UNIT 4

Tips for clear writing

4.1 Tips for clear writing

Writing is like other forms of communication. You want people who receive your reports to understand what you are saying. To attract the attention of the reader the writing of letters, memos, reports, notice, etc should be in a clear, simple, concise, courteous and attractive way that influence people to act or think accordingly is termed as writing skills. Clean and audible writing is a bridge between the minds of the writer and the reader. Effective writing means the reader understand the message in the same sense and spirit that writer want to convey.

Tips for clear writing are as follows

1. Answer of necessary questions – for clear writing necessary question should be answered properly. For example why to write, whom to write, what to write, medium of writing, when and where to write.

2.     Use familiar word – simple and familiar words should be used in place of difficult and unfamiliar words. Simple words make the better understanding of the written message.

3.     Use short word in place of long expressions – instead of using long and trite words, short words are preferable.

4.     Use strong words – strong words should be used as they make an immediate impact on the reader’s mind and the message becomes forceful.

5.     Avoid technical words or jargon – jargon refers to special language for a particular trade. Technical words are understood by the professionals and not by the outsider. Thus while communicating minimize the use of technical words.

6.     Keep the paragraph short – a short paragraph is clear and effective than the long one. The average length of the paragraph should be eight to nine lines.

7.     Avoid needless information – unnecessary information should be avoided to make clear writing. The writer should keep in mind the needs of the reader rather than information at his command.

8.     Avoid surplus words – sometimes we use words that add nothing to the meaning of the sentence. For ex – three condition should be fulfilled is better than there are three condition that should be fulfilled.

9.     Writing should be practical and logical – writing should be practical and logical as no one wants to read impractical message.

10. Emphasize the write word – the writer must be clear in mind what he wants to convey and how. Use of write words is very important for clear writing.

Key takeaways –

1. Effective writing is critical not only to deliver clear and concise information, but also as a means of influence and making things happen.

4.2 Drafting of effective business letter

Structure of Business Letters:

The following parts usually constitute the structure of a business letter:

• Heading
• Date
• Inside Address
• Attention line
• Salutation
• Subject
• Reference
• Body
• Complimentary close
• Signature
• Enclosure

1. Heading:

Many business organisations use printed letter head for business correspondence. The letterhead contains the name, the address, the line of business, telegraphic address, telephone numbers, telex numbers, e-mail address etc.

2. Date:

The date should be indicated within the upper right corner of the letter sheet. it's generally written two or three spaces below the last line of the letterhead. There are two methods of indicating the date:

• In the order of day, month and year — 10 July 1999.
• In the order of month, day and year — July 10, 1999. Both methods are acceptable.

It is advisable to write down the names of the month fully.

3. Inside Address:

The inside address consists of the names and address of the person or firm to whom the letter is written. it's generally written two spaces above the attention line and two spaces below the extent of date. If there's no attention line it's given above the salutation within the left margin. the complete address, i.e., the name of the person, firm, street, road etc. should be written as indicated in the source you bought the address from. the details shouldn't be abbreviated.

While addressing a firm, ‘Messrs’ is employed before the name. If the firm bears personal title, Messrs should be used. If the letter is addressed to a politician by name, write Mr. or Shri before the name. If the officer is an unmarried woman, add Miss and if married, Mrs. or Smt. before her name.

4. Attention Line:

When a letter is addressed to a company in order that it should reach a specific office by name or a specific department, then attention line is typed below the within address. This line is usually underlined.

5. Salutation:

Salutation means greetings. It shows the respect or affection or politeness which you introduce during a letter. the selection of salutation depends upon the personal relationship between the author and the reader. it's placed two spaces below attention line or two spaces below the within address. While addressing a firm, company or a club, etc. use ‘Dear Sirs’.

6. Subject:

The purpose of subject line is to let the reader know immediately what the message is about. By seeing this the reader can understand at a look what the letter is about. the standard practice is to type this line during a double space between the salutation and the first line of the body.

Dear Sirs,

Subj.: Payment of Bill

7. Reference:

In a reply to an earlier letter reference numbers, date etc. is also mentioned below the topic. Subject and reference must be separate and must stand out clearly to get the attention of the reader.

