Buscomm prelim
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The document provides guidance on proper business letter writing. It discusses the importance of format, structure, and style when crafting business letters. Key points include: - Business letters should have a conventional or modern heading with contact information and date. - The inside address introduces the recipient. - A salutation greets the recipient formally or informally depending on relationship. - The body conveys the message in clear, concise paragraphs. - A complimentary close thanks the recipient. - The signature identifies the letter writer. Attention to grammar, punctuation, and professionalism in writing ensures an effective business letter.
Buscomm prelim
- 2. Importance of Business Writing Skills Why do you feel written communication skills are so important in business today? Technology has made everyone in the workplace a writer, and writing is a highly visible skill. When you send an email or other written communication, it is out there for people to see. It reflects on you and, if you are an administrative professional, it also reflects on your boss, so it’s essential to get it right. Today, your reputation and success in business are increasingly dependent on your ability to communicate well. What’s the most common mistake you see people make when it comes to their written communication at work? Actually, two mistakes top the list. The first is carelessness, often because of deadlines and tight schedules. In the rush to get out an email, too many people fail to check it for grammar, spelling and punctuation, as well as overall content. Is it clear and purposeful? Does it provide the necessary information? Is there an action item, and is it clearly stated along with a deadline? The second error is not considering the audience. Business writers need to think about who will see their communication and then tailor it accordingly. And always remember that email can be forwarded, so you never know who will end up reading it. What’s your top piece of advice to an administrative professional who wants to improve her written communication skills? Take note of well-written communications and learn from them. If you’re unsure about how to write something, don’t make a guess and hope for the best. Resolve your questions by using a stylebook or a dictionary, which are available both online and in print. Also remember that communication is part of your personal brand, so you want to be as professional as possible. More people are communicating via smartphones and tablets. What are your favorite tips for doing that well? Write a descriptive subject line. Be concise. Cover all the bases. When possible, paste in the contents of attachments so your recipient doesn’t have to download material. Don’t compromise your writing standards. Mobile devices don’t give you license to write sloppy communication.
- 3. Nature of Business Letters A letter is a written message sent to an individual or a group of people. It may be a business letter or a social letter. A business letter which is the main focus is used to transact official business; hence, its tone and style should be fromal and business like while a social letter is a friendly letter intended to convey personal messages to people close to the writer. Aims of Business Letters All business letters are classified as sales letters because no matter what the purpose is, you still sell something to the reader. This can be a service or an idea. Hence, selling here as implied by the word business does not only involve monetary considerations but also another factors such as explanations, friendship, goodwill, apology, acceptance, proposal, invitation, complaint. Suggestions, comments and others. More than these, they serve as a part of the company’s permanent records, written documents, and written contracts. Effective Business Letters A business letter is not effective if it is impersonal, longwinded and difficult to understand; when the writer utilizes overused, trite phrases and expressions and an overformal approach; when one or more of the following elements considered essential for standard business letters are missing: heading, inside address, salutation, body, complimentary closing and signature; and finally, when the layout that is, its visual appeal and balance does not follow the standard one.
- 4. Typewritten Letters vs. Handwritten Letters All business letters should be typewritten or encoded because they are easier to read and they give the letter an official and formal look. However, there are some companies and institutions which prefer handwritten letters specifically application letters because they can reveal an aspect of the personality of the writer. Format According to Dumont and Lannon (1985), Format is the mechanical arrangement of words on the page: indention, margins, spacing, typeface, headings, page numbering and division of letter sections. IT contributes to the readability and general appearance of the letter which attract the reader to pay attention to it. It also influences reader’s perception of the message.
- 5. Formats for Business Letter Writing Full Block Style All parts of the entire letter are left justified. This is considered as the most popular and easiest of all types because the encoder no longer concerned with indentions, thus, saving time and effort; however, this style shows an imbalanced letter. The left side seems so full while the right side becomes barren. Modified Block Style The body of the letter is left justified. However, the date and complimentary close begin near the center going to the right margin. This gives a balanced look to the letter. Semi Block Style It is much like the modified block style except that each paragraph is indented instead of left justified. It is the most balanced of all styles. Simplified Letter Style This style popularized by National Office Management Association (NOMA) omits the salutation and the complimentary close; however, it has a subject line written in capital letters. All lines are flushed at the left margin. But when there is a listing in the body, this is indented 5 spaces from the left margin except when the items are numbered or lettered
- 6. Writing Materials To Be Used Our letter reflects our professionalism; hence, we have to see to it that our paper conforms to the standards set by the society. It should be written on a 8 ½ “x 11” stationery or bond paper. This should be white, clean, unruled, uncrumpled, unfolded and of sufficient weight and thickness. Its surface must not be glossy to avoid running or blurring ink. It should also be free from finger prints or other marks. As a rule, the writing material should not show cheapness or extravagance. Font Style For encoded letters, the widely accepted font is Times New Roman size 12. However, other fonts such as Arial and sizes as 13 and 14 may be used depending upon the kind of readers you have and length of the body. The ink must be sufficient to have good result. It should be free from erasures and any other marks. Envelopes The standard size of the envelope to match the short bond paper is approximately 4’ x 9 ½ “. It has two regular parts; the outside address and the return address. They both contain the name, title, position, agency and the address of the addressee and the sender respectively. The outside address is in the middle of the envelope while the return address is in the upper left hand corner. On the other hand, the special mailing instruction is placed below the stamps.
