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Layouts of Business Letters

The document discusses the layout and structure of business letters. It provides details on the basic elements of a business letter including the heading, inside address, salutation, body, complimentary close, and signature. It then describes 5 common letter formats - fully indented style, semi-indented style, full block style, modified block style, and the Noma simplified style. Finally, it discusses the planning process for effective business letters including determining objectives, evaluating the reader, and outlining contents.

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angelinstanley2003
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65 views25 pages

Layouts of Business Letters

The document discusses the layout and structure of business letters. It provides details on the basic elements of a business letter including the heading, inside address, salutation, body, complimentary close, and signature. It then describes 5 common letter formats - fully indented style, semi-indented style, full block style, modified block style, and the Noma simplified style. Finally, it discusses the planning process for effective business letters including determining objectives, evaluating the reader, and outlining contents.

Uploaded by

angelinstanley2003
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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LAYOUTS OF BUSINESS LETTER

BASIC ELEMENTS
• A business letter is composed of basic and miscellaneous parts. Its
basic elements (Menoy, 2009) are the following:

1. Heading—consists of the sender’s address and the date line (month, day, and
year);
2. Inside address—consists of the name of the addressee (recipient), his
designation, his company and its business address;
3. Salutation—serves as the welcome part of the letter;
4. Body of the letter—gives the details of the communication and consists of
the introduction (purpose), the body (discussion/elaboration), and the conclusion
(token of appreciation/call for action/building of goodwill);
5. Complimentary close/ending—serves as the farewell part of the letter.
6. Salutation
7. Signature—consists of the name of the signatory (sender) and his
designation.
Types of Business letters:

1. Inquiry Letters :the purpose of this letter is :Ask for information which includes :
 State clearly what information you are requesting and why
 Write specific, concise, to the point questions that are both easy to understand and easy to
answer
 Specify when you need the answers by
 Thank the reader

2. Special Request Letters : the purpose of this letter is : Make a special demand
which includes
 State clearly who you are and why you are writing
 Convince the reader to help
 Show you are hard working
 Discuss your reason for the request
 Show you understand the situation and have done research
 Discuss why the person you are writing to is the best person to help
 Specify when you need the answers by
3. Sales Letters the purpose of this letter is purpose: to persuade the
readers to “buy” a product, service, idea, or point of view which includes
• Grab the reader’s attention
• Highlight the product’s appeal
• Show the product's use
• Conclude with a request for action (buy it!)
• Appeal to the reader with reader-centered issues (health, convenience,
service, saving money…)

4. Customer Relations Letters : the purpose of this letter is purpose :


establish and maintain good relationships with the customers

5. Claim Letters: the purpose of this letter is : Express a complaint and


request specific action
• Clearly describe product or service with necessary details
• Explain the problem with details
• Propose a fair, precise, and appropriate request/adjustment
• Present an explicit deadline
• Adjustment Letters: the purpose of this letter is : Respond
to claim letter with solution
• Work to reconcile the situation and restore the customer's trust
in your company
• “Be prompt, courteous, and decisive”
• Use a positive or neutral tone without being begrudging or
taking full blame
• Start with an apology and admit claim is justified
• Quickly present favorable news
Planning business letter
Successful or effective business letters are always planed. The
actual purpose (s) cannot be fulfilled without proper planning.
Efficient writers give emphasis on the planning of business
letters, because each business letter has a long term effect. The
steps in planning business letters are as follows:
1. Determination of objectives:
Business letters are written to serve specific objectives. Thus
before writing the letter the writer should determine-
i. What is the primary or basic reason for writing the letter and
ii. What are the secondary reasons (if any)

• A business letter without an objective is like ‘a ship without a


compass.’
2. Evaluation of the reader’s position:
One thing must be realized by the letter writer that he/she is not
writing the letter for himself /herself. That is in writing letters the
writer always need to be careful about the point: “This letter will be
read by another person and his/her attitude and level of
understanding are different from the writer”.
Communication experts termed this point as a ‘psychological
technique’.
• To evaluate the reader’s position following points need to be
considered:
i. Collection of information from previous contacts with the reader
ii. Cultural background of the reader
iii. Religious background of the reader
iv. Educational background of the reader
v. Understanding level of the reader
vi. Need of the reader
vii. In case of reply to a letter the ‘tone’ of that letter must be
considered.
• 3. Outline the contents:
It is the rough drafting of the letter. Before
writing the actual letter an outline enables a
writer to revise the whole thing and to check
the order of the letter.

These are the major steps of planning of


a business letter which need to be followed to
ensure effective writing.
Layouts of Business Letters
Lay-out
Meaning

 It includes:-
1. Physical form of the letter.
2. Arrangement of the parts of letter.
3. Display of the various items of information
in the letter.
Lay-outs of the Business letter

• Fully Indented Style

• Semi-Indented Style

• Full Block Style

• Modified Block Style

• The Noma Simplified Style


Fully Indented style
• Oldest Style and Outdated.
• Addresses are in indented style
• Every paragraph begins with three to five spaces
away from left margin.
• Indention causes the letter to look uneven.
• Takes more time to type due to indenting.
Heading-Name of the Company

Company’s Address
Phone No.
Date
Inside Name
Address

Salutation

Subject

Body of the Letter

Complimentary Close

Signature &
Designation
Semi-Indented Style
• Also called semi block form.
• Inside address in block form
• Beginning of every paragraph is indented
• Date and complimentary close are on right
side
• Salutation and complimentary close are
followed by comma in traditional style
Heading-Name & Address of the Company

Date

Inside Name
Address
Salutation
Subject

Body of the Letter

Complimentary Close

Signature &
Designation
Full Block Style
• Modern Style.
• No indention from the left margin.
• Address has no punctuation at the end of the
line.
• Salutation and complimentary close do not have
comma at the end.
• Every line begins at the left margin
• Style looks heavy on the left and blank on right.
• Increases the speed of the typist.
Heading-Name of the Company
Company’s Address
Phone No.
Date

Inside Name &


Address

Salutation
Subject

Body of the Letter

Complimentary Close

Signature &
Designation
Modified Block Style

• Modification of fully-blocked style.

• Date and complimentary close on the right


side.

• The subject of the letter is at centre.

• Gives the letter a balanced appearance.


Heading-Name & Address of the Company

Date

Inside Name &


Address

Salutation

Subject

Body of the Letter

Complimentary Close

Signature &
Designation
The Noma-Simplified Style
• Recommended by the National office Management
Association(NOMA) of America for business letters.

• Modification of the fully-blocked style.

• Professional and focused without unnecessary


formality.

• Salutation and the complimentary closing are not


used in this style.
Heading-Name & Address of the Company
Tel No.

Date

Inside Name &


Address

Subject

Body of the Letter

Signature &
Designation

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