Business Correspondence In our day to-day life we exchange our ideas, -thoughts and other information with our

friends, relatives and other people. Sometimes we directly talk to them and sometimes we also write letters to them. In letters we express our feelings in a few words, we may ask for any Information or we may write about a complaint in connection with our problems. Similarly businessmen also exchange ideas, information by writing letters. They communicate business Information to customers, suppliers and others and at the same time receive a variety of letters from them. In this lesson let us know about different types of letters used in the process of business transactions. Meaning of Business Correspondence Communication through exchange of letters is known as correspondence. e communicate our feelings, thoughts etc. to our friends and relatives through letters that may be called personal correspondence. ! "usinessman also writes and receives letters in his day to-day transactions, which may be called business correspondence. "usiness correspondence or business letter is a written communication between two parties. "usinessmen may write letters to supplier of goods and also receive letters, "usiness Studies from the suppliers. Customers may write letters to businessmen seeking information about availability of goods, price, #uality, sample etc. or place order for purchase of goods. Thus, business letters may be defined as a media or means through which views are expressed and Ideas or information is communicated in writing in the process of business activities. Importance of Business Correspondence $ow-a-days business operations are not restricted to any locality, state or nation. Today production takes place in one area but consumption takes place everywhere. Since the businessmen as well as customers live in far off places they don%t have sufficient time to contact each other personally. Thus, there arises the need for writing letters. In the past the situation was not so "usiness letters were not essential in olden days. "ut now the importance of letters has increased because of vast expansion of business, increase in demand as well as supply of goods. &et us learn about the importance of business letters.

'. Help in maintaining proper relationship $ow-a-days business activities are not confined to any one area or locality. The businessmen as well as customers are scattered throughout the country. Thus, there is a need to maintain proper relationship among them by using appropriate means of communication. (ere, business letters play an important role. The customers can write letters to the businessman seeking information about products and businessmen also supply various information to customers. This helps them to carry on business on national and international basis. ). Inexpensive and convenient mode Though there are other modes of communication like telephone, telex, fax, etc. but business information can be provided and obtained economically and conveniently through letters. *. Create and maintain goodwill
Sometimes business letters are written to create and enhance goodwill. "usinessmen at times send letters to en#uire

about complaints and suggestions of their customers. They also send letters to inform the customers about the availability of a new product, clearance sale etc. !ll these resuits in cordial relations with the customers, which enhances the goodwill of the business.

+. Serve as evidence
e cannot expect a trader to memori,e all facts and figures in a conversation that normally takes place among businessmen. Through letters, he can keep a record of all facts. Thus, letters can serve as evidence In case of dispute between two parties.

-. Help in expansion of business

"usiness re#uires information regarding competing products, prevailing prices, promotion, market activities, etc. If the trader has to run from place to place to get information, he will end up doing nothing. It will simply resuit in loss of time. "ut through business letters, he can make all en#uiries about the products and the markets. (e can also receive orders from different countries and, thus enhance sales. Essential Qualities of a Good Business etter ! letter should serve the purpose for which it is written. If a businessman writes letter to the supplier for purchase of goods, the letter should contain all the relevant information relating to the product, mode of payment, packaging, transportation of goods, etc. clearly and specifically. .therwise, there will be confusion that may cause delay in getting the goods. !gain the #uality of paper used in the letter, its si,e, colorectal, also needs special attention, because it creates a positive impression in the mind of the receiver. e may classify the #ualities of a good business letter as/

a0 Inner 1ualities2 and b0 .uter 1ualities a0 Inner 1ualities - The inner #ualities of a good business letter refer to the #uality of language, its
presentation, etc. These facilitate #uick processing of the re#uest and that leads to prompt action. &et us discuss the various inner #ualities of a good business letter.

i.

Simplicity - Simple and easy language should be used for writing business letters. 3ifficuit words should be strictly avoided, as one cannot expect the reader to refer to the dictionary every time while reading letter. Clarity - The language should be clear, so that the receiver will understand the message immediately, easily and correctly. !mbiguous language creates confusion. The letter will serve the purpose if the receiver understands It In the same manner in which It Is intended by the sender. !ccuracy - The statements written in the letter should be accurate to, the best of the sender4s knowledge. !ccuracy demands that there are no errors in the usage of language - in grammar, spellings, punctuation4s etc. !n accurate letter is always appreciated. Completeness - ! complete letter is one that provides all necessary Information to the users. 5or example, while sending an order we should mention the desirable features of the goods, i.e., their

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#uality, shape, colour, design, #uantity, date of delivery, mode of transportation, etc.

v.

