Essentials of a good formal letter PDF

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Business letter

A letter that contains business related issues and information, is called business or commercial letter. It refers to the letter in which business people, organization or a person exchange(s) information with various business firms, customers, suppliers, employees, banks, insurance companies, organizations, government agencies, business associations with aimed at selling or buying goods, obtaining information, placing orders, making inquiry, and carrying out other relevant issues. Business letters can be defines as follows: -The letters which are exchanged among businessmen connected with business affairs are called business or commercial letters. -Any letter designed and directed to the exchange of information connected with trade and trade related activities is known as a business letter. -Business letter is the process of accomplishing a business transaction in written form. So, Business letter refers to formal written letter where business related issues and information is exchanged with the suppliers, customers, clients, banks, insurance companies, government agencies or other external parts of the organization.

Types of business letters: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Sales Letters Order Letters Complaint Letters Adjustment Letters Inquiry Letters Follow-Up Letters Letters of Recommendation Acknowledgment Letters Cover letter

Essentials of a good business letter The following are some of the important characteristics of a business letter: 1. Well defined objectives: There is an old saying an aimless ship is never able to reach the destination. In case of business letter, a letter without specific objectives is meaningless. Therefore, to be effective, business letters need to have well defined objectives. 2. Contact information: The contact information of the sender and the receiver must be mentioned appropriately. 3. Benefits: Discuss the benefits offered to the receiver or customer before the nuts-and-bolts basic information. Benefits to the customer could be tangible, such as saving money and having more choices in service packages, or intangible- offering valuable solutions, including gaining/providing with peace of mind. 4. Brief description: Any business letter must be short. The significance of a short letter is that the person reading the letter must understand the significance of the letter in the minimum possible lines. This is usually done in order to save time and energy of the receiver of the letter. 5. Definite structure: The structure or main text of a business letter is typically divided into three sections: the introduction, the body and the

closing. Introductory paragraphs should be brief and explain the letter’s intent. The body should elaborate on that intent and may include facts and statistics, descriptions and or explanations. The closing should thank the recipient for his time and include the expected next step in the communication process, such as a phone call or a scheduled meeting. 6. Positive approach: The writer has to be optimistic regarding the achievement of the goal. Therefore, throughout the letter, a positive tone must be present. Positive approach not only helps to convince the reader but also express the confidence of the writer. 7. Courtesy: The tone of the letter is another very important aspect of the letter. The letter must sound polite, courteous and firm. The letter should also sound convincing the must have a polite tone. 8. Coherence: Factually the business letter must be relevant and the facts and thoughts should be presented in a very systematic manner. 9. You-attitude: To ensure effective writing the writer should put himself or herself in the reader’s place and then try to realize how the reader will respond to the letter. The ‘you attitude’ puts emphasis on the readers rather than the writer. 10. Clearness: A business letter must be readable and clear. If the reader of a business letter fails to understand the message, it will matter little to him. So the messages of the letter must be clear in meaning. 11. Simplicity: A good business letter should be simple and easy. The writer of a business letter should use simple language in drafting a letter so that the reader can easily understand the meaning and significance of the letter. 12. Free from error: A business letter should be free from all kinds of errors. So, the writer should be aware of spelling, grammatical sense and letter style in drafting a business 13. Completeness: It means messages should be presented in such a way that helps the reader to understand what the writer actually wanted to convey. Incomplete messages not only create confusion but also can damage the mutual relationship.

Sample Cover Letter August 1, 2020 Helen Khan Director of Human Resources Nova Group of Industries 289/A, Motijheel Commercial Area Dhaka, 1222 Subject: Application for the position of social media executive Dear Ms. Khan, I am writing to you today to apply for the open position of social media executive. I have seen your advertisement published in the Daily World News, dated July 25, 2020. I have a bachelor’s degree in Digital Media, and three years’ experience as a social media assistant at Rangs Industries, Dhaka. During my tenure there, I have learned how to utilize all forms of social media, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter for media coverage and boost sales of the products. For the past year I have been responsible for managing their YouTube account, and since then the audience engagement has increased by 35%. Moreover, I enjoy working in a friendly environment, I have an amiable approach and I can work well under pressure. Thank you for your time and kind consideration. I have included my resume and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, Jebin Kibria (Signatures are needed for a hard copy of letter) Jebin Kibria

5/3 Iqbal Road, Mohammadpur Dhaka 1207 Email: [email protected]...