Engl21 for Pharma Chapter 3

8/3/2019 Engl21 for Pharma Chapter 3

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1BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCETowards Effective Business Communication


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Chapter 3: THE STRUCTURE OF THE BUSINESS LETTER

Whenever a person expresses his/her ideas into writing, the first

thing he/she has to consider is the appearance of the letter. How theletter looks like will stimulate the interest of the reader. Thus, it isimportant that the letter writer knows the proper format, theappropriate margins, the right spacing, and the correct parts of thebusiness letter.

You are what you write, this is one of the important factors abusiness letter writer needs to remember. The letter is a reflection ofthe ideas and intentions of the writer. If the writer knows the basics ofthe writing process, it can be an initial step in achieving careerobjectives.

This chapter will provide you with:

The Business Letter FormatsThe Full Block Letter

The Modified Block Letter

The Simplified Block Letter

The Indented Letter

Margins and Spacing The Vital Parts of a Business Letter

Letterhead

Inside Address

Salutation

Body of the Letter

Complimentary Closing

Signature Block

Reference Initial

Enclosure Notation

Copy Furnished

I consider it a good rule for letter-writing to leave unmentioned what the

recipient already knows, and instead tell him something new. ~Sigmund Freud


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A. Business Letter FormatsThese are the four basic and most popular types of business letter

formats.

1. Full Block. This is the most common layout of a business letter.Inthis format, (a) all text is aligned to the left margin, and (b) paragraphsare not indented.

2. Modified Block.Another widely utilized format is known as modifiedblock format. In a modified block format letter, (a) all text is aligned tothe left margin, except for the author's address, date, and closing; and(b) paragraphs are indented.

3. Simplified Block. This format takes the same properties of the

indented or semi-block letter except that the salutation and thecomplimentary close are eliminated. A very good use of the simplifiedblock format is when you cannot identify the name or gender of theperson to whom you are writing. Instead of using a generic "Dear Sir orMadam" salutation, skip the salutation entirely and just identify thesubject.

4. Indented Format. In the indented or semi-block format, theaddress, date (the date can actually go on either the left or the rightside), the closing, signature, and printed name are all indented to theright half of the page (how far you indent in is up to you as long as theheading and closing is lined up, use your own discretion and make sure

it looks presentable). Also the first line of each paragraph is indented.The indentations of the first line of each paragraph is the only differencebetween the semi-block and the modified block formats.

In all these letter types, the following features are, in most cases,included:

1. letterhead 6. complimentary closing2. date 7. signature block3. inside address 8. reference initials4. salutation 9. enclosure notation5. body of the letter 10. Copy furnished


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The Full Block Letter

________________________________________________________

___________________

____________________

________________________________________

____________________:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

_____________________,

____________________________________________

__________________________


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The Modified Block Letter

__________________________________________________________________

________________

________________________________________

____________________

____________________:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

_________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

_______________,

______________________________

__________________________


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The Simplified Block Letter

____________________________________________________________________________

_______________________

_____________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

_____________________________________________________________________

______________________________


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The Indented Letter

_____________________________

____________________________________________

_______________

_____________________________________________________________

____________________:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

________________,

________________________________

________________________________


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1 inches

1inc

B.Margins and Spacing

____________________________________________________________

4 spaces_______________

4 spaces

_____________________________________________

2 spaces_______________

2 spaces__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

2 spaces___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________2 spaces

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2 spaces_________________

4 spaces________________________________

2 spaces______________________________

1 inch (depending on the size ofthe letter)

1 inch


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Margins and Spacing

LetterSize

BodyLeft

MarginDateLine

DateLine toInsideAddress

ComplimentaryClosing

Small1-100words

2 Line 16 5 5

Average101-200

words1 15 4 4

Large201-300

words1 14 3 3

Spacing:

Inside address to Salutation - 2 spaces

Salutation to the Body - 2 spaces

Body - 2 spaces

In between paragraph - 2 spaces

Last paragraph to com. Ending - 2 spaces

Signature to Reference Initial - 2 spaces

Margin Spacing


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C. The Vital Parts of a Business Letter

____________________

____________________ ____________________ Letterhead

_______________ Dateline

_______________ _______________ Inside address_______________

_______________ Salutation

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Body of the letter______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________ Complimentary closing

________________ ________________ Signature Block

___________ Reference Initials ___________ Enclosure notation


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Chapter 4: THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF BUSINESS LETTERS

Business Letters

With the advent of email, fewer people today are writing letters.While this may be the trend in the business world, there is still a need towrite business letters.

