Academic English iii May 7, 2015

Today Introduction to business writing - The business letter - Importance of tone and clarity

What is “business writing”? More logically known as workplace writing. - Any written communication at work. - Examples?

Examples of workplace writing - Job application (resume, cover letter, follow-up letter) - Memos - Internal emails - Sales emails - Proposals - Progress reports - Formal invitations and requests - Complaint letters

Business letters Letters are among the most important and official business documents. They are important because: 1. They represent your organization’s public image and your competence. - Carefully written letters can create goodwill. - Poorly written letters can COST MONEY.

Business letters 2. They are more formal – in tone and structure – than other types of business communication. 3. They constitute an official legal record of an agreement. - i.e., A signed letter to a customer represents a legally binding document. Thus, ACCURACY is important. 5. Letters are more “tangible” than e-mails. - e-mails can be erased. Letters are usually stored.

Business letters 5. They are the official and expected medium through which important documents and attachments are sent to readers. i.e., contracts, proposals. - Sending these via e-mail or memo lacks formality and respect. 6. Letters are still the standard medium through which to conduct business with many international audiences.

Common types of business letters Inquiry letters (asking for information). Cover letters (accompany documents like proposals). Special request letters (make special demand, not routine). Sales letters ( persuading the reader to buy). Customer relations letters - Follow-up letters - Complaint letters - Adjustment letters - Collection letters

Business letters Usually represents a direct communication between one person and another. For example, a business letter is usually addressed specifically to someone (not writing for a “general reader”: To whom it may concern: ).

Business letter formats Full Block Format: All information is flush against the left margin, with spaces between paragraphs. This format is usually used when the letter is on letterhead stationery.

Business letter formats Modified Format: The writer’s address (if not already imprinted on the letterhead), date, complimentary close, and signature are positioned at the center of the letter. All of these elements are aligned. Recipient’s address, salutation, and body of the letter are all left-aligned.

Parts of a business letter Heading Date line Inside (recipient’s) address Salutation Body Complementary close Signature Enclosure (if necessary) Copy notation (if necessary)

Parts - Heading Either the company’s letterhead, or your full return address.

Parts - Dateline May 7, 2015 In Europe (or for international letters besides N.A.) 7 May 2015

Parts – Inside Address The address of the recipient. - Always left-aligned. Includes: Name (and title) Company/organization Street address City State/province Postal/ZIP code NOTE: Single-spaced!

Parts – Inside Address

Parts – Salutation Dear Mr. Park: Dear Ms. Thomson: Dear Dr. Wright:

Parts – Salutation Dear ______ : If you do not know the gender of the recipient, use the full name. Dear Terry Jones: If you don’t know the recipients name, try to use the title. Dear Hiring Manager:

Parts – Salutation Dear ______ : Do not use a comma. Use a colon. Avoid casual salutations, like “Hello”, “Hey”, “Good Morning.”

Parts – Body The complete message portion of the letter.

Body

Parts – Complementary close Your “goodbye”. Standard forms: Sincerely, Respectfully, Sincerely yours, Yours sincerely, Regards, Cordially,

Parts – Complementary close Your “goodbye”. Avoid: Forever yours, Devotedly yours, Faithfully yours,

Parts – Signature Allow four spaces after the close for your signature. Type your name (and title) below the handwritten signature.

Standard Organization To help readers grasp your message clearly and concisely, follow this simple plan: In your first paragraph tell readers why you are writing and why your letter is important to them. Put the most significant point of each paragraph first to make it easier for the reader to find (TOPIC SENTENCES) In the second and subsequent paragraphs of your letter, develop the body of your letter with factual support. In your last paragraph, thank readers and be clear and precise about what you want them to do or what you will do for them.

Language used in business letters A letter that sounds impersonal and unfriendly can damage the image of an organization (even if just in the eyes of one or a few potential clients). On the other hand, a thoughtful, sincere letter (even if it is delivering negative news) can greatly enhance an organization’s image.

Language used in business letters Business letters usually use formal language. Be polite! (Consider: How would I feel if I received this?)

Example Suppose you are a department store manager who receives a request for a refund from a customer who forgot to enclose the receipt with the request. In a letter to the customer, you might write:

Example “The sales receipt must be enclosed with the merchandise before we can process the refund.” However, if you consider how you might keep the goodwill of the customer, you might word the request this way: “Please enclose the sales receipt with the merchandise, so that we can send your refund promptly.”

Example Notice that the second version uses the word please and the active voice (“Please enclose the sales receipt”), while the first version contains the passive voice (“The sales receipt must be enclosed”). In general, the active voice creates a friendlier, more courteous tone than the passive, which tends to sound impersonal and unfriendly. Polite wording, such as the use of please, also helps to create goodwill

Be respectful, not demanding: CHANGE: Submit your answer in one week. TO: I would appreciate receiving your answer within one week.

Be Modest, not Arrogant. CHANGE: My report is thorough, and I am sure that you would not be able to continue efficiently without it. TO: I have tried to be as thorough as possible in my report, and I hope you find it useful.

Be polite, not sarcastic. CHANGE: I just received the shipment we ordered six month ago. I am sending it back – we cannot use it now. Thanks! TO: I am returning the shipment we ordered on March 12, 2005. Unfortunately, it arrived too late for us to be able to use it.

Be positive, not negative. CHANGE: Your complaint about our prices is way off target. Our prices are definitely not any higher than those of our competitors. TO: Thank you for your suggestion concerning our prices. We believe, however, that our prices are competitive with, and in some cases below, those of our competitors.

Very important!!!!!!! Business letters are generally one page long. It is important to use the space wisely. Most importantly: GET TO THE POINT

Get to the point Always state the purpose of the document in the first paragraph, as early as possible. e.g. I am writing to apply for the research assistant position at ________, advertised on the company’s website. This memo provides the agenda for next Monday’s staff meeting. We propose a solution to the recurring absenteeism issue at our offices.

IMPORTANT!!! (pt. 2) End your letter/email with your expectations (what you would like of the reader). - Sometimes called a “call to action”

IMPORTANT!!! (pt. 2) Call to action. e.g. - We will discuss these details next Tuesday at 10:00 am. Please contact me if you have any questions and concerns. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss my programming qualifications with you. I am available for an interview at your convenience. Thank you for your consideration.

Importance of knowing your audience

This letter, written by a native English-speaking person from the U. S This letter, written by a native English-speaking person from the U.S. The recipient is an English-as-a-foreign-language speaker in Argentina. Notice the use of unclear phrases, slang, and culturally-sensitive language, making this document potentially difficult to understand for the recipient. This document highlights the importance of audience analysis (always consider your analysis). The author here does not consider his audience and the linguistic and cultural aspects of the audience.

I wanted to drop you a line: I wanted to contact you Give you a ring : Call you Praising to the hilt: “Strong praise” (do something to a high degree) felicitations – flying down your way - flying to your location

Unclear date line Informal salutation (creating a nickname for an unfamiliar recipient). The opening is impolite and disrespects the recipient’s status by using colloquial language. Condescending tone “We are so glad we can help you guys out.” Constant use of culturally relative (North American) idioms and abbreviations. Ignores time differences (and assumes the reader uses a 12 hour clock instead of the standard 24 hour clock). Ignores differences between Fahrenheit/Celsius scales. Impolite closing.