Writing Business Correspondences

RUTH N. MAGUDDAYAO, Ph.D.

Professor V
Cagayan State University
College of Engineering
Tuguegarao City
 Contents
At the end of the lecture you will learn:
– 1. How to write a business letter
– 2. What are the basic and optional parts of a business
letter?
– 3. What are the common formats of a business letter?
– 4. What are the different kinds of business letters?
– 5. What are the things to remember when writing a
business letter?
 Writing a Business Letter

• Supposing you wish to fulfill a special project which

needs budget allocation for your barangay, what are
you going to do then?
• Most probably you'll decide to write to the Mayor
about. In this case, you are supposed to write a
formal business letter to state your request.
 2 Classes of Letters
• Social Letter
• Business Letter

Note:
Business Letter is the subject of our discussion.
 Writing a Business Letter
• In real life, there are various occasions on which we
communicate with other social institutions, such as a
company, school, or government agency. Such
communication usually involves business letters.
This lecture should teach you how to write an
effective business letter so that you'll be able to
communicate with other social institutions in a most
appropriate way.
 Writing a Business Letter
A. Understanding a Business Letter

A business letter is a letter often used to

communicate with other social institutions, such as a
school, hospital, commercial entity, company, or
government agency.

It is widely used when we handle business

matters with other people or organizations. Writing an
effective business letter requires that you acquire good
language skills and fully understand the style and
format of business letters.
 Writing a Business Letter
Business Letter can be otherwise known as:

• Business Correspondence
• Official Letter
• Black and White
 Writing a Business Letter
• A formal business letter usually consists of eight (8)
basic parts: heading or letterhead, date line, inside
address, salutation line, body of the letter,
complimentary close, signature line and reference
initials.
• Optional parts comprises seven (7) parts: attention
line, subject line, Enclosure Notation, CC Notation,
BCC Notation, Postscripts and Mailing Notation.
 Writing a Business Letter
1. Heading
It gives your detailed address and the date on which the letter is written.
You should write your address in English as follows:
– Line 1: The doorplate number and the name of the road (or P .O. box )
– Line 2: The name of the barangay
– Line 3: The name of the city, province
– Line 4: The name of the country
– Line 5: The date
2. Dateline – In most cases, the date is not included in the Letterhead but
in Heading
Now read the following four samples and figure out how an address
should be written in English.
 Writing a Business Letter
• Sample 1
17 Maguigad Street
Atulayan Sur
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan
Philippines
July 1, 2014

Note: Maximum line is six for Heading and Letterhead

The date may also be separated from the heading.
 Writing a Business Letter
• Sample 2
109 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022
U.S.A.

September 15, 1999

 Writing a Business Letter
• Sample 3
Office of the Barangay Captain
Barangay Carig
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan
Philippines
January 2, 2004
 Writing a Business Letter
• Sample 4
Spring International Travel Service (U. K.) Ltd.
68 Kenway Road
London, SW5 0RD
U.K.
26 December, 1998
 Writing a Business Letter
Note:
Special care should be taken when you write the date. All-
figure dating, such as 04/03/03, is usually avoided in formal writing.

For some readers, such dates are ambiguous.

In the Philippines, it may be month/day/year or

day/month/year.

Specifically, in Britain, it refers to the fourth of March, 2003,

and is written as 4 March, 2003 or 4th March, 2003; in America,
04/03/03 means the third of April, 2003, and is written as April 3,
2003 or April 3rd, 2003.
 Writing a Business Letter
• Letterhead contains the name of the firm, its address
and other less essential parts such as contact nos.
web site etc. it should not carry an advertisement.
The letterhead must be simple and dignified. It should
contain only the most essential info.
Writing a Business Letter
Republic of the Philippines
CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering
Carig Campus
Tuguegarao City
Republic of the Philippines
Office of the President
PHILIPPINE INFORMATION AGENCY
Regional Office No. 2
Tuguegarao City
 Writing a Business Letter
3. Inside Name and Address
• It refers to the addressee's name and address, including his or her
full name, title, and address.
Ex.
Dr. Romeo R. Quilang
University President
Cagayan State University
Tuguegarao City

• There can be various types of honorific titles, such as Mr. , Miss,

Mrs., Ms., Dr. , Prof. , Hon., His Excellency and Pres. (President).
 Writing a Business Letter
4. Salutation Line
• The most typical form of salutation is: Dear + title + name.

