TECHNICAL WRITING

MODULE NO.6
I.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE TOPIC
I. Communication in Business and
Write a good business letter organization
• Kinds of business letter

II. DISCUSSION

The way we communicate with others is such a habitual part of us that we rarely stop and think about it.
This translates into business communication too. Organizations, after all, aren’t faceless entities, but
groups of real people.

Effective communication affects processes, efficiency, and every layer of a company.

Business communication is the process of sharing information between people within and outside a
company.

It is how employees and management interact to reach organizational goals. Its purpose is to improve
organizational practices and reduce errors.

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 The importance of business communication also lies in:

• Presenting options/new business ideas

• Making plans and proposals (business writing)
• Executing decisions
• Reaching agreements
• Sending and fulfilling orders
• Successful selling
• Effective meeting

When business communication actually happens, it’s either verbal or written.

Furthermore, communication takes place either in person/face-to-face or remotely.

Written communication is great for keeping a paper trail of decisions and actions made as well as for
putting together strategies and plans in place. Verbal interactions enable instantaneous idea generation
and a more open flow of thoughts.

A business letter serves as a means of communication written for various commercial purposes. These
purposes can a business deal, complaint, warning, notice, invitation, declaration, information, apology,
ad various corporate matters.

Letters of business are the most popular and the most widely written types of letters. Business letters are
the oldest form of official correspondence and perhaps the propagators of mailing system.

A business letter is also known as Professional Business Letter because it is official in nature, mostly
formal and follows a basic framework. This framework is common among various official letters, it is the
content and the tone of the language which differs and matters most.

In addition, business letters can have many types of content, for example:

§ to request direct information or action from another party,

§ to order supplies from a supplier,
§ to point out a mistake by the letter’s recipient,
§ to reply directly to a request,
§ to apologize for a wrong, or to convey goodwill.

A business letter is useful because it produces a permanent written record, and may be taken more
seriously by the recipient than other forms of communication

1. Presentation of the paper

Margins:
a. No letterhead: equal margin – top and bottom

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 b. With letterhead: top margin is wider than that of the bottom
c. The two side margins should be equal – 1-1 and 1/2 inch.
d. Margin at the top and bottom: not less than 1and ½ inches, 2 inches is preferred

Spacing:
a. Double-space between paragraphs and other units

2. Writing Good and Bad-News Business Letters

If the business letter directly affects and stirs the emotions and feelings of the reader, it is either
good or bad news business letter.
If you are writing a letter promoting someone from your employee in your company, if you are
commending a team in your corporation for beating the monthly sales, you are probably writing a
good-news letter. The good-news business letter is light in mood expressing pleasant information.

However, there will be times wherein you will be required to write bad-news business letters. This
happens when you are writing a letter rejecting a job applicant, a thank you letter for an employee,
or worst writing a letter to fire an employee.

Regardless of what type of letter you are writing, no matter how good or bad the letter is, make sure
to always be professional in writing a business letter.

3. Types of Business Letters

Business letters are basically of two types:

a. Formal Business Letters

These are the typical or standard business letters meant for legal or official
correspondence. These include letters regarding business deals, order, claim dispute
settlement, agreements, information request, sales report and other official matters.

b. Informal Business Letters

These are used for casual correspondences but do not necessarily have to have casual
tone of language. These letters include memorandum, appraisals, interview thanks,
reference letters, cover letter, customer complaint letters, e-mails and others which are
less important or regular.

c. How to write a business letter

• What’s your point? State it clearly and concisely
A good business letter does not ramble on; it supplies all pertinent information in
a clear and concise manner. Your sentences should be no longer than 2 ½ lines.
The complete letter should still fit easily on one side of an 8 and ½ x 11 sheet of
paper.

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 • State your purpose in the opening sentence
Many professional skim their mail quickly. They rarely read each letter slowly.
Therefore, it is necessary to state your purpose in the opening sentence of the
letter. It is also best to use active voice instead of passive voice.

