Types of written

communication in
Business
Different forms of written communication used in organizations,
such as
• business letters
• memorandum,
• office order,
• Office circular, notice, agenda, minutes, and performance
appraisal
What are the different parts of business letter and formats.
Different types of business letters, such as
• enquiry letters,
• formal invitation letters,
• letters of appointment
• quotation and business tender letters,
• order letters.
 Letters / Business letters
• a written, typed, or printed communication
• Letters and memos are brief pieces of communications.
They tend to act upon the receiver‘s feeling of thoughts
with great power
• Business letters are concerned not only with industrial
and commercial life but also with business side of
personal life like
• house,
• purchase maintenance of property,
• employment of domestic staff,
• income tax,
• insurance of property,
• house hold use etc”.
 Why Business Letters?
• It constitutes permanent written records of
transactions.
• So letter writing becomes very important in the
business world.
• It has now the practice for parties to confirm in
the form of letters what they have already agreed
upon orally or over the telephone.
 Objectives of Business letter
• To inform readers about specific information
related to business
• To persuade others to take action.
• To propose ideas in business.
• To advertise or to promote.
• To grab and retain the readers attention.
• To analyze the audience and determine the
purpose
Every organization has to continuously promote and expand its
business. All information on its product and service gets
updated through a business letter sent to customers and clients.
A business letter serves certain important functions :
• 1. A business letter acts as a representative of the
organization. It is an inexpensive substitute for a personal
visit.
• 2. It seeks to provide information on subjects connected with
business.
• 3. A business letter provides valuable evidence for a
transaction and thus serves a legal purpose.
• 4. A business letter becomes a reference material to future
transactions between organizations and individuals.
• 5.A business letter motivates all the people involved in a
business to a higher and better level of performance.
 Writing Routine Letters
• Letters that please the receiver are called
“good-news” letters.
• Those that are neither please nor displease but
are received with interest are known as
“routine” letters.
• Routine claim letters and ‘yes’ replies
• Routine request letters and ‘no’ replies
• Routine order letters and ‘yes’ replies
1. A claim is demand or request for something to which
one has a right.
Ex: Refund, payment for damages, a replacement for
something defective, exchanges and so on.
2. It is a letter to say vendor, requesting information
about a product, should state clearly and completely what
information is desired. A request for information should
not suggest that the writer wants to place an order
3. Routine orders should be explicit and thorough and
they should be clear about what they expect by giving
complete details of the desired product. This includes
specifying the time of delivery on the mode of shipment.
There should be no ambiguity or chance of confusion or
misunderstanding.
 Writing a Persuasive Letter
• Letters that arouse the reader’s interest and induce him or
her to act as directed are essentially letters that sell ideas
to others are called as persuasive letters
• Persuasion is used when we suspect that the reader will
not be ordinarily interested in the message and the action
to be taken.
• Persuasive writing is where you try to convince someone
to take a particular issue on a point of voice.
Example: Our store has the lowest prices and the best
selection of all of the stores in the town. Visit us today to
see our great selection
 Positive Message
• The primary purpose of a positive message is to give
good news or information
• It is used for building good will between the reader
and writer. Such messages are received favorably by
readers.
Example: To congratulate someone.
Structure
• State the positive message
• Provide details
• Close on a friendly note
 Negative Messages
• Bad news or request when it is rejected
• Communicating negative messages is a fact of life
for all managres, from rejecting job applicants to
telling customers that consignments will be late to
turning down a loan approval.
• Structure
• Use of a buffer
• Provide explanation
• Offer alternatives
• Use a positive closing
 Other types of letters
• Complaint letter
• Adjustment letter
• “please accept my apology for the incorrect shipment
of Motors and the delay in reshipping the order. It
was our mistake”
• Interview letter
• Appointment letter
• Promotion letter
• Termination letter
• Transfer letter
Different forms of Written Communication
Used in Organizations

