...Technical Writing/Business Communications/Letters Professional and Technical Writing/Business Communications/Letters Business Letters Business letters are written messages to a person or group within a professional setting. Business letters are used when the writer would like to be formal and professional. Letters may vary in length depending on the writer's objective, purpose, and message of the letter. The letter can address anyone including, but not limited to: clients and customers, managers, agencies, suppliers, and other business personnel or organizations. It is important to remember that any business letter is a legal document between the interested parties. These documents can be held for up to seven years, so it is important that all information is honest and legitimate. The Difference Between a Business letter and other letters The main thing that differentiates a business letter from other letters is that a business letter is a legal document. The writer can be held liable for anything written in the letter. For example, if it is stated that a project will be completed by a certain date in a business letter, the project legally must be completed by that date. However, if the project can't be completed by that date, another letter can be written stating that the project is behind schedule and why. For this reason, business letters must be written differently than letters used for personal use. A business letter is...
Words: 1230 - Pages: 5
...during the last three or four decades have the communication skills of individuals in the business world come under closer scrutiny than today. And never before have those who work in the business world needed better, more effective communication skills. The emerging technology appears to be increasing, rather than decreasing, the need for effective communication skills. As more individuals have ready access to desk-top equipment to process written communication, fewer support personnel will be readily available to provide editing assistance. Therefore, welldeveloped communication skills among originators are more important to success than ever before. This book is suitable for several different audiences, including undergraduate and graduate students. The organization of this manual is a logic sequence of chapters including both business communication and correspondence. The first part is dedicated to business communication and the second to business correspondence. The special features found in this edition are: 1. Examples of effective letter writing. Studies have shown students studying written business communication can learn as much, if not more, from ineffective examples of written communication as they do from effective examples. 2. Varied application problems in the writing-oriented chapters. The number of problems has been increased. While the majority of problems require the writing of a letter or report, some are designed to give students an ...
Words: 59343 - Pages: 238
... Correct b) three Question 4 4 out of 4 points Another word for template is Selected Answer: Correct c) macro. Correct Answer: Correct c) macro. Question 5 4 out of 4 points How many key types of basic communications from an institution to an individual does your text cite? Selected Answer: Correct d) three Correct Answer: Correct d) three Question 6 4 out of 4 points Collection letters, like other transactional communications, are constructed to get the desired Selected Answer: Correct b) result. Correct Answer: Correct b) result. Question 7 4 out of 4 points The three forms of business letters discussed in the text are Selected Answers: Correct Full Block Correct Semi-block Correct Simplified Correct Answers: Correct Full Block Correct Semi-block Correct Simplified Question 8 4 out of 4 points The correspondence that conveys information inside a single business entity is defined as being Selected Answer: Correctc. internal. Correct Answer: Correctc. internal. Question 9 4 out of 4 points The correspondence that transfers information between one entity and another is defined as being Selected Answer: Correcta. external. Correct Answer: Correcta. external. Question 10 4 out of 4 points The business letter form that the text says...
Words: 776 - Pages: 4
...Executive Summary: A Business Report is an objective and presentation of information in order to achieve some purpose. It is a basic management tool used in decision making. Report may be classified in different ways. Like on the basis of formalities, On the basis of function, On the basis of frequency of issue etc. The basic objective of the report is to know the salient features of writing report & how the formal reports are important in Business Communication. Business report has no single correct answer but several solutions, each with their own costs and benefits to an organization. Report may be targeted to readers inside or outside the organization. In formal reports we have three parts. Two is Preliminary parts & Report body & the other one is Supplementary parts. With introduction parts the reader can get the assignment main topic & also helps the reader’s follows & understands information. It is an important parts of a formal business report. Supplementary parts view the readers where he found the details of the topic. In formal report readers have the clear facts views. Accuracy of facts, precision, Brevity, Clarity etc are the characteristics of business report. Often reports are structured in a way that reflects the information finding process and the writing up of the findings that is, summary of the contents, introduction or background, methods, results, discussion, conclusion and/or recommendations. The inclusion of recommendations is one reason why reports...