8. Body of the letter:

The body is the most vital a part of a letter. the aim of this part is to convey the message and to produce an appropriate response in the reader. It is, therefore, important to organise and arrange the material very carefully.

Generally, the body consists of the following:

(i) Opening paragraph.

(ii) Main paragraph.

(iii) Closing paragraph.

The opening paragraph should be written in such how that it attracts the attention of the reader and makes him go through the letter.

The main paragraph contains the topic matter. It should cover all the relevant points which the author wants to convey. It should be written in simple, clear and unambiguous terms.

The closing paragraph should indicate the expectations, intentions and desires of the sender.

9. Complimentary close:

The complimentary close may be a polite way of ending a letter. It's typed two spaces below the last line of the body of the letter.

10. Signature:

Signature is that the assent of the writer to the subject-matter of the letter. It's placed below the complementary close.

11. Enclosure:

Sometimes, papers like price list, catalogue, draft could also be attached to the letter. this is often indicated after the signature and at the left margin. Generally, the abbreviated form “End.” is typed against which the amount of enclosures is indicated.

Layout of Business Letters:

The layout of a business letter includes the following:

1. Font and Margins: Before writing an official letter, it must be kept in mind that the letter should not only be simple to understand but easy to read as well. Set your margins to be one or one and a half inches per each side of the document, this will help your letter look professional. Using simple fonts like Verdana, Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman with a 12-point size will give your official letter a clean look as well.

2. Heading and Subject: Once your fonts are set, you can begin addressing your letter. First, write your name in the top left-hand corner of the page. Include your name, address and the current date. You can also include your phone number and email if you are requesting further contact.

While writing the recipient's address information, remember to put it directly beneath yours. Write their name, title of their organization if they are representing one, followed by the address. Review the name and address of your recipient more than once to ensure you've written the correct address and spelled their name right.

3. Salutation: You can now professionally greet your reader. A common salutation used in official letters is, "Dear Ms. or Mr. Last name". If you know both their first name or last name, you can include that in the salutation. For example, you can write, "Dear Alex Smith". If you know their gender, you can write, "Dear Mr. Alex Smith" or "Dear Ms. Alex Smith". If you're unaware of the name of the recipient, you can write, "Dear Sir or Madam".

4. The Body: The body paragraphs are where you can capture your main points and professionally explain your concerns, opinions or other information to your recipient. This is the part where your introduction and the purpose of the letter comes in. You can use verbiage such as, "I am writing to you today because..."Once you've explained what the recipient will read, you can expand further throughout the next paragraph. Include details that support your first statement. For example, if you were writing a recommendation letter, you could expand on the skills of the person your recommending by saying, "Avery's time-management and organizational skills have improved the efficiency of my business by 12% since the beginning of the quarter."

You can continue giving examples until you believe your point has been clearly understood by the reader. Keep your sentences short, simple and easy for the reader to understand.

5. Conclusion and Signature: After finishing the body of the letter, the conclusion should be written. This paragraph can be short and will finalize the document by repeating your main point, explaining any possible next steps or thanking the recipient for taking the time to read your letter. After closing the letter, you can provide your closing signature at the end of the document. Examples of common letter signatures are:

• Sincerely
• Sincerely yours
• With appreciation
• Thank you
• Regards
• Yours truly
• Respectfully yours

Carefully select your closing signature as per the requirements and input name at the bottom of the letter.

6. Enclosures: Enclosures are additional materials added to your letter to support your document, similar to when you attach a file to an email. If you're attaching a document to complement your letter, you should mention it near the end of your letter. To inform the reader that an additional document is attached, you can include the word "enclosure" at the end of the letter after your name. You can also shorten the word by writing, "encl."Write your name and address in the top left-hand corner of the envelope followed by the recipient's name and address in the middle. Now your letter is ready to be sent to the recipient.

Key Takeaways

1. A business letters promotes products and services, provides information, provides evidence in legal disputes, promotes goodwill, conveys information, creates markets for new products etc.
2. Parts of a business letter include: Heading, Date, Inside Address, Attention line, Salutation, Subject, Reference, Body, Complimentary close, Signature, Enclosure.
3. Layout of a business letter incorporates font and margins, subject, salutation, the body of the letter, conclusion, signature and enclosures.
4. Full block style business letters are appropriate for business correspondence and have a formal appearance, they are left justified.
5. Modified Block letters are useful if one is corresponding with someone they already have a good working relationship with. Modified block is different from block style as the date, sign off, and signature lines begin at the centre point of the page line.
6. Semi-block business letters differ from most others therein the first line of every paragraph is indented.