For example, you can write "Dear Prof. Smith" or "Dear

Miss Chen". It is usually followed by a comma (in British
English) or a colon (in American English).

In the Philippines, we follow the American English.

 Writing a Business Letter
• If you are not sure about the specific name of the
addressee, you can use such forms as:
– (a) "Dear Sir" or "Dear Madam" when the sex of the
person is known;
– (b) "Dear Sir or Madam" when the sex of the person is
unknown;
– (c) "Dear Sirs" when it is a collective body;
– (d) "To whom it may concern" when it is a letter of
certification, recommendation, etc.
Note: Make sure to know your addressee.
 Writing a Business Letter
• 5. Body
• It usually includes three components:
– (1) the purpose of writing the business letter;
– (2) the detailed message of the business letter;
and
– (3) the conclusion of the business letter.
 Writing a Business Letter
• 6. Complimentary Close
– It usually takes the form of "Yours sincerely" or
"Sincerely yours" followed by a comma.
– It can also be "Yours faithfully" (in British English)
or "Yours truly" (in American English)
– In the Philippines, we use “Very truly yours”
followed by a comma.
 Writing a Business Letter
• 7. Signature Line
• It should be placed between the complimentary
close and your printed name. If you want to
indicate your title or position, put it below your
printed name.
 Writing a Business Letter
• 8. Reference Initials
• This part tells us of the encoder’s and the writer’s initials.

Ex. rmn:NMR
 Writing a Business Letter
• Optional Parts:
– (a) Subject Line (Subj.:/Re.: ) contains the topic w/c
summarizes the content of the letter.
– (b) Attention Line (Attn.: ) – The letter may be addressed in two
ways: it may be addressed to him directly or may be mentioned
in the attention line.
– (c) Postscript (P.S.:): An addition to the letter, below the place
where you have signed your name. It is suggestive of some
omissions that have been incurred when you wrote your letter.
– (d) Enclosure/ Encl. (s) ): Other files you want to attach to the
letter, such as a résumé, a receipt, or a letter of certification.
– (e) Carbon Copy Notation/ CC.: ( carbon copy/copies ) Copies of
this letter have been made for other departments or units. Copy
furnished is its other name.
 Writing a Business Letter
• Blind Carbon Copy notation/ BCC: – when the writer
desires to send a copy of his letter to another person but
does not want the addressee to know of this fact.
• Mailing Notation – when instructions are given to the
stenographer/encoder that the letter is to be sent other
than by ordinary mail. It indicates whether it is sent by
special delivery, registered, airmail, by messenger or
handmailed. Written two spaces after the reference initials.
 Writing a Business Letter
• 8. Format of Business Letters
• Usually, there are two formats of English business
letters: the semi-indented/ semi-block style and the
blocked/ full block style.
• According to the semi-indented style, the heading,
the complimentary close, and the signature line are
in flush right while inside name and address and
salutation are in flush left. The body is also flush with
the left margin, but the paragraphs in it are indented
five spaces.
 Writing a Business Letter
• According to the blocked style, all parts are in flush left.
Letterhead

