Scribd
Upload
139 views

MODULE 5 Lesson 3

A business letter is a formal letter used to communicate between businesses, businesses and clients, or clients and businesses about business transactions. There are several types of business letters, including sales letters, order letters, complaint letters, adjustment letters, inquiry letters, follow-up letters, letters of recommendation, acknowledgment letters, cover letters, and letters of resignation. Each type has a specific purpose and conventions for content and tone.

Uploaded by

Daniel John
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
139 views

MODULE 5 Lesson 3

A business letter is a formal letter used to communicate between businesses, businesses and clients, or clients and businesses about business transactions. There are several types of business letters, including sales letters, order letters, complaint letters, adjustment letters, inquiry letters, follow-up letters, letters of recommendation, acknowledgment letters, cover letters, and letters of resignation. Each type has a specific purpose and conventions for content and tone.

Uploaded by

Daniel John
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Lesson 3 : THE BUSINESS LETTER

We use business letters almost every day in our transactions. However, have you ever
taken a moment to think about the definition of a business letter? This ubiquitous form
of communication has quite a lot of features that we use every day, but we don’t often
think about their specific conventions.

Business Letter Definition


A business letter is one of the many types of letters out there. It is simply a special
kind of formal letter that senders and receivers use to correspond with each other
about business transactions which they might not be able to carry out orally in an
effective manner. Business letters can be used for communication among businesses,
among businesses and clients and among clients and businesses. 

Types Of Business Letter

Sales Letters

Typical sales letters start off with a very strong statement to capture the interest of the
reader. Since the purpose is to get the reader to do something, these letters include
strong calls to action, detail the benefit to the reader of taking the action and include
information to help the reader to act, such as including a telephone number or website
link.

Order Letters

Order letters are sent by consumers or businesses to a manufacturer, retailer or


wholesaler to order goods or services. These letters must contain specific information
such as model number, name of the product, the quantity desired and expected price.
Payment is sometimes included with the letter.

Complaint Letters

The words and tone you choose to use in a letter complaining to a business may be
the deciding factor on whether your complaint is satisfied. Be direct but tactful and
always use a professional tone if you want the company to listen to you.
Adjustment Letters

An adjustment letter is normally sent in response to a claim or complaint. If the


adjustment is in the customer’s favor, begin the letter with that news. If not, keep your
tone factual and let the customer know that you understand the complaint.

Inquiry Letters

Inquiry letters ask a question or elicit information from the recipient. When composing
this type of letter, keep it clear and succinct and list exactly what information you need.
Be sure to include your contact information so that it is easy for the reader to respond.

Follow-Up Letters

Follow-up letters are usually sent after some type of initial communication. This could
be a sales department thanking a customer for an order, a businessman reviewing the
outcome of a meeting or a job seeker inquiring about the status of his application. In
many cases, these letters are a combination thank-you note and sales letter.

Letters of Recommendation

Prospective employers often ask job applicants for letters of recommendation before
they hire them. This type of letter is usually from a previous employer or professor,
and it describes the sender’s relationship with and opinion of the job seeker.

Acknowledgment Letters

Acknowledgment letters act as simple receipts. Businesses send them to let others
know that they have received a prior communication, but action may or may not have
taken place.

Cover Letters

Cover letters usually accompany a package, report or other merchandise. They are
used to describe what is enclosed, why it is being sent and what the recipient should
do with it, if there is any action that needs to be taken. These types of letters are
generally very short and succinct.

Letters of Resignation

When an employee plans to leave his job, a letter of resignation is usually sent to his
immediate manager giving him notice and letting him know when the last day of
employment will be. In many cases, the employee also will detail his reason for
leaving the company.

You might also like