Words: 3609 - Pages: 15
...Principles of Business Correspondence I. Elements of Business Correspondence Business correspondence should be professional and direct. While the main purpose of the letter is to to get a point across or your request known, you need to try to do this while still cultivating and maintaining a good relationship with the recipient. Most professional correspondence should have a letterhead, date, address and salutation. Additionally, the main elements of your business letter should be as follows: Opening: This is the reason for writing the letter. It should be direct and apparent, It is in this paragraph where you are delivering important news or requesting something. Body: The body of the letter develops the information presented in the opening. This is where you are able to go into a more detailed description of what you are asking from your correspondent. Closing: This is the end of your letter. It should be where you are leading the recipient of your letter toward a specific response or a course of action. This section might include suggestions or statements. Don't forget to finish your letter with a complimentary closing and a signature. II. Qualities of an Effective Business Correspondence In order to achieve desired result in business, we need to correspond with utmost care. This correspondence can be oral as well written but whatsoever it is we must keep few principles in our mind. These principles constitute 7Cs of Business Correspondence. Although these are just...
Words: 1443 - Pages: 6
...Business Writing Portfolio Name Professor Name Class Number and Title University Name December 11, 2000 Part I - Communication and Collaboration Strategy Step 1: Identify the target audience. The audience for the business letter includes Store Managers. The audience for the business memo is store employees. The audience for the e-mail message includes retail customers and the public. Step 2: Identify the communication types that will be used. For the Store managers, a business letter will be used. For Store employees, a business memo will be used. For retail customers and the public, an email message will be used. Step 3. Identify the appropriate communication styles for each audience. For the store managers, using a business letter, the style will be formal. For the store employees, using the business memo, the style will be persuasive. For the retail customers and the public, I will spin the message to the advantage of the store, while making them feel that they are not losing anything. Step 4. Write the communication. Step 5. Read and rewrite, as necessary. Step 6. Put it aside for a while. Come back to it and, if necessary, rewrite again. Step 7. Distribute message to recipients. Part II – Portfolio Item #1 – Business Letter John Doe 5555 Deer Way Anywhere, Anystate Anyzip December 11, 2009 Store Manager Store Name Store Street Address or PO Box Store City, Store State Store Zip Dear (Name of...
Words: 1410 - Pages: 6
...------------------------------------------------- Business letter It is a formal letter and can be used as a formal thing. or between such organizations and their customers, clients and other external parties. The overall style of letter depends on the relationship between the parties concerned. Business letters can have many types of contents, for example to request direct information or action from another party, to order supplies from a supplier, to point out a mistake by the letter's recipient, to reply directly to a request, to apologize for a wrong, or to convey goodwill. A business letter is sometimes useful because it produces a permanent written record, and may be taken more seriously by the recipient than other forms of communication There are two main styles of business letters: 1. Full block style: Align all elements on the left margin. 2. Modified block style: with other elements on the left page margin. ------------------------------------------------- [SENDER'S COMPANY NAME] ------------------------------------------------- [SENDER'S ADDRESS*] ------------------------------------------------- [SENDER'S PHONE] ------------------------------------------------- [THE SENDER'S E-MAIL] ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- [DATE] ------------------------------------------------- ...
Words: 2535 - Pages: 11
...on the promotion of other business products. b. apply an indirect pattern to demonstrate respect for the recipient. c. start with an explanation of the reasons the request is granted. d. apply the same direct pattern used in making requests. 4 points QUESTION 2 1. Blogs have several internal communication purposes including a. providing information about benefits or featuring profiles on key employees. b. posting employee changes such as layoffs, promotions, and firings. c. announcing employee illnesses, adoptions, and vacations. d. posting administrative salaries, raises, and incentive packages. 4 points QUESTION 3 1. Personally delivering bad news is sometimes recommended, but written messages are important to establish a record of the incident, to formally confirm follow-up procedures, and a. to persuade the receiver to follow your recommendations. b. to denote your leadership rank. c. to promote good relations. d. to allow you to identify your organization and position. 4 points QUESTION 4 1. An e-mail message or memo usually ends with action information, needed dates, a summary of the message, or a a. reference line that includes the typist's initials. b. copyright notice or confidentiality statement. c. witty quotation. d. closing thought. 4 points QUESTION 5 1. Porter's company has decided to let employees use instant messaging (IM) as an internal communication tool, and she wants to make...