- 7. If a business envelope with a window is used, the letter is folded in such a way the inside address appears through the window. A window envelope has an open space or a space covered with a transparent paper, through which the address on the letter enclosed is visible. This is usually used for bills and statements of accounts. Folding a Standard Letter A business letter is folded twice into horizontal thirds and placed into an envelope. This makes the letter easy to unfold after opening the envelope. If an envelope window is used, the address of the letter should be face out of it by having the second fold in the same location but opposite direction. The letter will then be folded in a Z shape. Punctuation Styles It refers to the absence or presence of punctuation marks at the end of the lines of the conventional heading, inside address, salutation and complimentary closing. Almost all business letter have punctuation marks at the end of the lines of the salutation (colon) and complimentary close (comma). If they are present, the letter is closed but if not both present, the letter is mixed. If there are no punctuations, it is called open.
- 8. Main Parts of Business Letter A complete and effective business letter contains all the essential parts: heading, inside address, salutation, body, complimentary close and signature. All these arts follow their respective positions in the letter with respect to other parts. Margin and Spacing The left margin is 1.5” while the right margin is 1”. This is to give space for the fastener or the binding on the left side. The top margin is pegged at 1”; however, it can be adjusted to achieve balance. The bottom margin is 1”. Double spacing is observed between parts of the letter. If the body of the letter is short, it can be double-spaced, too. Heading It tells the source of the letter and the date it was written. IT also furnishes the addressee of the contact information of the letter-sender especially if the letter merits a response.
- 9. 2 Kinds of Heading A.Conventional When letter-senders are not connected with any agency or their letters have nothing to do with their agency, they should make use of this kind of heading. It contains the residential address of the writer. It makes use of 2, 3 or 4 lines, usually three lines. For semi-block style, it is located at the right side. It begins near the center of the paper or a little to the right of the vertical center of the page contrary to the notion that the end-lines should follow the right margin. However, if the style is modified or full-block, it is flushed at the left margin of the letter. First Line Considering the Three-Line Heading, it contains the number of the house and the name of the street. Second Line Contains the name of the city and the province or the town. They start with a capital letter and a comma is used to separate the divisions. Third Line It contains the date when the letter was written. December 19, 2013 (American English Style) 19 December 2013(British English Style)
- 10. B. Modern Heading It is composed of the letterhead and the dateline, this kind of heading is used when letters have bearing with agencies concerned. It is usually contains the name of the company, the address, the logo, telephone/fax numbers, motto, names of officials, services offered, advertising message and others depending upon the preferences of the company. Inside Address It contains pertinent information regarding the addressee. This includes the name, title, position, agency, and the business address of the agency. It also serves as an aid in case the envelope be damaged and the outside address becomes unreadable. 3 to 4 lines are normally used. If an 8 ½ “ x 9” paper is folded in thirds to fit in a 9” business window envelope, the inside address can appear through the window. Nevertheless, it follows the ff pattern: Title Name Position Department Agency Address of the Agency When the line is too long, its continuation may be moved to the next line with 3 to 5 indentions from the left.
- 11. Traditional Courtesy Titles Mr. It is used to refer to either married, widower or unmarried man with no other titles such as Dr. or Professor. Always abbreviated, this starts with a capital letter and ends with a period. Mr. Resty D. Lagajeet Mr. Eduardo B. Balubal Mrs. In the early 17th century, this referred to the contraction of the word mistress which originated from old French “Maistresse”, the feminine counterpart of “Maister” which means master. Since the word mistress has a different connotation now which is no longer applicable for Mrs., mistress can no longer be used as its meaning; hence, it is used not to refer to widows and married ladies. Mrs. Rose G. Sacayanan Mrs. Fernie W. Carreon If you want to include the maiden name of the addressee, put a hyphen between the maiden and married names. Mrs. Haidee Perez-Centeno Mrs. Lerma Baptista-Egipto
- 12. Miss This is used to designate unmarried ladies and popular personalities Miss Eden Corsino Miss Sharon Cuneta Ms. This title is used when the sender does not know or is not sure of the marital status as well as the professional status of the female addressee who does not have a professional title. Professor This is used to refer to instructors who have already reached the rank professor and above. Prof. Janeth D. Palma Professor Palma Honorable This is used to refer to politicians who hold or who held key positions in the government. Hon. Randy R. Ting The Honorable Randy R. Ting
- 13. Dr. This can be used to refer to persons who finished doctorate degrees in any branch of studies. This includes Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Medicine, Doctor in Public Administration and others. Dr. Benedicta H. Cumagun Mrs. Benedicta H. Cumagun, Ph.D. Reverend This title is used to refer to a minister, priest or a rector. Rev. Diosdado F. Talamyan The Reverend Diosdado F. Talamyan Addressing Married Couples If the letter is addressed to a married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Gamos Dr. Jaime and Mrs. Haidee Centeno Dr. and Mrs. Joel Egipto Dr. Benedicta and Mr. Bernardino Cumagun Drs. Benedicta and Benedicto Cumagun