6elevance - The letter should contain only essential Information. Irrelevant information should not be mentioned while sending any business correspondence. Courtesy - Courtesy wins the heart of the reader. In business letters, courtesy can be shown7expressed by using words like please, thank you, etc. $eatness - ! neat letter is always Impressive. ! letter either handwritten or typed should be neat and attractive in appearance. .verwriting and cuttings should be avoided.

vi.

vii.

b0 .uter 1ualities - The outer #ualities of a good business letter refers to the appearance of the letter. It
includes the #uality of paper used, colour of the paper. Si,e of the paper etc. 8ood #uality paper gives a favorable impression in the mind of the reader. It also helps in documenting the letters property. &et us discuss the various outer #ualities of a good business letter.

i.

1uality of paper - The paper used should be in accordance with the economic status of the !rm. $owadays the cost of the paper Is very high. Therefore, good paper should be used for original copy and ordinary paper may be mused for duplicate copy. Color of the 9aper - It Is better to use different colours for different types of letters, so that the receiver will identify the letters #uickly and prompt action can be taken. Si,e of the paper - Standard si,e paper :!+0 should be used while writing business letters. The si,e of the paper should be in accordance with the envelopes available in the market. 5olding of letter- The letter should be folded properly and uniformly. Care should be taken to give minimum folds to the letter so that it will fit the si,e of the envelope. If window envelope is used then folding should be done in such a way that the address of the receiver is clearly visible through the transparent part of the envelope. ;nvelope -The si,e and #uality of the envelope also need special attention. The si,e of the letter should fit the si,e of the envelope. The business firms use different types of envelopes i.e., ordinary envelope, window envelope, laminated envelope etc. In window envelope there is no need to write the address of the receiver separately on the envelope. It is clearly visible through the transparent part on the face of the envelope, which may be called as window. In laminated envelope a thin plastic sheet or cloth is pasted on the inner side that gives extra protection to letters from being damaged during transit. &ogos and Corporate Image-Is the company logo represented on the letter and envelope< Typeface-Is the typeface easy to read< Is the letter hand-written<, Is the signature hand-written< 8eneral Impressions- 3oes the letter appear to be one of thousands<, Is it correctly addressed<, !re names and places speit correctly<, hat Is the postmark<, as the letter sent first- or second-class<, Is the envelope addressed In the appropriate language for the recipient<

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iii.

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v.

vi. vii. viii.

!urpose of etters" In what circumstances are letters most used as a form of business correspondence< I would suggest that they are used for

= ;xternal communications = Introductions7prospecting to new clients or potential clients = 3escribing the purpose of other enclosures within the correspondence such as product 7function
invitations, relevant media articles, #uestionnaires

= = = = =

6esponding to complaints Summari,ing key or salient points made at a previous meeting !rranging future meetings, perhaps Including possible agendas >pdating or mini progress reports ?ob applications

!arts of a Business etter e have discussed above the #ualities of a good business letter. The #uality will be maintained if we give proper attention to each and every part of the letter. &et us now learn about the different parts of a business letter. The essential parts of a business letter are as follows/ 3ifferent parts of a business letter

'. (eading ). 3ate *. 6eference +. Inside !ddress -. Sub@ect A. Salutation B. "ody of the letter C. Complimentary close D. Signature 'E. ;nclosures ''. Copy Circulation '). 9ost Script '. (eading -The heading of a business letter usually contains the name and postal address of the business. ;mail address, any0 eb-site address, Telephone $umber, 5ax $umber, Trade Fark or logo of the business :if

). 3ate - The date is normally written on the right hand side comer after the heading as the day, month and
years. Some examples are )Cth 5eb )EE* or 5eb. )C, )EE*.

*. 6eference- It indicates letter number and the department from where the letter is being sent and the year. It
helps in future reference. This reference number is given on the left hand come after the heading. 5or example, we can write reference number as !"75! 3ept.7)EE*7)B.