• Use a formal tone

Remember that the tone of a business letter should be formal, not conversational
English. Do not crowd too many ideas into one sentence or the reader will
become lost in the tangle of words. After skimming the first few sentences, an
interested reader will slow down and read a well-written letter more closely.

• Correct spelling and grammatical errors

Readers and skimmers notice spelling and grammatical mistakes, so spell- and
grammar-check your document. Remember, however, that a spell check will not
help you spell the word correctly but use it incorrectly. For example, “affect and
effect” are often mistakenly interchanged. Consult a dictionary if you are unsure
of your word usage.

• Reread your letter

Many people write as important letter, print it out and mail it without further
consideration. If possible, let your finished letter sit on the computer for an hour
or two and then reread closely. You may be surprised at the number of simple
mistakes you will find.

• Get a second opinion

If you have a competent friend who is willing to help you, have him or her read
the letter silently, or you can read the letter out loud and ask for his or her
comments. Even if you are alone reading the letter out loud will prove useful as
you process the information in a different way.

4. Common Types of Business Letters

a. Letter of Inquiry/Request
A letter that asks for a particular information or assistance. This type of business letter is
direct and the questions are constructed to get information straightforwardly.

In writing a letter of inquiry:

• Ask all questions clearly
• Give all necessary details
• Give the reasons for requesting on the information
• Thank the addressee or make a statement of goodwill.

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 Points to consider:

• Inquiries may be sales possibilities or without sales possibilities.

Inquiries with sales possibilities are usually based on advertisements and sales
promotions. They are inquiries about prices, catalog, samples and pamphlets or
terms of payment. On the other hand, inquiries with sales possibilities are usually
about policies, methods or practices of particular line of business.

Mr. Lloyd Johnson

Spring Harbor University
Spring Harbor, California

Dear Sir:

I chance up in the internet that your school offers on-line programs on different courses.
Among these courses you are offering Electronics and Communication engineering which
I find interest to take up through your on-line program. In connection thereto, I would
appreciate very much if you could provide me with further information and materials
relative to this course, the enrolment process, admission requirements and other
necessary details for me to be able to avail of your offer.

Your immediate attention on the matter will be highly appreciated.

Truly yours,

Ma. Isabel Torres

The Manager
VTM Corporation
Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong City

Dear Sir:

I have read your advertisement in the” Manila Bulletin” yesterday regarding your
processed meat products. This has attracted my attention because I will be opening a
grocery store in our city in December, 2020.

In line with this, I would like to know more about your processed meat products your firm
is offering to the public. I would also appreciate receiving your wholesale pricelist, as well
as your suggested retail price for each of your processed meat products and other

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 information and date with regard to your terms of payment, ordering policy and
procedures, and discounts on volume purchases.

I will highly appreciate receiving the above information about your processed meat
products the soonest time possible

Thank you.

Truly yours,

Mrs. Susan Garcia

b. Letter of Response to Inquiry

Letters of response are among the most important and probably the most numerous business
letters. They are written in response to request for information or favors, in response to business
reply cards that accompany sales letters and in response to orders.

Reply to inquiry may contain the following information:

First paragraph Express appreciation for the writer’s interest in your

company, its products and its services.
Second paragraph State information requested cheerfully and if possible
add relevant details.
Third paragraph Graciously indicate willingness to be of further
assistance. You may enclose folders, catalog, booklets
or brochures which may be of value to the reader.

Points to consider:

• Answers to inquiries should not be elaborated. They should avoid stuffy over
formality.
• A reply letter should always create a favorable impression.
• Additional information may be supplied in a reply letter.

Dear Mrs. Susan Garcia

Relative to your letter of inquiry as to our processed meat products our company, our
company is pleased to provide you complete information and paraphernalia about our
processed meat products. We are looking forward that you will truly appreciate the
same, and also patronize our other product lines in the near future.

Thank you for your interest and enthusiasm about our processed meat products.

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 Yours, truly,

Victor Tiongson Mendez

Manager

c. Order letter (Product/Service)

Almost all firms today use either letters or order blank forms when ordering goods or services.
An order letter must be specific or complete. You must include all necessary information about
the merchandise.

