EMBA II SEM ASSIGNMENT-BUSINESS ENGLISH

BUSINESS ENGLISH

Question:- Elaborate the points that are needed for effective formatting of business letter.

Now a days the communication and correspondence become very much important in business world and therefore any communication in writing should be very special, effective, short and much useful which can be used as evidence for any purpose including the court of law. The business letters will also amounts to commitments with business partners and therefore any violations in the commitment and covenants of undertaking will amounts to default in agreement.

Furthermore now a days the business world is facing time shortage to fulfill every act and therefore the business persons will not be having patience to go through the details of the letter by spending much time, hence the business letter should be short, brief and should contain every aspect.

Business letters is an indispensable part of business communication. Without them, much of the ordinary activities of business would not be possible. They are used to sell products or services, request material or information’s answer customer enquiries, maintain good public relation, and serve a variety of other business functions. In this age of rapid communications, though many of these activities can be handled over the phone or in person letter correspondence will be having a heavy impact in the business for all purpose as the same some times amounts to admission and can be used as proof in every field. In some cases, though over phone or in person may be the best way to get the message transferred across. But many business people didn’t have the time to visit clients personally and long distance telephone calls can be time – consuming and expensive. More importantly, most people retain only about 25 percent of what they hear and therefore the chances of message being forgotten or misunderstood greatly increase if rely on oral communication. As a result “putting it in writing” remains one of the best ways to ensure that every message is accurately received, particularly when discussing technical or highly detailed information.

We use letters to communicate with others. A well written, grammatically correct, and properly formatted letter says a lot about us as individuals. A poorly written letter may indicate that we are uneducated and therefore probably don’t know the facts. A well written letter, on the other hand, can command our reader’s attention increasing chances of getting our points across and getting what we ask for.

Business letters also serve as part of a company as permanent record. They can be used to verify bookkeeping and inventory entries. If there is a question about a customer order, whether someone’s query was answered, or about the details in an agreement, the same can be checked in file copy of the letter, but the same cannot be done with a phone conversation unless every outgoing and incoming calls are recorded.

To request information or materials

To complain about a product or service

To inform someone about an issue or even

To persuade someone about a point of view

To apply for something such as a job or position

To thank someone for doing us a service or favor

Some times letters also function as written contracts, fully recognized by the courts. Letters of agreement are often drawn up between companies and independent suppliers or consultants. Job offers made through the mail are regarded as legally binding on the sender, If the same is accepted in writing, the letter is a binding contract of employment.

Letters can act as formal or informal public relations material. They can help build goodwill between the businessmen and the clients, creditors, suppliers, and other public groups. Therefore the letter represents the business men and the firm to people they may never meet personally or call on the phone. The appearance of the letter forms an impression in the reader’s mind about the author and his business. Every letter that leaves the office fulfills several purposes and as a result, the business letters deserve considerable care and attention while drafting and before dispatching.

There are several business letter formats, but all of them can be subdivided into two basic groups: the block format and various indented formats. Although the block format is somewhat more common as the same is easier, either one is acceptable. All conventional formats contain the same features.

Parts of Business Letter

Most business letters, regardless of their purpose, have the following basic parts.

HEADING OR LETTERHEAD

In most cases, the heading of a letter is simply the printed letterhead on the company stationery giving the company name, address/es, phone number(s), and perhaps the name of an officer or correspondent. The same cannot be disputed at a later stage if the genuine letterhead are used. If the letterhead is not available the same can be made by typing the company name, address, and phone number. The above details will have to be types in the upper right-hand corner of the paper about one and one-half inches from the top and flush with the right margin. The logo if any the company has can also be printed in the letter head followed by the punch line if has. The logo is mainly printed on the leftern corner of the letter head or in the middle followed by the punch line in the next line.

