TECHNICAL WRITINGNovember 8, 2012

Today• Business letters

Business letters

Letters are among the most important and official business documents.

They are important because:

1. They represent your organization’s public image and your competence.

- Carefully written letters can create goodwill. - Poorly written letters can COST MONEY.

Business letters

2. They are more formal – in tone and structure – than other types of business communication.

3. They constitute an official legal record of an agreement.

- i.e., A signed letter to a customer represents a legally binding document. Thus, ACCURACY is important.

5. Letters are more permanent than e-mails.

- e-mails can be erased. Letters are usually stored.

Business letters

5. They are the official and expected medium through which important documents and attachments are sent to readers.

i.e., contracts, proposals. - Sending these via e-mail or memo lacks formality and respect.

6. Letters are still the standard medium through which to conduct business with many international audiences.

Common types of business letters• Inquiry letters (asking for information).

• Cover letters (accompany documents like proposals).

• Special request letters (make special demand, not routine).

• Sales letters ( persuading the reader to buy).

• Customer relations letters- Follow-up letters- Complaint letters- Adjustment letters- Collection letters

Business letters• Usually represents a direct communication between one

person and another.

• For example, a business letter is usually addressed specifically to someone (not writing for a “general reader”: To whom it may concern: ).

Business letter formats• Full Block Format:

• All information is flush against the left margin, with spaces between paragraphs. This format is usually used when the letter is on letterhead stationery.

Business letter formats Modified Format:

The writer’s address (if not already imprinted on the letterhead), date, complimentary close, and signature are positioned on the right center side of the letter.

All of these elements are aligned.

Recipient’s address, salutation, and body of the letter are all left-aligned.

Parts of a business letter• Heading

• Date line

• Inside (recipient’s) address

• Salutation

• Body

• Complementary close

• Signature

• Enclosure (if necessary)

• Copy notation (if necessary)

Parts - Heading• Either the company’s letterhead, or your full return

address.

Parts - Dateline• October 19, 2012 As we have learned.

• In Europe (or for international letters besides N.A.)

• 19 October 2012

Parts – Inside Address• The address of the recipient.

- Always left-aligned.

Includes:

- Name (and title)- Company/organization- Street address- City- State/province- Postal/ZIP code

NOTE: Single-spaced!

Parts – Inside Address

Parts – Salutation

Dear Mr. Park:

Dear Ms. Thomson:

Dear Dr. Wright:

Parts – Salutation

Dear ______ :

- If you do not know the gender of the recipient, use the full name.

Dear Terry Jones:

- If you don’t know the recipients name, try to use the title.

Dear Manager:

Parts – Salutation

Dear ______ :

Do not use a comma. Use a colon.

Avoid casual salutations, like “Hello”, “Hey”, “Good Morning.”

Parts – Body

The complete message portion of the letter.

Body

Parts – Complementary close

Your “goodbye”.

Standard forms:

Sincerely,

Respectfully,

Sincerely yours,

Yours sincerely,

Regards,

Cordially,

Parts – Complementary close

Your “goodbye”.

Avoid:

Forever yours,

Devotedly yours,

Faithfully yours,

Parts – Signature

Allow four spaces after the close for your signature.

Type your name (and title) below the handwritten signature.

Standard Organization To help readers grasp your message clearly and

concisely, follow this simple plan:

1. In your first paragraph tell readers why you are writing and why your letter is important to them.

2. Put the most significant point of each paragraph first to make it easier for the reader to find.

3. In the second and subsequent paragraphs of your letter, develop the body of your letter with factual support.

4. In your last paragraph, thank readers and be clear and precise about what you want them to do or what you will do for them.

Complaint Letters

Complaint letters are exactly what they sound like and may be sent by a customer to a business or from one business to another. Avoid angry complaint letters, which rarely get positive results. An effective complaint letter should maintain a professional tone and follow these guidelines:

1. Send your letter to the right person.

2. Be concise.

3. Begin with a detailed description of the product or service.

4. State exactly what is wrong with the product or service.

5. Briefly describe the inconvenience you have experienced.

6. Indicate precisely what you want done.

7. Ask for prompt handling of your claim.

Addressed to specific reader.