4.3 Kinds of business letters (a) Esquires and Replies (b) Order and their execution (c) Complaints and Adjustment (d) Collection letter (e) Sales letter and Memo.

(a)    Esquires and Replies

Enquires letter

Letter of enquiry is one among the foremost important sorts of business letters. When a buyer wishes to urge some information about the number, price, availability etc of products to be bought or about the terms of sale, payment etc he writes a letter of inquiry to the vendor.

Enquiry Letter

ACCORDING TO MORRIS PHILIP et al., “THE LETTER THAT SEEKS INFORMATION CONCERNING THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FROM A business is named AN INQUIRY LETTER.”

QUIBLE et al. SAID, “LETTER OF INQUIRY MAY BE A SORT OF BUSINESS MESSAGE THAT ASKS THE RECIPIENT FOR INFORMATION OR ASSISTANCE.”

IN THE OPINION OF R. V. LESIKAR et al., “LETTERS THAT ASKS QUESTIONS OR INFORMATION ABOUT ANYTHING is named INQUIRY LETTER.” BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

ACCORDING TO GARTSIDE, “AN INQUIRY LETTER ASKS INFORMATION LIKE CATALOGUE, QUOTATION, SAMPLE and price OF A PRODUCT FORM A SELLER during a CONCISE AND CLEAR WAY.”

So, we will define the letter of inquiry as a letter sent to the vendor from the potential buyer asking information about the worth , quantity, availability etc of a product and therefore the terms of sale, terms of payment, service etc.

• Objectives of enquiry Letter in Business Communication:

Every letter has some certain objectives or motives and inquiry letter isn't an exception. it's written on different occasions for various reason. Inquiry letter is written so as to hold out one among the subsequent objectives bellow-

• To get the worth quotation of specific commodities

• To invite catalog

• To know payment terms

• To know the past records of job applicant

• To know the credit worthiness of a firm or an individual

• To invite folders

• To get recommendation from former employer

• To know the financial strength of a firm or an individual

• To know the business reputation of a firm

• To know the transportation facility provided by the firm

• To obtain information about social station of an individual or a firm

• To evaluate the performance of an individual or a firm

• To study the standard of a product

• To know the supply of an item

• To make request for sample etc.

• Types of enquiries Letter in Business Communication

Enquiries could also be of various types supported the target, information sought and therefore the initiatives taken. There are generally four sorts of inquires letter-solicited inquiry, unsolicited inquiry, inquiry for a few favor and routine inquiry letter. These are discussed below-

• Solicited Inquiry: An inquiry made in response to the sellers’ advertisement and publicity is named a solicited inquiry. Actually it's a response by the customer to the advertisement or publicity of a seller.

• Unsolicited Inquiry: An inquiry made at the buyer’s own initiative is named unsolicited inquiry. this sort of inquiry is formed when a buyer wants to understand anything from the vendor.

• Inquiry for a few Favor: An inquiry made not about goods but another information like special price or favorable terms is named inquiry for a few favor.

• Routine Inquiry: An inquiry made by an old or regular buyer within the usual course of action is named routine inquiry. Most of the business inquires fall during this category.
So, we discover that there are differing types of inquires, regardless of the type is that the bottom line of success of an inquiry depends upon how it's written.

SAMPLE

To,

Robert Parkinson

Head of Advertising

Jones Advertising Company

D-45, ground floor , Henry tower, jack lane

Vanilla street-5th avenue

London, UK

Date: 19th April 2014

Subject: Business communication inquiry letter

Dear Mr. Parkinson,

I am Jack Parker, the senior marketing manager at Pablo International Company and that I am scripting this letter to you to form an inquiry about your previous couple of emails to us. I assume there has been confusion in business communication and that I wish to clear it out upfront.

As discussed in our meeting last week, you were alleged to create an advertising plan and proposal for advertising of our brand and its products. In response to the present discussion, you sent us an in depth plan but later, I received a totally new and different plan on email. I replied back to you asking about which one to think about but there was no response. Kindly check out the matter and let me know which decide to consider in order that I can plow ahead and review it.

