Business

Communication
ELEMENTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER

1.Heading/ Return Address

2.Date Line
3.Inside Address
4.Salutation
5.Body of the Letter
6.Complimentary Close
7.Signature
 Heading/ Return Address
• Includes the sender’s address and
the date
• Business firms usually use stationery
with a printed heading or letterhead
containing the name of the company
and its address, and other
information.
Correct: 79 Molave Street
Incorrect: No. 79 Molave Street
# 79 Molave Street

Correct: 85 Second Street

Correct: 85 2nd Street

Correct: 1120 Taft Avenue

Incorrect: 1120 Taft

Undesirable: San Fdo., La Union

Aug. 7, 2004
Preferred: San Fernando, La Union
August 7, 2004
 Date Line
• if a stationery with a printed letterhead
is used, the date may be written at the
right of the page or in the center under
the return address

Bad: 7/8/04
Bad: August 7, ‘04
Undesirable: August 7, 2004
Right: 7 August 2004
 Inside Address

• contains the full name of the person written

to, just as it appears on the envelope.
Particular care should be exercised to spell
the addressee’s name correctly and
courtesy demands that his or her name be
prefaced with “Mr” or “Ms” or an
appropriate title.
• Businesstitles should not precede a name.
They may appear after it, separated from
the surname by a comma, or on the line
• Examples:

Ms. Alma Aquino, President Dr. John

C. Gervacio
Filipino Manufacturing
Director of Research
121 Gamboa Street
Wakey Products, Inc.
Diliman, Quezon City 7712 1402
Grand Avenue
Roxas, Makati City 1242
• Inwriting the name of the organization or
company, take pains to record it just as the
company does. Abbreviations such as Co. or
Inc. are used only if these terms are
abbreviated in the letterhead of the company.
For example, if the company spells out the
word “Company” in its correspondence, you
should spell it out too, rather than abbreviate.
This is simple courtesy.
• Ifyou must write a letter to a company but
don’t know the name of an individual to whom
to address it, you may address the company or
a certain department of the company.
• When a letter is officially addressed to a company but you
wish some particular individual or office of the company
to see the letter, you may use an “attention line.” Place a
double space below the inside address, or below and to
the right of the inside address. This line has the word
“Attention” or the abbreviation “Attn.” followed by a
colon and the name of the proper person or department.

• For Example:
Wakey Products, Inc.
1401 Grand Avenue
Cubao, Quezon City

Attention: Mr. Andrew B. Yap

Gentlemen:
 Salutation
• Located double space below the
line of the inside address and flush
with the left-hand margin
• Remember that the only
acceptable mark or punctuation
following the greeting is a colon.
 Salutation
• Usual: Dear Mr. Ayala:
Dear Mrs. Cruz:
Dear Engr. Santos:

• Formal: My dear Mr. Mojica

My dear Engr.
Ramos:
 Body of the Letter
• The message or what you have to
say to the addressee.
• It is made up of three parts:
1.Introductory statement- identifies the
nature of the business letter or the
occasion for writing it
2.Message proper
3.Closing Paragraph
 Complimentary Close
• Signals the end of the letter
• It is ordinarily a conventional
expression, which should correspond
in formality with the greeting
• It is written two spaces below the last
line of the body
• The first word is capitalized
• A comma is used to punctuate it
 Complimentary Close
• Impersonal, frequently • Informal, friendly
used and personal
Yours truly,
Yours sincerely,
Yours very truly,
Very truly yours, Sincerely yours,
Cordially yours,
• Formal, used for persons Yours faithfully,
superior in rank
Yours respectfully, Faithfully yours,
Respectfully yours,
Very respectfully yours,
 Signature
• The typed signature of the writer of the letter
• It should be placed far enough below the
closing so as to allow enough space for the
handwritten signature
For Example:
Cordially yours,
(double space)
Romina Mondragon
Chief Operating Officer
 LETTER STYLES
1.Indented Style
2.Full Block Style
3.Semi-block Style
 Indented Style
In this style, the data in
the inside address, the
body and the
complimentary close are
diagonally written.
Full Block Style
In this style, all
parts of the
business letter are
begun on the left
side of the
 Semi-block Style
In this style, the sender’s
address, the date, the
complimentary close and
signature are placed on
the right side of the paper.
Types of Business Letters
1.Letter of Application
2.Letter of Inquiry
3.Letter of Reply to an Inquiry
4.Letter of Request
5.Order Letter
6.Letter of Remittance
7.Claim Letter
8.Letter of Adjustment
9.Sales Letter
 Letter of Application

