Business Correspondence

By Punit Gaur EC-B 100103233

Official Correspondence
In general, official correspondence is any matter that might have a bearing on the official business of a command will be referred by officers to their commanding officer through their chain of command.

 Clarity and brevity are the necessary ingredients of official correspondence. Paragraphs must be devoted to single points mainly, or at best to allied matters. It has to be remembered that each word in an official letter carries much weight and may be variously interpreted.
Disputes and disagreements are thus the byproducts of an official correspondence and the issuing source has to take care of all the pros and, cons before the communication is dispatched. Quickness and pointedness are the virtues usually associated with official correspondence

Business Correspondence
It is essential to write a business letter to maintain contacts with the external world including other businessmen, customers and government departments. It serves as a record for future reference It leaves more durable impression on the. receiver's mind than an oral message. It is used as a legal document. It is used to build goodwill.

KINDS OF BUSINESS LETTERS

A.1. ENQUIRIES & REPLIES ORDERS&EXECUTION CREDIT& STATUS COMPLAINTS& ADJUSTMENTS COLLECTION LETTER
B.1.CIRCULAR LETTERS SALES LETTERS

IMPORT EXPORT AGENCY D.1. APPLICATION LETTERS INTERVIEW LETTERS

E.1. CORRESPONDENCE TO SECRETARY. CORRESPONDENCE WITH STATE & CENTRAL GOVT. F.1. LETTERS TO PRESS

C.1. BANK CORRESPONDENCE INSURANCE

THE IMPORTANCE OF LETTERS

Represent your companys public image and your competence
More personal than a report, yet more formal than memos or e-mail

More permanent than e-mail

Constitute an official legal record of an agreement Provide a wide range of corporate information Can support action Efficient for targeted mass mailings

Writing Effective Letters

Analyze Your Audience: Who is my audience? What kinds of information will my audience expect me to supply? How will my audience use the information I am sending? Select the best communication strategy Draft, revise, and edit your letter

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

PARTS OF A LETTER
Date line Inside address Salutation Subject line Text of the letter Complementary close Signature Enclosure(s) line Copy notation

ACHIEVING THE YOU ATTITUDE: FOUR GUIDELINES

Never forget that your reader is a real person

Avoid writing cold, impersonal letters

Keep the reader in the forefront of your letter

Make sure your readers needs control the tone, message, and organization of your letter

Be courteous and tactful

Be neither boastful nor meek

TYPES OF LETTERS
Four common types of business correspondence 1. Inquiry letters 2. Special request letters 3. Sales letters 4. Customer relations letters: Follow-up Complaint Adjustment Collection

CLASSIFICATIONS OF BUSINESS LETTERS

Positive Customer relations letters responding favorably to a writers request or complaint Sales letters promoting a product Neutral Letters requesting information about a product or service, placing an order, or responding to some action or question Negative Customer relations letters refusing a request, saying no to an adjustment, etc.

INQUIRY LETTERS
Inquiry letters ask for information about a product, service, publication, or procedure Be sure to supply appropriate, or exact descriptions of what you are inquiring for.

Rules for effective inquiry letters: states information writer wants indicates clearly why the writer must have the information keeps questions short and to the point specifics when the writer must have the information thanks the reader

SPECIAL REQUEST LETTERS

Offer to forward a copy of your report, paper, or survey in gratitude for the help you were given If you want to reprint or publish the materials you asked for, indicate that you will secure whatever permissions are necessary Assure confidential, if that is appropriate End by thanking the reader for helping

SALES LETTERS: SOME PRELIMINARY GUIDELINES

Identify and limit your audience

Use reader psychology Don't boast or bore Use words that appeal to the readers Senses. Be ethical

Memorandum
Also more commonly memo is a brief written record or communication, commonly used in business, government, and educational organizations.

The basic function of a memo is to make the reader aware of specific information as efficiently as possible. A memo can be written to inform, to persuade, or to give specific feedback on a particular topic. When written properly, memos can be very effective in connecting the writers best interests with the best interests of the reader.

Format
A memorandum is written using a specific format which is accepted by the organization in which the memorandum is used. The usual structure for a memorandum includes some or all of the following:

MEMORANDUM (Heading Segment) TO: The person receiving the memorandum FROM: The person writing the memorandum DATE: Usually a formal manner of writing the date, for example 19 September, 2007

SUBJECT: A short title descriptive of the topic in discussion in the memorandum

Introduction (Opening Segment): explaining why the memorandum has been written and what topic the memorandum will discuss.

