CHAPTER 3 : WRITING EFFECTIVE BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

Chapter Objectives

1. Demonstrate how communication works in business and in organization.

2. Compare personal and business letters.
3. Evaluate and explain the characteristics and elements of a business letter.
4. Compose basic and optional parts of a business letter.
5. Discuss and write different types of business letter.
6. Distinguish different business letter punctuations and styles.
7. Analyze and write a memorandum.

Introduction

Nowadays, due to revolution of technological advancements in business,

academe, and industry sectors, people are being highly engaged in various daily
communications through email, texting, chatting, formal presentation, or even face to
face conversation. This phenomenon leads to unending quest on how to
communicate effectively to survive the digital era.

Although, no matter how technological the workplace may become according

to Roberts (1999), there will always be real power in the written world. Technology
hasn’t eliminated the need for people to write clearly, it’s merely simplified the writing
process.

LESSON 1 – Communication in Business and Organization

Good communication is the bridge between confusion and clarity”. –Nat Turner

Discussion

Communication in Business

Effective communication is the key to success in business. That is why

business depends so much on communication. People must communicate to plan
products; hire, train, and motivate workers; coordinate manufacturing and delivery;
persuade customers to buy; and bill them for sale (Locker, 2006). Certainly,
communication can’t be set apart from business for it gives life and light to any
business transactions.

However, presently, according to Steimle (2017), many entrepreneurs

become more estranged from their teams, turn off partners, and lose deals all
because they lack basic communication skills. Often, this lack of skill gets passed
down to teams and the problems are perpetuated through the organization. Indeed,
great knowledge on proper and effective communication skills in business and in
organization is vital.

Basically, business communication refers to how people communicate,

whereas organizational communication deals with whom to communicate.
Understanding the requirements of good business communication, developing good
communication skills, and understanding the channels of communication in your
organization will ensure success in your career (Custodio et al., 2013).

Communication in business is a two-way process that follows the common

communication process of sending and receiving messages. However, business
communication differs on the medium for it uses paper, pen, typewriter, or computer
to make the message tangible to the receiver.

Communication in Organization

An organization according to Rosales et al. (2009) is comprised of people who

are committed to a common goal and are ready to share information and resources
in pursuit of a desired goal. Communication in organization is relaying messages or
information between or among people inside and outside an organization.

There are several written documents needed to run an organization. Every

single document has one or more of the three basic functions of organizational
writing which is to inform, to promote goodwill, or to persuade.

To inform

Basic Functions
of
Communication

To persuade To promote goodwill

The following internal and external documents are some of the specific
documents needed in an organization (Adapted from Locker, 2006):
Table 1: Internal Documents Produced in One Organization

Document Description of document Purpose (s) of documents

Transmittal Memo accompanying document, Inform: persuade reader to

telling why it’s being forwarded to read document; build image
the receiver and goodwill

Monthly or Report summarizing profitably, Inform; build image and

quarterly report productivity, and problems during good will (report is
period. Used to plan activity for accurate, complete; writer
next month or quarter understands company)

Performance Evaluation of an employee’s Inform; persuade employee

appraisal performance, with recommended to improve
areas for improvement or
recommendation for promotion

Memo of Congratulations to employees Promote goodwill

congratulations who have won awards, been
promoted, or earned community
recognition

Table 2: External Documents Produced in One Organization

Document Description of document Purpose (s) of documents

Quotation Letter giving price for a specific Inform; promote goodwill

product, fabrication, or service (price reasonable)

Claim / adjustment Letter granting or denying Inform; promote goodwill

customer request to be given
credit for defective goods

Annual Report Report to stockholders Inform; persuade

summarizing financial information stockholders to retain stock
for year and others to buy; build
goodwill (company is a
 good corporate citizen)
Thank you letter Letter to suppliers, customers, or Promote goodwill
other people who have helped
individuals or the company

Formal and Informal Channels of Communication

There are two basic structures that make up the communication channels of
an organization:

1. Formal channel of communication follows the usual pattern of an

organizational chart where the superiors are classified from the subordinates
through connecting the lines of communication to every member of the
organization.

