Types of Business Letters

Types of Professional Letters

COMPILED FOR THE SCHOLARS OF
ALBUKHARY INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Professional English

Friday, 28 September 2012

Introduction
 The most important element you need to

ensure in any business letter is accuracy.
 One of the aspects of writing a business
letter that requires the most accuracy is
knowing which type of business letter you
are writing.
 If you know the form to use, you will
significantly increase your odds of getting a
reply.


Resume Cover Letter
 The cover letter is the first impression you as

a job seeker will make on your potential
employer.
 Employers often use the cover letter as a test
to determine whether the resume is worth
reading.
 Highlight the experiences and skills that
prepared you for the job you are seeking.
 Use action verbs frequently; find keywords in
the help wanted ad or job description (such as
detail oriented) to use in your letter.


Writing the Cover Letter
 When applying for a job, the cover letter is

as important as the curriculum vitae or CV.
 It should be written on presentable paper.
 It should be neat and nicely designed.
 It should be made to fit in one page, with
the objective of attracting the reader to
react favorably to the letter.


Cover Letter
 When you are applying for a position,

write a cover letter to accompany your
resume.
 A cover letter's goal is to direct the
reader to your resume.
 Explain something that is not apparent
on your resume and to express why you
want to work for that specific company.


2. Cover Letter (Resume)
 A cover letter that accompanies a resume

should be brief.
 Take as little time and as few words as
possible to accomplish one task:
persuading the reader to anticipate reading
your resume.
 Mention the title of the job for which you
are applying, as well or one or two of your
strongest selling points.


Application and Cover Letter
 The person reading your letter will use your

document to decide if it is worth giving you a
personal interview.
 In an application letter, include previous
experience, current skills and any other pieces
of information that are pertinent to your goal.
 A cover letter should be much briefer and
more concise than an application letter and
should focus primarily on the person
receiving the letter, as well as the resume
being sent with it.


Application Letter
 You write an application letter to apply for

admission to a university, apply for a job or
seek approval for a bank loan.
 The contents of the application letter will be
different according to what type of application
you write.
 Keep your letter brief and to the point.
 You should put the letter's main purpose in
the first paragraph so that when the reader
first looks at it he will see, at first glance, what
the subject is.


Application Letter
 Place all essential details in the following

paragraphs. Describe facts like work
experience, education and references. Also
list your relevant qualities and skills.
 The application letter should focus on your
uniqueness and the reason that you should
be chosen for the job interview or for
admission to the particular college or
university.
 End the letter on a positive note.


Application Letter
 The parts of application letters are:
 Heading
 Inside

Address
 Greeting
 Body
 Complimentary Close, (yours truly or
thank you)
 Signature Line


Employment Letter
 Employment letters should be printed on

company letterhead and must be addressed to
a certain person.
 The language of the letter should be direct,
clear and concise, and the tone should be
positive and soft.
 Make sure the first paragraph of the
employment letter contains the reason for
writing it.
 Try to make a feeling of respect and mutual
trust flow throughout the letter.


Employment Letter
 A few types of employment letters are

employment acceptance letter,
employment resignation letter,
employee reference letter and employee
leave application letter.
 Employment letters should consist of
the following parts: heading, inside
address, greeting, body, complimentary
close and signature line.


Interview "Thank You" Letter
 One common letter that some may forget about is follow
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up after a job interview.
The interview does not end with a shake of hands and
polite goodbyes.
In a tight race, the candidate who followed through with
a quick note of appreciation may get the job.
In a thank-you letter, do not explain discrepancies or
gaps that may have happened during the interview.
Make it sweet and simple, to end on an enthusiastic note,
name names and titles (check the spelling), and leave the
door open to a second opportunity to interview, and/or a
hopeful reiteration of why you believe you are the best
candidate for the job.



Announcement Letter
 Announcement letters announce events in

either your personal or your professional
life.
 Examples are: announcing to an investor
quarterly results, announcing a particular
event or announcing an engagement or a
wedding.
 Announcement letters can be used for
personal and business purposes.


Announcement Letter
 This type of business letter is used to make

an announcement of something happy that
has occurred in your life.
 Make the letter direct, clear and concise.
 Use a positive tone.
 Write a short and friendly announcement
that states the news at the very beginning
of the letter.


Announcement Letter
 Each announcement letter should

consist of the following parts:
 Heading
 Inside

Address
 Greeting
 Body
 Complimentary Close
 Signature Line


Persuasive Business Letter
 If you are writing a persuasive business letter, you are






trying to convince the recipient to take actions you
recommend.
You may write this type of business letter to an employee,
supervisor, client or colleague, or to other parties within
or outside of your organization.
A persuasive business letter must state the purpose (to
convince) within the first few sentences.
Business writing is concise because businesspeople are
usually busy.
It is very important for your letter to get to the point
quickly and not waste time with unnecessary
introductions, socializing, or details.