I hope that you simply will reply soon because our product launch is arising soon,

Thanking you.

Regards,

Jack Parker

Reply to enquiry

Reply must do a sales job. Tell the potential customer what he wants to know, and something more. In giving information you need persuasive skill and good judgment. Present the fact so as to show the customers the benefit of buying the products or services.  You must show the advantage of the product. 

Key takeaways

1. The most common letters in business are buyer’s enquiries about goods and services and sellers’ replies giving information and quotations
2. Courteous request for information, giving its purpose
3. Statement of what is wanted (a list of questions)
4. Request that the information may be given by a certain date and/or indication of business to follow.

(b)    Order and their execution

Order letter

An order letter is typically written once you got to assign orders for goods. It's quite common and is written almost on a day to day basis. The language of the letter, however, must be formal and therefore the letter follows a typical format, since the knowledge is extremely specific.

An order letter must pen down the terms and conditions of the acquisition. These benefit both the involved parties. It generally contains details like product specifications, their quantities, a price that the parties have prescribed, the date of delivery, what to try to to just in case there occurs a late delivery, etc.

• Tips before Writing an Order Letter:

Before writing the order letter, here are some tips for you:

1. The letter should be very precise, there's no exhortation or casual talking required here.

2. The language should be easy while also being formal.

3. don't make any mistakes within the specifications and quantities.

4. Avoid spelling and grammatical errors.

5. stick with the subject

6. Be polite. you're ordering for goods; you are not ordering the person.

7. Avoid using too many adjectives.

8. Don't use jargons.

9. Don't hesitate to put the order, but do not forget to plan before writing.

Now, I can tell you ways to write down an order letter, since you now know all that you simply needed to understand before writing one.

• Elements of the Order Letter:

An order letter needs the subsequent things to be in check:

o Contact information about yourself, the person/company which will supply to you and therefore the date.

o A subject line that helps the recipient to know your purpose directly.

o A salutation, like, if you recognize the name of the vendor, write, “Dear ……………”. If you do not know the name of your seller, simply write “Dear Seller”

o Information about your company; but this is often totally optional. However, this will ensure a long-term relationship. you'll also say a couple of words about your future plans associated with the sale.

o Order details, and by details I mean everything. The model number, color, size, number, etc. Be attentive since they'll send whatever you'll write. If possible, use bullet points or tables. If you're buying different items of various types, describe them in separate paragraphs.

o Mention your payment mode or if you've paid already, mention that next.

o Indicate your preferred delivery method and date.

o Include any special instructions as a neighborhood of the terms and conditions agreed between the parties.

o Tell them that you're going to enjoy future cooperation with them and encourage them to contact if needed.

o Close with “Sincerely”, your signature and name.

The quality of the delivered goods will depend upon your instructions. Not just that, it's literally a legal instrument between yourself and therefore the seller. So watch out for what goes in your order letter and pay an honest deal of attention while drafting one.

Execution

The letter through which the seller informs the customer that the ordered goods have been delivered is called order execution letter. Once seller receives order from customer, he can accept or reject it. The seller must inform whether the order is accepted or rejected to the customer. The seller writes the order execution letter when the he accepts the order and delivers the ordered items. The purpose of writing this letter is to inform the customer about the date of delivery, mode of transportation used, the probable date at which customer will get the shipment and the total price. The invoice is usually enclosed with this letter.

Contents of execution letter

• Reference number of order letter with date
• Name, brands and quality of products
• Quantity of products
• Date of delivery of goods
• Expected date of reaching goods to the buyer’s address
• Nature of packing of goods
• Transportation used for delivering goods
• Total price of the products and
• Expected date and mode of payment

Key takeaways –

1. An order letter is typically written once you got to assign orders for goods
2. The letter through which the seller informs the customer that the ordered goods have been delivered is called order execution letter

(c)    Complaints and adjustments

Complaints letter

Definition of complaint letter, meaning of complaint letter, sorts of Complaints Letter. Letters which are written by the purchasers to the sellers about their inconveniences created by some unexpected situations are referred to as complaint letters. However efficient a corporation could also be in running a business, everything doesn't go all the time consistent with plan. there'll be some mistake and a few accidents. Important service are sometimes rendered unsatisfactorily; goods are consigned to wrong destinations, sometimes too late, sometimes in but the specified quantities, sometimes in damaged condition.