DATELINE

All business letters should have the correct date typed under the letterhead. The date records when the letter was written and may serve as an important reference. The relevancy of letter some times forms the most important information in order avoid manipulation, insertion etc. The date also forms an important aspect to avoid tampering of the letters by adding some subsequent events. For example, if there is a question about an order or shipment, a contract, or a reply to customer complaints, the dated copy of a letter will be in the files to verify the message. The letter is required to be mailed on the date mentioned in the letter or close to the date mentioned under the letterhead, but should take precaution that the date mentioned in the letter should not be a latter date of mailing, which may cause a suspicion in the mind of the recipient regarding the genuineness of the letter. The postmark on the envelope and the date in the letter should correspondent as nearly as possibly and it also should be noted that the postmark in the letter should not be too date than the date mentioned in the letter which also cause a bad impression regarding the ulterior motive behind mentioning the back date.

INSIDE ADDRESS

The inside address is also much relevant and same is typed below the date line. The inside address is required to reach the communication to the right person to whom the same is addressed. Some times any letter issued to in the name of company will have to be forwarded to the concerned department to follow up the same. It is singly-spaced and placed flush against the left margin. The inside address contains the name, title, company division or department (if any), mailing address, and zip code of the receiver to reach to the correct person and to avoid the inordinate delay in responding the same other wise the same may have to go to various tables.

REFERENCE LINES

The reference line is important also to avoid the delay ad to reach the information to the correct places. In some cases special attention is required to be called for to the particular subject of the letter or single out a particular person to whom the letter is addressed in a company. A reference line for this purpose is required to be mentioned to explain the nature of the letter and to reach to the safe hands of the particular person.

The reference “Personal and Confidential” is typed in initial capitals and underscored before the inside address. The other reference lines “Attention” and “Subject” are typed below the inside address. They are followed by a colon and are not underscored.

It also have much relevancy when answering the business letter, such as mentioning about the number of earlier correspondence, date, order number, booking number, customer number, custmer ID etc to reduce the duty of the recipient to locate the file and give proper reply or follow up in the matter.

SALUTATION

After the inside address or reference line, the salutation is typed two lines down. Hush with the left margin, and followed by a colon. The salutations for the above inside addresses if the writer know who actually the recipient is as follows:

Dear Ms. (or Miss or Mrs.) Name:

Dear Mr. Name:

Dear Ms. (or Miss or Mrs.) Name:

Dear Mr. Name:

If the particulars of the recipient are not kwon, then a general greeting will have to be used for the salutation, such as; To Our Friends at, Dear Manager, Dear Executive, Dear Members, To the Sales Staff:

BODY OF THE LETTER

Much important while drafting a letter is the body of the letter. The body of the business letter begins two lines down from the salutation. The body can be typed in block style with no paragraph indentations or semi block style in which the paragraphs are indented. There is no “correct style. Which one is a matter personal or company preference Paragraphs are typed single-space with double spaces between them. The two different subject should be in two different paragraphs so the recipient can understand the contents without any difficulty instead of mixing the various subject together. It is best, even for a short letter, to divide the body into at least two or three paragraphs which will makes the text easier to read and presents the message more clearly and adequately.

The Paragraph one – should contain the information that catches the reader’s attention and refers to some need or interest of the reader. The attention of the reader can be invited to the stressing of the word “you” into the letter

The Paragraph two – should contain the involvement of the writer, what role the writer is playing, or what service or information the writer have to offer. The same can be done by putting “you and I” into the letter.

The Paragraph three – “the conclusion paragraph of the letter should contain with the action or idea that the writer wanted the reader to consider or with the results the writer would like to have from the reader. This can be done by keeping the “you and I” in the reader’s mind, and emphasizing “you”.

COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE

The complimentary clause refers to the gratitude or the regards the writer is having about the reader. It is required to be typed one double space after the body of the letter. It can be centered on the page or set flush with the left or right margin. The preferred complimentary close for most business letters is Sincerely. But Yours truly or Sincerely yours etc can also be used.

