Letter Writing

Writing successfully to virtually any institution requires an

understanding of one fact: The person youre writing to is harried. He
doesnt have time to do his job as well as hed lie! his boss is on his
bac! his peers are wondering if he really nows his business! and his
subordinates" he is sure" are either incompetent or angling for his des.
#s a result" anything you can say in your letter that will mae his job
easier will be of enormous help in getting a satisfactory answer.
The #$%s of good writing: Accuracy, Brevity, and Clarity.
#ccuracy is important because the person youre writing to does not" in
all probability" now you" nor is he liely to be familiar with the
circumstances" which caused you to write. Therefore be as speci&c as
possible" giving all the pertinent information as accurately as you can
in your letter to him.
$revity: 'ou can tae it for granted that the person youre writing to
hasnt the time to wade through a long letter. (f he receives a piece of
correspondence that runs more than a page" or two" hell probably slip
it at the bottom of the pile of incoming mail" with the thought that hell
loo at it when has more time.
#s a general rule" you can organise your letter into three parts:
tell why you are writing
give the important facts
)escribe what youd lie the recipient to do
%larity: (f you follow the suggestion for accuracy and brevity" youll
have gone a long way toward achieving clarity.
eep your paragraphs short
eep your sentences short
*eep your words short
avoid jargons and clich+s
dont use more words than you need to
,ive your letters the right loo:
The letter you write is a mirror that re-ects your appearance" taste"
and character. # sloppy letter ... the writing running up and down"
badly worded" badly spelled" paper and envelope unmatched" smeared
... proclaims the sort of person who has uncombed hair" stained shirt"
bathroom slippers" shirt not tuced in properly" etc. # persons
character may be revealed in his letter.
/urther" a messy letter is discourteous" clearly implying a lac of
interest and care on the part of the writer" which invites a similar
reaction by the reader.
0ome forms of correspondence must always be written by hand" and
the following rules are unbreaable e1cept for handicappes people who
otherwise could not write at all:
2ever type an invitation" an acceptance" or a regret
2ever type letters of congratulations or thans
2ever type letters or notes of condolence
The mechanics of the letter:
(f a letter is of two pages long" it is customary to use the &rst and third
pages" as this leaves the fourth page blan and prevents the writing
from showing through the envelope.
3ne may write on both sides of single.sheet stationery" but not if is air.
mail weight" since this thin paper allows the writing to show through"
maing the paper di4cult to read.
(f your stationery is not mared with your address" it is only courteous
to provide it for your correspondents convenience in replying. The
upper right hand corner of the &rst page is the usual place for the
address" but sometimes" especially on a short note" it may be included
in the lower left.hand part of the page just below the level of your
signature. (n either case" the date goes below your address.
The correct form for business letters demands that the receivers
address be put at the left" &ve lines below the level of the date and two
lines above the salutation.
5ersonal letters and notes" however" never have the address of the
receiver anywhere e1cept on the envelope itself.
/or business letters" the salutation may be 6)ear 0ir"7 6)ear 0irs7" or
6,entlemen7. When writing to a &rm or organi8ation composed of
women" the salutation is 6)ear 9adams7. (f you now the person
personally" then use 9r.:9s. ;;;;;;;;;. (f friends it could be )ear
5raash.
The best ending in a formal social note is 60incerely7" 60incerely
yours7" 6<ery sincerely7" or 6<ery sincerely yours7.
The close of a business letter should be 6'ours truly7 or 6<ery truly
yours7. 60incerely7 is also correct. 6=espectfully7 is used only by a
tradesman to a customer or by an employee to an employer.
6/aithfully7 or 6/aithfully yours7 is used when writing to superior
individuals lie the 5resident" ambassador" clergy.
60incerely7 in formal notes and 6#>ectionately7 or 6Love7 in friendly
notes are the most frequently used closings at present. 6,ratefully7 is
only used when a bene&t has been received.
Writing for (nformation:
'ou simply decide what you want to now and write it down as
concisely and clearly as possible.
