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Represent your company’s 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

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Analyze Your Audience:◦ Who is my audience?◦ Will my audience be favorably or unfavorably disposed to

what I am going to say?◦ What kinds of information will my audience expect me to

supply?◦ How will my audience use the information I am sending?◦ What impression do I want my letter to make on readers?

Have a clear sense of your purpose and theirs

Select the best communication strategy Draft, revise, and edit your letter

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Essential Components◦ Writer’s Address◦ Date◦ Inside Address◦ Salutation◦ Letter Body◦ Complimentary Close◦ Signed Name◦ Typed Name

Optional Components◦ Subject Line◦ New Page Notations◦ Writer’s and Typist’s Initials◦ Enclosure Notation◦ Copy Notation

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Personal Address◦ Street address◦ City◦ Zip Code

Company Address◦ Company’s name◦ Street address◦ City◦ Zip Code

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Full Calendar Date◦ May 31,2009◦ 31May 2009

2-4 spaces

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Address of the reader◦ Reader’s Name◦ Reader’s Title◦ Company Name◦ Company Street

Address◦ Company City◦ Company State◦ Company Zip Code

2-4 spaces

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IF you know the reader’s name, salutation will be◦ First / Last Name◦ Followed by Colon◦ For example

Dear Mr. Sami: Dear Ms. Jasmeen: Dear Miss / Mrs. Ali: Dear Ahmad Ali:

OTHERWISE◦ Use title

Dear Vice President:◦ Use department’s name

Accounting Department: 2 spaces

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Includes◦ Introductory Paragraph◦ Discussion Paragraph◦ Concluding Paragraph

2 spaces below salutation

2 spaces b/w paragraphs

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Place a comma after complimentary close

Preferred close is Sincerely,

2 spaces below body

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Sign your name legibly

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Type your name Mention your title

(Optional)

4 spaces below complimentary close

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Must have a topic & focus

Can be used instead of salutation

All CAPS

2 spaces below inside address

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If writer and typist are two different persons◦ Writer’s initials- ALL CAPS◦ Typist’s initials-

LOWERCASE

Separate both initials with a colon

2 spaces below typed signature

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Enclose information as◦ Enc.; OR◦ Enclosure; OR◦ Enclosures(2); OR◦ Enclosure: August Report

2 spaces below writer’s and typist’s initials

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For a copy of letter, write◦ cc (complimentary copy)◦ pc (photocopy)

For copies sent to other readers, write◦ pc: Reader Ma,e

2 spaces below enclosure notation

Full-block format◦ All text typed on left margin◦ Spaces between paragraphs

Simplified format◦ Same as full block format except

No Salutations Subject Line introduced No Complimentary Close

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Positive◦ Customer relations letters responding favorably

to a writer’s 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.

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Letters of Inquiry Sales Letters Good-News Letters Bad-News Letters Complaint Letters Adjustment Letters Cover Letters

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You require information about any matter of interest to you

It must◦ Contain an effective technical writing style◦ Involve audience through pronoun usage◦ Avoid grammatical errors◦ Must contain the essential letter components

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Introduction◦ Tell your reader why are you writing◦ Inform reader about subject matter

What are you writing about? OR What info do you want?

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Discussion ◦ Specify your needs◦ Ask precise questions◦ List specific topic of inquiry◦ Quantify your questions

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Conclusion◦ Must be precise◦ Mention when do you want a response◦ Provide a specific date for response◦ Explain why do you want response by the given

date

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