BUSINESS WRITING

CORE QUALITIES OF BUSINESS WRITING Clarity: It is distracted by unclear thinking and poor

language. Conciseness: Once you are clear what you want to

say, just say it without beating around the bush. Once you write it down go over it and see weather you can cut out few words. Crisp writing makes the reader happy. Reader will also find it easy to reconstruct your message.

Unity: If a paragraph has unity it has a topic and all sentences in the paragraph are about that topic.

Coherence: Linking of sentences in proper direction is coherence.

Appropriate tone: Reader friendliness:

BUSINESS MEMOS Business memos are an internal method of communication

within one company.They are short messages. Write the heading section of the memo. The heading

contains information about the recipient of the memo, the sender, the date and the business memo subject. The subject of the memo should be a short sentence that describes the entire memo.

Compose the opening paragraph. The first paragraph of a business memo should clearly state the intention of the memo and an overview of what information is going to be presented in the body of the memo.

Briefly describe the issue. Sentences used to define the issue should be short, to the point and rely heavily on facts.

Explain the solutions in progress. If you are working on a solution to a problem, or have an idea of how it can be solved, the third paragraph is the place to describe it.

Summarize your findings in the fourth paragraph. If the memo is short, this is an optional section. But if the memo takes up more than one full page, a summary section highlighting the main points discussed is helpful. 

Finish the memo by including what the recipients need to do and a deadline date for completing the requested action. Include any information about follow-up communication in the last paragraph.

Sign the memo. This is an optional step, but some companies adhere to the practice of completing business correspondence with the sender's signature appearing above the sender's typed name.

Proofread the memo. Prior to sending the memo internally or externally, be sure that the content is grammatically correct. If the memo contains sensitive information, check your company policy to see who can edit or read the memo for you.

EXERCISE Situation: You are the Personnel Manager at Hamp & Heath Ltd. and

have been approached by your IT Department to recruit a new member of staff. You have received over 100 applications and have selected 10 candidates for interview.

Task: Write a memo to Miss Bhatt, the Manager of the IT

Department informing her of what you have done so far. Tell her you will shortly be writing to the candidates inviting them for interview. Ask her to let you know when the interviews should take place. Suggest the initial interviews take place in the Personnel Department and ask how many people form her department will be attending so that you can arrange rooms and anything else they may require.

Now write the memo and add any information you think necessary.

BUSINESS LETTERS

Letters differ from memos in following ways: Letter circulates outside the organization. Letter can communicate sensitive message. Letters can also be written with the purpose

to persuade or convince the reader.

BUSINESS LETTERS Beginning the Letter Know the format. Whatever the content of your

letter, there are a few business standards to follow regarding the way it looks. Business letters should be typed and composed in a common font such as Arial or Times New Roman. Employ block paragraphing - i.e., to start a new paragraph, hit "return" twice and don't use an indent.If you're printing the letter to send, consider printing the letter on company letterhead. This lends it a more professional air and provides your company's logo and contact information.

An emailed business letter should also be composed in a common font. Don't use script or colors other than black and white in a business email.

Include information about your company. List your company name and the company address, with each part of the address written on a different line. If you're self-employed or an independent contractor, add your name either in place of the company name or above it.If your company has pre-designed letterhead, you can use this instead of typing out your company and address.

If you're typing out the address, it should appear either right or left justified at the top of the page, depending on you and your company's preference.

Include the date. Writing out the full date is the most professional choice. For example, write either "April 1, 2012" or "1 April 2012." This should appear left justified a few lines below the sender's address.

Add the recipient's information. Write out the recipient's full name, title (if applicable), company name, and address in that order, with each piece of information on a separate line. If necessary, include a reference number. The recipient's information should be left justified a few lines below the date.

Choose a salutation. The salutation is an important indicator of respect, and which one you use will depend on whether you know the person to whom you're writing, how well you know them and the level of formality in your relationship. Consider the following options:Employ "To Whom It May Concern" only if you don't know whom, specifically, you're addressing.

If you do not know the recipient well, "Dear Sir/Madam" is a safe choice.

You may also use the recipient's title and last name, e.g. "Dear Dr. Smith."

If you know the recipient well and enjoy an informal relationship with him or her, you may consider a first-name address, e.g. "Dear Susan."

If you are unsure of the recipient's gender, simply type the whole name, e.g. "Dear Kris Smith."