+. Inside address - This includes the name and full address of the person or the firm to whom the letter is to be
sent. This is written on the left hand side of the sheet below the reference number. &etters should be addressed to the responsible head e.g., the Secretary, the 9rincipal, the Chairman, and the Fanager ;tc. ;xample/ F7S "harat 5ans "harat Complex Foradabad Industrial Complex Foradabad >ttar 9radesh G )++EE'

-. Sub@ect - It is a statement In brief, that indicates the matter to which the letter relates. it attracts the
attention of the receiver immediately and helps him to know #uickly what the letter Is about. 5or example, Sub@ect/ Hour order $o. C*'B7C dated ')th Farch )EE*. Sub@ect/ ;n#uiry about Samsung television Sub@ect/ 5ire Insurance policy

A. Salutation - This is placed below the inside address. It is usually followed by a comma :,0. Iarious forms of
salutation are/ Sir7Fadam/ 5or official and formal correspondence 3ear Sir7Fadam/ 5or addressing an individual 3ear Sirs73ear Fadam/ 5or addressing a firm or company.

B. "ody of the letter- This comes after salutation. This is the main part of the letter and it contains the actual
message of the sender. It is divided into three parts.

a. .pening part - It is the Introductory part of the letter. In this part, attention of the reader should
be drawn to the previous correspondence, if any. 5or example to your letter no. *)A dated. ')th Farch )EE*, I would like to draw your attention towards the new brand of television.

b. Fain part - This part usually contains the sub@ect matter of the letter. It should be precise and
written in clear words.

c. Concluding 9art - It contains a statement of the sender4s intentions, hopes or expectations

concerning the next step to be taken. 5urther, the sender should always look forward to getting a positive response. !t the end, terms like Thanking you, with regards, with warm regards may be used.

C. Complimentary close - It Is merely a polite way of ending a letter.

It must be In accordance with the salutation. 5or example/ Salutation Complementary close

i. 3ear Sir73ear Fadam Hours faithfully

ii. 3ear Fr. !d@ourns sincerely iii. Fy 3ear !kbar Hours very sincerely :express very informal relations.0 D. Signature - It is written in ink, immediately below the complimentary close. !s far as possible, the
signature should be legible. The name of the writer should be typed immediately below the signature. The designation is given below the typed name. here no letterhead is in use, the name of the company too could be Included below the designation of the writer. #or example" $ours #aithfull% #or M&S 'cron Electricals (Signature) S*+I ,*M'!artner

'E. ;nclosures - This is re#uired when some documents like che#ue, draft, bills, receipts, lists, invoices etc. are
attached with the letter. These enclosures are listed one by one in serial numbers. #or example. Enclosures"

i. The &ist of goods received ii. ! che#ue for 6s. .ne Thousand dt. 5eb. )B,)EE* :Che#ue $o 0 towards payment for goods supplied ''. Copy circulation - This Is re#uired when copies of the letter are also sent to persons apart of the addressee.
It is denoted as C.C. 5or example, C.C.

i. The Chairman, ;lectric Supply Corporation ii. The 3irector, ;lectric Supply Corporation iii. The Secretary, ;lectric Supply Corporation

'). 9ost script - This is re#uired when the writer wants to add something, which is not included in the body of
the letter. It is expressed as 9.S.

5or example, !.S. / In our offer, we provide two years warranty.

#ormat of a Business etter

0%pe of Business etters "usiness letters are written for the fulfillment of several purposes. The purpose may be to en#uire about a product to know its price and #uality, availability, etc. This purpose is served if we write a letter of en#uiry to the supplier. !fter receiving the letter the supplier may send the details about the product as per #uery. If satisfied, one may give order for supply of goods as per your re#uirement. !fter receiving the items, if we find that the product is defective or damaged, one may lodge a complaint. These are the few Instances In which business correspondence takes

&et us learn the details about some important business letters.