2. Informal channel of communication follows an unstructured channel of

communication where lines and patterns of the organization are vague. This is
sometimes referred as grapevine because it usually relays more information
than the formal communication through chismis or rumor-mongering.

LESSON 2 – Personal and Business Letters

“More than kisses, letters mingle souls.” – John Donne

Discussion

Personal Letters

Despite the numerous changes on how people communicate, traditional letter

writing remains the best way to communicate among persons.

There are two basic kinds of letter, the personal and the business letters. The
two extremely differ from each other in terms of their nature, purpose, scope,
structure, formality, size, and language.
Personal letter is a written type of communication of an individual to another
concerning personal or family affairs rather than business matters. This kind of letter
does not follow certain rules or structures and uses a less formal wording or
colloquial language. An example of a personal letter is a birthday greeting given to
someone whom we know personally who is celebrating his special day. Personal
letter maintains and develops personal relationships with people whom you consider
a friend or a family. Lastly, this type of letter can be type-written or handwritten
depending on the length of the content.

Business Letters

Business letter is a formal type of written letter concerning business

transactions and other business related issues and information. This kind of letter
must adhere to certain rules, restrictions, and formats and must use a formal
language. In addition, an effective business letter should sound like a person talking
to another person. An example of this is an application letter written by an applicant
who is interested in a vacant job. Finally, a business letter is commonly written on an
8 ½ x 11 inch-size clean bond paper. It follows certain margin and free from dirt and
scratches in order to build a good impression to the reader.

Personal versus Business Letters

The Business Communication page posted eleven (11) comparisons of

personal letter and business letter.

1. Nature: Business letter or commercial letter is impersonal and universal in

nature. Personal letter is fully personal in nature.
2. Purpose: Business letter is exchanging various business-related issues and
information. Personal letter is exchanging personal or family-related affairs
and information.
3. Scope: Business letter scope is wide and contains various types of business
information. Personal letter scope is limited and contains only personal
information.
4. Structure: Business letter follows officially recognized structure. Personal
letter does not follow any recognized structure.
5. Formality: Business letter maintains formal rules and procedure. Personal
letter is informal.
6. Size: Business letter generally is concise in size and avoids irrelevant matter.
Personal letter may be concise or large in size.
7. Types: Business letter can be categorized differently. Personal letter generally
cannot be categorized.
8. Salutation: Business letter salutation can be Sir, Dear Sir, Dear Mr. X, etc.
Personal letter salutations are Dear friends, my dear x, dear x, etc.
9. Language: Business letter language should be easy and simple. Personal
letter language nay be easy, poetic, emotional, etc.
10. Copy: Business letter copy of business letter should always be preserved.
Personal letter copy of personal letter may or may not be preserved.
11. Method: Business letter uses direct and persuasive method. Personal letter
uses only direct method.
 Whether you are writing a personal or a business letter, the way you construct
the message and the way the receiver decodes the message are very important.

The Technique of Writing Business Letters

To make your letters effective in terms of today’s business world, you should
understand and make use of four basic psychological techniques according to Mager
and Mager (1968):

1. Write from the “you” attitude. Every person is interested primarily in himself
and thus responds to a letter written from his point of view. To test the
effectiveness of your letter on this point, count the number of I’s and you’s in
your letter and then compare. A good letter should have a preponderance of
you’s and a minimum of I’s. But more than this, your letter should have the
reader’s viewpoint in mind through the text.

Compare:

I : I was happy to hear that my letter of January 5th provided

sufficient information for the completion of the order for us.

You : Thank you for your assurance that you had sufficient
information for the completion of your order.

2. Accentuate the positive. Even a letter that has to say “No” can be written from
a positive point of view. Make it an absolute rule never to start or end your
letter with a negative. Whenever possible, avoid words with a negative
connotation, such as argument, careless, complaint, disagreeable, error,
neglect, and unfair.

