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BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE
AND REPORT WRITING
Course content derived from the text book
prescribed by BITS Pilani FacultyAuthors: R.C.Sharma & Krishna Mohan
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NATURE OF COMMUNICATION
Process of Communication
Main components are sender, receiver, message, response
and a common frame of reference
Discuss semantic gap
Non-Verbal Communication
Main components are physical characteristics, appearance,
facial expressions, gestures, body language etc. Ethical aspects of communication
Values of fairness, integrity, honesty, compassion, dignity
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WRITTEN BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION
Letters
Emails
Memoranda
Reports
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WHY DO WE NEED TO WRITE ?
Create a permanent record
Proof of actions taken or intended
Clear and comprehensive mode ofcommunication
Gives both addressor and addressee
time to think and act
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Letter Writing
Principles, Formats & guidelines
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7 Cs of Effective Writing
Clear
Complete
Concise Credible
Constructive & Courteous
Conversational
Correct
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STRUCTURE AND LAYOUT
Elements of Structure of a letter
Heading
Date
Reference
Inside address
Attention line
Salutation
..Contd.
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STRUCTURE AND LAYOUT
Elements of Structure of a letter
Contd.
Subject
Body
Complimentary close
Signature
Enclosure
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FORMS OF LAYOUT
Stationery
Good quality, white or light tinted
Typing
Neat accurate typing Margins
1 inch from left, 1 inch from top & bottom
Punctuation
Mixed punctuation style most widely used and accepted Envelope
Should match the paper size and type
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STYLES OF PRESENTATION
Indented style each new element indented two to fourspaces. Complementary close and signature on rightbottom corner
Block style Dateline, complimentary close & signature
are right aligned. All other parts except printed letter headare left aligned
Complete-block style all parts except printed letterhead are left aligned
Semi-block style similar to block style except theparagraphs are indented
Note: style most commonly in use thesedays is the complete-block style
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PLANNING AND PREPARATION
Five steps to planning
Set aside time specifically for handling correspondence to
avoid interruptions and distractions
Decide main purpose of letter to ensure the appropriateresponse and result
Gather relevant information so that the letter covers all the
necessary points with supporting data, figures etc. Arrange material in logical order, is required make a rough
draft
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Addressing..
When addressing a good friend or
colleague:
Dear Prakash ... Best wishes/Best regards
Addressing whole departments:
Dear Sirs ... Yours faithfully
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The Start
Dear Personnel Director,
Dear Sir or Madam: (use if you don't knowwho you are writing to)
Dear Dr., Mr., Mrs., or Ms. Sawant: (use ifyou know who you are writing to, and have aformal relationship with - VERY IMPORTANTuse Ms. for women unless asked to use Mrs.
or Miss) Dear Rajesh: (use if the person is a close
business contact or friend)
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Some commonly used phrases for
OPENING LINES IN LETTERS With reference to your letter of 8 June, I ...
I am writing to enquire about ...
After having seen your advertisement in ... , I would like ...
After having received your address from ... , I ...
I received your address from ... and would like ...
We/I recently wrote to you about ...
Thank you for your letter of 8 May.
Thank you for your letter regarding ...
Thank you for your letter/e-mail about ...
In reply to your letter of 8 May, ...
This is to inform you..
It gives me great pleasure to..
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Some commonly used phrases for
CLOSING LINES IN LETTERS Why do we need a closing line in a business letter or email?
- to make a reference to a future event- to repeat an apology- to offer help
A few Good Closing Lines:
If you require any further information, feel free to contact me.
I look forward to your reply.
I look forward to hearing from you.
I look forward to seeing you.
Please advise as necessary.
We look forward to a successful working relationship in the future.
Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Once again, I apologise for any inconvenience. We hope that we may continue to rely on your valued custom.
I would appreciate your immediate attention to this matter.
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When 'Yours faithfully' and when 'Yours
sincerely' in a business letter?
When the recipient's name is unknown to you:
Dear Sir ... Yours faithfully
Dear Madam ... Yours faithfully
Dear Sir or Madam ... Yours faithfully
When you know the recipient's name:
Dear Mr. Sharma ... Yours sincerely Dear Mrs. Sharma ... Yours sincerely
Dear Ms. Kapoor ... Yours sincerely
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The Reference
With reference to your advertisement in the
Times, your letter of 23 rd March,
your phone call today
Thank you for your letter of March 5th
With reference to the above (when referring
to the Subject content
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The Reason for writing & Making a
request I am writing to..
..inquire about
..apologize for
..confirm
inform you about Requesting
Could you possibly?
I would be grateful if you could
Would it be possible to..?I would appreciate it if you could.