• Business letters
• Memorandum
• Office order
• Office circular
• Notice, agenda and minutes
• Performance appraisal
• Enquiry letters
 Business Letters
• Business letters are part and parcel of any business
organization because of the following reasons:
• Drafting at convenience
• Extensive reach
• A record for the purpose of law
• A record for reference
• Solidifies a business brand
• Helps to expand business
• Saves money in communication
• Convenient for giving `not-so-good’ news
 Standard structure/ Parts of a Business Letter
•Main Parts (Mandatory) of a Business Letter are:
•1. Heading
•2. Inside address (receiver’s address)
•3. Salutation
•4. Body of the letter
•5. Complimentary close
•6. Signature
•The heading has two sub-parts: (a) letterhead and (b) dateline.
Letterhead: It is the printed stationery that business houses use for their inter-
organizational communication. It includes the company’s name, logo, address, web
site, contact details such as phone numbers, fax numbers, e-mail addresses, etc.
Dateline: Writing the date is important in all types of letters. The date of writing
the letter is mentioned one line below the last line of the upper part of the letterhead,
without using the word ‘date’.
•Organizations located in different geographical regions/countries follow varied
styles for writing the date in their business letters.
Dateline style followed in different countries
• Inside address (receiver’s address): It is used in both
formal and informal letters. It consists of the
receiver’s courtesy title, the receiver’s name, the
receiver’s professional title, department name,
company name, the receiver’s street address, city,
state, and PIN code. It is written/typed in the left
margin, a minimum of three lines beneath the dateline.
• Salutation: It is the message greeting. It is the
equivalent of Namaste or Namaskaar in India. It is
worded to complement the first line of the mailing
address and the relationship between the sender and
the receiver. Either a mixed or open punctuation style
can be used. It is omitted in the simplified letter
format. It is written/typed in the left margin.
• Body of the letter: It contains the real message of the letter. It
begins below the salutation, with a double-spaced line in
between. It uses single spacing within paragraphs, double
spacing between them. It may have blocked or indented
paragraphs, depending on the letter format. It can be broken
down into convenient paragraphs.

• Complimentary close: It ends the message. This is

equivalent to ‘Goodbye’ in conversation, and is followed by
the signature of the writer. It is worded to match the formality
of the letter. It is written/typed in double-spaced format after
the paragraph text and placed horizontally to align with the
date (if it is written in the left hand upper corner of the letter).
Uppercase is used only for the first letter of the first word. It is
punctuated using the same style used in the salutation. The
degree of formality used in the complimentary conclusion
depends on the relationship between the sender and receiver.
• Signature block: It contains the writer’s signed name,
written/typed name, and title.
It is written/typed four lines beneath the complimentary
conclusion.
It may mention the writer’s courtesy title before the name,
especially when the name doesn’t suggest writer’s gender.
It is signed (without courtesy title) in the space between the
complimentary close and the written/typed name.
Complimentary close/signatory used with different types of salutations
Different types of signature blocks
 Letter Formats
• Depending on the organization’s culture, letters can be
written in different formats and styles. However, the
commonly used letter formats are:
• Full block format
• Modified block format
• Semi-block format
• Full Block Format
• Here, all parts of the letter are aligned at the left margin.
It is the simplest of the letter formats.
Full block format of a business letter
• Modified Block Format
In this format, your return address, dateline,
complimentary close, signature block, and
printed name are all indented to the right half of
the page.
Heading and conclusion use your own discretion
and make sure it looks presentable.
Modified block format of a business letter
• Semi-block Format
In this format, your address, the date (the date can
actually go on either the left or the right side), the
closing, signature, and printed name are all
indented to the right half of the page
The first line of each paragraph is always planned.
first line of each paragraph is the only difference
between the semi-block and the modified block
formats.
Semi-block (Indented) format of a business letter
 Memorandum
• Memorandum is the Latin word “memo rare” which means ‘to
mention’ or tell.
• It is more informal than a proper letter, and is a quick and
precise way of informing people or getting things done.
• A memo has a twofold purpose—they bring attention to
problems and to solve problems.
• It travels upward, downward, laterally, and diagonally within the
organization.
• It accomplishes its goals by informing the reader about new
information like policy changes, price increases, or by
persuading the reader to take an action, such as attending a
meeting etc.
• Regardless of the specific goal, a memo is most effective when
it connects the purpose of the sender with the interests and needs
of the receiver.
 Advantages of a Memo
• It is a simplified form of communication so it takes less time
to compose than letters.
• It may be addressed to multiple receivers.
• It is less formal (but not casual) than letters. Informal, routine,
or brief reports are often distributed within an organization in
a memo form.
• It may be delivered by hand, by the postal service, or through
an e-mail.
• The receiver gets no time and the facility to think and act.
• It is a legal document setting out the terms of an agreement or
contract as in a ‘Memorandum of Sale’, a ‘Memorandum of
Shipment’, or a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’.
 Enquiry letter
• A letter of enquiry is a letter of request addressed to a specific
person.
• The objective is to get the reader to respond with an action
that satisfies the request.
• An enquiry letter is written by a buyer seeking details of
the quality, quantity, and price of goods or services along
with the terms and conditions for procuring them (from a
seller).

