Modern Business Writing
Letters 5.2.1 Structure of a letter
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- 5.2.2 Business letter examples
5.2 Letters5.2.1 Structure of a letterThe business or formal letter usually consists of the following parts: Address The address of the (private) writer of a business or formal letter is written on the right-hand side of the page. A letter from an organisation will have an official letterhead. The name and address of the recipient are written on the left-hand side of the page. Example 340 Walker Street SUNNYSIDE 0002
15 September 2009 The Commissioner South African Revenue Service Private Bag X923 Pretoria
0001 The business or formal letter is always directed to a person or designation and not to the name of the organisation. For instance, a letter to SARS is directed to The Commissioner. Date Position the date above the details of the addressee. Salutation Double space (or as much as you need to put the body of the letter in the centre) and include the salutation. When the recipient’s name is known the most common form of salutation is: Dear Mr Khumalo Should the recipient have a title, for example “Professor”, it must be used in the place of “Mr”. The abbreviated form of the title may be used: for example Prof., Dr, Rev. Note: A full stop is not used in abbreviations when the abbreviation ends with the same letter as the word or title which has been abbreviated. When the recipient’s name is not known you may use the form Dear Sir or Dear Madam. The term Messrs is no longer in use. Subject line or heading The subject line is an indication of what the letter is about. It must be short, even a single word and clearly detail the contents of the letter. Use capital letters The abbreviation “Re” to introduce the content reference (i.e. Re interest on provisional tax) is no longer used. There is no full stop after the subject line. A line is left open after the salutation and the content reference. It is no longer considered wrong to write business letters in the first person. Generally, when you are writing on behalf of your firm you should say we, but if you have had personal contact with the addressee, e.g. by telephone, you may say ‘I’. The first paragraph Give the reason for writing. If you are replying to a letter, you should acknowledge receipt of it. If you have not used a heading, your first paragraph should also refer to the subject matter, e.g. “Thank you for your letter of 11 September 2009 about non-receipt of funds …”Most business letters, however, should have a heading. Introduce your subject at the beginning of your letter so that the reader knows at once what you are writing about and why. The body of the letter This part of the letter should set out the information or question you have in mind. It must be clear, concise and easy to read. Make any request you may have (i.e. "I would be grateful if you could include your statement..." Be sure of your facts and do not contradict yourself. There should not be any misunderstanding. Plan carefully. State your business concisely, clearly and simply. Write only what is absolutely relevant. Each new paragraph should contain a significant thought or argument. The final paragraph The way you finish your letter is important. The final paragraph is where you should clearly express your expectations or intentions. It is your opportunity to leave your reader in no doubt as to the purpose of the letter. If there is to be further contact, refer to this contact (i.e. "I look forward to meeting you at...") Never finish with such outmoded phrases as “Assuring you of our best attention at all times”. The closing paragraph should be used to point the way forward precisely and explicitly. Conclusion Close the letter with a thank you (i.e. "Thank you for your prompt help...") The close of the business or formal letter must be in keeping with the tone of the salutation and letter. You cannot begin your letter with “Sir” and then end it with “Yours sincerely”. The close most commonly used is “Yours faithfully”. Include 4 spaces and type your full name and title. Sign the letter between the salutation and the typed name and title The business or formal letter is signed legibly by the writer who then prints his name underneath his signature. A woman who writes a business or formal letter gives an indication of her marital status by adding Mrs or Miss or Ms between brackets before or after her printed name. (She may write her first name should she wish to do so). An indication of the writer’s rank, status or occupational responsibility may be given to avoid embarrassment or misunderstanding. A man does not normally add the title “Mr”, e.g.
(Managing Director)
E.J. Miles (Mrs) 5.2.2 Business letter examples5.2.2.1 Opening an account The following letter outlines the terms of a newly opened business account. Useful Key Phrases
Dear ____, YOUR NEW ACCOUNT Thank you for opening an account with our company. As one of the leaders in this industry, we can assure you that our products and our services will not disappoint you. I would like to take this opportunity to briefly set forth our terms and conditions for maintaining an open account with our firm. Invoices are payable within 30 days of receipt, with a 2% discount available if your payment is remitted within ten (10) days of receipt. We consider this incentive an excellent opportunity for our customers to increase their profit margin, and therefore encourage the use of this discount privilege whenever possible. We do, however, require that our invoices be paid within the specified time, for our customers to take advantage of this 2% discount. At various times throughout the year we may offer our customers additional discounts on our products. In determining your cost in this case, you must apply your special discount first, and then calculate your 2% discount for early payment. As the credit manager, I will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding your new account. I can be reached at the above number. Welcome to our family of customers. Yours sincerely 5.2.2.2 Enquiries – asking for information We write an enquiry when we want to ask for more information concerning a product, service or other information about a product or service that interests us. These letters are often written in response to an advertisement that we have seen in the paper, a magazine, a commercial on television when we are interested in purchasing a product, but would like more information before making a decision. Remember to place your or your company's address at the top of the letter (or use your company's letterhead) followed by the address of the company you are writing to.
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