Compare:

Positive: Thank you for your order. The merchandise will go out to you
as soon as…

Negative: We regret to inform you that we will not be able to ship your
order until…

3. Make your letters smile. A business letter should leave a pleasant impression.
Get a smile into your letter, a bit of your personality, an atmosphere of good
will. A sour letter, piqued attitude, complaining undertone, is comparable to a
surly manner in your conversation.
 Some phrases have a built-in smile. Here are some friendly phrases
that you can and should use freely:

We shall be glad to…

It is a pleasure…
Thank you…
We appreciate very much…
With our compliments…

4. Make your copy live. The reader should feel what you say. If possible, create
a visual experience. Let the reader see himself doing something – running a
machine, telling his friends about his triumphs, selling more accounts,
reinterpreted the same copy.

LESSON 3 – Characteristics and Elements of a Business Letter

”The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of light of letters, is
simplicity.” – Walt Whitman

Discussion

Characteristics of a Business Letter

Business letter is one of the vital components in the success of a business. To

ensure that we are writing an effective business letter, there are “Ten (10) Cs” we
should consider.

1. Completeness refers to the inclusion of complete information. The

business letter should answer the question WHO, WHAT, WHEN, and
HOW to produce a good and complete business letter.

2. Correctness refers to the correct grammar, punctuation, spacing,

information, and structure. It also refer to the correct format of a business
letter.

3. Conciseness refers to being direct and brief without compromising the

complete idea. In writing a business letter, we should not include
unnecessary information which might confuse the reader.
Example:
Instead of saying: At the present time
Say: now
Instead of saying: Prior to
Say: before
 Instead of saying: Pitch in
Say: join to
Instead of saying: Start from scratch
Say: make new from nothing
Instead of saying: Meet the deadline
Say: complete the job

4. Coherence refers to the smooth flow of ideas in a business letter. The

content of a business letter should be in order and easy to flow.

Some of the devices that you may use to achieve coherence are
use of synonyms, use of transitional words, use of pointers, use of
repetition of words, and use of sentence patterns.

5. Clarity refers to readability of information which is easy to understand. We

should bear in our minds that simple words are more preferred than
complex ones.

6. Concreteness refers to the use of specific words not general words.

Example:

Instead of saying: Return of investment

Say: profit
Instead of saying: Market penetration
Say: successful selling

7. Courteousness refers to the politeness of the tone of the business letter.

Being friendly by showing positive approach is the key for a successful
communication in business.

Below are some examples of the negative and positive word. But
then again, positive words are more preferred in doing business.

Negative Positive
bad good
sad glad
old new
hard easy
slow fast
disagree agree
delay early
demand request
 8. Consideration refers to the use of professional tone to show respect to
the reader of the letter. Also, we need to anticipate the “YOU” attitude in
writing our letter.

Example:

Instead of saying: We are glad to offer you the best services.

Say: You will be pleased to find must-try services
in our branch near you.

9. Consistency refers to the uniformity of the time and style of the writer of a
business letter.

10. Credibility refers to the personality of the writer as himself which might
reflect on his writings.

Elements of a Business Letter

Because business letter is part of communication, it also follows the

communication process. There are three elements in the communication process
that are also present in business writing. There should be a sender, message, and
receiver.

The sender of the letter is the one who is writing it. It is one of the protocols in
business writing that the receiver of the letter should be known by the sender. The
complete name, position as well as the address of the receiver should be included in
the letter. The sender or writer must be also knowledgeable in basic grammar,
punctuation, spelling, and mechanics skills so that he might build a good impression
to the receiver of the letter.

The message is very important in the communication process because it is

the reason that moves the sender to start the communication process. The message
of the letter should be well-written, simple and understandable. The message should
be direct and persuasive and should avoid including unnecessary information. It
should be concise and complete so that everything you want to say is included.

Sender Receiver

Message
 Lastly, the receiver of the letter completes the elements of communication
process. The main role of the receiver is to carefully decode the message of a
business letter and provide a feedback that will complete the entire communication
process.

