Lecture Notes Business Comminication Unit III

7/28/2019 Lecture Notes Business Comminication Unit III

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Business Communication BBA N202 Unit III

Prof. Amit Kumar Page 1

FIT Group of Institutions

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Latter

Written communication or instrument that affirms existence of a fact or obligation, or grant of a power or right.

letter writing

Letter writing by itself is an art. It Is also a social and business asset. The ability to write a good and perfect letter can be as useful as

the ability to talk well and the ability to maintain excellent inter-personal relationships. In business, effective communication through

letters saves much time, trouble and inconvenience. It promotes understanding as well as business. The letter one sends on behalf of

a company or an organization is a representative of the organization.

Great writers of the twentieth century have lamented the decay of the art of letter writing consequent to the invention of the

telegraph and telephone. But the importance of letter writing is getting reestablished with the advent of the computer and e-mail

facilities.

In fact, towards the end of the nineteenth century great novelists wrote their novels in the continuous format of letters written by

the characters in it. They are called expostulatory novels (composition in letter form). Great men of the preceding century like

Emerson, Mark Twain and George Bernard Shaw wrote letters that are read and enjoyed even today.

Business Latter

Business letters are formal letters used for business-to-business, business-to-client, or client-to-business correspondence. There are a

number of elements to a business letter.

A business letter is usually used when writing from one company to another, or for correspondence between such organizations and

their customers, clients and other external parties. The overall style of letter will depend on the relationship between the parties

concerned. There are many reasons to write a business letter. It could be to request direct information or action from another party,

to order supplies from a supplier, to identify a mistake that was committed, to reply directly to a request, to apologize for a wrong or

simply to convey goodwill. Even today, the business letter is still very useful because it produces a permanent record, is confidential,

formal and delivers persuasive, well-considered messages.

An effective business letter must have certain special qualities that can aid the businessman to reach their target results. The special

qualities are as follows:

Certain Structure: An ideal business letter must follow a definite structure i.e. heading, inside address and other parts of a letter if

placed as prescribed by style or rules increase the attractiveness of a letter. The more attractive look raises the attention of the

receiver.

Planning: It is the first step in writing and it involves making conscious decisions about the purpose, audience, content and

organization of the message. Proper planning causes effective and fruitful communication.

Qualities of an Ideal Business letter

Simplicity of language: A business commercial letter should be written in simple language so that receiver can understand the

meaning and the significance of the letter. Confusing and complex words must be avoided.

Conciseness: Business letters should be brief but informative. It must be in such a size which is complete to provide effective

message. The following rules may be followed to achieve conciseness in the message

(I) Include only relevant facts.

(ii) Avoid repetition as far as possible,

(iii) Avoid trite and wordy expression. E.g. do not write a sentence like in close proximity to instead you write nearby,

(IV) Organize the letter well.

Relevance: A good business letter should bear information which is relevant and state true fact. It should avoid irrelevant material

that wastes readers mind and hides the important data. An effective business letter always aims at quality not quant ity.
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/communication.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/instrument.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/affirm.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/fact.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/obligation.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/grant.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/power.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/power.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/grant.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/obligation.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/fact.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/affirm.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/instrument.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/communication.html


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Completeness: the writer of such latter must be careful to make a complete picture in the mind of receiver. Any incomplete or partial

data must not be incorporated in a letter. In this regard the writer must have sufficient knowledge to organize the message in such a

way that creates no confusion.

Specific purpose: The purpose of a business letter should be specific enough to justify the success of the message. Vague message

will bring no action but wastage of time, effort and money.

Clearness: Messages of a business letter must be readable and clear. Intention of the writer must be communicated properly in clear

tone to the reader or receiver.

Free from error: A letter containing any error creates bad impression regarding the sender and his status. So, any sort of error should

be avoided and for that sender must be pre-cautioned in using style, format, grammar and words.