i. Business En1uir% etter

Sometimes prospective buyers want to know the details of the goods which they want to buy, like #uality, #uantity, price, mode of delivery and payment, etc. They may also ask forma sample. The letter written to sellers with one or more of the above purposes is known as en#uiry letter. Specimen of Business En1uir% etter Tel )*)+'E-* 5ax )*)++'-F7s !cron ;lectricals ))7c, Fain 6oad 3arya 8an@, $ew 3elhi-) -ef2 !-&#&)E'*&34 F7s "harat 5ans "harat Complex Foradabad Industrial ;state Foradabad G )++EE' 3ated2 ?uly )B,)E'* ;-mail/ elcJacrvsnl net in ebsite/ http/77www.acronelc.com

Sub@ect/ ;n#uiry about the prices of fans

3ear Sir, e are dealing in retail trade of electrical appliances. product, "harat 5ans through our retail showroom. Could you, therefore, send us your #uotations and let us know the terms and conditions of payment. e would be interested in selling your

Thanking you, Hours faithfully, 5or F7s !cron ;lectricals Sd7:!." .Kumar0 9artner.

9oints to be kept in mind while writing letters of en#uiry-

= &etters of en#uiry should clearly state the Information re#uired, which may be asking for a
price list or a sample.

rite specifically about the design, si,e, #uantity, #uality, etc. about the product or service in which the buyer is interested.

= The period or the date, till which information is re#uired, may also be mentioned. ii. Quotation atter

!fter receiving the letter of en#uiry fmm a prospective buyer, the sellers supply the relevant information by writing a letter that is called #uotation letter. These letters are written keeping In Liew the Information asked for like price list, mode of payment, discount to be allowed etc. "usinessman should reply to the In#uiries carefully and promptly. Specimen of Quotation etter Tel )*)+'E* 5ax )*)++'F7s !cron "lectricals ))7c, Fain 6oad 3arya 8an@, $ew 3elhi-) ;-mail/ elcJacrvsnl net in ebsite/ http/77www.acronelc.com

-ef2 !-&#&)E'*&34 F7s "harat 5ans "harat Complex Foradabad Industrial ;state Foradabad G )++EE'

3ated2 ?uly )B,)E'*

Sub@ect/ Hour letter $o. 96757)E'*7)B dated ?uly )B, )E'* 3ear Sir, Thank you for your letter of en#uiry. your retail showroom. e would be glad to meet your re#uirements of selling our fan in

.ur #uotations are given in the price list enclosed. e offer 'EM discount on order above 6s. -E,EEE. "esides, we allow a grace p eriod of +- days for payment of dues to our regular customers. e are. confident that you will find our prices competitive and our terms and conditions reasonable. look forward to meeting your re#uirements. Thanking you, Hours faithfully, 5or F7s !cron ;lectricals Sd7:!." .Kumar0 9artner. ;ncl/ 9rice &ist N Terms and Conditions Sales Fanager e

iii. 5rder etter

In the previous section, we have studied about letters of en#uiry and reply to en#uiry i.e., #uotation letter. The prospective buyer after receiving the reply to his en#uiry 4letter may decide to place on order with that business house which offers goods at after receiving the reply to his en#uiry letter may decide to place on order with that business house which offers goods at minimum price and at favorable terms and conditions. &etters written by a buyer to the seller giving the order to purchase the goods is called order letter.

iv. Complaint etter

! complaint latter is written when the purchaser does not find the goods up to his satisfaction. It is normally written by the purchaser when he receives wrong, defective or damaged goods or receives incorrect #uantity of goods. It can also be written directly to the transit authority when the goods are damaged in transit. Thus, we may define a letter of complaints the letter that draws the attention of the supplier or any other party on account of supply of detective or damaged goods. 9oints to be considered while writing a complaint letter-

= = = =

Complaint letters should be written immediately after receiving the defective goods. Fistakes as well as difficulty due to mistake should be mentioned clearly 9roposal to correct the mistakes should be made Suggestions on how the complaint should be dealt with, i.e., mention of compensation, replacement, discount, cancellation etc., should be made.