The closing is followed by four lines and the typed name and title of the person sending the letter. In rare instances when the letter is not typed on letterhead stationery, the company name and address follow the name and title of the sender. A phone number or extension may also be included if the writer wishes to have a quick reply to the letter.In such cases the stamp seals also can be affixed which identity the writer and invite the special attention of the reader, as the reader need not worry about the authenticity of the letter and the authority of the writer.

SIGNATURE

The writer of the letter requires to sign in ink in the space between the complimentary closing and the typed name. If the writer is signing for someone else using a stamped signature, the initials of the person who sign the letter is required after the signature and on the same line. The ‘for’ seal can also be put in case the writer is signing for some body else.

STENOGRAPHIC REFERENCE

These reference initials refer to the person who is sending the letter and to the typist. The sender’s initials are typed in all capitals, followed by a colon or a slash, then the initials of the typist in lowercase letters: FWW: tg or FWW/tg. Stenographic reference initials appear one double space below the line of the typed signature and are set flush with the left margin. In some companies, only the typist’s initials, in lowercase letters, are used. The same can be used for reference to the subsequent letters to maintain a speedy procedure. But if letter typing is done by the same person or in own letters, the reference initials are not required and can be omitted.

ENCLOSURES OR COPIES

This designation is typed one single space below the stenographic initials. It alerts the reader to the fact that material has been enclosed with the letter or that copies of the letter have been sent to others. The list of enclosures or simply indicated how many have been included. The reader can then check to make sure all the material is there. In general, the list the names of those receiving copies of the letter is mentioned so that the receiver can avoid the delay is forwarding the copy to the concerned departments or persons and waiting for their comment. The enclosures will further help the receiver to speeding up the matter without going to he entire file and by restricting to the subject required to be considered.

FORMAT FOR BUSINESS LETTERS

Format styles most often used in business letters include Full Block, Block, Semi block and Simplified. The main differences among them are the placement of the date, complimentary close, and signature block, and the paragraph indentations are used, such as left indent or align left, center, align right and justify indent.

Full Block is the easiest format to use, since all lines are flush with the left margin, and ends with the right margin. However, a more balanced appearance in which the date, complimentary close, and signature all begin near the center of the page, as in Block and Semi block. Now days the simplified, which is a new format, is gaining popularity in the business world as it eliminates the problem of gender-specific salutations by doing away with the salutation line altogether.

The important as pet is to be followed is whichever format the writer adopt, he should be consistent about the thing but should not mix styles, that is indenting the paragraphs while setting the complimentary close and signature flush with the left margin and should not be inconsistent while writing the letters. This is to be disciplined and regularly maintained as the appearance of the letter on the page will influence the reader’s perception of writer’s message and will impress on it.

SEMI BLOCK

The semi block letter formats should be in following ways:-

ACK: Wr

Date is flush with the right margin

Inside address, salutation are set flush with the left margin

Paragraphs are indented

Complimentary close and signature line are slightly to the right of the page’s center.

The format of the semi block letter and its appearance is as follows:-

SEMI - BLOCK 2 lines 2 lines 2 lines 2 lines

Date ________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ Salutation _________________________________________________ ________________________________________ _______________________________________ _____________________________________. Paragraph 1 _____________________________________________ ____________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________. Paragraph 2 _________________________________________________ _______________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________. Paragraph 3 Signature ----------------------------------- Name and Title of Person _____________ Signing the letter ______________

SIMPLIFIED

In simplified letters the following aspects are required to be taken care of.

No salutation or complimentary clause is required in the said letter format. Generally all lines begin flush with the left margin, and date is six lines below the letterhead. The inside address is four or more lines below the date line, and the subject line is typed in all caps, three lines below the inside address and above the body of the letter. The writer’s name and title are typed in caps, four or five lines below the body of the letter.

The format of a simplified letter is as shown below.