Attractive Format: The format and style of a business letter should be good looking. As we know, readers first impression is largely

influenced by the external appearance of the letter, so there should be effort to make the letter eye catching.

Courtesy: Courtesy implies politeness & friendly behavior towards other then approached. It covers the important place in business

communication. It costs nothing but its positive impact is much to facilitate friendly relation. The following principles help to promote

courtesy:

i. Answer the letter promptly.

ii. Omit irritating expressions.

iii. Apologize sincerely for an omission.

iv. Thank generously for a favor.

Salesmanship: Every letter must carry salesmanship because such quality tells about the origin or source of a letter. As a result, goodreputation builds up in the mind or receiver.

The You Attitude: The you attitude is a writing style that emphasize readers rather than the writer. Is and we should be avoided

and include as many yours as possible.

e.g.

Non You attitude: We welcome you to our shop for shopping.

You attitude: You are welcome to your shop for shopping.

Tactfulness: This is the quality that goes handin hand with courtesy. It is very important in handling complaints and adjustments

and letters seeking credit. The objective of tactfulness lies in retaining the goodwill of someone even though his request has been

rejected.

The Positive Approach:Avoid nos and sorry as they are undesirable to all. They are unwelcome words. Instead there should be

emphasis on positive thing. Even no can be written as another time and sorry can be said as I will try.

Sincerity: Business latter must be written with due sincerity & honesty. The writer has to think about the interest of the receiver &must show due respect to it.

Format of a Business Letter

Tel. Name of the firm E-mail:

Fax. Postal Address Website:

Ref. Dated:

To

Name and

address of the person to whom letter is sentSubject:

Salutation,

_______________________________________________________________

Opening part _______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Main part ___________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________.

____________________________________________________________________

Concluding part ______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________.

Complementary close


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Signature

(name)

Designation

Enclosures

CCPS

TYPE OF BUSINESS LETTERS

Business letters are written for the fulfilment of several purposes. The purpose may be to enquire about a product to know its price

and quality, availability, etc. This purpose is served if you write a letter of enquiry to the supplier. After receiving your letter the

supplier may send you details about the product as per your query. If satisfied, you may give order for supply of goods as per your

requirement. After receiving the items, if you find that the product is defective or damaged, you may lodge a complaint. These are

the few instances in which business correspondence takes place. Let us learn the details about some important business letters.

i. Business Enquiry Letter

Sometimes prospective buyers want to know the details of the goods which they want to buy, like quality, quantity, price, mode of

delivery and payment, etc. They may also ask for a sample. The letter written to sellers with one or more of the above purposes is

known as enquiry letter.

Specimen of Business Enquiry Letter

Tel. 23241053 M/s Acron Electricals E-mail: [email protected]

Fax.: 23244155 22/c, Main Road Website: http://www.acronelc.com

Darya Ganj, New Delhi-2

Ref. PR/F/2002/27 Dated: July 27,2002

M/s Bharat Fans

Bharat Complex

Hyderabad Industrial Estate

Hyderabad - 500032

Subject: Enquiry about the prices of fans

Dear Sir,

We are dealing in retail trade of electrical appliances. We would be interested in selling your product, Bharat Fans through our retail

showroom.

Could you, therefore, send us your quotations and let us know the terms and conditions of payment.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

For M/s Acron Electricals

Sd/-(A.B.Kumar)

Partner.

Points to be kept in mind while writing letters of enquiry-

Letters of enquiry should clearly state the information required, which may be asking for a price list or a sample.

Write specifically about the design, size, quantity, quality, etc. about the product or service in which the buyer is interested.

The period or the date, till which information is required, may also be mentioned.

ii. Quotation Letter

After receiving the letter of enquiry from a prospective buyer, the sellers supply the relevant information by writing a letter that is

called quotation letter. These letters are written keeping in view the information asked for like price list, mode of payment, discount

to be allowed etc. Businessman should reply to the inquiries carefully and promptly.