?nless you go straight to the point several things could happen:
your letter wont be read
the reader might have to write bac and as you what you
meant
the answer may give you far more detail than you wanted"
because the respondent is guessing what you wanted.
0o:
0tate in the opening sentence the subject of your enquiry
/or each item of information you want" use a separate
paragraph
?nless youre asing for con&dential information" and need to
justify your request" dont overplay why you want the
information.
# good letter:
Dear Mr. Manager:
Would you be willing to share your experience as founder and
editor of a uarterly !aga"ine#
$peci%cally, &'d li(e to (now:
What ob)ectives the !aga"ine is designed to !eet,
the editorial policy which has been set, and
your !ethod of evaluating the success of your !aga"ine.
Any infor!ation you can give us will be a tre!endous help in
planning a !aga"ine we hope to launch here.
Many than(s for your ti!e and help.
Appreciatively
#void being negative ... its oay to be polite" but dont be totally
humble lie:
& (now & should'nt ta(e your valuable ti!e
& reali"e & a! i!posing, but *..
/or answering inquiries:
. be prompt
. be speci&c
. be polite
. say 6than you7.
Taing Written @1ams:
'ou should use your time wisely" and you should read test directions
and test questions carefully to avoid needless errors.#lmost all tests
have a time limit.
0ome teats are essentially power tests! you will have a liberal amount
of time to complete these. 3ther tests are essentially speed teats! you
will have to wor quicly through them and pace yourself to mae
optimum use of your time.
*now how long you have to complete your test. 9ae a mental note of
the number of minutes you are allowed to wor on the test questions.
2ormally indicated on the page.
Loo over the entire test before you start to answer any questions.
3nly by getting an idea of the tests scope ... how many and what type
of questions there are ... will you now how fast to wor through the
items. 5eriodically chec on your progress to maintain proper speed.
# perfectly 6correct7 and well.written answer to a question not ased
will receive no credit. /requently" understanding the question ased
may be more di4cult than the idea being tested for. 0pend more time
on questions that count the most.
#pplying for a job:
# well.written presentation of your wor history can help to point out
your quali&cations to an interested employer. (t could even create a
strong impression that may prejudice the interviewer in your favour.
+en parts of a successful resu!e:
2ame" address" telephone" e.mail" etc.
Title Aresume" wor e1perience" etc.B
)ate listings Astand alone in the left marginB
Cob data Alist &rst the title and then the name of the companyB
Cob description Aplay up the strongpointsB
0ome important points:
. ?nusual responsibility you were given
. @1amples of having helped the company grow
. How you saved money for the company
. How you were promoted rapidly
. any other recognition that showed your ability
@ducation Adegrees and datesB
5ersonal
0ervice Aarmed forces" territorial army" 2,3sB
=eferences
0alary desired
# coverig letter sent along with a resume can" if properly written" do a
good job of selling your abilities and calling attention to your strong
points.
. What is the main point ( want to get acrossD
9y e1perience" my fat rise or my general sales abilityD
%all attention to it in the beginning
*eep the covering letter short.
(ts a good idea to identify the date and newspaper in which the advert
youre answering appeared. The employer may have placed more than
one ad. /or the same reason" its also a good idea to mention the ind
of position for which you are applying.
Dear $ir:
,our advertise!ent for a production !anager in the May -.
+i!es of &ndia interested !e because your reuire!ents closely
parallel !y wor(ing experience.
As the enclosed resu!e indicates, &'ve had !ore than ten years
experience in all phases of production. /or the past eight years, &'ve
supervised a wor( force of a do"en people.
&'ll be happy to tell you !ore about !y experience in an
interview. ,ou could reach !e during the day at 000000000, and in the
evenings at 000000000.
$incerely
(f your quali&cations are not up to the mar:
Dear $ir:
&f an ability to ta(e direction well, and to carry out orders
faithfully, is i!portant to you, then & a! be a good !an for the )ob you
advertised in the +i!es of &ndia of August -1.
+he )ob sounds particularly interesting because it is precisely the
(ind of wor( & have wanted to do for !any years. My wor(ing
experience thus far has, & thin(, given !e the attitudes and the
understanding that would enable !e to learn the details of the position
you have advertised.