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Agreeing to requests & giving bad news
Agreeing to Requests
I would be delighted to
..I am glad / happy to
Giving Bad News
.Unfortunately..
.I am afraid that.
I regret to inform you that..
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Enclosing documents & closing remarks
Enclosing Documents
I am enclosing
Please find enclosed
Enclosed you will find Closing Remarks
Thank you for your help
Please contact us again
. if we can help in any way..if there are any problems.
.ifyou have any questions.
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References and the finish
Reference to Future Contact
I look forward to
..hearing from you soon.
..meeting you next Tuesday.
..seeing you next Thursday. The Finish
Yours faithfully, (If you don't know the name of the person you'rewriting to)
Yours sincerely, (If you know the name of the person you're writing
to)Best wishes,
Best regards, (If the person is a close business contact or friend)
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DIFFERENT KINDS OF LETTERS
Quotations, orders and Tenders
For giving quotations one should remember to cover thefollowing
mode and terms of payment place and time of delivery
method of transport
charges on account of sales tax
freight, insurance etc
packing and forwarding charged
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DIFFERENT KINDS OF LETTERS
Quotations, orders and Tender
For placing orders one should remember to cover the
following
Place a firm and clear order
Even if repetitive, one should not hesitate to give detailed,
accurate and complete description of items being ordered
Specify quantity being ordered Indicate mode and terms of payment
.contd.
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DIFFERENT KINDS OF LETTERS
Quotations, orders and Tender
.contd.
For placing orders one should remember to cover the
following Clearly spell out the time frame in which you expect
delivery, and if your requirement is urgent, mention that aswell as date by which you want this urgent need met.
State full address of where goods are to be delivered Indicate if you require and want special packing
Specify if you require the consignment to be insured
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DIFFERENT KINDS OF LETTERS
Sales Letters
Qualities required for a sales letter:-
Catching the readers attention
Arousing his desire to buy
Convincing him that the product/ service is the best
Motivating him to act quickly
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DIFFERENT KINDS OF LETTERS
Sales LettersWriting a Sales Letter The Introduction
Making a striking statement
Stating a significant fact Relating an anecdote, joke or story
Making special offers
Mentioning the Central selling point
Making an appeal to the pride of possession, vanity etc. ofthe customer
Asking a question ? ..contd.
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DIFFERENT KINDS OF LETTERS
Sales Letters
Writing a Sales Letter The Body
Trial offers
Guarantees
Free samples
Testimonials by users
Test results
Statistics / additional literature
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DIFFERENT KINDS OF LETTERS
Sales Letters
Writing a Sales Letter The Conclusion
The letter should be concluded on a positive note and
should not threaten or irritate the customer phrases likeYou will regret your decision if you do not buy now should
be avoided.
The conclusion should contain some offer or deadline thatwill induce the customer to take immediate action
example Limited Stock Offer Valid for next 5 days etc.
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DIFFERENT KINDS OF LETTERS
Claim and Adjustment letters
Claim letters are letters that are written when one wants to
draw the attention of the manufacturer/ dealer/ service
provider to some lapse in service or defective or faultyproduct.
The claim letter is also written with the intention of
demanding the replacement or repair of the product,
compensation for bad service or inconvenience or loss
suffered because of defective product or service
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DIFFERENT KINDS OF LETTERS
Points that claim letters should cover:-
Clear explanation of whats gone wrong
Full information of defective product or faulty service like
date of purchase/usage, amount paid, order number,colour, size, model number, make, receipt number etc. This
makes it easier for the manufacturer/ service provider to
trace the case being complained about.
A clear statement of the loss or inconvenience suffered
.contd.
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DIFFERENT KINDS OF LETTERS
Points that claim letters should cover:-
contd.
An appeal to the sense of fair play, honesty, professional
pride etc. of the manufacturer/ service provider A statement of what compensation/ adjustment you
consider fair
Important Note: Even if extremely angry over a defective
product or faulty service and the consequent loss orinconvenience suffered, please avoid writing a claim letterthat contains sarcasm, accusations & threats.
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DIFFERENT KINDS OF LETTERS
Adjustment letters: Points to note- Answer the claim letter promptly delay will further annoy
the client
Address your letter personally to the customer Thank the customer for bringing the matter to your attention
Apologize for the trouble/ inconvenience caused
If the claim is reasonable offer the adjustment promptly and
graciously Mention preventive measures taken by you to avoid such
situations arising again
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DIFFERENT KINDS OF LETTERS
Adjustment letters: Points to note-
Offer further co-operation and assistance if required
If the claim is unreasonable and unjust, state clearly why
you are unable to accept the same or only partly accept hisclaim
Show understanding and sympathy towards the clients
problems If the claim letter is sarcastic or angry DO NOT reply in a
similar fashion, this will cause irreparable damage to the
relationship with the client.