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Specimen of Quotation Letter

Tel. 508632-35 M/s Bharat Fans E-mail: [email protected]

Fax. 508600 Bharat Complex Website: http://www.bhfan.com


Hyderabad - 500032

Ref.-SL/F/2002/12 Dated: August 10,2002

M/s Acron Electricals

22/c, Main Road


Subject: Your letter No. PR/F/2002/27 dated July 27, 2002

Dear Sir,

Thank you for your letter of enquiry. We would be glad to meet your requirements of selling our fan in your retail showroom.

Our quotations are given in the price list enclosed. We offer 10% discount on order above Rs. 50,000. Besides, we allow a grace

period of 45 days for payment of dues to our regular customers.

We are confident that you will find our prices competitive and our terms and conditions reasonable. We look forward to meetingyour requirements.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

For M/s Bharat Fans

Sd/-

(Des Gupta)

Encl: Price List & Terms and Conditions Sales Manager

iii. Order Letter

In the previous section, we have studied about letters of enquiry and reply to enquiry i.e., quotation letter. The prospective buyer

after receiving the reply to his enquiry letter may decide to place on order with that business house which offers goods at minimum

price and at favourable terms and conditions. Letters written by a buyer to the seller giving the order to purchase the goods is called

order letter.

Specimen of Order Letter


Fax. 3244155 22/c, Main Road Website: http://www.acronelc.com


Ref. PR/F/2002/32 Dated: August 22,2002

M/s Bharat Fans

Bharat Complex


Hyderabad - 500032

Subject: Your letter of quotation No. SL/F/2002/12 dated August 10,2002

Dear Sir,

Many thanks for your prompt reply to our enquiry letter of July 27, 2002. As we find your prices and terms quite reasonable, we wish

to place a trial order as per the list enclosed.As pointed out in our enquiry letter, quality is important. Should the goods meet our expectations, substantial orders will follow.

Payment will be made within the time limit prescribed in your quotation letter.


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Thanking You,

Yours faithfully,

For M/s Acron Electrical

Sd/-

(A.B.Kumar)

Encl: Order List Partner

iv. Complaint Letter

A complaint letter is written when the purchaser does not find the goods upto his satisfaction. It is normally written by the purchaser

when he receives wrong, defective or damaged goods or receives incorrect quantity 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 complaint as the letter that draws the

attention of the supplier or any other party on account of supply of defective or damaged goods.

Points to be considered while writing a complaint letter-

Complaint letters should be written immediately after receiving the defective goods.

Mistakes as well as difficulty due to mistake should be mentioned clearly

Proposal to correct the mistakes should be madeSuggestions on how the complaint should be dealt with, i.e., mention of compensation,

replacement, discount, cancellation etc, should be made.

Mention period in which the corrective action should be taken

Request to be careful in future.

Specimen of Complaint Letter


Fax. 3244155 22/c, Main Road Website: http://www.acronelc.com


Ref. PR/F/2002/27 Dated: September 5, 2002

M/s Bharat FansBharat Complex


Hyderabad - 500032

Subject: Complaint regarding fans

Dear Sir,

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that some fans are found missing in the parcel, dispatched by you, which I received

today. It appears that the following items were not included.

Bharat fan super quality 3 (Three)

Bharat fan standard 2 (Two)

We will appreciate if the above fans are sent to us or the amount credited to our account.

Yours faithfully

For M/s Acron Electrical

Sd/-

(A.B.Kumar)

Partner

v. Recovery Letter

The letter written by the seller for collection of money for the goods supplied to the buyer is called recovery letter. The aim of

recovery letter is to collect money without annoying the customers. The letter should include information regarding the amount ofarrears argument for payment, and last date for payment. The language of recovery letter should be polite, so that the customer is

not offended and future transactions with him are not adversely affected.