LESSO 4 – Basic and Optional Parts of a Business Letter

“In an age like ours, which is not given to letter-writing, we forget what importance it
used to play in people’s lives. –Anatole Broyard

Discussion

Basic Parts of a Business Letter

A business letter is composed of the following basic parts: letterhead or

heading, dateline, inside address, salutation, body of the letter, complimentary close,
signature line, and written signature.

1. Letterhead – This part of a business letter includes the company name,

company mailing address, and company contact numbers. It may also contain
the company loge or symbol of the organization. Today, most of the
companies have their own personalized letterhead exclusive for their
employees’ use.

In case you will write a business letter not on behalf of any company, you may
use a heading or a return address. A heading/return address is composed
of your complete, correct, and specific address. In writing the heading of your
business letter, the lot and block number, street, barangay, municipality or
city, province, region, and even the zip code must be included properly.

2. Dateline – This part contains the month, day, and year when the business
letter was written. There are certain rules in writing the correct dateline.

A. You should not use abbreviations when writing the dateline. For example,
02-14-21 0r 02-14-2021 or 02/14/21 or Feb. 14, 2021
B. You should not include st, nd, or th after the day of the month. For
example, September 1st, October 2nd, or November 3rd .
C. You may use the conventional style, January 15, 2007 or the military style,
15 January 2007.
3. Inside Address – This part consists of three, four or five lines which include
the complete name as well as the job title/s of the receiver on the first line, the
complete position of the receiver on the second line, the complete division or
department of the receiver on the fourth line, and the complete name of the
company or organization followed by the complete address of the company or
organization. There are certain rules that are worth considering in writing the
inside address:
A. The inside address is like the address written n the envelope.
B. You use Miss when addressing a single woman; Mrs. Of married woman.
If the status is not known, use Ms. If the firm is comprised of women; use
Mesdames or its abbreviation Mmes.
C. Use Mr. in addressing a man. You may also use its plural form Messieurs
(French) or its abbreviation Messrs.
D. You may abbreviate the title Doctor to Dr. For example, Dr. Silvia C.
Ambag.
E. The title Reverend should not be abbreviated and it should be preceded by
The. For example, The Reverend Sonny Ramirez
F. You may or may not abbreviate the title Professor. For example,

Professor Danilova A. Lorenzo

Or
Prof. Danilova A. Lorenzo
But if only surname is available, the title should not be abbreviated. For
example,
Professor Lorenzo

G. Company or organization positions such as Supervisor, Manager,

Secretary, Superintendent, Proprietor or even President may either
precede or follow the name of the receiver of the letter. For example,

Ms. Armie Joie A. Rivera

Proprietress
Elysian Events Speacilaist
Or
Ms. Armie Joie A. Rivera, Proprietress
Elysian Events Specialist

H. The title Honorable is used by Judges of the Court, Members of the

Cabinet, Congressmen, Senators or other government officials who hold
an important position and office in the city, province, or country. You may
or may not abbreviate the title Honorable. For example,

Honorable Rodrigo R. Duterte

 Or
Hon. Rodrigo R. Duterte

4. Salutation – is composed of the word “Dear” followed by the last name of the
receiver of the letter. Use the colon (American English) at the end of the
salutation or comma (British English). For example.

Dear Mr. Alcaraz:

Or
Dear Mr. Dele Cruz,

5. Body of the Letter – This consists the message of the writer. Some claim
that the first and last sentences are the most important parts of the body of
the letter. The first sentence should make the reader feel at ease and the last
sentence should make the reader pleased and content.

6. Complimentary Close – This is sometimes called closing, the part where

sender says goodbye to the receiver of the letter in a formal way. You may
use the standard complimentary close such as Sincerely or Sincerely yours or
Respectfully or Very respectfully yours. We should take note that the first
letter of the first word is the only capitalized letter on the complimentary close.

7. Signature Line – this is composed of the complete typewritten name of the

writer and his official designation or the name of the company.