• Written to seek employment by

selling one’s personal and academic
qualifications to a prospective
employer
• It may be solicited or unsolicited
 Letter of Inquiry
• Written to seek information about people,
products, services, prices, and policies of
business organizations as well as ideas and
guidelines needed
• It is also called everyday letter as it is usually
received by business firms
• Such letters have to be answered promptly
because they could clinch a business deal or
build public relations for the company
e.g. requirements for admission, seeking for a
scholarship, membership in an organization,
availability of materials and products
 Letter of Reply to an
Inquiry
• Answers the inquiries or
requests promptly, accurately,
and courteously to maintain
goodwill or make a sale
 Letter of Request
• Should reflect a positive attitude
and sincere confidence so that
the sender will be provided with
assistance or favor needed
e.g. request for brochures, price
quotations, services of experts
like engineers
 Order Letter
•Necessary when you
express your desire to buy
certain items
Quantity Descriptio Unit Price Total Price
n
2 Desktop Php 25, 000. 00 Php 50, 000. 00
Computer
 Letter of Remittance
• Written to accompany payments
that specifies what is the
remittance for, the amount being
remitted written in words and
figures, and whether the payment
is by check, postal money order, or
manager’s check.
 Claim Letter
• Expresses the writer’s complaint
regarding mistakes, defects or
shortcomings of the merchandise
received or errors on bills
• It focuses on the reader’s attention on
the mistake or defect but not on the
negative attitude of the letter sender
 Letter of Adjustment
• Pacifiesthe negative emotion of
the claim letter writer by giving
conciliatory statement with
expression of assurance and
goodwill for immediate action or
correction of the error committed
 Sales Letter
• Sells goods, services, plans,
policies, ideas or goodwill and
presents the advantages for
ordering or buying the offered
goods or services by attracting
favorable action, building interest
or desire, convincing the reader and
directing favorable action to
persuade the prospective buyer
 Letter of Transmittal
•Written to accompany a
certain report or scientific
paper to someone who
requests for such report or
project
 WRITING A
MEMORANDUM
• The main tool used for
communication in a company,
whether big or small. It is
circulated within the company or
to its branches and outlets
Distinction between a letter
and a memorandum
• A memo is intended for a person or staff in one’s own company
while a letter is written to someone outside the company.

• A memo is sent or given to other employees regardless of their

places of assignment – whether in the same building, outlet, in a
branch office.

• A business letter has different objectives depending on its purpose.

• A memo is prepared to save time and it is convenient to use

because it is just being posted in a conspicuous place or delivered
by the messenger of the company.
Parts of a Memorandum

1.Heading
2.The Subject
3.The Message
 1. Heading
• Thisis composed of the DATELINE, TO LINE and
FROM LINE. The Date line refers to the current
date while the To line refers to the addressee,
whether an individual, several persons or group
of people. The From line includes the name of the
writer and his/her title, position or designation.

7 August 2004
To : All Employees Concerned
From : The President
 2. The Subject
• This gives the reader an idea of what the
message or the content is all about
• A good subject encapsulates the message
which makes it useful for fitting purposes

SUBJECT : SSS Benefits

SUBJECT : Monthly Meeting of Department
Heads
SUBJECT : Distribution of Mid-Year Bonus
 The Message
•This consists of three parts:
1.The first part tells the receiver the
reason for writing it and tells the reader
what and how to do it.
2. The second part expresses the
information or details and manner of how
to do it.
3.The final part ends with a courteous
request for action or further information.
 Types of Memos
1.Good-news Memo (promotion, additional
benefits, salary increase)
2.Routine Memo (communicates standard
operating procedure and other instructions)
3.Procedure or Information Memo (outlines
procedures or gives instructions)
4.Bad-news Memo (demotion, suspension,
separation)
Thank you for listening!