&'d very !uch appreciate the chance to tal( to you, and to get
your opinion on whether !y bac(ground and inclinations would be
suitable for the )ob you o2er.
& can be reached by telephone at 00000000000000.
$incerely
When you are sending resumes to prospective employers" youre at a
disadvantage if you dont now e1actly what their needs are. (n this
case" youll have to tae your chances" by trying either an all.purpose
letter" which calls attention to your availability" or else a more speci&c
letter emphasi8ing the areas in which you thin youre the strongest.
The latter is preferable. 'ou only live once" and you might as well
spend your woring hours doing a job for which you feel best quali&ed.
'ou will probably attract the attention of an employer who detests in
you a prospective employee who nows what he wants.
,ood writing is good business:
# sillful writer will cement and develop relations with an old customer.
# well.written letter will open the way for the development of a new
customer and for increased business. # carefully worded letter can
heal wounds" avoid a brea in communications" prevent the loss of
sales. # smartly written letter can brea through into areas you havent
reached before" carry your sales record to new highs.
5lan your correspondence. List the details your letter must cover" its
purpose or purposes. Then outline the order in which you will write
about these details" eeping in mind always the reason you are writing.
5lan to be concise" direct" and easy to understand. =emember that the
ultimate aim of every business letter is to develop in your reader the
sense that his dealings with you will bring him pro&t and perhaps
pleasure. )i4cult letters demand a carefully planned and tactful
response.
@very letter" which leaves your o4ce" is in one way or the other a sales
letter. (t carries the stamp of your &rm" its personality" its approach to
business" its customers" present or future. (t creates an atmosphere
about your company and its products! it maes for goodwill and
con&dence! it maes for sales.
# good business.letter must be creative.
'our language must be the readers language.
0top answering the letter and start answering the people. 'ou bring in
the warmth needed for a human document.
+en golden rules when picturing people you write to:
0tart with the attitude that you must create con&dence and a
warm feeling about your company.
*eep in mind the fact that you are selling and must thin as a
salesman.
To in-uence people the salesman has to tal the
readerslanguage.
To tal his language wemust stop answering letters and start
answering people.
(f you are to answer the person you are writing to in the
language hell understand and appreciate you must be a
letter detective Aanalyse the person from the letter he writes
to youB.
/orm the habit of studying every enquiry for clues to the
writers nature and personality.
Transpose. /orm a picture of the writer and then thin of a
friend with the same characteristics.
Write to your friend.
When answering a cold" formal letter" dig a little deeper till
you &nd something that represents the writer or" at least" his
basic interests.
When the writer reveals a lac of nowledge of your business
tae e1tra pains to mae your reply to him nontechnical and
full of understanding.
5lan your letters:
/ive guidelines for good planning:
*now the main reason youre writing
(s there another purpose the letter should accomplishD
(f your letter is to lead to direct action" be sure that you say
what it is" and how soon it should be taen.
$efore you do anything" set aside a speci&c time for handling
you correspondence E no interruptions.
Write notes to yourself when you plan" but dont write the
letter until youve phrased it in your mind.
,ood writers are more liely to:
reali8e that the &rst draft will not be perfect.
Write regularly.
$rea big jobs into small chuns.
Have a clear goal focusing on the purpose and the audience.
Have several di>erent strategies to choose from.
?se rules -e1ibly.
Wait to edit until after the &rst draft is complete.