Very formal or legal Miguel Rodriguez Galit

Less formal or business Miguel Galit
Miguel R. Galit

8. Written Signature – this refers to the sender clearly scribing or affixing his
specimen signature on the space between the complimentary close and th e
printed name. Allot enough space (3-4 spaces) for this between the
complimentary close and the signature line. The signature part also follows
certain rules:

Original Parts of a Business Letter

1. Attention Line – this is used when the letter urgently needs to be received by
the best person who can handle it. Commonly, the attention line is in the
center.
For example: Elysian Events Specialist
San Miguel, Rizal
Attention: Miss Armie Joie A. Rivera
 2. Subject line – this is used in short reports to let the reader know the content
of the letter immediately. It may be placed above or below the inside address;
maybe flushed to the left, indented or centered.

For example: Elysian Events Specialist

San Miguel, Rizal

Subject: Inquiry on Wedding package

3. Identification Initials or Reference Initials – This includes the initials of the

secretary or typist who took the dictation in lower case and initials of the one
who dictated or dictator in upper case placed at the lower left hand corner of
the letter two spaces below the last line of the signature part.

For example: EAG/ltd.

Or EAG: go

4. Enclosed or enclosed reference or enclosure notation – This is composed

of the attached materials on the letter. This is usually abbreviated level and
placed below the reference initials.

For example: Inc. 1. Grade Sheets

2. Class Records
3. Anecdotal Records

5. Copy Notation – This consists the names or department of other people who
also received the letter.

5.1. Carbon Copy Notation (cc) – this notation is indicated on the original
copy but indicated on all duplicate copies.

For example: cc: Mr. John Paolo Sarce

cc: Human Resource Department

5.2 Blind Carbon Copy Notation (bcc) – this is a notation not indicated on
the original copy but indicated on all duplicate copies.

For example: bcc: Miss Sarrah Mae Amata

6. Mailing Notation – This notation refers to the special postal services such as air
mail, special delivery, or registered mail.

LESSON 5 – Business Letters Punctuations and Styles

“Changing writing styles is like an actor taking on a different part”. – Ed McBain

Punctuations Used in Business Letters

These are three ways how to punctuate our business letters. We can use
Open Punctuation, Standard Punctuation, and Mixed Punctuation, and Mixed
Punctuation.

1. Open Punctuation

In writing a business letter, open punctuation does not include any

punctuation after any part of the letter except the body of the letter or the
message.

2. Standard Punctuation

This is the most common style of punctuating a business letter

which includes punctuation on salutation and complimentary close only.
The punctuation at salutation is colon while on complimentary close, it’s
comma.

3. Mixed Punctuation

This format uses comma (British Style) or colon (American Style)

after the salutation and used comma after the complimentary close.

Business Letter Styles

There are several business letter styles that are accepted and being used in
the corporate world.

1. Full Block Style

In this style, some make use of Open Punctuation and some do not. All
parts of this business letter shall start at the left margin.

2. Modified Block Style

This style places the inside address and all paragraph at the left hand
margin while the heading, dateline and complimentary close start at the
 middle part of the paper or #3 on the top ruler of MS Word going to the right
margin.

3. Semi-Block Style

This style is like the Block Style however, it follows the rule of indention
to its paragraph. This style also makes use of standard punctuation.

4. Simplified Style

This style is similar to the Full Block Style, beginning all the parts of the
letter at the left margin. However, the heading is placed at the center upper
part of the letter. This style follows the open punctuation and omits the
complimentary close. The spaces in between of every part from the very first
part of the business letter are 6, 4, 3, 3, 4-5.

5. Indented Style

This style makes use of indentions which has uneven number of

spaces in the various elements of the letter. Nowadays, this style is rarely
used because of its complexity of arranging the different elements of the
letter.

6. Hanging-Indented Style

This style is another unique style of writing a business letter. The first
line of each paragraph is aligned with the inside address and salutation
flushed at the lefty. The lines succeeded the first line are indented five
spaces. It usually uses standard punctuation.

Business Letter Envelope Formats

These are different envelope formats in business writing. Here are some of
the examples:
 1. Block Form

2. Indented Form

3. Semi- block Form

NOTE: Have an illustration for each Business Letter Style

LESSON 6 - Types of Business Letters

“Letter writing is the only device for combining solitude with good company”. – Lord Byron

There are different types of business letters that are commonly used in the
corporate world. They differ in purpose, style and nature. Some business letters
transmit good news while some transmit bad news. Moreover, some letters of
interest in the reader which do not affect the emotion and feeling of the reader are
called routine letters.