SIMPLIFIED

6lines 4 lines 3 lines 3 lines 4-5 lines

__________________________ Date __________________________ __________________________ Inside Address __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ Subject line ____________________________ ____________________ ________________________________ _____________________________________. Paragraph 1 ______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________. Paragraph 2 ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ____________________________________ __________________________________. Paragraph 3 ______________________ Writer’s Name and Title ______________________ ---------------------------------------- Signature

The letter will have to compose with great care and attention to get the desired result of the same. Therefore the following points have to be borne in mind while composing a letter.

1. Start with a beginning paragraph briefly explaining why the letter is writing.

2. Next, the middle paragraph(s) provide details about the issue or subject.

3. The ending briefly summarizes the issue and generally suggests what action the writer would line taken.

There are many acceptable styles of business letters and a business letter is formal communication sent from a company or institution and usually includes a letterhead with the company name, address, phone number, fax number, e-mail address, and other information also.

A personal business letter is communication sent from an individual to a business or organization. Since there may not be any letter head the writer’s address needs to be typed on the letter, mentioning it as ‘From’. This type of letter is used to make a request, apply for a job, or to write a complaint. There need not be much formalities but it can be a causal letter also in some instance.

Business letters can be written in two styles – the block style, which has all letter parts flush against the left margin, and the modified block style, which has the date, return address, complimentary close, writer’s name and writer’s ID at the horizontal center of the page.

The style of a business letter has to do with the language and tone the writer use. There is no special language for business letter, the most effective letter is concise, vivid, and clear. It does not waste the reader’s time and also does not test his patience. It uses active verbs and nouns and is free of clichés, jargon, and awkward phrases that confuse and complicate the message send. Hence, an effective business letter speaks to the reader’s needs and interests.

Following precautions should be taken care while drafting a business letter.

Precaution regarding the Language

The response to a letter will be depending from the language used in the letter. One can learn to be more aware of his language and avoid outworn and stilted expression, wordy phrases, vague terms, and other lapses in style. The language should be simple to understand and the phrases should be only required one. The language can be improved after preparing a draft letter and thereafter verifying the same and correcting to see whether the letter is actually discloses what the writer wanted to express.

PRONOUNS used in the letter.

Whenever possible, begin the letter with a “you’” reference, bringing in “I” or “we” after addressing the needs of the reader. Strike a balance in favour of “you”. It is to be checked to make sure the writer do not have too many “I’s” and “we’s” sprinkled throughout the text as the same may some times prejudice the reader.

ACTIVE LANGUAGE

Business letters do not have to be dull, stiff, or lifeless. The writer should be conscious and aware to use active verbs, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs to create vivid images in the readers’ minds. Active language is particularly important in sales or promotional letters, as the passive voices will be more complicated as the same will not give the expected effect.

The writer should always remember to use active verbs and the active voice in the letters as they give the message validity and immediacy, as if the writer is by the side of the reader describing what is happening. The passive voice, on the other hand, slows down the message and leaves the reader with the impression everything is happening in the past and nothing is to be done hereafter.

Diplomatic Passive Voice. The passive voice does have its uses. When any wanted to soften the statement, the emphasis will have to be from the writer to the reader, or be more objective or formal in a sensitive situation, the passive voice is the more diplomatic choice.

The example for this type is as follows:-

Active: We have reviewed your application and find that we cannot extend credit to your account at this time.

Passive: Your credit application has been reviewed carefully. Unfortunately, it did not meet the criteria established by our company for first-time credit accounts. For this reason, a charge account cannot be opened for you at this time.

Clarification

Before going to write the letter one should clarify what he wanted to write and express and how the readers can catch the point without any complication. The Clear writing of a letter involves the task of choosing the best words to express the ideas and arranging the words to help the readers understand the said ideas. The more one practice “getting the words just right” the more skilled he will become in communicating the messages to the reader. It is important to remember that a word is not a “thing”. It does not stand for something solid and unchanging. The meaning of a word depends on the context in which it is used and the understanding of the person who uses it. Each one will be having slightly or even widely, different interpretations of what words mean. As a result, one cannot assume that what is clear to one is equally clear to other or to his reader. Therefore one must determine exactly what he wants to say, and choose the simplest, clearest way to say it instead of going tough and complicated words. The more abstract and vague the language used, the less clear the message will be transferred or communicated or forwarded to the reader.