= Fention period in which the corrective action should be taken = 6e#uest to be careful in future.
)B ?une )E'* 3ear Fr. 8reen, 6e/ telephone conversation ednesday )+ ?une 'D...O non-delivery of wardrobe

It would seem that you have been unable to trace my wardrobe in your warehouse as a further three days have elapsed since our last telephone conversation and my wardrobe has not arrived. I have now waited for six weeks and frankly, were it not for the fact that it forms part of a fully fitted :matching0 bedroom, would have preferred to cancel my order. !t this stage I would like a guaranteed date of delivery and recompense for the Inconvenience you have caused me. I have had to take three days4 holiday to date to await delivery of the aforesaid wardrobe. I would appreciate your earliest attention to this matter. Hours sincerely, Frs. ?. "rown

v. -ecover% etter
The letter written by the seller for collection of money for the goods supplied to the buyer miscalled recovery letter. The aim of recovery letter is to collect money without annoying. The letter should include information

regarding the amount of arrears argument for payment, and last date for payment. Tine language of recovery letter should be polite, so that the customer is not offended and future transactions with him are not adversely affected.

Hand-written Letters hilst It is commonly perceived to be more acceptable to send typed or word-processed letters in business correspondence, it is important to consider how hand-written text could be advantageous .5irstly, the signature needs to be hand-written each time it appears2 a photocopied signature is sloppy and lacks care for the recipient. If the letter is typed, then the envelope should be too. here time is an issue, for example a mail shot to potential or actual customers, use window envelopes. lf you feel that you need to convey additional warmth in response, perhaps, to a letter of complaint 9orto congratulate a colleague on the success of a @oint venture, a hand-written letter may be appropriate. 3o not, however, be lulled into thinking that a hand-written letter is a less formal document than typed letter simply because it may be received more favorably, or that it allows less restrained and planned language than a typed letter. The style and phrasing of a letter must always be appropriate to its content and context irrespective of the typeface or ink used it is perfectly permissible, incidentally, for a letter of application to be hand-written. Sending a Fax: Fodem technology allows us to communicate world-wide in a matter of minutes either by telephone or fax. The #uality of fax paper can be the determining factor as to its reception and may lead to faxes being used selectively. 5or example, even If fax machine can reproduce colours logos and uses letter #uality paper, the recipients of your faxes may not have such machines. hat they receive may be a blurred logo and complicated document or important letter on shiny, flimsy fax paper. Keep it Straightforward and Simple (KISS): 3ealing with written correspondence is often an underrated function in organi,ations2 yet in marketing-oriented organi,ation it is recogni,ed as crucial for effective and ongoing relationships with actual and potential customers. Farketing correspondence is not @ust about carefully phrased mail shots or sales literature, but what responses are made to customers. &etters of praise are wonderful to receive and may re#uire an acknowledgement to the sender and careful internal communications to those praised and those not praised. &etters of en#uiry or complaint need to be dealt with even more sensitively and should reflect internal communication procedures for dealing with all information received by the organi,ation. (ence all information received and transmitted must be planned, evaluated and stored appropriately. ! carefully worded letter of complaint cannot be answered by a hasty fax or telephone call. It re#uires the same care in its response .Sometimes we may be in the position to make the letter of complaint and need to be very clear why we are complaining, whether the complaint is @ustified and if there are any legal ramifications for either or both parties Involved. Responding to complaints should:

i. "e as a result of careful investigation as to the facts7events which form the background or basis for the
complaint.

ii. Involve checking the accuracy of statements made and potential responses.

iii. "e viewed as an opportunity to re-establish good relations with the correspondent and his or her
organi,ation.

iv. "e recorded as part of the ongoing evaluation process and internal market research. v. "e recorded for the purpose of external market research. vi. "e proactive, not reactive. vii. "e viewed as an important function of the business communications process.
>sing letters of complaint :or telephone calls0 in this way can identify/

