2. Correspondence
• Business correspondence is an instrument of
decision making in the business world.
• Business Correspondence is a link between
people.
• It helps to reinforce professional exchange of
ideas, opinion and information.
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3. Function of a Business Letter
• To provide a convenient and inexpensive
means of communication without personal
contact
• To seek or give information
• To furnish evidence of transaction entered
into
• To provide a record for future reference
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4. Kind of a Business Letter
• Personal Letters
• Non- Personal Letter
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5. Non Personal Letters
Business Letters
• Enquiries and replies, orders, their execution,
credit and status enquiries, complaint and
adjustment, collection letters.
• Circulars letters, Sales letters
• Bank correspondence, insurance
correspondence, import export
correspondence, agency correspondence.
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6. Business Letters
• Application letter , interview letters, reference
letters ,letters of appointment, confirmation
letter, promotion letter, retrenchment,
resignation.
• The correspondence of a company secretary,
correspondence with central government
• Letters to press
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7. Classification of Business Letters
• Official Letters
• Demi-official Letters
• Internal Letters
• Form Letters
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10. Internal Letters
• Internal letters or memos are used both in
government offices and business houses for
internal communication
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11. Form Letters
• Form letters are used for correspondence of
recurring or routine nature. They are used in
case of acknowledgements, reminders,
interviews ,notices, appointments etc.
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12. Structure of Business Letter
• Heading
• Date line
• Reference Line
• Inside Address
• Subject
• Attention Line
• Salutation
• Body
Opening or Introductory Paragraph
Middle or Main Paragraph
Closing or Concluding Paragraph
Cont…
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13. Structure of Business Letter
Cont….
• Complementary Close
• Enclosures
• Copy Distribution
• Reference Initial
• Post Script
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14. Heading
• A business letter is generally typed on printed
letter head. This contains the writer’s full
address, the telephone no. E-mail, telegraphic
address trademark, registration no.
establishment year. Business letters
usually have preprinted, letterhead
stationary which contains this information.
An address heading is optional for informal
letters.
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15. Date Line
• The date may be written in any of the
following ways-
• 16th
May 2010
• 16 May 2010
• May 16, 2010
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16. Reference number
• Reference number enables replies to be linked
with the earlier correspondence and the letter
reaches to the right person without delay.
Example- Tata/sales/2010/56
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17. Inside Address
• The inside address contains the name and
address of the firm or the individual to whom the
letter is written. is makes the record for filling
purpose and also helps the outward clerk to
write the same address on the cover.
Ex-
The chief Accounts Officer
Bharat Steel Tube Ltd.
Hans Bhawan
Connought Place
New Delhi
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18. Subject Line
• The purpose of subject line is to let the reader
know immediately what the message is about.
Like reference and attention line it saves time.
The subject can be written before as well as
after salutation.
Subject- Supply of raw material
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19. Attention Line
• To elicit prompt response sometime a letter
which is addresses to an organization and
company is marked to the attention of a
particular officer by name or designation.
Attention: The sales officer
Or
Kind Attention: Mr. A.K.Mathur, Sales officer
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20. Salutation
• Salutation in a letter is like greeting a a person
when you met him.
• Dear Sir
• Dear Madam
Gentleman
• Dear Mr. Seth
• Sir
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21. Body
Introduction
• The letter should open with expression of
pleasure, acknowledgment, or with reference to
the ‘action' you have taken in response of the
reader's previous letter, if any
• Many thanks for your order of 25th
July……..
• We thank for your enquiry…………...
• With reference to your letter no…….
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22. Body
Main Paragraph
This paragraph contains the subject matter of
the letter. It should be brief and to the point,
but care should be taken to see no relevant
details are omitted from it.
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23. Body
Closing Paragraph
• The closing paragraph should be brief. It should
be like natural and logical outcome of the main
paragraph, motivating the reader to act. It may
take the polite wish, special thanks.
• We look forward to our next meeting.
• We thank you for your trouble
• We hope to hear from you soon.
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24. Complementary Close
• The complementary close is a courteous leave
taking, polite way of ending the letter.
Yours Cordially
Sd/-
(Ms.S.Kaur)
CEO
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25. Enclosures
• If you enclose anything with the letter you
should indicate it against the enclosure line:
Encl-
1. Catalogue
2. List of Dealers
3. Price List
4. Quotation
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26. Copy Distribution
• If copy of the letter is to be sent to others for
their information, this is shown at the bottom
left side of the letter with name(s) of the
person to whom the copy is sent.
CC :
1.Mayor IMC
2.Commissioner IMC
3.Ward Member
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27. Reference Initial
• It is now customary to put the initial of the of
the person dictating the letter and the person
typing it towards the end of the letter near the
left hand margin.
1. SB AKS 2. VST:RLS
3. VTS/RLS 4.SB-AKS
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28. Post Script
• If we forget to mention some necessary
information in a letter, than we can add one
or two lines through “post script”.
• PS : New rates would be implemented from
21 June 2010
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29. FORM
• Choose a font that is easy to read.
• 1 to 1½ inch left and right margins.
• 1 to 1½ inch top and bottom margins.
• Present information
– completely
– concisely
– professionally
• Be consistent – block or modified block.
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30. RULES OF THUMB…
AVOID ABBREVIATIONS EXCEPT FOR STATES
AND TITLES.
(Mr., Mrs., Ms., etc. – FL, NJ, OH)
PLACE A SINGLE WORD TITLE AFTER THE
NAME SEPARATED BY A COMMA.
Mrs. G. DeGraw, President
PLACE A LONGER TITLE ON A SEPARATE LINE.
Mrs. G. DeGraw
Executive Director of Safety
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31. Example
M.R.ENGINNERING WORKS
46-B Mathura Road
Faridabad , Haryana
Your Ref: NTPC/PUR/2010/95
Our Ref :MREW/SALES/2010/72
The General Manager
National Thermal Power Corporation
Badarpur, Delhi
Kind Attention: Shri S.C. Sharma, Asst Works Manager
Subject : Your order No.1245 dated 12 May 2010
Dear Sir,
Thank you very much for your letter No. NTPC/PUR/2010/95 dated 12 May 2010. We are glad that you
have sent an order for the machine tools.
The work on your order would have started by now, but I regret to say that two of our drawing
accompanying the order are not quite clear. These drawings are enclosed.
Kindly Send the fair copies of the drawing through a courier so that we may start the work without any
delay.
With Regards.
Yours
Sd/-
( Mahesh Malhotra)
Proprietor
Enc l: Two Sheets of Drawings
Cc : Account Department
PS : 12 %Vat tax would be included on each order.
RK/MM
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32. R E V I E W
• PARTS OF A PERSONAL-BUSINESS LETTER:
Return Address (includes DATE)
Inside Address
Salutation
Body
Complimentary Close
Reference Initials
Enclosures (if any)
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33. BLOCK versus MODIFIED BLOCK
BLOCK
• All parts of the letter
begin at the left
margin.
• Paragraphs are NOT
indented.
MODIFIED BLOCK
• The heading and
complimentary close
begin at the center
of the page.
• Paragraphs ARE
indented.
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34. 123 Pine Street
Oak Ridge, NJ 07438
October 30, 2005
ABC Company
345 Spruce Street
Whatever, IL 01233
Dear Mr. Brown:
Insert the part of the body of the letter here. The
body of the letter should tell something about what
you hope to convey.
It should also have a closing paragraph in it. There
should be at least two sentences per paragraph.
Sincerely,
Mrs. DeGraw
Mrs. DeGraw, Chairperson
/ged
Enclosure
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