- 14. Other Points to Remember It is adviseable on the part of the lady-sender to indicate her marital status in brackets before her typewritten or printed signature to enable the addressee know the proper title to be used in the inside address of the response-letter. When the abbreviation Jr and Sr follow the name, Alejo Cue Jr. Alejo Cue, Jr. person. When attention line is used, the inside address bears no specific name of Southwestern College Iligan City Attn: Mr. Adarito Corsino College Registrar If the addressee hold concurrent positions in an organization, the title of the higher nature should be taken. Dr. Liduvina C. Reyes, CESO III Vice President for Academic Affairs College of the East Bulanao, Tabuk
- 15. If there are more than one addressee, the names are written in alphabetical order, according to position or rank or seniority. Mrs. Chona S. Agustin Miss Grace D. Cajayon Mr. Edward H. Caldez Instructors College of Liberal Arts and Public Administration Cyril Colleges of the North Tuguegarao City, Cagayan The article “The” is included in the name of the organization if it is really a part of the name, however, if it is not, it should not be written. In cases when the address of the addressee is unknown and the writer wishes to request a third party to receive the letter, then the abbreviation of “Care of” (c/o) can be used on the second line. Mrs. Haidee P. Centeno c/o Miss Grace Ayonayon 116 Rizal Street Tuguegarao City, Cagayan
- 16. Salutation This part is traditionally known to be thee greeting of the letter. IT is similar to saying hi, hello or good morning. Most Formal Salutations Sir, Madam Formal Salutations My dear Sir, My dear Madam Less Formal Salutations Dear Sir Dear Madam My Dear Mr. Ancheta Dear Dr. Tamacay Friendly or Intimate Salutations My Dear Grace Dear Grace The choice of the slautation depends upon the relationship of the letter-sender to the addressee. The salutation “Sir” should be reserved for official and military letters and for those who holds a high position than the writer.
- 17. When using Messieurs (Messrs.) Misses or Mesdames (Mmes.) in the salutation, first names must not be included. Messri. Cauilan, Edillo and Villanueva If the letter is addressed to an agency having almost the same number of males and females, “Ladies and Gentlemen” should be used. If the addressee’s gender is not known, use a nonsexiest salutation such as “To Whom it May Concern”, “Dear Manager”, “Dear Director”. Since this is extremely impersonal, this should be avoided. Slautations like “ To Our Customers” “Dear Customers” are only good for form letters of announcements to a group of people. Body This is the most important part of the letter for it carries the message or the main text of the sender to the addressee. It should be made clear, concise, complete and concrete. It should be readily understandable. Its grammar, punctuation marks and word choice should be correct since this contribute to the clarity of the message. Double spacing or single spacing can be used for lines within the paragraphs. If the body is short, double spacing
- 18. Sentences in all paragraphs should be complete. Participial endings such as the following should not be used: Hoping for your kind consideration Anticipating for your approval Expecting for your favorable response Complimentary Close This is similar to saying goodbye. It should jibe with the salutation in terms of tone either most formal or formal, less formal or friendly. Sir Yours truly Dear Mr. Anghad: Very truly yours Dear Mark Yours sincerely, Dear Mr. Orel: Sincerely yours, Respectfully yours and Yours respectfully are used only to address politicians occupying key positions in the government and when letter are highly formal.
- 19. Signature This refers to the handwritten/typewritten signatures of the sender. Hence, in most cases, it occupies two lines. However, it sometimes includes the position of the sender, the agency and the contact number when there are not specified in the heading. LERMA B. EGIPTO/Lerma B. Egipto Human Resource Manager Cagayan Colleges Tuguegarao This part of letter is used to authenticate the statements in the body; that these came from the volition of the sender, thus, taking responsibility of all these, hence, the signature. When the real sigantory is out leaving a letter unsigned and the letter need an immediate attention, the writer or any person next in rank can affix his signature on top of the printed name after placing “for” before the name or “By direction” in the first line implying that a superior is authorizing the person to sign on his behalf. For: Joel L. Egipto By Direction: Joel L. Egipto
- 20. Optional Parts of a Business Letter Attention Line This line is used when you want your letter to be taken care of by a particular person in an agency or you want the organization to respond even if the person you write to is unavailable. It is written two spaces below or above the salutation. It ideally end with a colon. Attn: Miss Grace S. Ajayon College Instructor Attention: Miss Grace S. Ajayon, College Instructor If a letter has to pass through to an office within an organization for recommendation or endorsement purposes, the “through” line can be used. This is written two spaces below the last line of the inside address and is preceded by the word “Through” ended with a colon.
- 21. JOEY TANG COLLEGE San Fernando, Pampanga November 20, 2013 Mr. Adarito V. Corsino College Registrar This Institution Through: Mrs. Gregoria F. Gocal Dean, College of Arts This Institution To be continued… Egipto, J.J. L. Ph.D. (2011).Writing business letters. Metro Manila. REX Book Store