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Specimen of Recovery letter

Tel. 508632-35 M/s Bharat Fans E-mail: [email protected]

Fax. 508600 Bharat Complex Website: http://www.bhfan.com


Hyderabad - 500032

Ref.-SL/F/2002/12 Dated: December 10,2002

M/s Acron Electricals

22/c, Main Road


Subject: Recovery of dues

Dear Sir,

We believe that the payment of our bill No. 1713 dated September 2,2002 must have escaped your attention. As the payment is due

since long, we would appreciate if you send us your cheque immediately. Please let us know whether payment is being withheld for

some special reasons.Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

For M/s Bharat Fans

Sd/-

(Des Gupta)

Sales Manager

Bank Letters :

All businesses are doing financial transactions with banks. Business without Bank is a myth he are after. So, having business

correspondence with banks is inevitable hereafter. We have to learn the business nuances of drafting letters to banks. Here are many

such letters which bring into affect all the typical circumstances in which we have to do letter-correspondence with banks. From the

first point of opening a business to the level of expanding the business to the international level, we have to seek the help of the

bank. Banks do not only the role of financing our business operations but also the role of transforming our money to our customers

and our workers. With the help of online transaction, we have to run our business. Here you will get all sports of help in the matter of

letter-transactions with banks.

For Opening Saving A/c

From :

R.K. VIDESH,

2, Stephen Road,CHENNAI 600 005.

3rd October 1999

To :

The Manager,

Central Bank,

CHENNAI 600 002.

Dear Sir,


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I would like to open a Savings Bank Account in your branch. As per rules, you need an introduction letter given by a person who is

already holding an account with your branch. In this regard, I am enclosing a letter from Mr. S. Krishnan residing at 2, Bends Road,

Chennai 5. His Savings Bank Account number is SK 33923.

Kindly allow me to open an account with you.

Thanking you.

Yours faithfully,

R.K. VIDESH

Account opening to the firm

ABC Company Limited

6, Pankaj Road,

BANGALORE 560 030.Phone : 098 13245678

Fax : 098 - 13245678

9th December 1999

To :

The Manager,

Syndicate Bank,

BANGALORE 560 029.

Dear Sir,

In the beginning of this month, I have opened a shop at the above address to deal with electrical goods.

I would like to open a Current Account in your bank. In this regard, I am enclosing an introduction letter given by Mr. S.R. Gopinath,

Astro Electronics situated at 3, Nirmal Road, Bangalore 30, who is holding a current account with you. His account number is SRG

43262.

Should you require any specific details, please indicate. It will be my pleasure to furnish the same.

I look forward to have banking operations with you for a long time to come.

Thanking you.

Yours faithfully,

(K.S. MANJUNATH)

Proprietor


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Letter Requesting A Customer to Close His Account :

National Bank

191 / N - Patricia Avenue

Liverpool 600 020Phone : 0011 - XXXXXXXX

Fax : 0011 - XXXXXXXX

May 5 - 2009

To :

Mr. Som Nath,

326 / H - Raman Nair Street,Maalyvalley 682 016.

Dear Sir,

I regret to inform you that a cheque for Rs.1200 drawn in your account has been returned unpaid for lack of sufficient funds on your

account.

For the last six months it has been necessary to return six cheques unpaid, for you had neglected to make provisions.

You will appreciate that it is bad for you and quite damaging to the reputation of the Bank.

I am, therefore, reluctantly compelled to request you to close your account.

Yours Truly,

For National Bank

(V. RAJAN PETER)

Manager

Letter to A Customer Requesting Him to Open An Account :

National Bank


Liverpool 600 020

Phone : 0011 - XXXXXXXX



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May 5 - 2009

To :

Mr. XYZ,

326 / H - Raman Nair Street,

Maalyvalley 682 016.

Dear Sirs,

I wish you a happy New Year and the best returns of the day.

As you are aware, your most trusted bank has opened a branch near your residence to serve the most valued customers like you.

Will you kindly oblige me by dropping in some day and giving us an opportunity to serve you through a current/Savings Bank/

Recurring or a Fixed Deposit Account?