Writing Good vs. Bad-News Business Letter

If the business letter directly affects and stirs the emotion and feelings of the
reader, it is either a good or bad news business letter. If you are writing a letter
promoting someone from your employer 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.

Unfortunately, there will be times wherein you will be required to write bad
news letter. If you are writing a letter rejecting a job application, if you are writing a
thank-you letter for an employee, or worst, writing a letter to fire an employee, you
are probably writing a bad new business letter.

No matter what type of letter you are writing, no matter how good or bad the
letter is, always make sure to be professional on writing the business letter. Mind
over matter is the rule of the game.

There are common types of business letters such as the following:

1. Application Letter
- is sometimes called cover letter. Is composed persuasively whenever you
are applying for your target jobs. This letter is usually accompanied by
your resume for additional information of your expertise and skills.

In writing your application letter, you may follow this format.

First Paragraph: Determine the reasons why you are applying for the job.
Mention if the job is solicited or unsolicited.
 Second Paragraph: Explain why you deserve the job without being too
boastful. You may support it by citing your qualification.

Last Paragraph: Even if you think you are hired or not, thank the hiring
personnel.

There are three types of resume:

a. Chronological Resume focuses on the employment history of the applicant.

This style is ideal for those who already have several work experiences
showing steady career growth.
b. Functional Resume focuses on skills rather than on employment history. This
style is ideal for those who are fresh graduates seeking for their first job.
c. Combination Resume focuses on drawing the best features or strong points of
chronological and functional resume styles.

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

In writing a letter of in inquiry, consider the following guidelines:

First Paragraph: Begin with the most important question or a summarizing

statement.

Second Paragraph: This part may contain the explanation or list of questions.

Third Paragraph: The ending should tell the reader what you want to be done
and when.

3. Letter of Reply or Response

- is written in response to a letter of inquiry which directly answers all the

inquiries regarding the company’s products or services. As part of
 business as usual, most companies promptly reply to all the inquiries
addressed to them.

In writing the letter of response, the following steps may help you:

Acknowledge the inquiry by mentioning important details from the letter of

inquiry you received.

Build goodwill and pave the way for future contacts by using a cordial or
friendly tone.

Answer the questions fully and send prompt replies.

A Sample Application Letter

101 Rosal St., Roberto Homes,

Barangka Drive, Mandaluyong City

May 28, 2017

DR. CONCHITA DE GUZMAN

Director
Philippine Science High School-Main Campus
Agbam Road, Diliman, Quezon City

Dear Dr. De Guzman:

Good day.

With great interest, I would like to apply for the position of full-time English teacher of
Philippine Science High School. Furthermore, working in a prestigious school like
Philippine Science High School is really a great opportunity.

I graduated at Polytechnic University of the Philippines last 2015 with a degree of

Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English. After graduating, I reviewed for
the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) at the Philippine Normal University
(PNU) and passed the board examination at the same year.

I appreciate your honorable consideration for my application. I am always prepared

to be interviewed anytime which is convenient for you.

The accompanying resume may serve to provide you with greater details of my
background and what I can offer.

Thank you very much for reading my letter.

Very respectfully yours,

Eliz Navarro
Applicant
 ELYSIAN EVENTS SPECIALISTS
Gateway Mall, Cubao, Quezon City

January 20, 2017

MR. ERIC YATAL

Business Manager
Tifanny Chairs and Tables Co.
Ermita, Manila City

Dear Mr. Yatal:

Good day,

Can Tiffanny Chairs and Tables Co, provide 1300 pieces of golden tiffanny chairs and 500
pieces tiffanny tables to be delivered on February 5, 2017?

We need to find a bulk supplier of tiffanny chairs and tables for our events company. Kindly
answer the following questions:

1. Can you provide us with the total number of chairs and tables needed?
2. Can you deliver the products on February 5, 2017?
3. Do you accept credit card or cash only?