Body (Summary/Analysis Segment): discussing the topic in detail-explaining what exactly and itemizing when possible any parts of the topic.
Conclusion (Closing segment): explaining the implications of the memo and what the audience should think or do about the memos topic as a result of your analysis.

Know Your Audience or Principal

Know Your Audience or Principal

Specific people read memos. Knowing the audience of your memo is of primary importance in memo writing. Ask yourself three questions when considering your audience: who are they, what do they need to know, and how should you present it to them.
Who is the audience of your memo? Memos are directed at decision makers. Usually you write a memo for an individual or group to help them make a decision. To influence decision makers, you must give considerable thought to who they are. You have a duty to provide them with timely, accurate, and comprehensive analysis.

Types of Memos
Instruction Request

Announcement
Transmittal Authorization

Tips
The segments of the memo should be allocated in the following manner: Header: 1/8 of the memo Opening, Context and Task: 1/4 of the memo Summary, Discussion Segment: 1/2 of the memo Closing Segment, Necessary Attachments: 1/8 of the memo

Agenda
An agenda is a written plan showing the order of what is to be discussed or is to take place at a meeting. This helps you to stick to a plan and by doing this you will achieve more in your meetings and everyone should be satisfied.

Writing an Agenda
Writing an agenda for a program -- especially a multi-day program -is sometimes challenging because the agenda or at-a-glance itinerary needs to be brief, but provide comprehensive information. After all, most guests and attendees will be familiar with the program, but don't want to carry around an extensive document to know where they should be and when.

An agenda should provide the following pieces of information:

Name, date and location of the event. Specific times and days for activities. Items should be brief and easy to follow. Every activity must have a time and place. The event schedule should be full. Attendees should know where they can find more information.

Proposal
A proposal is a request for financial assistance to implement a project. Funding is sought, in whole or in part, from government funding agencies, charitable foundations, businesses, individuals, and other sources. Proposal writing is a skill and requires considerable knowledge in many disciplines. If you do not have proposal writing skills, your organization will not obtain the funding required to carryout its projects.

Proposal Writing
Elements of effective proposal writing include: proper formatting, content development, satisfying program criteria, demonstrating economic and social benefits, addressing funding agency requirements, demonstrating the sustainability of the projects output, selecting qualified consultants, monitoring and evaluation provisions, and proposal follow up. It also involves the proper referencing of other documentation and other sources of information used in preparing the proposal.

Proposal Writing
Your proposal should demonstrate that your project will: Provide economic benefit to an area or a community Have a high probability of success Address a strategic priority Demonstrate need for financial assistance Be economically viable Have stakeholder support Be consistent with development strategies

Strategic Planning Proposal Writing

Project Management

Format
Formatting is concerned with the look, style, and layout of the proposal. It is not merely aesthetics. A properly formatted proposal is pleasing to the eye but it also: Adds to the perception that the document is well thought out. Enhances the credibility and professionalism of your organization. Is easy to read and understand. Facilitates the understanding of the proposal content. Makes it easy for the reader to find the information they are looking for.

 Title Page: The first page of the proposal and often serves as the cover of the document. It should include: date, project title, project location, name of the organization; and any required information (e.g. proposal reference #) Table of Contents: Make it easy for readers to find the information they require. Each heading should be listed with its corresponding page number. Keep it a reasonable length. Too may headings can make it unwieldy. Appendices: Use appendices to avoid crowding the body of the proposal and maintain the narrative flow. Typical appendices include: material lists, engineering drawings, and letters of support.

 Length: The proposal should be focused and concise. The length will usually depend on the amount of resources being requested. Lay out: The margins, spacing, fonts, headings, and numbering should be consistent throughout the document. Writing: Sentence structure, grammar, and spelling should be checked. Footnoting & References: Footnote the source of quotes, statistics, and tables. Reference all sources of information used in the preparation of the document.

Minutes
Short notes taken to provide a record of a conference or a meeting
Permanent and formal record of what happened Summary of discussion and action items

What do minutes contain?

key points of discussions actions to be taken assignments given deadlines

Minutes help you check:

If youhave stuck to what has been decided have completed your tasks in due time have taken proper actions have progressed with your task participation has been active which ideas you have contributed

THE END