Points to consider:

• There should be a complete description of the merchandise (brand name, color, size,
quantity, style, price)
• He should be able to give necessary information regarding the delivery of his order.
- Name and address of the buyer
- The buyer states the date of the delivery of the merchandise (by boat, by land, by
parcel post or by air mail)
- The mode of payment must be stated explicitly. That is, if he pays by check, money
order, cash on delivery, charged or account.
- He should be able to see credit references, if requested.

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 MAGANA RESTAURANT
15 Tondaligan
Bonuan, Dagupan City

The Manager
Eastern Corporation
30 State Tower, Quezon Ave.
Quezon City

Gentlemen:

We are presently operating a restaurant and we plan to expand our restaurant

operation by opening another branch here in the city of Dagupan this December,
2020.

Relative to our expansion program, we would like to request you to supply us the
following items, itemized as follows:

100 pieces round plates @ 100 pesos/piece - Php 10,000.00

100 pieces saucers @ 60 pesos/piece - 6,000.00
100 pieces cups @ 80 pesos/piece - 8,000.00
80 pieces @ 100 pesos/piece - 8,000.00
Total = 32,000.00

As our initial payment, enclosed is our Metrobank Manager’s check No. 01150 in the
amount of Twenty-five Thousand Pesos (Php 25,000.00) which we request you to
acknowledge receipt of the same, and the balance of Php7,000.00 will be paid upon
the delivery of the said items.

Please ship our orders at the above address no later than November 30, 2020.

Thank you.

Truly yours,

MAGANA RESTAURANT

By:

Antonia Isabel M. Santacruz

Manager

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 d. Confirming Appointments, Orders, and Agreements

A valuable function in business is to provide a written record of oral appointments, agreements

and orders made. Orders and agreements made orally (in person, by telephone, cellphone or
telegram) should be confirmed by a letter. Appointment made by telephone, over the luncheon
table, at meetings should be confirmed in writing.

Attn: Ms. Antonia Isabel M. Santacruz

Gentlemen:

Thank you for your kind patronage of our company’s product by placing your orders if
Elegance Dinner Set contained in your letter dated September 10, 2020. You have made
the right choice as our said product line is among the top -of- the -line items we are
carrying, and for this, we guarantee satisfaction for our said product with respect to fine
craftsmanship, quality, and durability of the same

We intend to ship your orders this October 15, 2020.

And thru this letter, we acknowledge the receipt of your Metrobank Manager’s check no.
01150 in the amount of Twenty -Five Thousand Pesos (Php 25,000.00). Kindly entrust to
our delivery personnel the balance of Seven thousand Pesos (Php 7,000.00) upon delivery
of the said orders.

We look forward to another opportunity of serving you again. Good luck at your soon-to-
open restaurant.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Andre Delos Reyes

Manager

e. Claim Letter

The volumes of sales handled by stores sometimes results in errors that case embarrassment
to the customer. The goods ordered may not have arrived on time, the goods may have lost or

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 damaged in the transit or the customers may get rude treatment from the sales personnel.
Letters written to protest such errors or shortcomings are called claim letter, the answer of the
company to such letters is called adjustment letters.

Types of Claims

§ Service claim. This type concerns in filling orders or requests for service,
discourteous treatment by employees and failure to make a follow-up of an
earlier incompetence service.

§ Money claim. This type involves errors in statements and invoices ad

misunderstandings with regard to price or terms of payments.

§ Merchandise claim. This type involves incorrectly filled orders, merchandise

whose quality is unsatisfactory, and goods damaged or delayed shipment.

Points to consider:
§ Explain clearly. Carefully, and tactfully what is wrong and indicate details
necessary to identify your claim.
§ State the loss or inconvenience that you have suffered but don’t exaggerate.
§ Request, don’t demand, and tell the reader what you want him to do for your
claim.
§ In closing, indicate that you expect a reasonable attitude on the part of the
firm.

