LETTER

CHAPTER 1

PLANNING THE LETTER

Planning is a key factor in the accomplishment of any goal. Letter writing is no exception. To successfully construct a clear, effective letter, you need a good plan. Three steps are essential in the planning of any letter are:

1. Researching the Facts

Before you write a letter, it make sense to know what you plan to talk about. If you wing it and write whatever comes into your head, chances are you will end up with a confused, ineffective letter.

2. Analyzing the Subject and Reader

You’ve completed your research. You know something about the person to whom you are writing. You have a good idea what topics will be covered in the letter. The information you have gathered must now be analyzed so you can logically organize it for the nest result.

An outline is a good method of organizing topics and visualizing the order in which you wish to discuss them in the letter. An outline your letter as follow:

Paragraph 1.a. Thanks for meeting

b. Appreciate views on business

(1) Loyalty to existing business relationships

(2) Importance of personal relationships

Paragraph 2.a. Idea for loxkbox

(1) Speed up collections

(2) Cost-effectiveness

Paragraph 3.a. Arrange for another meeting

You’ll notice that the only difference between this rough outline and the list of topics jotted down earlier is order. The ordering of topics is an important function of the outline.

With outline in hand or your head, you can now begin to write your letter. Keep in mind that, in order to be as clear as possible, you should write simple sentences, avoiding any unnecessary information. Another important thing to remember is that ideas placed at the beginning or end of paragraph will often stand out most clearly to the reader. This placement of ideas is a good practice to use for emphasis in your letter writing.

3. Knowing Your Objectives and How to Accomplish Them

Set an objective for every letter you write. If you want a customer to accept credit terms you are offering, keep that goal in mind as you plan and write your letter.

CHAPTER 2

COMPONENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE LETTER

Planning by itself is not enough to assure you of a positive response from your reader. There are however, essential components of any letter that can multiply the chances of its effectiveness. Before you begin to worry about the basic mechanics of a letter (structure, appearance, and grammar), think seriously about the attitude you wish to convey. Your attitude is conveyed through your choice of language, tone, and focus of attention.

1. Language-Clarity vs. Ambiguity

Language is a means of communication. This may seem like a foolishly simple observation to make, but remember that for communication to be completed successfully a sender must convey his or her message so that the receiver not only receives, but also understands the message.

Be clear and straightforward in your letter

Write what you mean. Don’t write in circles, making your reader guess what you mean.

Be as direct as possible in your letter writing

If you can convey your message in five words instead of ten, do so. The idea is to get your messages across clearly and directly.

Avoid the use of pompous or inflated language in your letter

You are writing to communicate with your reader and if you mean, “ I am writing to you about….,”you should write what you mean.

Be clear, direct, and unambiguous in your letter writing

Sometimes when you think you are communicating clearly in letter, the reader receives a different message from the one you intended. If such ambiguity is present in your letters, you can never be sure that the reader will understand your message.

2. Tone-Personality

The tone or personality of a letter can help you get a positive reaction from a reader. The tone should be set at the very start of a letter and maintained throughout. The tone of any business letter should be courteous and friendly, and written as if you were talking with the reader. The tone should help to show that someone with a personality-a human being-is writing the letter.

3. Focus of Attention-The “You Attitude”

An important concept in letter writing is something called the “you attitude”. The “you attitude” insists that the focus of attention in your letters be directed toward the reader, the “you” to whom you are writing.

4. Length

The length of any letter affects its appearance. Professionals or customers who receive a lot of correspondence every day are not going to react favorably to three page letters that could have been written in one page. Planning and clarity in your ideas can help to limit the length of your letter. Paragraph should not be too long and difficult to follow.

CHAPTER 3

STRUCTURE : THE PARTS OF A LETTER

1. Dateline

Every letter should have a dateline. The date appears on a single line two to eight lines below the letterhead or the top margin of the pages.

2. Reference Line

The reference line is optional. It is a number or a serious of numbers and letters referring to previous correspondence. It is usually included for the benefit of a person who must file all correspondence dealing with the same issues or topics.