Complaint letter 1s..
Letter written to bring these mistakes to the notice of these who must own the responsibilities for them are called claim or complaint letters. So, when a letter is written to the vendor by the customer raising complaints or claims regarding mistakes taken place during the order to payment period is named a claim or complaint letter.

Business complaint letter is written by customers who aren't satisfied by the amount of consumer services provided. If you are feeling that your supplier is dishonest about the products they deliver to you, whether in terms of content or pricing, you'll write them a customer complaint letter to precise your grievances. don't forget to say that there'll be consequences should they fail to deal with the difficulty in question.

Adjustment letters

Adjustment Letter is response letter to customer complaint or claim. it's official in nature and explains the relevancy of the complaint or claim and the way it are often resolved.
Adjustment Letter Definition

• A sort of letter addressed in response to a customer's claim or complaint letter, written by a representative of an organisation or a gaggle

Because of the client-vendor relation, a letter of adjustment also acts as a legal instrument demonstrating the small print of the correspondence and therefore the resolution or dissolution the between the 2 parties. A letter of adjustment doesn’t mean that your complaint or claim are going to be accepted. It notifies the sender that their claim or complaint letter has been received. It depends upon the validity of your claim that a letter of adjustment will contain conformity of its mistake and its rectification.

Adjustment letters are meant to resolve a conflict that's why they're referred to as such. Letters of adjustment also are referred as Claim Adjustment Letters, Complaint Response Letters, Customer Complaint Reply, Letter of Complaint Response, Letter of response to Complaint and similar other terms. A letter of adjustment deals with all kinds of claims and complaints; defective product, poor service, goods not delivered, shipment arriving late, salary not received et al.

Adjustment letter example 2

Adjustment letter template 3

Key takeaways –

1. Letter written to bring these mistakes to the notice of these who must own the responsibilities for them are called claim or complaint letters

(d)    Sales letter and memo

Sales letter

Sales Correspondence may be a written communication between two parties with the motive of sales. In other words, a sales letter is a kind of letter that tries to sell a product. Sales letters are an efficient way to communicate with clients.

It may target a selected group to grab their attention. A sales letter may be general or particular in nature.

Objectives of Sales Letter

• A sales letter aims at reaching the reader to get the product.
• Introduction and marketing of new products and services.
• To reach potential customers.
• Expansion of the market.

Advantages of Sales Letter

• A sales letter is less expensive.
• Reaches a client where a salesman cannot.
• Reaches a number of clients all at a similar time.
• Ease of understanding and availability of full details.
• More convenient, efficient, and comprehensive.

Elements and Format of Sales Letter

Headline: Here the writer wants to grab the reader’s attention toward the main purpose of the letter.

Introduction: It is the introductory paragraph. Introduction within the sales letter provides the details of the merchandise or the service. It also provides the reader with the price, quality, saving and other related information.

Body: Here the author builds his credibility. The writers provide with the value of the product, its difference from other similar products, an inventory of satisfied customers, terms of contract etc.

Call to Action: in this section, the writer asks for the reader’s response and may express the gratitude. It also includes various details like warranty, discount etc.

Tips for Writing Sales Letter

• Introduce the ideas in a way that compels the reader to require a positive action.
• Introduce yourself and the product well.
• Be clear in what you're offering.
• Choose your words as per the targeted audience.
• Always use a headline.
• Make the first sentence of every paragraph count.
• Use of font styles, font sizes, bullets, and numbering etc.
• Use relevant statement showing the credibility of the merchandise.
• Suitable closing sentences.
• Correct use of salutation.
• Proper and complete details of the merchandise and availability.
• Always elicit attention, build interest, desire, and call of action.
• Have a straightforward and convincing tone.
• Avoid creating confusion and uncertainty.
• Avoid being clever and funny.
• Include your name, signature, and other contact details.
• Do not use fancy words or slangs.
• Always revise and edit the letter.

Format of Sales Letter

Key Takeaways

1. A sales letter is a kind of letter that tries to sell a product.
2. The Primary aim of a sales letter is to sell a product and expand market
3. The sales letter consists of the headline, introduction, body and conclusion/call to action.