Dateline

Inside Address

Salutation

Body of the Letter

Complimentary Close

Signature Line
Writing a Business Letter
Semi-Block Format
 Writing a Business Letter
• 9. Envelope
• The sender's address is placed at the top left corner,
and the receiver's address lies right in the center.
 Writing a Business Letter
• An English envelope usually contains the following
elements:
– (a) Information about the receiver, such as his or
her title, name, and address. It is placed near the
center of the envelope.
– (b) Information about the sender, such as his or
her name and detailed address. It is placed at
the top left corner of the envelope.
 Writing a Business Letter
– (c) Stamp: It is stuck to the top right corner
of the envelope.
– (d) Other information: It is placed at the
bottom left corner of the envelope. There are
three types of such information:
 Writing a Business Letter
– The nature of the mail, such as " Confidential,
"Secret" , " Urgent , and "Immediate", etc.
– The content of the mail, such as "Printed
Matter", " Photos Enclosed", and " Sample"
 Writing a Business Letter
Things to remember in Business Letter Writing
Physical Attributes
• Spacing
• Pagination
• Margins
Content
• Quality
 Writing a Business Letter
• Please read the following sample in order to get a
better idea of what an English envelope is like :

Walter D. Hays Postage

421 Elm Street Stamp
Arlington, N.J. 07010

Mr. J.S. Walters

Acme Brick Company
62 Main Street
Weiser, Idaho 83672

Confidential
 Writing a Business Letter

• To conclude, writing an effective business letter involves a

good understanding of its 8 components w/ 7 optional
parts, its format, and the way an English envelope is
addressed. More importantly, the language you use in the
body of the business letter should be correct, clear,
concise, and courteous.
 Writing a Business Letter
• Types of Business Letters
– Inquiry
– Sales
– Order
– Adjustment
– Application
– Recommendation
– Proposal
 Inquiry Letter
Letters of inquiry are written to obtain
information of one kind or another. The
writer (a.) may have decided that he wants
data on some subject and may
communicate with some source from which
he believes he can get it, or (b.) he may
write in response to an advertisement, to
learn more than it tells him.
 Inquiry Letter
Gentlemen:

I plan to leave Manila in three weeks, August 7, and travel by plane to

San Francisco, taking a rather extended vacation en route. Since I cannot
spare the time to do planning, I shall appreciate the cooperation of your
Bureau. Please bear in mind the facts set forth below. Accommodations are to
be first-class.

It is my intention to spend four days in Chicago, and I wish to stay

near the theatre district. From there, I shall go to Denver and stay one week,
visiting the principal points of interest in and around the city. If a trip to Pike’s
Peak, from Denver is feasible, I wish to include that. My next stop will be
Yellowstone National Park, where a horseback tour of the Park is to be
included. After that, the Grand Canyon of Arizona, with the regular sightseeing
trip, and Salt Lake City including Great Salt Lake.

Kindly inform me when you have completed the arrangements and I

will call at your office to go over them with you.
 Reply Letter
(Reply to the Inquiry)

Dear Mr. Anthony:

This is to acknowledge your letter of July 25, entrusting us with the

planning of your trip. Thank you very much for your patronage.

You may rest assured that we will spare no effort to plan a trip which will
meet your requirement, and which will give you the pleasure and
recreation that you desire.

As requested, we will inform you when the arrangements are completed,

at which time you can call and approve them.

Very truly yours,

Robert Elliott
 Claim and Complaint Letters
Letters of claim and complaint should not
be difficult to write. They are based on facts, if
there are really good grounds for the claim or
complaint, and it is a question of presenting
these facts clearly, concisely and forcefully. One
warning is in order: if you want your letter to be
effective, you must know the facts-not just
generalize, jumping to the conclusion that the
other fellow is wrong. Sometimes there are the
well-known “extenuating circumstances” that
make the other side of the case reasonable too.
 Claim and Complaint Letters
Dear Mr. Alfredo:

Five days ago I was in your house furnishings department and was attracted by
your special display of floor linoleums. The clerk showed me several varieties, and one of
them, in the size and pattern that I eventually selected, showed wear and several defects
in the material.

Naturally, I supposed that this was simply a display item, and it did not occur to
me to call the clerk’s special attention to the conditions I have described. Imagine my
astonishment and disappointment, when my linoleum arrived yesterday, to find that I had
apparently received the defective linoleum. I can see no excuse whatever for this whole
discreditable business.