People write different types of business letters. Thus, a letterwriter should practice extreme care in writing any type well since a wellwritten letter helps project a favorable image for the company and mayeven present a sales opportunity.

There is no magic formula you can use to produce an effective

letter for every occasion. Most of the letters you write must be tailoredto fit the particular situation you are faced with.

A. Request and Inquiry Letters

Request letters may not represent a sales opportunity for therecipient. They may request for information for educationalpurposes, company policies, or other related matters. Some areused in research study, market or school research. These lettersredound almost solely to the benefit of the writer although they mayrepresent opportunities to develop good public relations.

Inquiry letters are made for the purpose of obtaining price lists,booklets, catalogs, samples, names of dealers, terms of payment,travel details, descriptive literature or reactions from advertisementswhich have provoked enough interest to trigger an inquiry. It isusually written by a prospective buyer.

B. Response Letters

Response letters give writers excellent opportunities to sell ifnot a product or a service, then an image of their company. Facts andfigures should be carefully checked when responding to an inquiry.Whenever this opportunity presents itself, writers should see to it thattheir response reflects their enthusiasm.


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C. Sales Letters

One of the most important letters that business executives writeis the sales letter. Sales representatives may call on prospects;however, various supports like letters, advertising, product exhibits anddisplays, efficient service, and other promotional tools are also needed.

Businesses that do no personal selling such as magazinepublishers and the mail-order variety, depend almost entirely on lettersto do their selling.

Sales letter writers should see to it that their letters are ofreasonable length and use language that is easy for the readers tounderstand and relate to. Moreover, they should follow the AIDAformula:

Get the prospects Attention. (What is the best way of getting thereaders attention so that she or he will want to read on?)

Build his Interest. (When I have the readers attention, how can Icreate genuine interest in my product?)

Develop his Desire for the product. (Once I have created hisinterest, how can I persuade the reader that he or she really should

buy what I am selling?)

Close the sale by making the prospect take Action. (How can I getthe reader to say: Ill take it. Where do I sign?)

Online Sales Letters. - Today, with online shopping gaining so muchpopularity, businesses have also come up with online sales letters.Unlike spam, online sales letters are sent to identified, pre-selectedcustomers.

D. Claim and Adjustment Letters

When something is wrong with a product or service defective,unsatisfactory or wrong merchandise, poor service, late delivery,complaint about a suppliers employee, suspected error on an invoice,etc. one needs to write a claim letter. A claim letter therefore, iswritten for an almost infinite variety of reasons. The writer though,should observe tact and courtesy yet express firmness while making itclear that he or she expects that the claim will be attended to.


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Adjustment letters are written by suppliers to customers forsome mistakes or slip-ups that have occurred in a business transaction.Although problems sometimes occur, maintaining customers patronageis very important. Suppliers therefore, have to respond immediately toa claim to resolve the problem, win back the trust and confidence of thecustomer and maintain goodwill for a continued business relationship.

While most claims are valid, some claims cannot be approvedbecause the customer is mistaken, misinformed, unreasonable orpossibly dishonest. When this happens, the company should write aletter refusing a claim.

To lessen the impact of refusing customers claim, begin yourletter with a buffer by expressing appreciation for bringing the matter toyour attention or giving a neutral statement by which the reader andwriter can agree. Then, explain the reasons objectively before giving

the bad news. Never assume that the customer is dishonest. End yourletter positively to renew good feelings thus helping maintain goodpublic image.

E. Job Application Cover Letter and Resum

After graduation, one of the first things a person does is look for ajob. Others may be in a field where the demand far exceeds the supplyso they may have only the problem of choosing between job offers.

Others may be channeled into good positions by influential friends.There are fortunate ones who may simply join the family business. Mostpeople however, have to scramble a bit for that first job, against otherswho are also after the same thing.