KEEP THE WORDS FRESH

Another important aspect in effective letter writing is to clarify the language is to edit with the question. “Is there a simpler way to say this?”. The writer should ask the question to self and analyze the answer to find out the easiest way before pressing the words on a letter. The writer first of all has to make sure that the letters are free of jargon and buzz words. Such words and phrases come easily to mind, a clue that they should he suspect and deleted.

Some words and phrases from the legal field have been appropriated in business – usually inappropriately. Unless one work in a legal office, or are a lawyer, using the following words for everyday business letters will have to be avoided.

Aforementioned per, as per

Duly pursuant to

Herein re

Hereto therein

Herewith whereas

Notwithstanding the above

ARRAY THE WORDS CONCRETE

Concrete words refer to something specific, often something we can hear, touch, taste, or smell. Vague or abstract words refer to concepts or generalities, philosophies, or ideologies. The more abstract the word or phrase, the more removed from our ordinary experience and the more likely we will misunderstand the term. The more concrete the word, the less room there is for misinterpreting the message.

Vague:Management has admitted the need fur greater levels of productivity in the assembly area.

Concrete: Management agrees that assembly workers need to increase their productivity by 20 percent.

Vague: In view of the company’s current economic situation…

Concrete: With company sales up 10 percent and inventory reduced by 12 percent ……

Vague: Market conditions dictate that we take a more prudent course

Concrete: Over forty firms currently arc producing computer accessories. The risk for a new company is high; we will need to target our products carefully.

Vague or abstract words leave the questions. How much? What kind? Which one? Unanswered.

ARRANGE THE REFERENCES CLEAR

When the words to modify or refer to other words, be sure to train of thought is clear. The reader should be able to tell easily which word or words are being modified.

The basic guidelines to bear in mind for keeping the references clear are as follows:-

1. Keep modifiers close to the words they modify.

2. Place adverbs close to the words they modify. The reader should not have to guess at your meaning

3. Be careful about the placement of the adverb only. Misplacing the word can distort your meaning.

4. Keep the subject and verb together. This arrangement helps the reader follow and understand the sentence more easily.

Always the best remedy to such problems is to break the sentence into two or more shorter sentences that allows conveying the information without separating the subject and verb and getting confused regarding the actual meaning and the one writer intend to express.

5. Make sure that the references are correct. Words such as who, that, which, and it etc refer to the preceding noun in the sentence. Therefore if the references are not clear, the sentences may be ambiguous or unintentionally humorous, further more it will be having a different meaning so far.

KEEP THE STRUCTURES PARALLEL

Phrases and clauses in a series or sentence should be parallel, that is they should have the same structure. In the following example, the writer began with prepositional phrases, and then switched to a clause at the end of the sentence.

We should aim for production levels that are above last year’s rate, on par with industry norms, and should achieve our basic marketing objectives.

The reader is apt to be confused when structures in sentences are not parallel. Here there is established an expectation on the reader’s part that each item in the series will be similar. The sentence above should read:

We should aim for production levels that are above last year’s rate, on par with industry norms, and in line with our marketing objectives.

Brevity:

Another important aspect is brevity as it is soul of wit, but many have acquired wordy expressions that use without thinking. They pad our messages and add nothing to the meaning or impact of what we have to say. Concise writing on other hand saves the reader’s time and effort in understanding the letter. Some often use unnecessary words and phrases to give the writing a more, “dignified, polite, or professional” tone. But when such expressions are eliminated avoided, the message comes through more concisely.

Using of Adverbs and Adjectives Sparingly

The using of verbs, adverbs and adjectives are much important. When the need to use modifiers, it is to be made sure that they work for the letter otherwise and do not simply add words to the sentences. A well-placed adverb or adjective can heighten the impact of the letter on the other hand a misplaced word may harm the entire letter or the purpose of the letter itself may be defeated or a separate meaning may occur. Overused modifiers weaken the meaning and give the message a flat, shop-worn tone.