Yours Truly,

(V. RAJAN PETER)

Manager

Letter Returning A Dishonoured Cheque :

Punjab National Bank


Liverpool 600 020



May 5 - 2009

To :

XYZ LIMITED,



Dear Sirs,

I enclose a cheque for Rs.620/- drawn by Ajanta Prakashan on Bank of Baroda, Asaf Ali road, New Delhi, which has been returned


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unpaid for reasons stated thereon.

We have debited you with the amount.

Yours Truly,

For ABC LIMITED

(V. RAJAN PETER)

Managing Director

Letter Informing A Customer of Return of His Cheque :

Bank of Baroda


Liverpool 600 020



May 5 - 2009

To :

XYZ LIMITED,



Dear Sirs,

I regret to inform you that your cheque No.022356 in favour of M/s New Delhi Printers for Rs.15,260 was presented for payment this

day through Punjab National Bank and was returned unpaid for lack of funds in your account.

I shall urge the importance of retaining sufficient funds to meet your cheques or of arranging an overdraft against the deposit of

satisfactory security.

The present balance in your account is Rs.309.20 to your credit.

Yours Truly,

For ABC LIMITED

(V. RAJAN PETER)


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Managing Director

Letter Informing A Customer of His Keeping Insufficient Funds :

Bank of Baroda


Liverpool 600 020



May 5 - 2009

To :

XYZ LIMITED,



Dear Sirs,

I would like to draw attention to your Savings Bank Account No. 4142 which has not been properly maintained by you.

The amount to your credit has been below Rs.300/- for the last six months.

You are advised to keep your accounts in order, failing which we shall request you kindly to close your account.

Yours Truly,

For ABC LIMITED

(V. RAJAN PETER)

Managing Director

Insurance Letters

There are many reasons for taking insurance and writing insurance letters. Few insurances are compelled by law. Few others are

taken voluntarily. Motor insurance is legally compulsory. Insurances like theft-insurance, life-insurance, medical-insurance, fire-

insurance and accident-insurance are taken by the insurer voluntarily. On many occasions in the insurance, many preset forms are

used. However, often letters are necessary to get things done in the world of insurance.

In order to make these points clear, we have produced many typical insurance letters which will carry the basics of Insurance Letters.


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By going through all these sample letters, you will be enabled to write an effective insurance letter on your own. We treat only that as

our success.

Letter of Inquiry About Life Insurance

National Limited

191 / N - Patricia AvenueLiverpool 600 020



Your ref : VGT / 0091

Our Ref : SAL / 6 / 1425

6 March - 19XX

To :

The Manager,

GIE Insurance Sdn Bhd,

834 Jalan Utara,

31000 Ipoh,

Perak.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am interested in taking up a Life Insurance Policy with your company. Could you send a representative over to see me? Please have

him/her call me over the telephone before coming.

My Mobile number is : 0765 746 542 222

Thank you,

Yours faithfully,

Tan Boon Seng

General Manager

Letter Applying for Life Insurance Policy

National Limited


Liverpool 600 020


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Our Ref : SAL / 6 / 1425

6 March - 19XX

To :

Mr. Patrick Wong,

Manager,


834 Jalan Utara,

31000 Ipoh,

Perak.

Dear Mr. Wong,

RE : LIFE INSURANCE POLICY

I have decided to take up Policy A142. Enclosed is the completed proposal form. Please process my application and inform me of your

decision.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Tan Boon Seng

General Manager

Encl. (1)

Letter Cancelling An Insurance Policy

National Limited


Liverpool 600 020




Our Ref : SAL / 6 / 1425

6 March - 19XX

To :


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Mr. M. Kumarasamy,

Manager,


1090 Jalan 17/321,

46400 Petaling Jaya.

Dear Mr. Kumarasamy,

RE : Policy No. CP3219/56

We wish to inform you of our decision to cancel our policy with your company. This is because of the many unpleasant encounters we

have had with your claims department.