 State the course of action that you would

like your reader to take within the first few
lines and spend the body of the letter
outlining the benefits of the action or
explaining why it should be taken.
 Make sure to clearly include any necessary
details.
 Clearly state if you require a response.


 When you write a persuasive business

letter, analyze your audience.
 Who you are writing to will determine what
information you include.
 For example, you would only add an
introduction if the person you are writing
to does not know you.
 In addition, a manager would find different
benefits in the course of action than a
client.


Letter of Request
 In many business situations, one party needs

to request services, materials or assistance
from another party.
 In a letter of request, be as specific as
possible. If you require several pieces of
information or several types of materials, use
a bulleted list to help the recipient easily refer
to it to understand your request.
 Ask for or specify a time frame in which you
can expect to receive the requested item or
information.


1. Letter of Complaint
 A letter of complaint can result in an

official response if you approach it from
a businesslike perspective.
 Make the complaint brief, to the point
and polite.
 Politeness pays off regardless of the
anger you are feeling while writing this
letter.


Letter of Complaint
 A letter of complaint is perhaps the

most touchy business letter to write.
 The writer cites problems with
merchandise or service and asks for
reparations.
 The most common letters of complaint
relate to inadequate goods or poorly
provided services.


Complaint Letter
 When you are dissatisfied with a service or product,

complain in writing to the appropriate person or
organization.
 Keep the language of the letter positive and state only
objective facts.
 For example, you may write, "I was told when I placed
my order that I would receive the item in six to eight
weeks. Currently, it has been 12 weeks since I placed the
order and I have yet to receive the item or receive any
communication from your company regarding my order's
status."
 Furthermore, this written documentation can help
support your case if you are unhappy with the results of
the complaint.


Complaint Letter
 One may complain about bad customer service,

employment discrimination, issues with a landlord
or housing authority, or a consumer matter
concerning a deficient service or product.
 Outline the facts involved, including the
approximates date and/or time of the incident.
 Whenever possible, include additional proof, such
as copies of receipts and photographs.
 Note that aggression can cause unnecessarily
negative results.
 Use the words "with all due respect," or imply
them if you don't state them directly.


Complaint Letter
 A complaint letter is written to inform someone of

a complaint the business may have.
 This could be to the manufacturer of a supply or
tool the businesses uses to produce its product or
services.
 A complaint letter outlines the specific order or
issue in question, what was expected and how the
company expects the issue to be fixed by the
manufacturer.
 These are often written to inform a business of
poor service, so the business is aware of the issue
and can do what is necessary to address it.


Letter of Recommendation
 When someone is looking for a job, a

promotion or a business-related referral as
an independent contractor, they may ask
you to write a letter of recommendation.
 In this kind of letter, you may want to
remark about the person's work ethic and
overall personality, or the business entity's
industry reputation, as well as why you
think this person would be ideal for the
position.


 Employees may ask the business owner for

a letter of recommendation.
 A letter of recommendation is a document
written by the owner that highlights the
employee's achievements in the business
and provides the employer's opinion of the
worker.
 This type of letter is often used by an
employee to get additional or new jobs in
her field or industry.


 Write a formal letter when you want to

recommend a colleague, client or
former employee for a position.
 The purpose of a letter of
recommendation is to state the person's
positive attributes and why you think
she would be successful in the position
for which she is applying.


 Use a few well-chosen words to the

effect of letting someone else know how
highly you value a third party.
 Resist the temptation to go overboard;
write your recommendation in a
straightforward manner that still allows
you to get the point across.


Resignation Letter
 If you decide to leave your current position,

it is recommended that you write a formal
resignation letter.
 Your human resources department may
require this to document your departure.
 Even if it is not a requirement at your place
of work, writing an official resignation
letter is a respectful and professional
course of action.


Letter of Resignation
 An official letter of resignation should

be fair and tactful.
 Try not to burn any bridges that you
may need to cross again in the future.
 Offer a valid reason for your
resignation.
 Avoid self-praise.


Acceptance Letters
 When a person applies to a college or

university, for a checking or banking
account, for a credit card and so on, he
will await an acceptance or denial
letter.
 The acceptance letter states that the
person has been accepted into the
school or approved for the account, and
typically begins with "congratulations."


Denial Letters
 In contrast, a letter of denial typically

begins with "after careful
consideration."
 A letter of denial encourages the person
to continue on and wishes the person
luck, or that he should try back at a
later time.


