Business Letters

1. Business Letters

Classification

2. DEFINITION:-

DEFINITION:• The term “business letters” refers to any
written communication that begins with a
salutation, ends with a signature and
whose contents are professional in nature.
It is usually a letter from one company to
another, or between such organizations
and their customers, clients and other
external parties.

3. BUSINESS LETTERS

I t i s e s s e n t ia l t o w r i t e a b u s i n e s s l e t te r t o
m a i n t a in c o n t a c t s w i t h t h e e x t e r n a l w o r l d
i n c l u d in g o t h e r b u s i n e s sm e n , c u s t o m e r s
a n d g o v e r n m e n t d e p a r t m e n t s.
I t s e r v e s a s a r e c o r d f o r f u t u r e r e f e r e n c e .
I t l e a v e s m o r e d u r a b l e i m p r e ss ion o n t h e
receiver's mind than an oral message.
I t i s u s e d a s a l e g a l d o c u m e n t .
I t i s u s e d t o b u i l d g o o d w i l l .

4. FUNCTIONS OF BUSINESS LETTER

• To provide a convenient and inexpensive means of
communication without personal contact.
• To seek or give information.
• To furnish evidence of transactions entered into.
• To provide a record for future reference.
• Record and reference
• Making a lasting impression.
• Widening the approach
• An authoritative proof.
• Building goodwill.

5. Classification or Types of Correspondence

1. Internal Correspondence: Internal correspondence refers to correspondence between the
individuals, departments, sections and branches of the same organization.
2. External Correspondence: It refers to correspondence made with outsiders of the organization
who are individuals, customers, suppliers, banks, financial institutions, money lenders,
government departments, educational institutions, charitable trust and the like.
3. Routine Correspondence: Routine correspondence refers to correspondence on routine
matters like inquiries, acknowledgements, replies, orders, invitations and appointment letters.
4. Sales Correspondence: It refers to correspondence relating to sales. They are sales letters, sales
reports, invoices, offer and discount letters, statement of accounts, confirmation of order,
collection letters, delivery letters, debit and credit notes letters and the like.
5. Personalized Correspondence: Emotional factors are responsible for personalized
correspondence. The letters relating to requesting, granting or refusing co — operation, favour,
letters intimating gratefulness, appreciation, congratulation or commendation, letter of
introduction or recommendation of an individual, letters of sympathy or censure and the like are
termed as personalized correspondence.
6. Circulars: A common matter is communicated to a large number of persons or firms. They
treated as circulars and/or notices change of address, change.

6. KINDS OF BUSINESS LETTERS

A.1. ENQUIRIES & REPLIES
• ORDERS&EXECUTION
• CREDIT& STATUS
• COMPLAINTS&
ADJUSTMENTS
• COLLECTION LETTER.
B.1. BANK CORRESPONDENCE
• INSURANCE
• IMPORT – EXPORT
• AGENCY
C.1. APPLICATION LETTERS
• INTERVIEW LETTERS
D.1. CORRESPONDENCE TO
SECRETARY.
• CORRESPONDENCE WITH
STATE & CENTRAL GOVT.
E.1. LETTERS TO PRESS
F.1.CIRCULAR LETTERS
• SALES LETTERS

7. Kind of a Business Letter

Personal Letters
• Application letter , interview
letters, reference letters
,letters of appointment,
confirmation letter,
promotion letter,
retrenchment, resignation.
• The correspondence of a
company secretary,
correspondence with central
government
• Letters to press
Non- Personal Letter
• Enquiries and replies, orders,
their execution, credit and
status enquiries, complaint
and adjustment, collection
letters.
• Circulars letters, Sales letters
• Bank correspondence,
insurance correspondence,
import export
correspondence, agency
correspondence.

8. Classification of Business Letters

• Official Letters - are written to government or semi
government bodies
• Demi-official Letters - are official in purpose but are
addressed to a person by name.
• Internal Letters - or memos are used both in government
offices and business houses for internal communication.
• Form Letters - are used for correspondence of recurring
or routine nature. They are used in case of
acknowledgements, reminders, interviews ,notices,
appointments etc.

9. THE IMPORTANCE OF LETTERS

• Letters represent your company’s public image and your
competence
• Letters are more personal than a report, yet more formal than
memos or e-mail
• Letters are more permanent than e-mail
• Letters constitute an official legal record of an agreement
• Letters follow up on telephone calls and other types of oral
communications
• Letters provide a wide range of corporate information
• Letters can support action
• Letters sell
• Letters are efficient for targeted mass mailings

10. LETTER FORMATS

Full-block format
All text flush left, spaces between paragraphs
Semi-block/Modified format
• The writer’s address, date, complementary close, and
signature to the right side of the letter
• The date aligns with the complementary close
Notations of enclosures flush left below signature
Indented paragraph format
• Identical to the semi block format except that each paragraph is
indented five spaces Continuing pages.
• If your letter runs beyond one page, use name, page number, or
address in the header of the second page.