ALL ABOUT "BUSINESS LETTER"

*DEFINITION OF BUSINESS LETTER :


A business letter is a formal communication from an organization to its customers, the general public for their information, another Company or the Authorities. It is often written in a standard format, and in formal language, compared to a private letter between two people who are well known to each other. The business letter will show things like the address and best way to communicate with the business - by return letter , e-mail or telephone. In general, the letter will be directed to a specific person and be about one topic.  Sometimes, the business letter will be looking for a response, but might be to give important information about an up-coming change of address or telephone number.  The letter might give information about new developments - a new website; launch of a new product.  To allow the sender to handle any response more efficiently, the business letter might contain key information such as an internal reference from the sender or related to the product in question.




*TYPE OF BUSINESS LETTER :


Letter of Recommendation

• A recommendation letter allows you to use a few well-chosen words to the effect of letting someone else know how highly you value a third party. Resist the temptation to go overboard; approach your recommendation in a straightforward manner that still allows you to get the point across.

Letter of Resignation

• An official letter of resignation is a business letter that should be fair and tactful. Be wary of burning any bridges that you may need to cross again in the future. Offer a valid reason for your resignation and avoid self-praise.

Job Applicant Not Hired

• In some cases you may be required to write a business letter that informs a job applicant that he was not chosen for an open position. Offer an opening note of thanks for his time, compliment him on his experience or education and explain that he was just not what the company is looking for at the present time.

Declining Dinner Invitation

• Declining a dinner invitation is a topic for a business letter that, if not done tactfully, may result in a social disadvantage. Extend your appreciation for the invitation and mention that you already have an engagement for that date. Do not go into detail about what the engagement is.

Reception of Gift

• It is very polite to return a formal business response letting someone know that you have received her gift. Extend a personalized thanks to let her know that you are exactly aware of the contents of the gift. If possible, it is a good idea to include a sentiment suggesting that you have put the gift to use.

Notification of Error

• When sending a business letter that lets the receiving party know that an error has been corrected, it is good business sense to include a copy of the error in question if there is paperwork evidence of it. Make the offer of additional copies of material involved in the error if necessary.

Thanks for Job Recommendation

• A letter of thanks for a party that helped you get a job should be professional and courteous. Above all else, avoid the temptation to go overboard in offering your thanks. Be aware that your skills also helped you land the job and it was likely not handed to you as a result of the third party.

Information Request

• A business letter that requests information should make the request specific and perfectly understandable. It is also a good idea to state the reason for the information request. Extend advance appreciation for the expected cooperation of the recipient.

  
  

  
  

  * PART OF BUSINESS LETTER :

  The parts of a business letter are as follows:

  1. Sender's address

  2. Date

  3. Inside address

  4. Attention line

  5. Salutation

  6. Body of the letter

  7. Complimentary close

  8. Signature

  9. Enclosures

  
  

  1. Sender's address is usually given in the letterhead, but if there is none, the

  address can be typed in the top right- or left-hand corner of the letter.

  2. The date is written below the sender's address. The month is usually not

  written out as numbers – it could be confusing (different sequences):

  20 December 2004 20th December, 2004

  3. The inside address begins with the name of the company or – if you know

  the name of the person you are writing to – you can begin with his / her

  name. Courtesy titles are used before names: Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms, Messrs,

  M.Sc, Dr, Prof., Capt., Maj., Col., Gen.

  Abbreviations may be used with or without a fullstop, but we must remain

  consistent throughout our correspondence.

  The address can also begin with a job title or a department (if you do not

  know the name): The Sales Manager, The Accounts Department.

  The items that follow are:

  - the name of the house or building

  - the number of the building and the name of the street

  - the name of the town and the postcode

  - the name of the country

  4. Attention line is an alternative to putting the recipient's name in the address.

  5. The salutations are as follows:

  - Dear Sir – to a man whose name you do not know

  - Dear Sirs /Gentlemen – to a company

  - Dear Madam – to a woman whose name you do not know

  - Dear Sir or Madam – to a person whose name and sex you do not know

  - Dear Mr Smith – to a person whose name you know, but you do not know

  the person very well

  - Dear John – to a person you know well

  The British like to use the comma after the salutation: Dear Mrs Jones,

  but the Americans prefer a colon: Gentlemen:

  6. The body of the letter is usually written in the blocked style. A line of space is

  left between the paragraphs.

  7. The complimentary close is related to the salutations:

  - If the letter begins Dear Sir / Sirs / Madam / Sir or Madam, the

  complimentary close should be Yours faithfully

  - If the letter begins with a personal name, e.g. Dear Mr James, it

  should be Yours sincerely

  - A letter to someone you know well may end with Best wishes.

  A comma after the complimentary close is optional.

  8. Signature – always type your name and possibly your job title below your

  handwritten signature (the so called signature block).

  9. Enclosures – If there are any documents enclosed with a letter, although they

  might be mentioned in the body of the letter, it is common to write Enc. or

  Encl. below the signature block.

  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  *STYLE OF BUSINESS LETTER :

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Style 1 : FULL BLOCK STYLE (BENTUK LURUS PENUH)

  _____________________ _________________________________ (1) _____________________ _____________________________________________________________________ ________________ (2) ________________ (3) __________________ __________________ __________________ (4) __________________ ______________________(5) ____________________ (6) ______________________________ (7) _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ (8) _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ __________________ (9) __________________ (10) __________________ (11) __________________ (12)

  
  

  
  

  Description :

  1.    Letterhead

  2.    Reference

  3.    Date line

  4.    Inside address

  5.    Attention line

  6.    Salutation

  7.    Subject line

  8.    Body of  letter

  9.    Complimentary close

  10.  Signature

  11.  Enclosure

  12.  Carbon copy notation

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Style 2 : BLOCK STYLE (BENTUK LURUS)

  _____________________ _________________________________ (1) _____________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ________________ (2)                                  ____________________ (3) __________________ __________________ (4) __________________ __________________ ______________________(5) ____________________ (6) ______________________________ (7) _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ (8) _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ ___________________ (9) ___________________ (10)

  
  

  Description :

  1. Letterhead

  2. Reference

  3. Date line

  4. Inside address

  5. Attention line

  6. Salutation

  7. Subject line

  8. Body of  letter

  9. Complimentary close

  10. Signature