We will highly appreciate your immediate response to this letter for we are currently
preparing for our schedule events on February 14, 2017. May we please have your
response by January 25, 2017?

Thank you so much.

Sincerely yours,

Anthony Herrera
Proprietor
 A Sample Le

TIFFANY CHAIRS AND TABLES CO.

Ermita, Manila
Contact #: 09056675432

January 24, 2017

MR. ANTHONY HERRERA

Proprietor
Elysian Events Specialist
Cubao, Quezon City

Dear Mr. Herrera,

SUBJECT: YOUR JUANUARY 20 LETTER OF INQUIRY ABOUT OUR PRODUCTS

Here are the answers to your questions about out company’s products. We are glad to inform
you we can supply your needed chairs and tables. We also wish to inform you that from
January 31, 2017, we have a New Year Promo which is 10% discount on all our products.

1. Yes, we can provide you the needed number of golden tiffany tables and chairs.
2. Yes, we can deliver it as soon as you pay the total amount of the products.
3. Yes, we accept credit cards.

We hope we answered all your queries about golden tiffany products. If you have more
questions, you may reach us at 09056675432 or you can visit us from Monday through
Saturday 8:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.

We look forward to more business transactions with your company. Thank you.

Truly yours,

ERIC YATAL
Business Manager
4. Letter of Request

- is commonly used everywhere. We daily use it in academe, in industry, even

in corporate world. The main purpose of this letter is to request for something
you need.

In writing a letter of request, you may follow these steps:

First Paragraph: (Orientation) this is the introduction part where you begin the details
of the event or any activity. The date, time and venue should be also indicated.

Second Paragraph: (Information) in this part, you need to mention the requested
materials or equipment or even venue. You need to be very specific in this part.

Last Paragraph: (Action) Thank the person in charge to promote good will.
 A. Sample Letter of Request

ST. MATTHEW HIGH SCHOOL

Ilang-Ilang St. Mary, San Mateo Rizal
Tel NO. 997 88 34

June 13, 2016

MR. BICO L. GABRIEL

School Principal
St. Matthew High School
San Mateo, Rizal

Dear Mr. Gabriel:

Good day.

The Student Council of St. Matthew High School is planning to conduct a student
orientation for the newly enrolled grade seven (7) of our school on June 25, 2016,
Friday, at 9:00 A.M.

In connection with this, may we request your good office to allow us to use the Multi-
Purpose Hall for the said activity on the said date? The Student Council ensures the
cleanliness and orderliness of the venue.

We look forwards to your favorable response to this request.

Respectfully yours,

ANNA CABALLES
President Student Council
5. Letter of Order

- is one type of business letter which is written for the purpose of purchasing
items that are for sale.

An order letter according to Rosales et al (2009) usually contains the following:

a. Name of the item ordered

b. Description of each item, giving size, style, finish, quality, material, weight, or
whatever will help in identifying the article wanted.
c. Catalog number of the item, if it is available.
d. Quantity of each item wanted
e. Price of each item and the total price of the order
f. Method of shipment desired by the buyer
g. Address where the goods are to be shipped or delivered
h. Date of shipment
i. Credit references, if payment is made from an account
j. Mode of payment

Qualifications and carter objective will help you select format of your resume:

1. Chronological Resume Format includes:

 Applicant’s name
 Address
 Telephone number
 Job objectives
 Education
 Work history - listed job by job, beginning with the most recent position
ERICSON TAN DELOS REYES 2x2
22 Masipag St., Ampid, San Mateo, Rizal Formal photo
[email protected]
09058450529

Possesses an effective, positive, and flexible teaching style with the willingness to work beyond the call of
Master Teacher I
Mandaluyong National High School
2014-present

High School Teacher

Our Lady of Fatima University, Valenzuela
2010-2014

Master Teacher I
Mandaluyong National High School
2014-present

High School Teacher

Bright Morning Star Academy
2005-2010

Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Filipino

Polytechnic University of the Philippines
2000-2004

Expertise in MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint

Filipino and English literate
Good team leader
Great skills in hosting event
 2. Functional Resume Format focuses on the applicant’s skills rather than on
previous employment.
3. Combination Resume Format highlights the best features of 1 and 2
emphasizing the applicant’s capabilities while also including a complete job
history and is recommended for fresh graduates.