i. 9roduct Issues ii. Internal communication difficulties iii. ;xternal communication difficulties iv. 3istribution problems v. 9ersonnel and staff development re#uirements vi. 6e-evaluation of customer perception and later focus vii. !n improved system for dealing with external communications
The key to the written response to the complaint is to KISS your customerP K;;9 IT ST6!I8(T 5.6 !63 !$3 SIF9&; style. .ne should use the most effective words in the most appropriate order, reflecting the content and context of the correspondence. Consider the following examples/ 3ear Sir. Sorry I can4t see you on Tuesday2 I4m going to visit my mother. e are unable to deliver the goods you ordered before mid-!pril. !s a result of our recent successful interface I feel that we can embrace the concept of partnership and mutual development. In view of our recent reorgani,ation and increase in labour costs, a surcharge is to be levied on all goods from ' !pril )E'* 3ear 3r. Smith, I regret that I am unable to attend our meeting scheduled for Tuesday ') ?uly )E'* would it be possible to rearrange it 5or 'D ?uly )E'*< The goods you ordered will be delivered by )) !pril )E'* I felt that our meeting was most successful and would''7)B7'* &ike to pursue the possibility of @oint ventures. !'EM increase in prices - a 'EEM increase in #uality. ! 'EM surcharge is, regrettably, payable on orders >nder 6s. AEE to cover postage and packing se !usiness "orrespondence to I#$R%SS:

i. Idea - what is the purpose of the correspondence<

ii. Fethod - plan and structure your main points. iii. 9aragraphs - open and close your letter. iv. 6ecipient - to whom are you sending this letter< v. ;mphasis - what tone do you want to adopt< >se appropriate language to achieve this. vi. Style - KISS the recipient. vii. Safety - check for errors, omissions or even legal ramifications7re#uirements

! SI&%SS "'RR%S$'&(%&"% - $R)"*I")L-)$$LI")*I'&S Standard &etter 5ormat The following apply to all types of letter/

i. ii. iii. iv. v.

!ppropriate greeting - Q3ear SirQ, etc. .pening paragraph - puts the message into a context. Fiddle paragraph:s0 - develop:s0 the detailed message. Closing paragraph O states action needed. !ppropriate ending O QHoursQ etc.

6emember that/

= = = = = =
!lso/

Q3ear SirQ Q3ear FadamQ Q3ear Fadam7SirQ Q3ear Sir7FadamQ Q3ear Fr. SmithQ Q3ear Fr. ?onesQ

= Q3ear CarolineQ = Q3ear !listairQ

The opening paragraph may refer to previous correspondence, acknowledgement of a telephone call or re#uest, or explain the purpose of the letter. 9lease avoid QI am writing to youQ whenever possible. They know you are writing to them2 what they want to know is why. Fiddle paragraphs will describe in se#uence events or ideas relating to the opening paragraph. Keep these paragraphs short and simple. 3on%t worry about one-sentence paragraphs2 often they have greater impact and illustrate the se#uence better. The closing paragraph is crucial. If you have avoided waffle prior to this stage, don%t introduce it nowP This is a summary of what has gone before - don%t introduce new ideas or proposals. !n effective way of eliciting future correspondence or a meeting is to use a closed #uestion or sentence. 5or example/

QI should like to meet you on Tuesday ) ?anuary )E'* at 'E.EE a.m. at your premises to discuss these matters further.Q The recipient has to respond to fix an alternative meeting, to agree the meeting or to discuss why he or she cannot attend or 3oes not feel the meeting to be appropriate. &etters of 6ecommendation The purpose of a letter of recommendation is to persuade the reader or readers that the person recommended has the background, skills and experience necessary for the position. Such letters are usually confidential and sent out at the re#uest of www.medvarsity.com7conterrt7hcom7module'7'R'R+.aspx D7'E98 3iploma in (ealthcare .perations Fanagement an organi,ation, but may be kept Fona personnel file for future reference if the person recommended is employed.

= ;nds QHours sincerelyQ. = Fay end, Q ith best wishesQ. = ;nds QHours faithfullyQ.
! letter of recommendation should include/

= The full name of the candidate :and occasionally other names by which the candidate may be known,
e.g. maiden name, !nglici,ed name0.

= = = = =

The @ob or benefit the candidate is seeking. hether the writer is answering a re#uest or taking the initiative. (ow long and in what context the writer has known the candidate2 also the position of the writer. 5acts or information relevant to the position or benefit sought. The writer4s overall evaluation of the candidate4s suitability for the @ob or benefit sought.

!s with all correspondence, the writer should avoid over-lengthy descriptions and stick to the key facts. .ne full side :typed0 of !+ or e#uivalent is usually sufficient for most correspondence of this nature, unless there are particular circumstances which warrant more detail. If that is the case, telephone call may first be necessary to the organi,ation making the re#uest.