Over the past two years, we made three claims of which not even one has been settled. It is always some excuse like misplacement of

files, unfinished reports or technical errors for the delay. It appears that your company has no intention of paying. So I am taking my

business elsewhere. I do not want to continue the hassle of dealing with a brick wall. So please cancel my policy and refund whatever

premiums that are due to me.

Sincerely,

Mohd Nordin Bin Abu Bakar

Manager


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Written Communication

Written Communication involves expressing yourself clearly, using language with precision; constructing a logical argument; note

taking, editing and summarising; and writing reports. Written communication has great significance in todays business world. It is an

innovative activity of the mind.

Advantages of Written Communication

Written communication helps in laying down apparent principles, policies and rules for running of an organization.

It is a permanent means of communication. Thus, it is useful where record maintenance is required.

It assists in proper delegation of responsibilities.

Written communication is more precise and explicit.

Effective written communication develops and enhances an organizations image.

It provides ready records and references.

Legal defences can depend upon written communication as it provides valid records.

Disadvantages of Written Communication

Written communication does not save upon the costs. It costs huge in terms of stationery and the manpower employed in

writing/typing and delivering letters.

Also, if the receivers of the written message are separated by distance and if they need to clear their doubts, the response is not

spontaneous.

Written communication is time-consuming as the feedback is not immediate. The encoding and sending of message takes time.

Effective written communication requires great skills and competencies in language and vocabulary use. Poor writing skills and

quality have a negative impact on organizations reputation.

Too much paper work and e-mails burden is involved.

Writing Techniques:

Written communication can be more effective than a spoken conversation, because you have time to think about what you are


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writing. You can employ several techniques to make the most of that extra time and enhance your written pieces. If you apply

these writing techniques consistently, your pieces are more likely to be read, and the reader will understand exactly what you

are trying to convey.

There are three main elements which should be used for impressive writing:

structure (the way the content is laid out) style (the way it is written) content (what you are writing about)Structure and layout can be relatively quickly learnt but learning how to write good quality content takes much longer.

The writing rules of George Orwell

Never use a long word where a short one will do. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. Never use the passive voice (e.g. "Bones are liked by dogs") where you can use the active voice ("Dogs like bones"). Never use jargon if you can think of an everyday equivalent.Structure (the way the content is laid out)

A good structure will help you to express yourself more clearly, whether in a dissertation, an essay, a job application letter or a

CV. The following tactics may help you to structure your writing:

Clarify your thoughts. Purpose of your communication before you start writing. In business communications, clarity is more important than

style.

Identify the key points, facts and themes. Decide on a logical order for what you have to say. Compose a strong introduction and ending. The first will make an immediate and positive impression on the reader; the

second will remain in their mind after they have finished reading

Use short paragraphs and sentences rather than long. Keep to one idea per paragraph and put your point in the firstline, then add the supporting information.

Help key points to stand out by the use of headings, sub-headings and bullet points. This will allow your reader toquickly scan your message for the main points.

Style (the way it is written)

Writing in a style appropriate to the audience

All good communicators should think about their readers:

How much information and detail will they nee

Should you use specialist terms or should you translate these to make yourself understood by a generalist reader? How formal or informal should your writing be?

For example:

A scientific paper aimed at an audience of non-scientists would have to be written in simpler and less technicallanguage.

A report in the Financial Times would be written in a very different style from one covering the same issue in the SunContent (what you are writing about)

checking carefully the spelling and punctuation. Think before writing in advance Having clear objective. list the essential points you wish to make. Developed your argument in a logical way. Allowed detail to obscure the main issues. Clear whether the content is positive and constructive? Show an interest in the reader by writing with warmth, sensitivity and friendliness? Edit it through several revisions.

