1Technical LettersTechnical Letters

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The Importance of LettersThe Importance of Letters

• Represent your company’s public Represent your company’s public image and your competenceimage and your competence

• More personal than a report, yet More personal than a report, yet more formal than memos or e-mailmore formal than memos or e-mail

• More permanent than e-mailMore permanent than e-mail

• Constitute an official legal record of Constitute an official legal record of an agreementan agreement

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Writing Effective LettersWriting Effective Letters

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

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

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

• Have a clear sense of your purpose and theirsHave a clear sense of your purpose and theirs

• Select the best communication strategySelect the best communication strategy

• Draft, revise, and edit your letterDraft, revise, and edit your letter

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Letter ComponentsLetter Components• Essential ComponentsEssential Components

– Writer’s AddressWriter’s Address– DateDate– Inside AddressInside Address– SalutationSalutation– Letter BodyLetter Body– Complimentary CloseComplimentary Close– Signed NameSigned Name– Typed NameTyped Name

• Optional ComponentsOptional Components– Subject LineSubject Line– New Page NotationsNew Page Notations– Writer’s and Typist’s Writer’s and Typist’s

InitialsInitials– Enclosure NotationEnclosure Notation– Copy NotationCopy Notation

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Essential Essential Components of a Components of a

LetterLetter

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• Personal AddressPersonal Address– Street addressStreet address– CityCity– StateState– Zip CodeZip Code

• Company AddressCompany Address– Company’s nameCompany’s name– Street addressStreet address– CityCity– StateState– Zip CodeZip Code

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• Full Calendar DateFull Calendar Date– May 31,2009May 31,2009– 31May 200931May 2009

• 2-4 spaces2-4 spaces

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• Address of the Address of the readerreader– Reader’s NameReader’s Name– Reader’s TitleReader’s Title– Company NameCompany Name– Company Street Company Street

AddressAddress– Company CityCompany City– Company StateCompany State– Company Zip CodeCompany Zip Code

• 2-4 spaces2-4 spaces

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• IF you know the reader’s IF you know the reader’s name, salutation will bename, salutation will be– First / Last NameFirst / Last Name– Followed by ColonFollowed by Colon– For exampleFor example

• Dear Mr. Smith:Dear Mr. Smith:• Dear Ms. Jones:Dear Ms. Jones:• Dear Miss / Mrs. Jones:Dear Miss / Mrs. Jones:• Dear Chris Evans:Dear Chris Evans:

• OTHERWISEOTHERWISE– Use titleUse title

• Dear Vice President:Dear Vice President:– Use department’s nameUse department’s name

• Accounting Department:Accounting Department:

• 2 spaces2 spaces

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• IncludesIncludes– Introductory ParagraphIntroductory Paragraph– Discussion ParagraphDiscussion Paragraph– Concluding ParagraphConcluding Paragraph

• 2 spaces below 2 spaces below salutationsalutation

• 2 spaces b/w 2 spaces b/w paragraphsparagraphs

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• Place a comma after Place a comma after complimentary closecomplimentary close

• Preferred close is Preferred close is Sincerely, Sincerely,

• 2 spaces below body2 spaces below body

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• Sign your name legiblySign your name legibly

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• Type your nameType your name• Mention your title Mention your title

(Optional)(Optional)

• 4 spaces below 4 spaces below complimentary closecomplimentary close

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Optional Optional Components of a Components of a

LetterLetter

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• Must have a topic & Must have a topic & focusfocus

• Can be used instead of Can be used instead of salutationsalutation

• All CAPSAll CAPS

• 2 spaces below inside 2 spaces below inside addressaddress

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• If writer and typist are If writer and typist are two different personstwo different persons– Writer’s initials- ALL CAPSWriter’s initials- ALL CAPS– Typist’s initials-Typist’s initials-

LOWERCASELOWERCASE

• Separate both initials Separate both initials with a colonwith a colon

• 2 spaces below typed 2 spaces below typed signaturesignature

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• Enclose information asEnclose information as– Enc.; OREnc.; OR– Enclosure; OREnclosure; OR– Enclosures(2); OREnclosures(2); OR– Enclosure: August ReportEnclosure: August Report

• 2 spaces below writer’s 2 spaces below writer’s and typist’s initialsand typist’s initials

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• For a copy of letter, For a copy of letter, writewrite– cc (complimentary copy)cc (complimentary copy)– pc (photocopy)pc (photocopy)

• For copies sent to other For copies sent to other readers, writereaders, write– pc: Reader Ma,epc: Reader Ma,e

• 2 spaces below 2 spaces below enclosure notationenclosure notation

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Letter FormatsLetter Formats

• Full-block formatFull-block format– All text typed on left marginAll text typed on left margin– Spaces between paragraphsSpaces between paragraphs

• Simplified formatSimplified format– Same as full block format exceptSame as full block format except

• No SalutationsNo Salutations• Subject Line introducedSubject Line introduced• No Complimentary CloseNo Complimentary Close

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Full Block FormatFull Block Format

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Simplified FormatSimplified Format

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Classifications of business Classifications of business lettersletters

• PositivePositive– Customer relations letters responding favorably Customer relations letters responding favorably

to a writer’s request or complaintto a writer’s request or complaint– Sales letters promoting a productSales letters promoting a product

• NeutralNeutral– Letters requesting information about a product Letters requesting information about a product

or service, placing an order, or responding to or service, placing an order, or responding to some action or questionsome action or question

• NegativeNegative– Customer relations letters refusing a request, Customer relations letters refusing a request,

saying no to an adjustment, etc.saying no to an adjustment, etc.

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Types of LettersTypes of Letters

• Letters of InquiryLetters of Inquiry• Sales LettersSales Letters• Good-News LettersGood-News Letters• Bad-News LettersBad-News Letters• Complaint LettersComplaint Letters• Adjustment LettersAdjustment Letters• Cover Letters Cover Letters

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Letters of InquiryLetters of Inquiry

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Inquiry Letter Inquiry Letter

• You require information about any You require information about any matter of interest to youmatter of interest to you

• It mustIt must– Contain an effective technical writing Contain an effective technical writing

stylestyle– Involve audience through pronoun usageInvolve audience through pronoun usage– Avoid grammatical errorsAvoid grammatical errors– Must contain the essential letter Must contain the essential letter

componentscomponents

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Components of Inquiry Components of Inquiry Letter BodyLetter Body

• IntroductionIntroduction– Tell your reader why are you writingTell your reader why are you writing– Inform reader about subject matterInform reader about subject matter

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

•

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Components of Inquiry Components of Inquiry Letter BodyLetter Body

• Discussion Discussion – Specify your needsSpecify your needs– Ask precise questionsAsk precise questions– List specific topic of inquiryList specific topic of inquiry– Quantify your questionsQuantify your questions

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Components of Inquiry Components of Inquiry Letter BodyLetter Body

• ConclusionConclusion– Must be preciseMust be precise– Mention when do you want a responseMention when do you want a response– Provide a specific date for responseProvide a specific date for response– Explain why do you want response by Explain why do you want response by

the given datethe given date