BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONSECOND CANADIAN EDITION

Part II: Letters, memos, email, and other brief messages

Chapter Six:Writing positive business letters

Original Slides by Gates Stoner

Pima Community

College Adapted by Alan T. Orr

Objectives of this Chapter

• Know how letters communicate information in the business world

• Recognize the parts of a standard business letter

• Learn common letter format styles

• Appreciate how positive business letters serve a customer’s needs

1

Purpose of Business Letters

• Used to communicate with customers and clients regarding– Requests for information– Responses to orders, criticism, and

claims– Good/bad news

• Serve as legal documents

2

Standard Business Letter

XYZ Camera123 Flash Lane

Oakville ON L6L 0S4

For all your photography needs

September 15, 2011

Ms. Jane Smith987 Horizon DrOakville, ON L6L 6B8

Subject: Camera Repairs

Dear Ms. Smith,

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Curabitur auctor cursus tellus.

Cras consectetuer pharetra neque. Maecenas enim justo, congue tempus, volutpat ut, ultricies vitae, felis. Iwere acre adh sdfds sdfsa aehdfd fs sg fidao fd afdaso fd ajgoo afdou aigod si dolro ar ar you or.Nulla pretium volutpat dolor. Integer eleifend suscipit mi. Morbi tempus eleifend dolor.

Sincerely,

Mary J. KerrStore Manager

• Letterhead• Date• Inside Address• Subject Statement

(optional)• Salutation• Body• Complimentary

Close• Signature

4

Optional Components

• Subject statement• Attention line• Final notations

– Copy notation– Enclosures– Reference initials

5

6 “C”s for the Body

• Complete

• Coherent

• Concise

• Concrete

• Convincing

• Considerate

6

Block Style

XYZ Camera123 Flash Lane

Oakville ON L6L 0S4

For all your photography needs

September 15, 2011

Ms. Jane Smith987 Horizon WayOakville, ON L6L 6B8

Subject: Camera Repairs

Dear Ms. Smith,

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Curabitur auctor cursus tellus.

Cras consectetuer pharetra neque. Maecenas enim justo, congue tempus, volutpat ut, ultricies vitae, felis. Iwere acre adh sdfds sdfsa aehdfd fs sg fidao fd afdaso fd ajgoo afdou aigod si dolro ar ar you or.Nulla pretium volutpat dolor. Integer eleifend suscipit mi. Morbi tempus eleifend dolor.

Sincerely,

Mary J. KerrStore Manager

• Most common format

• All letter parts printed at left margin

• Paragraphs not indented

7

Indented Style

XYZ Camera123 Flash Lane

Oakville ON L6L 0S4

For all your photography needs

July 15, 2011

Ms. Jane Smith987 Horizon WayOakville, ON L6L 6B8

Subject: Camera Repairs

Dear Ms. Smith,

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Curabitur auctor cursus tellus.

Cras consectetuer pharetra neque. Maecenas enim justo, congue tempus, volutpat ut, ultricies vitae, felis. Iwere acre adh sdfds sdfsa aehdfd fs sg fidao fd afdaso fd ajgoo afdou. Nulla pretium volutpat dolor. Integer eleifend suscipit mi. Morbi tempus eleifend dolor.

Sincerely,

Mary J. Kerr Store Manager

• Paragraphs indented 5 spaces

• Return address (when not using letterhead) and signature block moved to centre

8

Modified Block Style

XYZ Camera123 Flash Lane

Oakville ON L6L 0S4

For all your photography needs

July 15, 2011

Ms. Jane Smith987 Horizon WayOakville, ON L6L 6B8

Subject: Camera Repairs

Dear Ms. Smith,

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Curabitur auctor cursus tellus. Duis eget est a nunc auctor suscipit. Morbi auctor scelerisque urna.

Donec eu sapien semper enim commodo tristique. Integer ultricies diam ac odio. Donec placerat gravida ipsum. Etiam a elit.

Consectetuer a, velit. Aliquam vehicula accumsan est. Praesent dapibus sem id magna.

Sincerely,

Mary J. Kerr Store Manager

• Less common than other formats

• Paragraphs not indented

• Return address (when not using letterhead), date, and signature block moved to align at centre

9

Effective Business Letters

• Emphasize the reader

• Balance feelings with facts

• Are neither too personal nor too impersonal

10

Format for Positive Letters

• Deliver the “yes” upfront• Keep it simple• Be specific• As appropriate:

– mention other products and services– describe future relationship– thank client for past business

11

Responding to Criticism

• Acknowledge criticism and any negative feelings

• Start fresh and provide “good news”

12

Responding to Claim Requests

• Your response will be based on a complex set of factors:– Is the customer right?– Is the problem the company’s

fault?– Can I admit the fault?– Can I apologize?– Can I resolve the problem

satisfactorily?

13

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All clipart and photos courtesy of Microsoft.com

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