UNIT iii

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Principles of Business correspondence or communication:or points to be kept in mind while drafting a letter.

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Simplicity - Any kind of business correspondence should always be simple . Simple words reach the intelligence and feeling more surely and naturally.Pompous and superfluous words should be avoided.For example rather than saying we are endeavouring to procure it is advisable to say we are trying to obtain. Conversational style Modern day executive likes to use friendly and conversational style in preference to the dull and stiff style of correspondence that was in fashion a fewyears ago.He likes to follow the soundest principles of communication that demand a letter , like face to face- taking, to be interactive.All writing like all speaking should be interactive. Clarity of Goal Both in thought and expression we have to be clear in our correspondence. Every letter is a reflection of the writers mind. He should therefore be clear about what information he is seeking or wishingto give. This is his primary goal , and he must have all the facts and figures about that information ready at hand. Public relation aspect Besides aiming at the immediate goal, business correspondence is also deeply concerned with the image of the company in the eyes of public. People form images about companies from many sources, and correspondence is a major factor among them. The letters flowing out of a company make strong impressions.All effective correspondence has therefor e, the broad objective of enhancing the companys public relations. You-attitude The most effective business letters are those that show the writers interest in the receiver. It means that the writer has to view things from the readers point of view so as to get a favourable response from him. Every human being is interested in himself and in furthering his own interest. Communication experts , therefore advise us to shift our focus from I and we to you and your. As a result the drafting of the letter will be reflected in generous use of second person pronouns and will show genuine concern for the receiver Courtesy. When we adopt the you- attitude for mutual benefit it is but natural that our tone becomes courteous.It must also be kept in mind that the overall tone of courtesy excludes the element of anger and preaching that very often spoil communication. Sincerity Sincerity means that our readers must believe what we say. They must be convinced that we are genuinely interested in mutual well being.But it also means that we do not sound insincere or hypocritical through words of questionable value. Words of exaggeration like extraordinary, sensational, revolutionary , greatest amazing etc must be avoided in letters. Positive language- Use of positive language becomes all the more important in business leter, the primary aim of which is to build up the best of human relations and to earn business. Positive words stir up positive feelings. Needless to say that negative words have exactly opposite effect. That is why it is advisable to avoid using negative words like failure, refuse, do not loss, damage etc.It should be our effort o find positive substitutes for them.

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So we can sum up by saying that: The main principle of business communication is about choosing words. Always choose understandable, concrete and strong words. Positive words are the strength of any business communication. The other important principle is about developing sentences. Compose clear and short sentences. Prefer active voice and give the sentences the right emphasis. Then comes forming paragraphs.Develop short and clear and logical paragraphs. There must be a unity in all the paragraphs.

PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER

The Heading or Letterhead - Companies usually use printed paper where heading or letterhead is specially designed at the top of the sheet. It bears all the necessary information about the organisations identity. Date - Date of writing. The month should be fully spelled out and the year written with all four digits October 12, 2005 (12 October 2005 - UK style). The date is aligned with the return address. The number of the date is pronounced as an ordinal figure, though the endings st, nd, rd, th, are often omitted in writing. The article before the number of the day is pronounced but not written. In the body of the letter, however, the article is written when the name of the month is not mentioned with the day. The Inside Address - In a business or formal letter you should give the address of the recipient after your own address. Include the recipient's name, company, address and postal code. Add job title if appropriate. Separate the recipient's name and title with a comma. Double check that you have the correct spelling of the recipient 's name. The Inside Address is always on the left margin. If an 8 1/2" x 11" paper is folded in thirds to fit in a standard 9" business envelope, the inside address can appear through the window in the envelope. The Greeting - Also called the salutation. The type of salutation depends on your relationship with the recipient. It normally begins with the word "Dear" and always includes the person's last name. Use every resource possible to address your letter to an actual person. If you do not know the name or the sex of of your reciever address it to Dear Madam/Sir (or Dear Sales Manager or Dear Human Resources Director). As a general rule the greeting in a business letter ends in a colon (US style). It is also acceptable to use a comma (UK style). The Subject Line (optional) - Its inclusion can help the recipient in dealing successfully with the aims of your letter. Normally the subject sentence is preceded with the word Subject: or Re: Subject line may be emphasized by underlining, using bold font, or all captial letters. It is usually placed one line below the greeting but alternatively can be located directly after the "inside address," before the "greeting." The Body Paragraphs - The body is where you explain why youre writing. Its the main part of the business letter. Make sure the receiver knows who you are and why you are writing but try to avoid starting with "I". Use a new paragraph when you wish to introduce a new idea or element into your letter. Depending on the letter style you choose, paragraphs may be indented. Regardless of format, skip a line between paragraphs. The Complimentary Close - This short, polite closing ends always with a comma. It is either at the left margin or its left edge is in the center, depending on the Business Letter Style that you use. It begins at the same column the heading does. The traditional rule of etiquette in Britain is that a formal letter starting "Dear Sir or Madam" must end "Yours faithfully", while a letter starting "Dear " must end "Yours sincerely". (Note: the second word of the closing is NOT capitalized) Signature and Writers identification - The signature is the last part of the letter. You should sign your first and last names. The signature line may include a second line for a title, if appropriate. The signature should start directly above the first letter of the signature line in the space between the close and the signature line. Use blue or black ink. Initials, Enclosures, Copies - Initials are to be included if someone other than the writer types the letter. If you include other material in the letter, put 'Enclosure', 'Enc.', or ' Encs. ', as appropriate, two lines below the last entry. cc means a copy or copies are sent to someone else.

Business Letter Format

First and Last Name of the Person to whom you are writing Their Street Address City, pin code Dear Mr./Ms. Full Name: [Salutation]

[Inside Address]

You do not want to indent when you are using this format. This is the best format to use when you are writing a persuasive letter. You want to introduce yourself and the topic you are writing about to the reader. Remember that the first rule of writing is to know your audience. In a persuasive letter, you state your opinion or your feelings about something that is important to you after you have introduced yourself. You must sound as professional and passionate as possible. You do not want to [Body] belittle the reader or they will not finish reading your letter. Your letter needs to have the facts, reasons, and examples to support your position. Address issues that your reader may have in their argument. In a second paragraph, you must have solutions. Without solutions, you are only complaining. Offer assistance in solving the problem. Remind the reader where they can contact you. Sincerely yours, A. Student [Signature]

KINDS OF BUSINESS LETTERS Business Letters

Information letter

Sales letter

Problem letter

Goodwill letter