Definition: “A business letter is a formal written document through which companies try to correspond with the customers/suppliers/bankers/shareholders and others.”
It is also called Snail-mail.
IMPORTANCE
- Help organizations in strengthening their rapport with customers/ et al
- Can be filed for future reference
- Help in conveying confidential/complex info
- Help companies to reach organizations/ clients in distant places
- Help companies to know the problems in their products & eventually lead to the smooth functioning of the organization
ELEMENTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER
- Letterhead/Sender’s address
- Date = the date on which the letter is written
- Inside address = the address to which the letter is sent
- Salutation = greeting, always formal
- The body = the text; never handwritten
- The complimentary close = the short, polite closing which ends with a comma
- Name and signature
- Enclosures
FULL BLOCK LAYOUT
- the most popular layout
- All elements are aligned in the left margin.
- Sender’s Address – Give your complete address here. Include your e-mail ID and contact number also.
- Date line — 15 June 2018.
- Inside Address — title and full name of the recipient; position/job title of the recipient; name of the company/organization; address.
- Salutation — Dear Sir/Mr Ghosh/Dr Ajay
- Subject — title of the subject of the letter
- Body Paragraph 1
- Body Paragraph 2
- Body Paragraph 3 (not to exceed 3 paras)
- Complimentary close — Regards/Warm regards/With warm regards/Yours faithfully, sincerely
- Signature of the sender
- Name & Designation of the sender
- Enclosures — copy of resume; copy of certificate; copy of experience certificate.
FORMAT OF A BUSINESS LETTER
1. Sender’s Address
Rajkumar Patil
Raj Bhavan
TC 56/855
Civil Lines
Chennai
1.1 Letterhead with the name, address and context details of the company
Sunshine Enterprises
18, New Kotak Road,
Chennai – 180 002
Telephone: 044 5433081 Fax: 0191-554043 E-Mail: sushent@gmail.com
2. Date line
15 June 2014 / 15 June, 2014 / June 15, 2014
3. Reference line
Your ref: RK / 15
Our ref: SS / 20
4. Addressee’s Address/Inside Address
Mr R K Menon
RK Enterprises
Chembukauv
Thrissur
5. Salutation / Official greeting
Name/Position of the addressee Salutation
Rajesh Menon Dear Mr Menon
Raji Menon Dear Ms Menon/Dear Ms Raji Menon
Sales Manager(gender not known) Dear Sir/Madam
Professor Rajesh Menon Dear Prof Menon
6. Subject line
Sub: Purchase of Computer Accessories.
Sub: Request for leave.
7. Body of the letter
8. Complimentary Close
Yours faithfully/sincerely
9. Name and Signature
FORMAT OF A PERSONAL LETTER
LETTERS TO NEWSPAPERS
- Should always be addressed to ‘’The Editor,’’ and they end with ‘’Yours faithfully.’’
- The form of salutation — Sir/Dear Sir.
- If the writer gives his address for publication it is often placed below the letter and to the left of the signature.
- If the writer does not wish his name to be published, he can sign his letter in this way: ‘Interested,’; Anxious,’ ‘One who knows.’ But he must give his name and address in a covering letter to the Editor.
TYPES OF BUSINESS LETTERS
- Business letters are written for various purposes — informing, congratulating, ordering, requesting, enquiring, complaining, making an adjustment, applying for a job & selling a product.
- Acknowledgement Letter
- written to acknowledge someone for his/her help/support when you were in trouble or you needed that person’s help to complete a task
- expresses your gratitude
- Letter of Recommendation
- Written to recommend a person for a job or admission to a higher degree/specialized kind of study programme
- Simply states the positive aspects of the applicant’s personality, required skills & how he/she would be an asset to the organization
- Appreciation Letter
- Written to appreciate someone’s work in the organization or thanking another organization for doing business with them
- Written by a superior to his/her junior
- Helps in strengthening the bond b/w two individuals/organizations
- Adjustment Letter
- A letter that deals with a complaint & claim letter
- Acknowledge the complaint immediately
- Handle the complaint with sympathy
- Gracefully admit your fault, express regret & promise to rectify the error
- If the complaint is baseless/the claimant seeks an unreasonable adjustment, politely point out where the fault lies & suggest alternatives
- Don’t blame others to save your skin
- Thank the customer for bringing the matter to your notice
- Inquiry Letter
- Written to enquire about a product/service
- Is concise, complete & brief
- State clearly & precisely what info you need – a catalogue/price lists/general info etc
- Ask about the time period likely to be taken to facilitate the order
- Seek clarification regarding the discount offer/mode of payment/credit facility
- Should be brief & to the point
- Sales Letter
- Written to advertise & to promote a product
- The most interesting in its approach & appeal
OBJECTIVES
- Catch the reader’s attention by beginning with a captivating quotation/an anecdote
- Create a desire in the reader to buy the product by highlighting its outstanding features
- Carry conviction = convince the reader of the authenticity of your claim
- Induce action = persuade the reader to take action> ask for a demonstration/send an order
RESUME
- A resume is attached to letters of application for a job
- A resume is a structured summary of a person’s educational qualification, work experience & employment
- It is a document to market yourself
- So in order to attract the employer’s attention it is essential to prepare a carefully worded & neatly arranged resume, highlighting your strengths & favourable aspects
TYPES OF RESUME
- Chronological Resume — all the details of your work history are listed in chronological order
- A reverse chronological order is in vogue now
- Functional/Skills Resume – focuses on your skills, abilities & experience & emphasizes individual areas of accomplishment
- Used when there are gaps in your employment history as you keep changing your career
- Hybrid Resume – a combination of both the chronological & the functional resume
- Skills & experience history are listed first & then work/employment history
Based on the kind of channel used 2 types
- Paper-copy/Traditional print resumes = hard copy resume that small companies want
- Electronic/resumes that can be scanned
FEATURES OF A SELLING RESUME
- A catchy appearance & contents
- Well-organized, properly written, & has an apt layout
- Error-free
- Highlights your abilities, skills & experience
CONTENTS OF A RESUME
- Personal info/Identification
- Name, address, phone, Email ID
- Career objective based on your skills & professional aspirations
- Education
- Work experience – always give in reverse chronological order
- Activities/achievements/special interests
- Awards & honours –academic/non-academic professional
- References – from the university/earlier organization/from renowned persons
- A good resume is always accompanied by a well-drafted cover letter = the letter that accompanies the Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume
English Helping Hand 