Writing a business letter

According to the purpose of the letter there may be quite a number of different kinds, specimen of the main of which will be given here.

 

Letters of request, enquiry

 

Request or enquiry usually states the name of the goods and terms and conditions on which the Buyer would like to have the goods, such as: the quantity and quality of the goods, the model (trade mark), the price, terns of delivery and terms of payment.

 

3rd Mar 1990 The Secretary The Brush Group Plc Duke Street St. James’s LONDON S.W.I England   Dear Sir We are interested in the equipment produced by your company and advertised in the latest issue of “Industry”. Please send us your latest catalogues and prise lists of this equipment. We would be much obliged if we could have them by return. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon.

 

3rd Mar 1990 The Secretary The Brush Group Plc Duke Street St. James’s LONDON S.W.I England     Dear Sir We are interested in the equipment produced by your company and advertised in the latest issue of “Industry”. Please send us your latest catalogues and prise lists of this equipment. We would be much obliged if we could have them by return. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon.     Yours faithfully For V/O               (N. Petrov) Director

 

 

 

Information letters (notifications, letters of advice, etc.)

 

13th  Aug, 1990 Dear Mr. Brown, I would like to tell you that a delegation from our company of three people will arrive in London in the second half of this month. I would be grateful if you could arrange their visit to some of your factories to see the equipment we spoke about in operation. I thank you in advance for your help and co-operation. Yours sincerely,

 

 

Invitation letters

 

There are several ways of extending an invitation to a social gathering;

1. The formal way, by means of a written invitation in the third person, often on printed cards in whose blank spaces the name and the details of the gathering are inserted.
2. Less formal way, by an ordinary friendly letter.
3. The least formal way then an invitation is given in conversation or over the telephone.

The invitation should be sent about two or three weeks before the event.

The form of the reply is determined by the form of the invitation. R S V P (=”Repondez s’il vous plait” =Please send your reply) is usually written on the right-hand side. But even if it is not written, courtesy dictates that a reply should be sent.

The invitation card ( the formal way)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Chairman and Directors Of THE BRUSH GROUP PLC   Request the pleasure of your company at a Reception to be held at the Reception hall,…………………………………………………at 7 p.m. on Friday, 24th April, 1990 Evening Dress   R S V P                                                                                                          To the Secretary.

 

 

 

 

Congratulation letter

If you want your letter of congratulation to be a success, you should write it as soon as you hear the good news. There are a lot of reasons for writing congratulation letters: business promotion, an important company anniversary, business policy changes, achievements in advertising, servicing or creating new products, etc.

There is no hard-and-fast rule about acknowledging letters of congratulations, but if you do that, you will show your good upbringing. In writing this kind of letter, you should always mention the occasion that prompts it.

Note: Only the man receives “congratulations” on his engagement. The woman receives “best wishes’.

21st Jun, 1990 Dear Mr. N. Brown, I have just read of your promotion to sales manager. Let me offer my warmest congratulations. I don’t have to tell you that all of us her wish you the best of luck in your new position. We are sure we will be reading more good news about you in the trade papers in the future.                                                                                               Your sincerely,                                     F.Popov

 

                              

Letters of gratitude

 

A letter of thanks for hospitality or something should be written within two or three days of your return home, when it is still fresh in your mind.

 

22nd may, 1990   Dear Mr. Brown,   Back now home i would like to thank you most warmly for your hospitality extended to me. I very much appreciated your kindness in showing me round your works. I had a most pleasant and interesting trip and hope to be of similar assistance to you if you come to Moscow. I thank you very much again. We look forward to further cooperation.   Yours sincerely, with you.

Letters of apology

 

There are occasions when you should apologize for a mistake, error or oversight. Do it promptly with an explanation but without any lame excuses. Express your regrets and assurances that it will not happen again.

 

 

2nd July, 2000 Dear Sir,                                                          ORDER No. 389 We write to inform you about a delay in shipment of any goods from the London port because of a strike of transport workers. Your goods are actually in London, and we are trying to get them to the Docks so that they can be loaded on the next vessel sailing on the 7th July. We apologize for this unfortunate delay and are doing our best to get your order away.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Your faithfully,

 

 

 

Letters of confirmation

There are two cases: 1. When you need to acknowledge receipt of a document ( a letter, a telex, an offer or a contract, etc.), you just write, “We have received your letter of the 2^nd of July…”

2. When you need to confirm the previous agreement (arrangement) made on the telephone, by telegram, by telex or by word of mouth, concerning the price, the terms of payment or delivery, the date of the talks, etc., then you write: We are writing to confirm our today’s telephone conversation about the price…’

                                                                                                                                 

20th july, 2000   Dear Sir, We thank you for your telex informing us that you have signed Contract No.60-775 and are sending one copy back to us by today’s post. We are pleased that we have established business relations with you and assure you that you will have our full cooperation.                                                                                                                                                                                                              Your faithfully,

 

Letters of Complains and Claims

Complaints and claims usually arise from the delivery of wrong goods, damaged goods or not enough goods; there is also the matter of the goods not being of the kind expected, i.e. not being according to the sample or description. Delay in delivery is another cause for complaints.