,ood writers revise their drafts to improve content and clarity"
organi8ation and layout" and style and tone:
Content and clarity:
(s your view of purposes completeD )oes your document meet
the needs of the organi8ation and of the reader ... and mae
you loo goodD
Have you given readers all the information they need to
understand and act on your messageD
(s all the information accurateD
(s each sentence clearD (s the message free from apparently
contradictory statementsD
(s the logic clear and convincingD #re generali8ations and
bene&ts baced up with adequate supporting detailsD
3rganisation and layout:
(s the pattern of organi8ation appropriate to your purposes"
audience" and situationD
#re transitions between ideas smoothD )o ideas within
paragraphs -ow smoothlyD
)oes the design of the document mae it easy for readers to
&nd the information they needD (s the document visually
invitingD
#re the points emphasi8ed by the layout ones that deserve
emphasisD
#re the &rst and last paragraphs e>ectiveD
$tyle and tone:
(s the message easy to readD
(s the message friendly and free from se1ist languageD
)oes the message build goodwillD
%hec to be sure that the following are accurate:
0entence structure
0ubject.verb and noun.pronoun agreement
5unctuation
Word usage
0pelling ... including spelling of names
2umbers
3vercoming writers bloc:
Try to rede&ne the problem" purpose or audience. (f a fact"
constraint" or rule is maing it hard for you to write" abandon
it ... at least for this draft.
Try brainstorming" freewriting" or clustering.
Write the part that is the easiest to write. The parts of the
document dont need to be compose in the order in which
theyll appear in the &nal document.
)o something you can do without thining: tae a wal" fold
your laundry" #s you wor" try Fsaying ideas to yourself in
your head.
Try e1plaining what you mean to your friend.
)raw a picture or diagram of what you mean.
Try dictating the document.
5ut the document away for a while.
,uidelines for page design:
4se white space:
. 9aes material easier to read by emphasi8ing tha material that it
separates from the rest of the te1t.
. 2ormal margins must be of G7. %ould use larger ones to line up
with letterhead.
. %reate white space by varying paragraph length and using lists.
. # page loos easier to read when most of the paragraphs are
short.
. /irst and last paragraphs should be short ... just two to three
lines.
. ?se lists to emphasi8e material.
?se numbered lists when the number or sequence is e1act
?se bullets when the number and sequence does not
matter
4se headings:
Headings are words" short phrases" or short sentences that group
points and divide your letter" memo" or report into sections. Headings
enable your reader to see at a glance" how the document is organi8ed"
to turn quicly to itemsof special interest" and to compare and contrast
points more easily. Headings also brea up the page" maing it loo
less formidable and more interesting.
5i!it the use of word set in all capital letters:
?se capitals sparingly. /ull capitals mae reading HIJ slower.
5i!it the use of typefaces:
Try to use only one. 'ou could create emphasis and levels of emphasis
and levels of heading by using bold italics and di>erent si8es.
Writing letters and memos:
Letters go to someone outside your organi8ation! memos go to
someone in your own organi8ation.
9any organi8ations adopt a single format that all writers must use. (f
your organi8ation has a standard format" use it.
Letters and memos do not necessarily di>er in length" formality"
writing style" or pattern or organi8ation. However" letters and memos
do di>er in format.
9any organi8ations and writers choose one of three letter formats:
bloc
modi&ed bloc
#90 simpli&ed
'our organi8ation may mae minor changes from the diagrams in
margins or spacings.
Co!parisons of the three for!ats:
5articulars $loc 9odi&ed $loc #90
0impli&ed
)ate and signature Lined up at Lined upG:H or H:K Lined up at
bloc left margin over to the right left margin
5aragraph 2one 3ptional 2one
(ndentation
0alutation and 'es 'es 2one
complimentary close
0ubject line 3ptional =are 'es
Lists" if any (ndented (ndented #t left margin
Writers signature 'es 'es 2one
Writers typed ?pper and ?pper and /ull capital
name lower case lower case letters
A0ample /ormats are given in Lero1ed copiesB
9emos omit both the salutations and the close entirely. 9emos never use
indented paragraphs. 0ubject lines are required! headings are optional. @ach
heading must cover all the information until the ne1t heading. 2ever use a
separate heading for the &rst paragraph. (nitialing the memo in the To:/rom
bloc tells the reader that you have proof read the memo.
0ome organi8ations have letterhead for memos.
9anaging @.mail:
. 0et priorities and read the mail from your manager" your team" and
other important items &rst.
. Learn the advanced features of your e.mail system so that you can
&lter out messages you dont need to read and read and &le messages
you need to save in appropriate folders.