Gives all product’s facts and warranty information.

Describes what has happened and when.

Documents problem and reason for adjustment.

Provides clear description of how problem should be solved.

Concludes politely (with justification for prompt action).

The situation

Your new tablet YOU

Photo credit: mp3mp4players.co.uk

Your new tablet, now YOU, now

Photo credit: www.sheknows.comPhoto credit: mp3mp4players.co.uk

ERROR

Adjustment Letters

Adjustment letters respond to complaint letters and should restore customer confidence, whether the answer to what the customer wants done about the problem is “yes” or “no.”

An adjustment letter saying “yes” should:1. Admit immediately that the customer’s complaint is justified and

apologize.

2. State precisely what you are going to do to correct the problem.

3. Tell customers exactly what happened.

4. End on a friendly – and positive – note.

Adjustment Letters (continued)

An adjustment letter saying “no” is more difficult, because it involves giving bad news while at the same time convincing the reader that your position is fair, logical, and consistent.

A diplomatic adjustment letter saying “no” should:1. Thank customers for writing.

2. State the problem carefully to reassure customers that you understand their complaint.

3. Explain what happened with the product or service before you give the customer a decision.

4. Give your decision without hedging.

5. Leave the door open for better and continued business.

Sending Letter-Quality Messages: Final Advice Regardless of the type of business letter you write, the

following guidelines will help you draft, tailor, and evaluate the letter to insure its quality:

1.Identify your reader.

2.Determine your purpose for writing.

3.Determine the reader’s reason for writing.

4.Organize information.

5.Include essential information.

6.Use the appropriate style and tone.

Language used in business letters• A letter that sounds impersonal and unfriendly can

damage the image of an organization • (even if just in the eyes of one or a few potential clients).

• On the other hand, a thoughtful, sincere letter (even if it is delivering negative news) can greatly enhance an organization’s image.

Language used in business letters• Business letters usually use formal language.

• Be polite! (Consider: How would I feel if I received this?)

Example• Suppose you are a department store manager who

receives a request for a refund from a customer who forgot to enclose the receipt with the request. In a letter to the customer, you might write:

Example• “The sales receipt must be enclosed with the merchandise

before we can process the refund.”

However, if you consider how you might keep the goodwill of the customer, you might word the request this way:

• “Please enclose the sales receipt with the merchandise, so that we can send your refund promptly.”

Example• Notice that the second version uses the word please and

the active voice (“Please enclose the sales receipt”), while the first version contains the passive voice (“The sales receipt must be enclosed”).

• In general, the active voice creates a friendlier, more courteous tone than the passive, which tends to sound impersonal and unfriendly. Polite wording, such as the use of please, also helps to create goodwill

• Be respectful, not demanding:

• CHANGE:• Submit your answer in one week.

• TO:• I would appreciate receiving your answer within one week.

• Be Modest, not Arrogant.

• CHANGE:My report is thorough, and I am sure that you would not be able to continue efficiently without it.

• TO:• I have tried to be as thorough as possible in my report,

and I hope you find it useful.

• Be polite, not sarcastic.

• CHANGE:• I just received the shipment we ordered six month ago. I

am sending it back – we cannot use it now. Thanks!

• TO:• I am returning the shipment we ordered on March 12,

2005. Unfortunately, it arrived too late for us to be able to use it.

• Be positive, not negative.

• CHANGE:• Your complaint about our prices is way off target. Our

prices are definitely not any higher than those of our competitors.

• TO:• Thank you for your suggestion concerning our prices. We

believe, however, that our prices are competitive with, and in some cases below, those of our competitors.

Assignment 5

Respond to today’s complain letter with an

ADJUSTMENT LETTER.

See website for information sheet

Deadline: Nov. 19 (11:59 p.m.)