Don't forget a comma after a salutation or a colon after “To Whom It May Concern.”

PART 2 OF 4: COMPOSING THE BODY

Strike the right tone. Time is money, as the saying goes, and most businesspeople hate to waste time. The tone of your letter, therefore, should be brief and professional. Make your letter a quick read by diving straight into the matter and keeping your comments brief in the first paragraph. For instance, you can always start with "I am writing you regarding..." and go from there. Don't concern yourself with flowery transitions, big words, or lengthy, meandering sentences - your intent should be to communicate what needs to be said as quickly and cleanly as possible.

To tighten your copy, avoid passive verbs and try not to editorialize.

Write clearly and concisely. Let your reader know exactly what you are trying to say. Your reader will only respond quickly if your meaning is crystal clear. In particular, if there is some result or action you want taken because of your letter, state what it is. Explain your position in as few words as possible.

Be conversational when appropriate.Avoid form letters if possible - you cannot build a relationship with canned impersonal letters. However, stay away from colloquial language or slang such as "you know," "I mean" or "wanna". Keep the tone businesslike, but be friendly and helpful.If you know the recipient well, it's fine to include a friendly line sending good wishes.

Be courteous. Even if you are writing with a complaint or concern, you can be courteous. Consider the recipient's position and offer to do whatever you can, within reason, to be accommodating and helpful.

Wrap it up. In the last paragraph, summarize your points and clearly outline either your planned course of action or what you expect from the recipient. Note that the recipient may contact you with questions or concerns, and say thank you for his or her attention to the letter/matter at hand.

PART 3 OF 4: CLOSING THE LETTER

Choose a closing. The closing, like the salutation, is an indicator of respect and formality. "Yours sincerely" or "Sincerely" is generally a safe bet; also consider "Cordially," "Respectfully," "Regards" and "Yours Truly." Slightly less formal but still professional closings include "All the best,” “Best wishes," "Warm regards," and "Thank you." Use a comma after your closing.

Sign the letter. Leave about four lines empty for your signature. Sign the letter after you've printed it, or, if you're sending it via email, scan an image of your signature and affix it to this part of the letter. Blue or black ink is preferred.

Include your typed name and contact information. Beneath your signature, type your name, phone number, email address and any other applicable means of contact. Give each piece of information its own line.

If necessary, include "Enclosures." If you've enclosed additional documents for the recipients review, note this a few lines beneath your contact info by noting the number and type of documents, e.g. "Enclosures (2): resume, brochure."

PART 4 OF 4: FINALIZING THE LETTER

Edit the letter. Presentation is a key element of being professional. Make sure that the recipient will easily be able to see you as capable and in charge by editing your letter for errors. Run spell check on your word processor, but also give the letter a thorough read before you send it.Ask yourself whether the letter is clear and concise. Are any paragraphs more than 3-4 sentences long? If so, determine whether you can eliminate unnecessary statements.

If the letter is extremely important, you might want to have a friend or colleague look it over. Sometimes a second pair of eyes can help you catch errors or awkward wording you may not have noticed.

Post the letter. Send the email or, if you're sending the letter via post, use a business envelope. (If available, use one with the company logo printed on it.) Neatly print your return address and the recipient's address. Fold the letter into third parts, such that the recipient will first unfold the top flap, then the bottom flap. Make sure you affix sufficient postage, and send it off.If you feel like your handwriting is messy and doesn't match your professional persona, type the addresses in your word processor nx run the envelope through your printer.

TIPS OF BUSINESS LETTERS

Organize your Material: Consider your audience: Write Proofread Edit your text

EMAILS:

Professionalism: Effeciency: Sensitivity: Enatomy of Email To CC: BCC: Subject Line Text Signature

EMAIL ETIQUETTES

Use a short and accurate subject header.

Use a proper salutation.  Introduce yourself in the first paragraph

(if necessary).  Write the actual message.  Use the correct form of leave-taking. Sign with your full name.  Proofread your message for content. Proofread your message for spelling

and grammar. 

Select Common font , Color should be black. Punctuation should be proper. Subject line should be shrot ,sweet and well

thought off. 5 to 7 words Re: appearing too many times Change the subject line if topic of

conversation has taken another direction.

Incorrect subject lines: What to do?? ???? Urgent Very very urgent Re:FYI If Greetings are missing it seems you are

sounding bossy.