Words: 1536 - Pages: 7
...ENGLISH BUSINESS WRITING [pic] MODULE BOOK AND READER Course of study: ICM / English Course title: Business Writing Year of study: term 4 ourse year: 2011-2012 Department of English School of European Studies and Communication Management The Hague University Course Information |Title |Business Communication | |Name of study unit |English Communication Skills | |Study unit | | |Department |ICM | |Module manager |A. van der Wijngaard / Y. Overdevest | |Module number |To be announced | |Programme / year of study / term |ICM / year 1 / semester 2 / term 4 | |Study load |28 hours (1 ECTS credit) | |Entry level |None...
Words: 12959 - Pages: 52
...CO2520: Module 3 Developingg Effective Human Communication Skills Developing Effective Human Communication Skills Example 1: Mr. Gentry, Thank you for the opportunity to interview with you. I was very impressed with the company mission and the package that is associated with the hired position. I appreciate your time to meet with me and look forward to hearing from you soon. When will I be hired? Sincerely, Bennie Yako Analysis Ending this very professional and to the point letter with when will I be hired seems pushy and may come across as overconfidence. Instead Bennie could have ended the letter with I appreciate your time and I look forward to the opportunity to speak to you further about this position. The positive side of this appreciation letter is that he mentioned details like appreciating the company mission and employee incentives, this shows the employer that he was well engaged in the interview. I believe this writing style could have been written more professionally, should be in a business letter format (address and contact information for both parties at the top, date etc.). Example 2: I failed my exam because I locked my keys in my car and couldn’t get my textbook until well after midnight so I couldn’t study. Analysis If it were true that he locked his keys in his car and couldn’t get his textbook until midnight it has no relevance to him failing his exam. As a student one must take responsibility for his/her schoolwork. Waiting...
Words: 518 - Pages: 3
...Chapter One Introdution: Fundamentals of Business Writing I. The major differences between school writing and business writing School writing, typically in the form of essays, is aimed at impressing the audience, i.e. examiners. To score high, student writers have to use fairly complicated vocabulary and sentences in their written work. Business writers, however, mainly aim to communicate information to their colleagues, clients, and other associated parties. They are relatively free to use what language that can get the business done efficiently and effectively. II. Seven steps in the process of wring 1. clarifying your aim 2. identifying your readers 3. making a general plan 4. sketching a synopsis (大纲) 5. drafting your text 6. putting the draft aside 7. revising and editing ★ Writing is a recursive and creative process. The detailed plan is not adhered to in actual writing. Writers frequently come up with ideas that are activated in the process of writing. Writers read the text they have already produced to help generate more ideas. In effect, the writing process is no linear at all but is characterized by recursive ness and creativeness. III. Three principles of business writing 1. Clarity – means setting your message across clearly. (See detailed information on page 4) 2. Consideration – good business writers take their readers’ needs, problems, and reactions to the writing into consideration. And they...
Words: 12607 - Pages: 51
...Structure of the Textbook: Unit 1 Basic Knowledge of Business Letter Writing Ⅰ. Form and Structure of Business Letters 1. Form 2. Structure 3. Addressing Envelopes Ⅱ. Writing Principles of Business Letter Exercises Unit 2 Establishing Business Relations & Inquiring Credit Reference Ⅰ. Letters for Establishing Business Relations 1. Importer Writes to Exporter 2. Self Introduction by Exporter 3. Exporter Writes to Importer 4. Self Introduction by Manufacturer 5. Manufacturer Writes to Importer 6. Letter Referring to a Bank Reference 7. Reply to the Above Ⅱ. Supplement: Some Useful Sentences on Establishing Business Relations Inquiring Credit Reference Exercises Unit 3 Enquiries and Replies Ⅰ. The Letters of Enquiries and Replies 1. General Enquiry and Reply 2. Specific Enquiry and Reply Ⅱ. Supplement: Some Useful Sentences on Enquiries & Replies Exercises Unit 4 Quotations, Sales Letters, Firm Offers & Counter Offers Ⅰ. Quotations 1. Quotation and Reply 2. Sending a Quotation 3. Buyer Asks for Quotation and Seller Replies Ⅱ. Sales Letters 1. Ordinary Sales--Promotion of DVD Player 2.Trying to Sell with Samples--Promotion of U, S. Dollar Bank Note Checker Ⅲ. Offers 1. Offer of Electronic Calculators 2. Offer of Refrigerators 3. Offer of Personal Computers Ⅳ. Counter Offers 1. Counter-offer on Price of Refrigerator 2. Counter-offer...