I always try to be a reasonable person, and I am willing to listen to an

explanation, if you have one. In the meantime, of course, I expect you to send for the
defective goods.

Yours truly,

Ms. Helen Turner

Dear Ms. Turner:
Reply to the Complaint Letter

Thank you very much for telling us about your unfortunate experience with our house
furnishing department. You have done us a favour in bringing this matter promptly to our
attention.

The whole affair was inexcusable, so we are not going to try to make excuses, but you
will, we believe, be interested in the following rather unusual facts.

The clerk who waited on you had been given his notice of dismissal two weeks before,
and the day he waited on you was his last day with our firm. He has admitted that he
deliberately sent you the faulty linoleum in order to cause trouble for the firm.

We are, of course, sending immediately a replacement for the defective merchandise,

and we shall see that your order is filled in a satisfactory manner. In fact, I am giving it my
personal attention.

Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience caused you.

Yours truly,

William Swarthmore
 Sales Letter
Sales letter are meant to sell something. Yet, they are
stilted and mechanical, lacking in interest.
The time-honoured formula cannot be improved:
attention, interest, desire, and action. It is the function of the
beginning and of the end of your letter to get attention and
action; the body of the letter must cultivate interest and a real
desire for your product or service. But care should be
exercised not to write too much “by rule”. The sales letter
should be natural, sincere and convincing.
Write while the iron of your imagination is hot – but it
is wise to lay your completed work aside and let it cool a bit.
Read it, aloud, a little later. If it still sounds effective, send it.
 Sales Letter
Dear Ms. Soriano:

Only a real artist can paint a picture.

Yes, anyone can mix colors, put them down on canvas, and call the result a
picture – but what a difference!

Undoubtedly, you recognize the analogy with respect to letterheads. Some are
just letterheads. Others are works of art.

Our pride in being artists in this field is justified by our experience with many
well-satisfied customers. We do more than the print letterheads. We plan, design,
execute them in such a way that the result does the most credit to your firm. It enhances
your reputation and helps to bring in additional business.

Mail us a letterhead of yours now, and we will give you, wi th no obligation,

expert advice on how we can redesign and print it to make it more effective for your
purpose.

Yours truly,

ELITE PRINTERS
 Order Letter
Whether it is a case of placing an order an
order or acknowledging one, a touch of
courtesy and friendliness always help to
form a new business relationship or cement
an old time or when misunderstanding is to
be cleared up. Courtesy and clarity is a
must.
 Order Letter
Please send me by express, collect, the following saws and blades as listed in
your most recent catalog.

1 for corwood and felling 24A 123 Php 231

1 for heavy use 24A 143 768
1 for pruning and firewood 24A 232 512
1 special-duty pruning saw 7a 900
Replacement blades 2b 100
4f 150

Enclosed is my check, for the total amount. I shall appreciate your giving this
order your prompt attention.

Very truly yours,

Maria Herrero
 Adjustment Letter
In writing adjustment letters, you are on the other side of
the fence. This time your customer has the claim and he writes
you. He may be dissatisfied w/ your merchandise, your service or
general efficiency.

A good company welcomes customer’s comment because

they afford an opportunity to remedy faults that may exist.

The writer must under all circumstances use patience,

tact, and diplomacy in his replies.
 Adjustment Letter
The principles to be observed:

1. Answer Promptly
2. Show the customer that you understand his problem
3. Tell the customer exactly what you are going to do about the problem
4. Avoid negative words and accusations
Dear Mr. Reyes:

We are sorry to know that th 10 Hewlett Packard Computers you purchased

from us were defective.

We will replace the computers with the same brand and we are sure that these
will be to your satisfaction. You will get the computers on May 29, 2006.

We are sorry for the inconvenience we have caused you and we assure you that
you will not get through the same inconvenience in the future.

Respectfully yours,

Mrs. Ann D. Santos

Recommendation Letter
Memorandum