Eastern corporation
30 State Tower, Quezon Ave.
Quezon City

Attn: Mr. Andre Delos Reyes

Manager

Gentlemen:

We received the Three Hundred Twenty pieces of Elegance dinner set we ordered
from you sometime on September 10, 2020. However, upon opening the boxes, we
found out that there are six pieces bowls which were broken, and we would like to
surmise that the said breakage was due to improper handling of the same by your
delivery personnel, and thru NO FAULT on our end. Such being the case, may we
request your good selves to replace the said broken items? And we expect to receive
the replacement soonest time possible.

Sincerely,

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 Antonia Isabel Santacruz
Manager

f. The Adjustment Letter

Adjustment letter is a reply letter to the buyer’s complain or claim. This letter informs the
customer either acceptance or rejection of their complaints and claims. Acceptance of the
claims may take different forms such as simply regretting the mistakes, or making a correction
to the mistakes through the payment of compensation. Reply to complaint letter plays a vital role
in enhancing the goodwill of a company and maintaining relationships with the customers.

Principles involved:
§ In the opening paragraph, the adjustment letter writer takes a sympathetic
attitude toward the customer over the loss or inconvenience suffered by the
latter.
§ The writer makes a clear statement of his proposed adjustment/action.
§ The writer ends his letter with an attempt to regain or re-enforce the customer’s
goodwill.

Factors to be considered in writing an adjustment letter

- Avoid delay. Promptness should be the top priority in adjusting a complaint.

- Avoid grudging concession. If you accede to the customer’s demand, do it cheerfully.
Beware of the grudging tone, which, in effect, takes back again what has been. If a
customer’s good will is important enough, grant the adjustment without being
offensive.
- Avoid blaming the customer. A businessman should explain to the customer that the
latter will be given a complete satisfactory service after the rejected goods are
inspected, to determine what the trouble is.
- Don’t take a flippant or sarcastic attitude. Avoid using terms like “you claim” or “you
state” or “you assert”. These are bound to irritate.
- Don’t use a combative tone. Setting a complaint is to be considered as a mutual
understanding to rectify a situation that is distressing to both.
- Don’t adopt an apologetic tone. One should avoid expressions which are injurious to
his company’s reputation. Avoid words like “failure”, “breakdown”, “poor results”, etc.
These imply faulty organizations, inferior goods and inefficient operations.
- Don’t use scapegoats and don’t write more than is necessary to make your point.

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 Attn: Ms. Antonia Isabel Santacruz
Manager

Gentlemen:

We apologize for what had happened to our shipment. The products are so fragile that maybe
the cause of breakage of the six (6) bowls during the shipment of the same. We will replace
them soonest time possible but unfortunately, we ran out of stocks. Therefore, we still have to
wait for our next delivery from our manufacturer which we expect by October 10, 2020;
hence, our assurance that the replacement will be by October 18, 2020. Again, please accept
our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience that may have caused you due to the breakage
of m of the items.

Very truly yours,

Andre Delos Reyes

Manager

REFERENCES

Book References:
1. Technical Writing for Success – Darlene Smith Worthington
2. Writing in the Discipline – Chenita P. Dapito et al
3. Technical Writing in the Modern World – Rebecca M. Minas et al
4. Technical Writing – Ma. Junisthesmer Rosales et al

Digital References:
1. https://www.englishclub.com/business-english/business-letters-what.htm
2. https://www.nextiva.com/blog/what-is-business-communication.html

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 TECHNICAL WRITING
Module 6

NAME:________________________________ Year/Section:_________________ Score: __

EVALUATION

Task 1.
Assume that you plan to attend another school upon completing your degree program. Write a letter of
inquiry (complete with basic parts) to the appropriate department of your chosen school. Ask at least
four specific questions about matters such as programs, scholarships, transfer of credits, and
admissions.

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 Task 2.
Assume that you order a major item- one amounting to Php 25,000.00-several month ago. Inventing the
necessary information, prepare a claim letter (complete with basic parts) asking for immediate
shipment.

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