LESSON 7: Writing Memoranda

“A memorandum is written not to inform the reader but to protect the writer”. – Dean Acheson

DISCUSSION

Memo is one of the most frequently used words in the corporate world.
However, some employees are still confused on what memo is. Due to lack of the
word “memo”, sometimes, it denotes something negative especially if you will learn
that it came from your suspicion.

Memo is defined by Collins Dictionary is a short official note that is sent by

person to another within the same company or organization to remind the recipient. It
is a clipped or shortened term for memorandum. It is one type of business
correspondence together with the business letters, contracts, certificates, and
endorsement which is written for the purpose of effective management.

Writing effective memorandum is an essential skill especially for business

managers and administrators. If a memorandum is well-written, then, it may express
its message successfully. On the contrary, if memorandum is drafted poorly, it might
fail to deliver its purpose and might give negative impressions about the writer.

How long should a memo be? According to Locker (2006), some organization
force written by requiring or encouraging one-page memos. In simple situations, a
page may be more than you need. In other situations, careful revising and editing
may enable to cut your memo to a page. When you can’t get everything on one page
even with careful revision, put the key points on one well-designed page and attach
appendices for readers who need more information.

Minas et al (2010) shared two essential facts about inter-office memorandum.

First, a good memo passes departments between individuals in different
departments, between management and the staff and others. Second most firms
provide printed forms and restrict inter-office correspondence to one subject only in
order to encourage conciseness and clarity and to facilitate filing and reference.
Memorandum versus Letter

Characteristics Memorandum Letter

Internal correspondence External correspondence

Destination written to colleagues written outside the
within a company. business.
Identification lines include Includes letterhead
“Date”, “To/For”, “From”, address, date, reader’s
Format and “Subject”. The address, situation, text,
message follows these. complimentary close, and
signatures.
Generally high-tech or Generally low-tech and lay
Audience low-tech mostly business readers, such as vendors
colleagues. and clients.
Generally high-tech to low- Generally low-tech to lay;
Topic tech abbreviations and abbreviations and
acronyms are often acronyms are usually
allowed. defined.
Informal (peer audience) More formal (audience of
Tone vendors and clients)
Hard copy attachments Additional information can
Attachments or can be stapled to the be enclosed within the
enclosure memo. envelope.
Complimentary copies can Complimentary copies can
be sent to other readers. be sent to other readers.
Determined by a Determined by the
company’s in-house mail destination (within the city,
Delivery Time procedure. Memos could state or country.) Letters
be delivered within 3 days could be delivered within 3
(more or less) days but may take more
than a week.
(Adapted from Gerson, S.J. & Gerson, S.M., 2003)

A memorandum, just like any business correspondence must consists of the

following basic elements:

1. Heading - most of the time, companies create their own heading

2. Dateline - the actual date when the memorandum is issued.
3. Number - refers to the frequency of the issued memos.
4. Receiver - the person whom the memorandum is to be sent.
5. Sender - the person who issued the memo.
6. Subject - the topic or title of the memo.
 7. Enclosure - an optional put which includes the attachments.

Memorandum Number: _________

TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
DATE:
Focus + Topic

Introduction

Discussion

Conclusion

In writing memorandum, we should take note that there is a subtle difference

between using Memorandum For and Memorandum To. The first is usually written
be a subordinate addressed to his superior while the latter generally comes from the
superior addresses to his subordinates.

Lastly, we should always remember that letter a normally go to people outside

your organization, memos go to other people in your organization.

Reference:

Rosales, MJ.D, Galano, E.A & Riviera, JA.A. (2019). Technical writing: a resource
guide to writing across disciplines. Lorimar Publishing, INC. 776 Aurora
Blvd., cor. Boston Street, Cubao, Quezon City, Metro Manila