. 0ee if you can end the day with your e.mail all read and responded.
. Try to respond to the message immediately after you read them. 'ou
will have to read them again to regain the conte1t.
. 'our e.mail is public and can easily be forwarded to others. 0o be
careful on what you want to communicate on the e.mail.
. ,ood e.mail is short and direct.
0ome 0imple Letters
&nfor!al lunch or dinner invitation:
)ear #sho"
( have just heard from my mareting manager that you are planning to
be in %hennai ne1t wee. We are having our senior management lunch
on the GK
th
and we would lie you to join us. (n addition ( feel that it
would be of mutual bene&t if you would join the discussion" which
taes place afterwards.
We would be meeting at 6The *amaths7 hotel at GH:KI.
Will you be able to comeD
=egards
/or!al dinner invitation:
The formal third person invitation is usually engraved on a card" the
guests name being written in by hand.
9r. #nd 9rs 0hashan *arve
=equests the pleasure of the company of
9r. #nd 9rs. 5raash 0a1ena
#t dinner on
/riday GK
th
0eptember
#t eight ocloc
=0<5
MN Thadani 9arg
Worli" 9umbai Traditional
&nvitation to !a(e a speech or give a tal(:
)ear 9s. 5atil
The ne1t meeting of the association to be held on K 9ay at 6The
3rchid7" 0antacru8" will be devoted to new developments in the &eld of
contemporary fashions.
We are an1ious to secure a speaer of your distinction for the accasion"
and ( am writing to as whether you would consider addressing th
#ssociation members for KI to MN minutes on that date.
The meeting starts at O:KI p.m. and ( would be honoured if you would
be my guest at dinner beforehand. (t has to be a rather rushed a>air
under the circumstances" but if we meet at P:II pm" it would still allow
us some time to tal.
'ours sincerely
Acceptance of infor!al lunch or dinner:
)ear =oshan
( am delighted to accept your ind invitation to your senior
management lunch on GK
th
at 6The *amaths7. ( shall be there at GH:KI
as you suggest" and loo forward to a very interesting afternoon.
=egards
6efusal of invitation to )oin professional association:
)ear 9r. 2air
9any thans for your letter of HH #pril. ( am highly honoured by your
invitation to me to join the committee of the $oard of )irectors.
( wish ( could undertae the tas" but unfortunately my crowded
schedule would not enable me to give the undertaing the time and
attention it deserves. ( must therefore you to e1cuse me.
( hope you understand" and do please than the other members for
their con&dence in me.
'ours sincerely
A new business or professional appoint!ent:
)ear )r. Coshi
( was delighted to learn that you have been appointed %hief
#dministrative o4cer of Hospital 0ervices.
( now you wll mae a resounding success of it" as you have of all your
undertaings. We" as a company loo forward to cooperating with you
in any way we can.
9eanwhile" please accept my congratulations and good wishes.
'ours sincerely
/or outstanding wor(:
)ear ,agan
This is just a note to tell you how much ( appreciated the outstanding
e>ort" which your whole department put into getting the direct mail
brochures printed and distributed on time.
Without everyones wholehearted e>ort it could not have been done
and ( want you to convey my sincere thans to every one of your sta>.
(t was a splendid e>ort.
=egards
7ro!otion of sta2 !e!ber:
)ear Cani
%ongratulations on your promotion to @ngineering manager. #s you
now this gesture is in recognition of your conscientious and e4cient
wor as a 0enior engineer during the past four years.
9y best wishes for your continued success.
=egards
Appreciation for a business gift:
)ear =atan
( was absolutely delighted to receive such an elegant gift. The
e1quisite pen is indeed a beauty to behold and use. (t was ind of you
to reward me in this way for the slight help ( gave you in editing some
chapters of your boo.
%ongratulations on a splendid job" best wishes for its success" and
thans again for such a wonderful gift.
'ours sincerely
/or !a(ing a speech 8 giving a tal(:
)ear 9s. <aijayanti
'our tal to our members last night was one of the most outstanding
we have heard at the association for a long time. The originality of your
approach to environmental issues will give our members much food for
thought.