Words: 1324 - Pages: 6
...Business Letter Writing The Importance of Letters Commercial correspondence is the correspondence you share with another party during the course of or in continuation of a business transcation. It is a very important part of business, primarily because it is a form of written documentation. It gives statement of objectives. Commercial correspondence is not only important to business; it is a critical aspect of business. Commercial correspondence acts as a reference point for any queries. A business letter is a formal way of communication between two or more parties. Business letter should be terse, clear and to the point. Businessmen are busy people, and have no time to read long, rambling and confused letters. Despite the popularity of faxes and e-mails letters are still a very important method of communication. Letters develop relationship, between friends, colleagues, important business contacts, even strangers. The nature of the relationship is reflected in the tone and style of the letter. Letters represent your company’s public image and your competence. Letters are more personal than a report, yet more formal than memo and email. Letters constitute an official legal record of an agreement. Letters provide a wide range of corporate information. Letters are ambassadors for you and for your organization; you cannot put across your message in person, so your letter acts on your behalf. Ensure that your letters portray you as a appropriable, caring, efficient and professional...
Words: 1892 - Pages: 8
...Business Letters A business letter is more formal than a personal letter. It should have a margin of at least one inch on all four edges. It is always written on 8½"x11" (or metric equivalent) unlined stationery. There are sixparts to a business letter. 1. The Heading. This contains the return address (usually two or three lines) with the date on the last line. Sometimes it may be necessary to include a line after the address and before the date for a phone number, fax number, E-mail address, or something similar. Often a line is skipped between the address and date. That should always be done if the heading is next to the left margin. (See Business Letter Styles.) It is not necessary to type the return address if you are using stationery with the return address already imprinted. Always include the date. 2. The Inside Address. This is the address you are sending your letter to. Make it as complete as possible. Include titles and names if you know them. This is always on the left margin. If an 8½" x 11" paper is folded in thirds to fit in a standard 9" business envelope, the inside address can appear through the window in the envelope. An inside address also helps the recipient route the letter properly and can help should the envelope be damaged and the address become unreadable. Skip a line after the heading before the inside address. Skip another line after the inside address before the greeting. 3. The Greeting. Also called the salutation. The greeting in a business...
Words: 1145 - Pages: 5
...AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY–BANGLADESH (AIUB) FACULTY OF SCIENCE & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INTERNSHIP AFFILIATIONREPORT ON Title of the Report An Internship Report Presented to the OFFICE OF PLACEMENT and DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Name of the Program Supervised By AIUB SUPERVISOR’S NAME & rank Submitted By Student’s Name, ID Date of Submission:month day, year LETTER OF SUBMITTAL The letter of submittal must follow the format of a standard business letter starting with the title of your report. The objectives of the letter are: * to say that the report is being submitted, * to mention/acknowledge the entities (Supervisor, Employer, Working departments, etc.) involved in the internship process, * to summarizethe key aspects (activities, acquired knowledge, challenges, etc.) of the report of particular interest to the recipient. End you letter with your name, ID, Program, Date and sign above your name. Letter of Endorsement The Internship Affiliation Report entitled “Your Report Title”, has been submitted to the Office of Placement and Department of Computer Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Program name by student’s name & ID. This report is presented to the Internship Defense Committee for evaluation and has been accepted. (Any opinions, suggestions made in this report are entirely that of the author of the report. The University does not condone...
Words: 1275 - Pages: 6