• The response to an enquiry letter is clear, concise and at the

same time, complete it all respects.
 Order Letter
• Letters dealing with payments and orders on products
or merchandise of business activity are called order
letters.
• Objective is to provide detailed instructions to a
vendor fulfilling an order.
• It also serves as a legal document recording the
transaction.
• Reply to order, change in order and cancellation of
order are also a types of letters
 Office Order
• An office order is, as the word signals, an order
containing directions or instructions from a manager to
subordinates.

• It is a downward communication tool.

• It may be used for conveying an instruction about

maintaining punctuality or a change in working hours
which is required to be complied with by the recipient.

• In case of non-compliance of office orders, disciplinary

action may be initiated.
 Office Order (Cont.)
• In an organization, office orders may be issued
on a variety of occasions such as transfers,
the extension of the probation period of an
employee, refusing leave to an employee, for
compelling someone to work overtime to
complete work, distribution of work, termination
(dismissal) of services of an employee, granting
promotion to an employee, declaring benefits, or
for other office work.

• It is mainly used in government departments and

public companies.
 Office Circular
• An office circular is used to bring important issues to the
notice of employees or department heads.
• It may be used for conveying a scheme of discounts, a
facility to employees, etc.
• It is in form of a letter addressed to all branches or
departments of an organization and is drafted in such a
way that the information is clear to all.
• Whenever the management has to convey anything to the
whole organization or a particular department, it uses
office circulars.
• The following is the difference between an office circular
and a circular letter.
Differences between office circulars and circular letters
 Notice, Agenda and Minutes
• Notices, agendas and minutes are some formal forms of written
communication used in organizations. Though they are
primarily intra-organizational in nature, they can also be used
for inter-organizational purposes.

• Notice - A notice is a piece of information concerning a fact

communicated to person(s)—employee(s), client(s),
customer(s), supplier(s) or any other business associate(s)—by
an authorized person of an organization. In an intra-
organizational communication context, where holding routine,
functional, departmental, or board meetings is a frequent
phenomena, notices of meetings along with the agenda are sent
to all members in advance. A notice is also an important
requirement in ending legal relationships.
•Agenda - The agenda is a list of issues that need to be taken up in a meeting
in a specific order, usually pre-announced. It usually includes one or more
specific items that need to be discussed in order to take decisions. It may also
include allotment of specific time slots for one or more activities. It is
usually distributed to a meeting’s participants prior to the meeting along with
the notice of the meeting, so that they may be aware of the subjects/topics
going to be discussed, and are able to prepare for the meeting accordingly.