Other Techniques:

Clarity :Written communication's biggest advantage is that it is clearer than a verbal conversation. When one person is

listening to another, he might miss part of what is said or misinterpret it. Written communication lays out the words,

which means it is critical to choose the right vocabulary and be clear in what you say. Do not be vague; write specificallywhat you mean, and give examples if appropriate. Conclude with action words that spell out the response you are
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seeking, whether it is an answer to a specific question, an action on the reader's part or something else. Keep the piece

as objective as possible rather than interjecting emotion that could confuse the reader or make him defensive.

Brevity:Time is a valuable commodity for just about everyone. Keep the piece itself short, and use concise sentences

and brief paragraphs that are written in the active voice. If you write a long communication piece and riddle it with

passive sentences, the reader may not get through all of it, because she does not have enough time. She may even toss

it to the side and not read it at all. Your work is much more likely to be read immediately and thoroughly if you make it

short and to the point. This brevity also shows respect for your reader's time, which will give her a better overall

impression of you.

Accuracy:Thoroughly proofread any written communication piece before you send it out. Check it for incorrect

grammar, misspellings, use of the passive voice and other mechanical flaws. Errors can create a bad impression, so it is

vitally important that your written communication be error-free. Pay attention to the tone, too, and make sure the

piece does not contain anything that the reader may accidentally misinterpret.

Audience :Consider your audience, and aim your communication piece appropriately. Business writing should have a

formal tone. When you are writing to a friend, use a more conversational tone and even interject some humor. If you

are not sure whether a written piece has the right tone, read it out loud. This makes it easier to tell how it will come

across to the reader, and it is also a good way to catch mistakes you might have missed.

Purpose of Writing

Writing can be seen as having six general types of purpose, each type of purpose focusing on one of the parts of the

communication model. Purpose is the reason or reasons why a person composes a particular piece of writing.

Focusing on purpose as one writes helps a person to know what form of writing to choose, how to focus and organize the

writing, what kinds of evidence to cite, how formal or informal the writing style should be, and how much should be written.

1. Express

In expressive writing, the writer's purpose or goal is to put thoughts and feelings on thepage. Expressive writing is personal writing.

We are often just writing for ourselves or for close friends. Usually, expressive writing is informal, not intended for outside

readers.Journal writing, for example, is usually expressive writing.

2. Describe

Descriptive writing portrays people, places, things, moments and theories with enoughvivid detail to help the reader create a mental

picture of what is being written about.By appealing to the five senses an original, unique, and creative way, the writer does nottell

the audience that the flower is beautiful; it shows them the flower is beautiful.Description allows the audience to feel as though they

are a part of the writer's experience of the subject.

4. Entertain

As a purpose or goal of writing, entertaining is often used with some other purpose--to explain, argue, or inform in a humorous way.

Sometimes, however, entertaining others with humor is our main goal. Entertaining may take the form of a brief joke, a newspaper

column, a television script or an Internet home page tidbit, but its goal is to relax our audience and share some story of human foibles

or surprising actions.

5. Inform

Writing to inform is one of the most common purposes for writing. Most journalistic

writing fits this purpose. A journalist uncovers the facts about some incident and then reports those facts, as objectively as possible,

to his or her readers. Of course, some bias or point-of-view is always present, but the purpose of informational or reportorial writing

is to convey information as accurately and objectively as possible. Other examples of writing to inform include laboratory reports,

economic reports, and business reports.

6. Explain

Writing to explain, or expository writing, is the most common of the writing purposes.The writer's purpose is to gather facts and

information, combine them with his or her own knowledge and experience, and clarify for some audience who or what something is,

howit happened or should happen, and/or why something happened.Explaining the whos, whats, hows, whys, and wherefores

requires that the writer analyzethe subject (divide it into its important parts) and show the relationship of those parts.


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7. Argue

An arguing essay attempts to convince its audience to believe or act in a certain way.

Written arguments have several key features:

A debatable claim or thesis. The issue must have some reasonable arguments on

both (or several) sides.