Job Applicant Not Hired
 This is to inform a job applicant that he

was not chosen for an open position.
 Begin with a note of thanks for his time.
 Compliment him on his experience or
education.
 Explain that he was just not what the
company is looking for at the present
time.


Formal Invitation
 A formal invitation is used to invite

businesses, prominent individuals or
customers to big events, either hosted by
the company or local events that may be
industry-related.
 The invitation outlines what the event is for
and what guests might get out of the event.
 Formal invitations are written with the
purpose of marketing the company or
company involvement in the community.


Declining a Dinner Invitation
 Declining a dinner invitation is a business

letter that, if not done tactfully, may result
in a social disadvantage.
 Extend your appreciation for the invitation
and mention that you already have an
engagement for that date.
 Do not go into detail about what the
engagement is.


Acknowledgment Letter
 An acknowledgment letter acknowledges an action

taken, a fact or a situation.
 An acknowledgment letter says thank you to an
individual who has supported or helped you.
 This type of letter should be direct in
acknowledging actions and deeds.
 This kind of business letter helps you to build a
bond or strengthen a relationship with the person
to whom you are writing.
 This kind of letter also serves as a confirmation
that you have received a report or letter and that
you are working on the project.


Acknowledgment Letter
 Use a positive tone. Do not mention

conflicts in the past.
 Parts of a business acknowledgment letters
are:
 Heading
 Inside

address
 Greeting
 Body
 Complimentary close
 Signature line


Acknowledging a Gift
 It is polite to write a formal business

letter to let someone know that you
have received her gift.
 Extend a personalized thanks and show
that you know the contents of the gift.
 If possible, include an idea that
suggests that you put the gift to use.


Appreciation Letter
 Write a formal acknowledgment or

appreciation letter when you want to
thank someone for a job well done.
 These letters give the recipient
something to add to his career portfolio
and demonstrate that he has exceeded
expectations in the workplace.


Appreciation Letter
 An appreciation letter is written by a

company worker to someone who has
contributed to the company in some way,
either by performing some work or by
donating money to the non-profit
organization.
 An appreciation letter is a formal way of
thanking a person for contributing to the
business and letting the person know that
the help is greatly appreciated.


8. Notification of Error
 When sending a business letter that lets

the receiving party know that an error
has been corrected, include a copy of
the error in question.
 Make the offer of additional copies of
material involved in the error if
necessary.


9. Thanks for Job Recommendation
 A letter of thanks for a party that

helped you get a job should be
professional and courteous.
 Try not to go overboard in your thanks.
 Be aware that your skills also helped
you land the job and it was likely not
handed to you as a result of the third
party.


10. Information Request
 A business letter that requests

information should make the request
specific and perfectly understandable.
 It is also a good idea to state the reason
for the information request.
 Extend advance appreciation for the
expected cooperation of the recipient.


Demand Letter
 Most demand letters are collection letters, or demands

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for payment.
The common practice is to send a demand letter thrice,
maximum.
Make the nature of the dispute very simple and clear.
Be as polite and professional and honest as possible.
Ask for or offer an appropriate resolution.
The third and final letter could say that, if the person
doesn't meet the demand in a timely manner (usually 1060 days), you intend to file suit and let a judge decide the
matter.



Apology Letter
 An apology letter is written to a consumer

who may have had a bad experience with a
product or service, or may have received a
faulty or broken product.
 The letter will often provide the company's
apology, along with a new product for the
customers.
 Some businesses also provide a discount
for the customer for future purchases.


Letters of Apology
 Although they are one of the most common

types of business letters, letters of apology
are also one of the hardest to write.
 You must write to "save face," allowing
your business to retain integrity while
offering a sincere apology for the
indiscretion.
 In a letter of apology, never appear to
defensive.
 Get straight to the point.


Letters of Apology
 In the first paragraph, state the letter is to

apologize, and what you are apologizing for.
 Ask the wronged party to forgive the mistake.
 Explain how the error was made.
 Explain all that is being done to make sure it
won't happen again.
 Re-state your apology and offer a discount,
free merchandise or another appropriate way.
 Always provide the contact information of
someone who can best address the issue.


Compiled From
 http://www.ehow.com/info_8252910_four-types-business-letters.html
 http://www.ehow.com/list_6762210_different-types-business
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letters_.html
http://www.ehow.com/info_8252910_four-types-business-letters.html
http://www.ehow.com/list_7438829_common-types-businessletters.html
http://www.ehow.com/info_7883179_various-types-businessletters.html
http://www.ehow.com/info_7883179_various-types-businessletters.html
http://www.ehow.com/list_6862771_types-business-letters-technicalwriting.html
http://www.ehow.com/about_5417482_types-letters.html
http://www.ehow.com/list_6758940_different-letters-_amp_amp_skeleton-parts.html



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