3. Personal or Confidential Note

The inclusion of a personal or confidential not is a optional. When such a notation is used, however, it should always be because the writer wants the letter to remain confidential between him or her and the reader.

4. Personal

The personal note is rarely used in the official-style format because this format is usually reserved for personal letters. Should you decide it is necessary to include a personal note in the official-style format, it should be typed for line above the salutation.

5. Inside address

The inside address must be included in all letters. With the exception of the official-style format, the inside address is typed two to twelve lines beneath the dateline (or reference line or confidential note, should there be such notations). The placement of the inside address is flexible, depending upon the length of the letter, four lines is the must common.

6. Attention Note

If you are addressing a letter to a company but wish to direct it to the attention of a specific person, you may include an attention note. The attention note is typed two lines below the last line of the inside address and two lines above the salutation. In the full-block, block, or simplified formats, the attention notes is typed either flush with the left margin or centered. The attention note is usually not included in the official-style format since this format is generally used for a personal letter and it would already be clear to whom the letter is addressed.

7. Salutation

The salutations appears in all letters but those using the simplified-letter format. It is usually typed two to four lines below the inside address or the attention note (if the is one). Two spaces is most typical. In the official-style format, the salutation is typed four to six lines below the dateline, since the inside address appears at the bottom of the letter in this format.

8. Subject Line

The subject line identifies the content of a letter and is on optional addition to all but the simplified-letter formats. The simplified letter always includes a subject line typed three lines below the last line of the inside address. In the full-block, block, semi block, or hanging-indented formats, the subject line is typed either two lines above or below the salutation. The subject line can be typed in all capital letters or with each important word capitalized. Sometimes, when just the important words are capitalized, the whole subject line is underlined. When the subject line is typed in all capital letters, it is never underlined.

9. Paragraphs

While most word-processing programs will automatically format the various parts of a letter, it’s good to know the basic formatting rules for letter writing nonetheless. Paragraphs should be indented five or ten spaces in the official or semi block styles. Five-space indentations are usually standard. In the full block, block, and simplified-letter formats, no indentation is used. The first paragraph should introduce a letter’s subject or refer to a previous correspondence or conversation to which you are responding. The following paragraphs of your letter should elaborate on the subject set up in the first paragraph. The closing paragraph should briefly summarize the topic and close on a positive note, encouraging a positive working relationship with the letter’s reader.

10. Continuation Sheets

The printed letterhead is used only for the first page of a letter. The second and following pages are typed on plain sheets of paper matching the letterhead. The heading on a continuation sheet is typed six lines below the top of the page and includes the addressee’s name, the page number, and the date.

11. Complimentary Close

The complimentary close must be included in all but the simplified-letter format. It is typed two lines below the last line of the body of the letter. In the full-block format, the complimentary close should be flush with the left margin. In the block, semi block, official-style, and hanging indented formats, the complimentary close should start at the center of the page, directly under the dateline, about five spaces to the right of center, or at a point that would put the end of the longest line at the right margin. The first letter of the first word complimentary close should be capitalized. The entire complimentary close should be followed by a comma.

12. Signature Block

Directly under the complimentary close, the letter writer signs his or her name. four lines below the complimentary close, and aligned with in the full-block, block, semi block, official-styles, and hanging-indented formats, the writer’s name is typed, usually the same way it is signed.

13. Identification Line

The identification line is an optional addition to any letter. It consist of the initials of either the typist or the writer and the typist, and is typed flush with the left margin two lines below the signature block.

14. Enclosure and Attachment Notations

The enclosures should be placed behind the letter in order of importance. If a check is one of the enclosures, it should be placed in front of the letter. The enclosures can be numbered and listed next to the enclosure notation, one per line. If they are to be returned, indicate such in parenthesis next to the item.

15. Distribution Notation

If you would like the recipient of the letter to know to whom you are sending copies of the letter, a distribution notation is used. Sometimes distribution notations appear only on copies of the letter.

16. Postscript

A postscript is rarely used in a business letter unless it is in a sales letter to emphasize a point or to make a special offer. It is typed flush with the left margin two to four lines below the last notation in a letter.