger Final

collection letter

REQUESTS & REMAINDERS

The first series of collection letters are request and remainders for non-payment of bills. They are written in polite language State the unpaid bills clearly with dates, numbers and around unpaid Bend the photo copies of the bills for customers easy and quick references. By that the customer has perhaps forgotten to pay Show confidence in customer that they will respects their business obligations

STRONGER COLLECTION LETTERS

The second series of collection letters are stronger remainders, pressing the customers to take immediate action There are written in formal but friendly tone Avoid using harsh or threatening language and expressing doubts about customers intention or capacity Give reference of the remainders or request already send ask him why they have not made payments Tell the customer that be owes a definite amount which ought to pay promptly

GRADING LETTER

Refer to the past attempt made to collect the amount Give the customer a final opportunity to pay the amount

in which a definite time limit

Restore the consequences of failure to pay the amount owed in berms of legal cafies

Explain that customer is responsible for the unfortunate

situation.

Sales promotion letters

Sales promotion letters

Sales letters are part of publicity and advertisement compaign. They perform salemans function of educating and persuading customers. Therefore the principles of writing effective sales letters are the same as that of selling goods or services. A good sales letter, like a successful advertisement, captures the attention of the reader, excites his interest and curiosity and induces him to buy the goods or services offered.

FORMULAS FOR ORGANISING SALES LETTERS

AIDA IDCA

ATTENTION

INTEREST DESIRES CONVICTION ACTION

INTEREST
DESIRES ACTION

Parts of sales promotion letter

Introductory paragraph The body Concluding paragraph

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
Some of the popular ways of starting sales letters are:
Making
Stating Making

a striking statement
a significant fact

special appeal to the pride of possession,

vanity, etc.
Asking

question the central selling point

Focusing

THE BODY
After capturing readers attention in the introductory Para, concentrate on arousing his interest in the product or service

CONCLUDORY PARAGRAPH

In the concluding Para, induce the reader to act within a certain time.

Hints for writing sales letter

Start with capturing the readers attention or interest. for this you may ask him question about saving time or money, getting better service. Stimulate readers desire for product or service in the following paragraph, by desirability them in terms of his motivation for comfort, leisure, pleasure, saving of time or money, etc Support the desirability of the product by offering evidences from established statistical facts independent, testing services, or guarantee, etc Motivate the reader for action at the end by telling him what exactly he is to do & how to do.

Dears It is not possible to discuss all types of business letters that a businessman may be called upon to write in course of all types of business transactions, dealings or exigencies. Every letter varies depending upon the circumstances.

Thank you