Accuracy in the letter.

Business letters must convey accurate information to the reader. Inaccurate information can be worse than no information at all, and it can be costly. Mistakes in ordering parts, purchasing supplies billing customers, and answering inquiries cost business millions of dollars a year and inorder to avoid such casualties the letter should be accurate enough to understand and short enough to avoid confusion.

The aspect which can act as a guidelines to ensure that the information is correct can be summarized as follows:-

1. Double - check figures, dates, specifications, and other details.

2. Make sure all names are spelled correctly and properly.

3. Check for clarity in presenting the ideas.

4. Make sure the letter is neatly produced sufficient enough to concentrate and furnishes the required attention to response.

Inaccurate information costs more to the organisation. The three things no business can afford to lose are time, money, and goodwill and any inaccurate information may spoil the same. Under the circumstances it is well worth that the effort to ensure that the message is clear and accurate to express the idea and solicit the required and desired response.

Arranging Tone

Knowing how to use various tones for different situations is a valuable skill in business communication. Tone refers to the emotional content of the letters, which can be formal, informal, positive, negative, persuasive, humorous, or argumentative. Each tone has its uses, although the negative and argumentative tones must be handled with sensitivity and care.

The guidelines to show how different tones can help the tailor the message to different readers are summarized herebelow.

1. Maintain a personal touch.

2. When you must mention bad news, a refusal, rejection, or delay – use appositive tone are required to be used.

3. Never send a letter written in anger.

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Making Sentences

Sentences in business writing tend to be short, about twenty words or fewer. In past centuries, the average sentence ran up to sixty words. Modern language experts state that shorter sentences are easier to understand and can communicate information more effectively. It means digesting facts in small bits.

The following guidelines can help to write sentences that move the reader gracefully from one point to the next.

1. Focus on clarity and meaning rather then “complete thought” as the criteria for good sentences.

2. Include only one to two ideas in each sentence,

3. Avoid short, choppy sentences that give a monotonous sound to a letter.

Paragraphs

Paragraphs, like sentences, should lead the reader from one step in the message to another. The purpose of a paragraph is to develop each point in enough detail to the reader has a complete understanding of the message. Breaking the letter into paragraph form make the various points easier to read and understand. A solid block of type is discouraging to someone who has only a few minutes to read, digest, and respond to your letter.

While there are few hard and fast rules about paragraphs length, guidelines which will help to write effective paragraphs to increase the impact of the message.

1. Use key sentences – called topic sentences – to introduce or summarize the paragraph.

2. To determine where paragraph breaks should occur notice how sentences group around the ideas.

3. Avoid extremes of lengthy or choppy paragraphs in the letters.

4. Keep in mind that the primary concern in writing paragraphs is the overall organization of the letter. Paragraphs will follow the same basic order regardless of the type of letter that write, such as opening, body, and closing.

Openings. The opening paragraph indicates the purpose and subject of the letter. The reader needs to know immediately what the letter covers and the reason for writing the letter.

Body: Paragraphs in the body of the letter develop the main points and indicate the goal that would like to achieve through the letter.

Closing: The closing paragraph should be no more than one or two sentences long. It indicates the action the writer wishes the reader to take or expresses appreciation for the reader’s understanding or patience.

When creating business letter, always will have to use 8½” by 11” unlined paper. Although 24-pound paper with 100 + brightness is a little more expensive, it will make a better impression than everyday copy paper. The writer has to take car to at least spare 1-inch margins of all four sides. Use a san-serif fond such as Times Roman (12 point) or Georgia (11 point). A business letter should be single-spaced and, if possible, typed on a computer. Print the letter on only one side of the paper. Fold the letter horizontally into thirds. Mail the letter in a No. 10 security envelope (41-/8” by 9 ½”).

Therefore the above points are very much required to be considered for effective formatting of business letter.