Than you for sharing with us your unique e1periences in the &eld of
water pollution. ( am sure many of our members will adopt some of
your methods in their own factories.
=egards
/or loyal service:
)ear )eepa
Twenty.&ve years with one company is a long time and a rare
achievement these days. When this quarter of a century has been
devoted consistently to hard wor" cheerful cooperation and unstinting
loyalty" then it is a record anyone may be proud of. #nd this is just
what you have done.
( now you heard all this at the %elebration )inner" but ( very much
wanted to tell you in my own words just how proud of you ( am and
how much ( have appreciated your loyalty throughout the years.
9y heartfelt personal thans go with you as you begin your HQ
th
year
with the &rm.
'ours sincerely
/or !essage of condolence or sy!pathy:
)ear #ash
Than you for your ind words of sympathy. #t a time of great personal
sorrow such as this" there is no greater solace than the nowledge that
our friends are there and feel with us.
Than you again
)ear 9r. =ao
'our ind words of sympathy on the death of our 9anaging )irector" 9r
)eepa )alal" were deeply appreciated.
His sudden loss has been a great shoc to us" and his absence will be
eenly felt by all at Dalal's.
#t a time such as this your friendship and indness are a great comfort
to us all.
'ours sincerely
5etters of seasonal greetings:
)ear 5aul
#s the bells ring out the 3ld 'ear" we would be ungrateful if we failed
to turn our thoughts bac to the year that has gone by and to the
valued support you have given us during that time.
We sincerely appreciate your loyalty and feel this is the time of the
year to e1press our thans and send you our very best wishes for the
coming year. 9ay it be a happy and prosperous one.
'ours sincerely
5etters of apology:
)ear 9r. 5atil
We are very sorry to learn that the chair you purchased from us seems
to be of inferior quality" and we have noti&ed the manufacturer of our
dissatisfaction.
We certainly want you to be happy with any purchase you mae with
ABC /urnishers.
Will you indly telephone 9r. 5arab" our departmental manager" and
advise him of the time and date when it will be convenient to have the
chair piced up. Would you also let us now whether you wish to
choose a replacement" or if you would prefer to have the =s. G"NII:.
credited to your account.
We do apologise for the inconvenience caused and we than you for
calling the matter to our attention.
'ours sincerely
)ear 9s. =ege
5lease accept my apologies for what happened yesterday. ( fully
e1pected to be bac at the o4ce by the time you arrived" but an
appointment ept me tied up tillH.KI pm and the e1asperatingly slow.
moving tra4c delayed me still further.
)o please give me an opportunity to mae amends ne1ttime you come
to 9umbai.
'ours sincerely
/a!ily bereave!ent, colleagues and business associates:
)ear #parna
( was most distressed to hear you had lost your mother. Words are such
poor comforters at a time such as this" yet it can be of some solace to
now that our friends are close to us and feel with us in our grief.
)o be assured that (am at hand and if there is anything at all ( can do"
please let me now.
'ours sincerely
)ear 9r. $aer
(t is with deep regret that we have just heard of the death of your wife.
We are aware of the scant solace" which words can bring at this time"
but all of us here at 7ropac( want you to now you have our deepest
sympathy.
'ours sincerely
3n the death of a co!pany executive:
)ear 0irs
The entire 7ropac( organi8ation joins me in e1pressing our deepest
sympathy in the loss of your 9anaging )irector" )r. Harish 5atel.
His sterling qualities earned him and your company numerous friends
in the profession and he will be mourned and missed by many.
'ours faithfully
5etter of resignation:
)ear 0ir:9adam
=esignation: 9.*. 2air
(n accordance with the conditions of my letter of appointment of K
Canuary HIIG" ( wish to give you three months notice of my resignation
on KI )ecember HIIH.
( have recently been o>ered a position with a higher salary and with
good prospects for promotion" which ( have decided to accept.
( would lie to than you sincerely for your help and support in the
past.
'ours faithfully
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSSSSSRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
#LL TH@ $@0T