Memo

A memorandum is an internal and informal form of communication which is written to inform and to call to action. It is normally used for communicating policies, procedures or other information within the organisation.

Unlike Interpersonal communication a memorandum is presented to a large number of people. A memo has to be concise and concrete in terms of providing information. Interoffice memorandums (memos) are used by employees within an organization to communicate with one another.

We know memorandum serves various purposes. it's a common means of communication within the organization. Below are the major advantages provided by a memo:

• Time saving: A memo is less time consuming than a letter.
• Less formality: No formality is critical in drafting a memo, usually inside address, salutation and complimentary closing is omitted in it.
• Maintenance good relationship: It can help to maintain the good relationship among the managers and subordinates.
• Low cost: The cost of communication through a memo is far less when compared to other business communication methods.
• References: Memo is a written document. So, it may be used for future references.
• Inform the decisions and actions: The primary objective of a memo is to inform the employees regarding company decisions and actions.
• Provide information: Another important objective of the memo is to provide information form one level to another within the business.
• Remain someone of action: Memo is additionally written to remind someone of a required action.
• Others: Issuing orders and instructions, providing response, providing suggestions, presenting informal reports, solving problems.

Guidelines for writing effective memos or drafting memos

In order to make interoffice communication easier, please adhere to the subsequent guidelines for writing effective memos:

1. Summarize the conclusions in the introduction paragraph

2. State the basis for conclusion within the introductory paragraph

3. Begin each subsequent paragraph with a thesis statement

4. Support the thesis statement in the body of the paragraph

5. Be concise

6. Know the audience

7. Avoid jargon

8. Stay objective

9. Use active verbs

10. Anticipate counterarguments

11. Provide “road signs” as required 

12. Cite the sources

13. Number the pages

14. End with a concluding paragraph

A memo heading consists of four standard parts: TO, FROM, DATE, and SUBJECT. (See illustration of an interoffice memo.) The memo is usually keyed on a pre-printed form with the organization’s name printed at the top of the page. If the headings TO, FROM, DATE, and SUBJECT need to be keyed, use the format guides presented below.

The heading part follows the format given below:

TO:             (The name of the receiver and their designation)

FROM:           (Your name and designation or title)

DATE:             (Current Date)

SUBJECT:           (The purpose of writing the report)

The Body The body of a memo report, like any technical report, should be concise and to the point. It needs to be properly structured and organised. It should consist of the following elements:

Opening: This section should consist of 2 to 3 sentences and should state the main purpose of the memo. It should include the main problem with which the memo is concerned with and how it is going to be addressed. A good way to start the opening statement would be “The purpose of this circular is to inform you regarding the recent changes….”

Discussion: This is the longest section in the memo which deals with all the information and evidences you have collected to support your arguments. This section can be subdivided into four subsections namely,

Conclusion: After discussing your research, you should summarize the main elements of your finding in 2 or 3 sentences that should reiterate all the implications in the circular.

Attachment/Enclosure notation: If another document is attached to a memo, the word Attachment is keyed at the left margin one line below the reference initials. If a document is included but not attached, the word Enclosure is used. If no reference initials are used, the notation is keyed one line below the last line of the body.

Sample Inter-Office Memo

Key Takeaways

1. A memorandum is an internal and informal form of communication which is written to inform and to call to action.
2. A memo is typically used for communicating policies, procedures or other information within the organisation.
3. A memo is a concise document which provides information to a large number of people.
4. One of the most important objectives of a memo is to provide information form one level to another within the business.
5. Memos are also used for issuing orders and instructions, providing response, providing suggestions, presenting informal reports, solving problems.
6. A memo consists of the heading (to, from, date and subject), the body and the conclusion and the attachment/enclosure notation.

Reference

1. Lesikar, R.V. & Flatley, M.E.; Basic Business Communication Skills for Empowering the
   Internet Generation, Tata McGraw Hill Publishing Company Ltd. New Delhi.
2. Bovee, and Thill, Business Communication Today, Pearson Education
3. Shirley Taylor, Communication for Business, Pearson Education
4. Locker and Kaczmarek, Business Communication: Building Critical Skills, TMH
5. Chhabra T.N, Effective Business Communication, Sun India Publications