A focus on one or more of the four types of claims: Claim of fact, claim of cause

and effect, claim of value, and/or claim of policy (problem solving).

A fair representation of opposing arguments combined with arguments against the

opposition and for the overall claim.

An argument based on evidence presented in a reasonable tone. Although appeals

to character and to emotion may be used, the primary appeal should be to the

reader's logic and reason.

8. Persuade

Although the terms argumentandpersuasion are often used interchangeably, the terms do have slightly different meanings.

Argumentis a specific type of persuasion that follows certain ground rules. Persuasive writing may, if it wishes, ignore those rules and

try any strategy that might work. Advertisements are a good example of persuasive writing.

9. EvaluateWriting to evaluate a person, product, thing, or policy is a frequent purpose for writing.An evaluation is really a specific kind of

argument: it argues for the merits of the subject and presents evidence to support the claim. Writers should choose criteria which

their audience will find valid, fair, and appropriate. Then, collect evidence for each of the selected criteria.

10. Problem Solve

Problem solving is another specific type of argument: the writer's purpose is to persuade his audience to adopt a solution to a

particular problem. Often called "policy" essays because they recommend the readers adopt a policy to resolve a problem, problem

solving essays have two main components: a description of a serious problem and an argument for specific recommendations that will

solve the problem. etc...

Principles of Effective Writing1. Brevity

It is bad manners to waste [the reader's] time. Therefore brevity first, then, clarity.

2. Clarity and Conciseness:It is bad manners to give [readers] needless trouble. Therefore clarity. . . . And how is clarity to be achieved? Mainly by taking

trouble and by writing to serve people rather than to impress them.

Use precise and unambiguous language to convey ideas.

Use short and simple sentences.

Provide examples for abstract ideas. Anecdotes and hypothetical situations

can be helpful.

Strive to use as few words as possible to convey ideas.

Don't use more examples than is necessary to clarify ideas.

Avoid redundant information.

3. CommunicationThe social purpose of language is communication--to inform, misinform, or otherwise influence our fellows. . . .

Communication [is] more difficult than we may think. . In some modern literature there has appeared a tendency to replace

communication by a private maundering to oneself which shall inspire one's audience to maunder privately to themselves--

rather as if the author handed round a box of drugged cigarettes.

4. EmphasisJust as the art of war largely consists of deploying the strongest forces at the most important points, so the art of writing

depends a good deal on putting the strongest words in the most important places. . . . One of the most important things, to

my mind, in English style is word-order. For us, the most emphatic place in a clause or sentence is the end. This is the climax;

and, during the momentary pause that follows, that last word continues, as it were, to reverberate in the readers mind. It

has, in fact, the last word.5. HonestyAs the police put it, anything you say may be used as evidence against you. If handwriting reveals character, writing reveals it
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still more. You cannot fool all your judges all the time. . . . Most style is not honest enough. Easy to say, but hard to practice.

A writer may take to long words, as young men to beards--to impress. But long words, like long beards, are often the badge

of charlatans. Or a writer may cultivate the obscure, to seem profound. But even carefully muddied puddles are soon

fathomed. Or he may cultivate eccentricity, to seem original. But really original people do not have to think about being

original--they can no more help it than they can help breathing. They do not need to dye their hair green.

6. Passion and ControlThis, indeed, is one of the eternal paradoxes of both life and literature--that without passion little gets done; yet, without

control of that passion, its effects are largely ill or null.

7. ReadingOne learns to write by reading good books, as one learns to talk by hearing good talkers.

8. RevisionEvery author's fairy godmother should provide him not only with a pen but also with a blue pencil.

9. Sophistication and SimplicityMy point is merely that the sophisticated (ready though they may be to suppose so) do not necessarily express themselves

better than the simple--in fact, may often have much to learn from them.

10. VividnessProvide detailed explanations.

Use interesting and detailed examples
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Lecture Notes Business Comminication Unit III

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