•Minutes - Minutes are the written records of a meeting. They often give an
overview of the structure of the meeting, starting with a list of those present,
a statement of the various issues before the participants, and their respective
responses. They are often drafted by a secretary or personal assistant present
at the meeting, who may record the meeting in shorthand, and then type the
minutes and send them to all the participants and concerned people
afterwards. The minutes of certain entities such as a corporate board of
directors can be used as important legal documents.
 Different Types of Business Letters
• There are various kinds of letters for different purposes.
Letters can be broadly classified in two categories as:
Formal letters
Informal letters
• Formal letters comprise official letters, business letters, letters
of complaints, applications, goodwill letters, letters to editors,
etc.
• Informal letters take account of personal letters, letters that
are written to our friends, family, and close business
associates.
• Formal letters can be further divided into two types:
 Business to Business (B-to-B) type letters
 Business to Client (B-to-C) type letters
• Business to Business (B-to-B) Type Letters - These are
letters that an organization sends to their existing,
prospective, internal or external business associates;
financial institutions such as banks; regulatory bodies such
as income tax offices; and government agencies such as the
Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

• Business to Client (B-to-C) Type Letters - These are

letters that organizations send to their existing clients—
internal or external.
 Formal Invitation Letters
• Formal invitations are sent by organizations on special
occasions such as product or service launches,
inauguration of office facilities or manufacturing units,
acquisitions and mergers, annual sales meeting, etc. to
invite dignitaries, the media, suppliers, clients, or any
other stakeholder—internal or external.

• An invitation may be printed in the form of an

invitation card or drafted in the form of an invitation
letter.
 Quotations and Business Tender Letters
• Quotations and business tender letters are some
of the most formal written communications used
in government organizations and business houses.

• They are normally written to be published in

newspapers or company web sites.
 Quotation Letters
• In a commercial context, a quotation is a statement of the price
of an item/service or of the market price of a security or
commodity.

• It also refers to the price stated in response to an enquiry.

• A bid or offer (of a security) is the price at which buyers and

sellers are willing to purchase or sell.

• The bid shows the current price at which a buyer is willing to

purchase something.

• The quantities at which these trades are placed are referred to

• An offer is a communication that gives the receiver
the power to conclude a contract.
• After receiving an enquiry letter from a willing
party, the selling party writes a quotation letter
responding to the queries made in the enquiry
letter.
• Since a quotation letter is written in response to an
enquiry letter, it first acknowledges with thanks the
interest shown by the buying party in purchasing
goods/services from their company.
• It also furnishes all the product-related information
asked for by the willing buying party.
 Reports
A report can be defined as a communication in which the
writer gives information to some individual or organization
because it is his or her responsibility to do so.
It is a logical and coherent structuring of information, ideas
and concepts which are already brought into actions.
•They have structured format
•They use language that is concise and concrete
•They contain recommendations and conclusions
•They make use of tables and graphs
•They are usually preceded by a summary
•They can also be oral but essays are only written
 Business Report
• Business Report is an impartial, objective,
planned presentation of facts to one or more
persons for specific, significant business purpose.

• The report facts could relate to events,

conditions, qualities, progress, results, products,
problems, or suggested solutions.
 Purpose of Report
• To give information about a company’s
activities, progress, plans and problems.
• To record events for future reference in decision
making.
• To recommend specific action.
• To justify and persuade readers about the need
for action in controversial situations.
• To present facts to the management to help
decide the direction the business should choose.
Objectives of the Report
• To inform about the progress.
• To communicate the changes.
• To analyze the inputs against the outputs.
• To share the information with others.
• To analyze the recommendations.
• To be prepared for risk reduction.
• To plan accordingly for up-coming period.
 Kinds of Reports
• Routine Reports
• Progress report
• Inspection report
• Performance appraisal report
• Periodical report
• Special Reports
• Investigation report
• Survey report
• Project report
• Informational Report
• Analytical report