Replies to letters of complaints should open with an apology, or at least an expression of regret, when an apology is inappropriate. Then the circumstances, which caused the trouble, should be explained. It will then be advisable to express the hope that the party making the complaint has not been unduly inconvenienced.

Then the writer should state what is proposed to be done to set things right. In most cases the sellers can do no more than offer to take the goods back or allow a special reduction in the price.

Finally the writer should state that every effort will be made to prevent the recurrence of this kind of trouble, and express hope that the good relations between the two parties will continue.

Any complaint should be dealt with promptly, otherwise delay will cause more trouble. If an investigation is required which is likely to the take sometime, the complaint should be acknowledged, with an explanation that it is being attended to and a promise of a full reply as soon as everything is cleared up

 

 

13th July, 2001 Mr. Simpson, Simpson & Co PLC, SHEFFIELD, England   Dear Sir,                                  EQUIPMENT UNDER CONTRACT No. 184/115 We are sorry to have to inform you that in the consignment of equipment we have received against the above Contract there are several broken cases and some machines are Damaged. We are sending you the report signed by our inspectors form which you will see the extent of the damage. Also, we would like to draw your attention to a fortnight’s delay in shipping the machines. This is an infringement of Clause 4 of the Contract which, you may well see, also stipulates payment by the Supplier of damages in case of delay in delivery. So we ask you to transfer to our account the sum of the penalty and to strictly observe the terms of the Contract in future. We hope to hear from you soon.         Yours faithfully, V/O Techmashimport

 

 

 

 

Business Memos

 

Memos are short internal business letters, sent to other staff within the same company to inform employees about policies, procedures and other matters relating to the organization. A memo (or memorandum) may also be posted somewhere inside a company for all to see. Memos are becoming less common as electronic mail becomes more common. In contrast to letters, memos do not usually contain salutations or closings, and may be typed or hand-written. The text portion of the memo is generally in block format. Memos should include "From", "To", "Date", "Subject" and the message itself, like this:

 

[Company logo]    MEMORANDUM     From: [name or initials]      To: [name or initials]     Date:      Subject: [short description]      Message starts here... often with bullet points

 

 

 

 

Application Letter

The purpose of this letter is to get the employer to read your resume and invite you for an interview. Use this type of letter to respond to job advertisements and vacancy announcements. Your approach here is to show that your qualifications fit the employer's requirements for the position. Analyze the position description carefully and pick out key phrases. Try to match your letter point by point to the requirements by emphasizing key parts of your resume.

In a letter of application - applying for an advertised opening - applicants often say something like "I look forward to hearing from you." However, if you have further contact info (e.g. phone number) and if the employer hasn't said "no phone calls," it's better to take the initiative to follow-up, saying something like, "I will contact you in the next two weeks to see if you require any additional information regarding my qualifications."

 

Example : Application Letter

Street address  
City, State Zip  
Date of writing

Name 
Title 
Company 
Street Address 
City, State Zip

Dear Mr./Ms.:

1st paragraph Explain why you are writing; identify the position and your source of information. Indicate in summary form your strongest qualifications for the position using a series of phrases

2nd paragraph Outline your strongest qualifications in more detail and show how they match the position requirements. As much as possible, provide evidence of your related work, extracurricular, and academic experiences and accomplishments. Refer to your enclosed resume.

3rd paragraph Optional. Convince the employer that you have the personal qualities and motivation to succeed. Relate your interests and qualities to your knowledge of the company.

4th paragraph Request an interview and indicate how and when you can be contacted. Suggest that you will call at a specific time to discuss interview possibilities. Thank the reader for his/her consideration.

Sincerely, 
(Handwritten signature) 
Your name, typed

 

Enclosure(s)

 

 

Two sample letters of application are presented here. The Sample from this letter  is by a recent college graduate and is in response to a local newspaper article about the company's plan to build a new computer center. The writer is not applying for a specific job opening, but describes the position being sought.

Sample

 

    6123 Farrington Road 
Apt. B11 
Chapel Hill, NC 27514 
January 11, 2005

Taylor, Inc. 
694 Rockstar Lane 
Durham, NC 27708

Dear Human Resources Director:

I just read an article in the News and Observer about Taylor's new computer center just north of Durham. I would like to apply for a position as an entry-level programmer at the center.

I understand that Taylor produces both in-house and customer documentation. My technical-writing skills, as described in the enclosed resume, are well suited to your company. I am a recent graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology in Atlanta with an Associate's Degree in Computer Science. In addition to having taken a broad range of courses, I served as a computer consultant at the college's computer center where I helped train computer users on new systems.