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DIFFERENT KINDS OF LETTERS
Adjustment letters: Pitfalls to avoid-
Do not express surprise about a complaint
Do not try to trivialize or minimize the error
Do not suggest that the client is insincere or making adishonest claim by saying No other customer has every
complained about ..
Do not give the impression of doing a favour to the client byentertaining his claim
Never try to pass the buck to another party
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DIFFERENT KINDS OF LETTERS
Credit and Collection Letters
Three types of letters of credit:-
Requesting credit
Granting credit
Refusing credit
Requesting credit such a letter should contain :
State the source of information about the product. Place the order, mentioning the desired terms of credit and
asking for a continued credit arrangement contd.
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DIFFERENT KINDS OF LETTERS
Requesting credit such a letter should contain :
contd.
Give essential information about the business
Supply credit references financial institutions and banksthat will vouch for promptness and reliability in payment
Promise to supply further information if required to establish
financial credibility
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DIFFERENT KINDS OF LETTERS
Granting credit such a letter should contain :
The acceptance letter should be written and dispatchedpromptly
Mention the grant of credit right at the beginning Assume the order is being executed immediately Show that the credit references have been obtained
Explain clearly the terms of credit
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DIFFERENT KINDS OF LETTERS
Refusing credit such a letter should contain :
Thank the applicant for the request State the reasons for refusing
Try to retain the customer by encouraging him to pay cashfor the present transaction (a cash discount could be
possibly offered)
Suggest the possibility of making credit arrangements inthe future
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DIFFERENT KINDS OF LETTERS
Collection Letters Some points to note:-
These are important letters as prompt collection of moneyowed is essential for the success of any business
Collection letters should be courteous, tactful and patient. Appeal to the clients sense of fairness, good intentions,
sympathy
One should never assume any dishonesty on the part ofthe debtor always assume he intends to pay Talk of legal action or appeal to the clients sense of fear
only after all the above methods have been used.
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DIFFERENT KINDS OF LETTERS
Social Correspondence
Fulfill social obligations or meet personal needs
They can be letters of :
Congratulations
Invitations
Recommendations
Condolences
Conveying acceptance or regret
Letters for making reservations at hotels or travel bookings
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HANDLING CORRESPONDENCE
Receipt and dispatch of Mail
Noting on files
Filing systems
Regularity in filing
Description and pagination
Maintenance
Storage
Classification of mail
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Email Etiquette
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Email Etiquette
Some Dos and Donts
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Some specific points to remember for
emails:-
Similar to letter writing with regards to the 7 Cs
No addressor or addressee address block
E-mail is never secure.
Smoking gun e-mail can worsen an already badsituation
Avoid e-mail misuse and abuse.
Take care of punctuation, language, grammar
Avoid indiscriminate forwards
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Some specific points to remember for
emails:-
Even with the use of a common language i.e.
English. Be aware of cultural, racial, social and other
differences in case of international emails. For
example In the USA a boot is a type of shoe while
in the UK it means the trunk of a car.
Avoid jargon, slang, acronyms, abbreviations and
even humour when sending mail across countries.
Avoid sexist language Keep your email gender neutralEg The executive should read HIS mail everyday.
The executive should read mail on a daily basis
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Some specific points to remember for
emails:- Crossing time zones can also create a lot of confusion is
the email is not crystal clear and specific.
For example saying Our video conference will begin at 6p.m. on 6/3/03 could have unfortunate results!!
Americans will read it as June 5, 2003 (as they follow themm/dd/yy format) Europeans will read it as May 6, 2003(following the dd/mm/yy format) and the Japanese usingthe yy/mm/dd order will be even more confused !!
Because Europeans use a 24-hour military clock, be
sure to write using the following format: The videoconference will begin at 18:00 on 5 June 2008.
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Writing Memos
Formats & Guidelines
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Memoranda
Used when brief and quick official
communication is required
To create a record that certain
information has been communicated to
the concerned persons
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Various situations which call for
memosTo inform the concerned people about :- changes in company policy
about new appointments and resignations
Changes in profile, portfolio, designations or
promotions meetings, training workshops, official gatherings
Felicitations or congratulations on successes orachievements
breach of rules or misconduct
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A SAMPLE MEMO FORMAT
MEMORANDUM
******************************************************TO: FROM:
SUBJECT: DATE:
njsdf kjdfskj jksjdfks kjfskj jsjdkmjlk okkoos jdksjks jjsklfdjskjk
Njsfhjks kjfslkds kds lskdl
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The End
Thank You.