Lec7-LetterWriting

Technical Letters: 

1 Technical Letters

The Importance of Letters: 

2 The Importance of Letters Represent your company’s public image and your competence More personal than a report, yet more formal than memos or e-mail More permanent than e-mail Constitute an official legal record of an agreement

Writing Effective Letters: 

3 Writing Effective Letters Analyze Your Audience : Who is my audience? Will my audience be favorably or unfavorably disposed to what I am going to say? What kinds of information will my audience expect me to supply? How will my audience use the information I am sending? What impression do I want my letter to make on readers? Have a clear sense of your purpose and theirs Select the best communication strategy Draft, revise, and edit your letter

Letter Components: 

4 Letter Components Essential Components Writer’s Address Date Inside Address Salutation Letter Body Complimentary Close Signed Name Typed Name Optional Components Subject Line New Page Notations Writer’s and Typist’s Initials Enclosure Notation Copy Notation

Essential Components of a Letter: 

5 Essential Components of a Letter

Slide 6: 

6 Personal Address Street address City State Zip Code Company Address Company’s name Street address City State Zip Code Writer’s Address

Slide 7: 

7 Full Calendar Date May 31,2009 31May 2009 2-4 spaces Date

Slide 8: 

8 Address of the reader Reader’s Name Reader’s Title Company Name Company Street Address Company City Company State Company Zip Code 2-4 spaces Reader's Address

Slide 9: 

9 IF you know the reader’s name, salutation will be First / Last Name Followed by Colon For example Dear Mr. Smith: Dear Ms. Jones: Dear Miss / Mrs. Jones: Dear Chris Evans: OTHERWISE Use title Dear Vice President: Use department’s name Accounting Department: 2 spaces Salutation

Slide 10: 

10 Includes Introductory Paragraph Discussion Paragraph Concluding Paragraph 2 spaces below salutation 2 spaces b/w paragraphs Letter Body

Slide 11: 

11 Place a comma after complimentary close Preferred close is Sincerely, 2 spaces below body Complimentary Close

Slide 12: 

12 Sign your name legibly Signed Name

Slide 13: 

13 Type your name Mention your title (Optional) 4 spaces below complimentary close Typed Name

Optional Components of a Letter: 

14 Optional Components of a Letter

Slide 15: 

15 Must have a topic & focus Can be used instead of salutation All CAPS 2 spaces below inside address Subject Line

Slide 16: 

16 If writer and typist are two different persons Writer’s initials- ALL CAPS Typist’s initials-LOWERCASE Separate both initials with a colon 2 spaces below typed signature Writer's and Typist's Initials

Slide 17: 

17 Enclose information as Enc.; OR Enclosure; OR Enclosures(2); OR Enclosure: August Report 2 spaces below writer’s and typist’s initials Enclosure Notation

Slide 18: 

18 For a copy of letter, write cc (complimentary copy) pc (photocopy) For copies sent to other readers, write pc: Reader Ma,e 2 spaces below enclosure notation Copy Notation

Letter Formats: 

19 Letter Formats Full-block format All text typed on left margin Spaces between paragraphs Simplified format Same as full block format except No Salutations Subject Line introduced No Complimentary Close

Full Block Format: 

20 Full Block Format

Simplified Format: 

21 Simplified Format

Classifications of business letters: 

22 Classifications of business letters Positive Customer relations letters responding favorably to a writer’s request or complaint Sales letters promoting a product Neutral Letters requesting information about a product or service, placing an order, or responding to some action or question Negative Customer relations letters refusing a request, saying no to an adjustment, etc.

Types of Letters: 

23 Types of Letters Letters of Inquiry Sales Letters Good-News Letters Bad-News Letters Complaint Letters Adjustment Letters Cover Letters

Letters of Inquiry: 

24 Letters of Inquiry

Inquiry Letter : 

25 Inquiry Letter You require information about any matter of interest to you It must Contain an effective technical writing style Involve audience through pronoun usage Avoid grammatical errors Must contain the essential letter components

Components of Inquiry Letter Body: 

26 Components of Inquiry Letter Body Introduction Tell your reader why are you writing Inform reader about subject matter What are you writing about? OR What info do you want?

Components of Inquiry Letter Body: 

27 Components of Inquiry Letter Body Discussion Specify your needs Ask precise questions List specific topic of inquiry Quantify your questions

Components of Inquiry Letter Body: 

28 Components of Inquiry Letter Body Conclusion Must be precise Mention when do you want a response Provide a specific date for response Explain why do you want response by the given date