I will be happy to meet with you at your convenience and discuss how my education and experience match your needs. You can reach me at my home address, at (919) 233-1552, or at krock@devry.alumni.edu.

Sincerely,

Raymond Krock 

 

 

   

 

Company, which we send with Eastern's Permission. Please call me collect (ext. 1206) or send me an email message at the address below if I can answer any questions.

Cover letters

 
Never underestimate the power of correspondence in your job search. Your application cover letter, in particular, is an important marketing tool which highlights your most attractive qualifications as a potential employee and, if well written, will lead the employer to your resume. Because there is no single formula or model letter applicable for all occasions, this article describes and provides examples of seven types of letters you may use in your job search. It also offers tips on appropriate

letter format and effective writing style.

 

As mentioned previously, application letters and cover letters are not the same thing. By definition, a cover letter identifies the item being sent, the person to whom it is being sent, and the reason for its being sent. A cover letter provides a permanent record of the transmittal for both the writer and the reader.

Keep your remarks brief in a cover letter. Your opening should explain what is being sent and why. In an optional second paragraph, you might include a summary of the information you are sending. A letter accompanying a proposal, for example, might point out any sections in the proposal of particular interest to the reader. The letter could then go on to present a key point or two explaining why the writer's firm is the best one to do the job. This paragraph could also mention the conditions under which the material was prepared, such as limitations of time or budget. The closing paragraph should contain acknowledgements, offer additional assistance, or express the hope that the material will fulfill its purpose.

The following are examples of cover letters. The first letter is brief and to the point.

Sample

Your Company Logo and Contact Information

January 11, 2005    

Brian Eno, Chief Engineer 
Carolina Chemical Products 
3434 Pond View Lane 
Durham, NC 27708

Dear Mr. Eno:

Enclosed is the final report on our installment of pollution control equipment at Eastern Chemical Company, which we send with Eastern's Permission. Please call me collect (ext. 1206) or send me an email message at the address below if I can answer any questions.

Sincerely,

Nora Cassidy 
Technical Services Manager 
ncassidy@company.com 
 
Enclosure: Report

Many people often think of a cover letter as being the same thing as an application letter. By definition, this is not the case. The letter of application is essentially a sales letter in which you are marketing your skills, abilities, and knowledge. Remember that you may be competing with many other applicants. The immediate objective of the application letter and accompanying resume is to attract the attention of the person who screens and hires job applicants. Your ultimate goal is to obtain an interview.

• Convince the reader to look at your resume.
• The cover letter will be seen first.
• Therefore, it must be very well written and targeted to that employer.
• Call attention to elements of your background - education, leadership, experience - that are relevant to a position you are seeking. Be as specific as possible, using examples.
• Reflect your attitude, personality, motivation, enthusiasm, and communication skills.

  

 

 

Resume

 

Experienced candidates with several years of substantial work experience and/or unique educational credentials, may want to develop a resume letter. Resume letters are standard letters of application which highlight key qualifications to potential employers. The format includes pertinent professional information captured in short phrases. The purpose of a resume letter is to trigger employer interest in a unique background by showing the applicability of work or academic experience to the employer's situation.

 
Purpose

A resume is a self-marketing tool, designed with the goal of obtaining a job interview. Resume information is targeted succinctly to a career field and addresses the needs of a specific employer. Your resume should market your relevant skills, knowledge, and accomplishments.

 
Preparation

It will be difficult to begin the process of writing your resume unless you identify the career field and types of employers that will be the focus of your job search. When you know how you will use the resume, then you will be able to write an effective, targeted resume that gets results. You will likely spend a considerable amount of time developing your resume, choosing the right words and phrases to describe your marketable skills and experiences. It is not uncommon to write several revisions before arriving at the final version.

One-page resumes are preferred for most entry-level positions. Two-page resumes are acceptable if the information on both pages demonstrates the skills and/or experience relevant to your profession. Resumes should highlight skills and accomplishments that meet employer qualifications, excluding irrelevant information and experiences. Well-designed resumes will be visually appealing and free from any spelling, typographical, punctuation, or grammatical errors. All resumes should be written concisely in an organized format that presents the most important information first.

Employers who read individual resumes spend very little time on each resume-in most cases, only twenty to thirty seconds. Many large employers are now using optical scanning machines and various software programs to assist them with this initial review.

 
 

 Constructing Your Resume

 

Never send your résumé out without a chaperone. Every résumé you submit should be accompanied by a cover letter.

The résumé and cover letter are your chance to tell the employer how wonderful you are.

 

 APPEARANCE

• is inviting and easy to read; not too much information
• uses appropriate font styles and font sizes (10-14 pts.)
• incorporates enough white space between sections to facilitate skimming
• centers text; adequate margins
• creates visual impact using bullets, boldface, underlining, italics, and font sizes to emphasize key words (for scannable resumes, use boldface only)
• printed on high quality (16-25 lb.) bond paper
• print is letter quality