Knowing how to sell oneself can be enormously important. Somepeople settle happily into their first job and stay with the companyforever while others change jobs frequently and the reasons vary.Chances are good then, that no matter how happy you are in yourpresent job or how rosy the future looks, youll one day need to knowhow to present your employment credentials in the best possible light.

According to employers, the top six areas that are vital to jobsuccess are:

1. ability to write and speak effectively2. good work habits3. concern for productivity4. dependability5. ability to read and apply printed matter required for the job


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15BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCETowards Effective Business Communication6. teamwork.

Two basic documents are often required to obtain a job: (1)thejob application letter and (2) the resum.

The Job Application Letter or Cover LetterA job application letter, also known as cover letter, highlights the

qualifications of the applicant.

There are two kinds of job application letters: the solicited andthe unsolicited job application letter. The solicited job application letteris written in response to a known job opening through advertisements,while the unsolicited job application letter is written by persons who mayapply for jobs even when no opening exists.

The ResumThe resum is a summary of your qualifications. Although

somewhat formal in set-up mainly for quick reading and referencepurposes, the resum emphasizes those accomplishments that makeyou look good to a prospective employer. It is not merely a condensedbiographical sketch of your life and work. It is an interesting profile ofyour best side.

In todays modern technology, the electronic resum or emailresum, also known as online resum is used by job hunters. It maybe sent as an attachment to an email message of may be part of thebody of an email message. It may also be posted online.

Resums should not be longer than two pages. It contains thefollowing:

a) heading which includes the applicants name, address andtelephone number

b) education which includes the schools name, graduation date,major/minor fields of study

c) degree, diploma or certificates which indicates the date, month andyear received

d) seminars, workshops and other courses taken

e) employment history which is a list of companies you havepreviously worked with and should include company name, city,month and year of employment and job title

f) achievements, honors and organizational affiliations


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g) references which is a list of people (not personal friends orrelatives) who can give positive comments on your abilities andaccomplishments. Before including their names in your list, make sureto obtain permission from your references.

Job Interview Preparation

The objective of the job application letter or cover letter andresum is to obtain an interview. An interview requires more time than

just that spent in the personnel or interviewers office. Thought shouldbe given to questions that might be asked during the session. Onedifficult but frequently asked question is What are your weaknesses?It requires more than a snappy reply. Another favorite query ofemployers is: Why should I hire you? Be ready with a convincinganswer.

One good way to prepare yourself for your interview is to practiceanswering the questions listed here. Ask a friend or a member of yourfamily to play the role of the interviewer while you run through a mockinterview.

1. Tell me about yourself.

2. Why are you looking for a job?

3. Why do you feel qualified for this job?

4. Why should I hire you?

5. Why would you like to work for our company?

6. What is there about this job that appeals to you?

7. What academic subjects did you like best? Least?

8. Why did you major in this field?

9. Describe the traits of a good boss.

10. What have you learned from your previous job?

11. What are your goals for the next two years? The next five?

12. Name three accomplishments youve achieved in the last two years.13. What do you do in your spare time?

14. What are your weaknesses? Your strengths?

15. Are you willing to relocate?

16. Have you ever held a position of authority or responsibility?

17. Are you active in any organization?


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17BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCETowards Effective Business Communication18. Will you be able to travel?

19. Will you be able to work overtime on occasion?

20. Why did you choose this career?

21. Can you describe a typical day on your present or previous job?

22. Have you ever been fired or asked to resign?

23. What is the ideal job for you?

24. I see you went to .college/university. Why did you pick that

school?

25. How well did you get along with your instructors?

26. Why did you leave your last job?

27. Describe your college education.

28. Tell me about your hobbies.

29. What do you expect from a company that hires you?

30. How was your attendance record in your previous job? In school?

Dont memorize answers, but have an idea of what you might sayto a particular question. It is possible that very few of the listedquestions will be asked, but the mental preparation is still not in vain.The time you spend in planning will give you a confidence that will bereflected in your manner during the interview. Often, the person whogets the job is not necessarily the most qualified applicant but the one

who sells himself/herself best.

There are certain basics in interviewing, the most obvious ofwhich are (1) being dressed appropriately, (2) arriving on time, (3)writing a follow-up thank-you note.

Appearance during an interview is extremely important. It is oneof the few factors by which the interviewer can assess you.

What attire is acceptable for the interview? The answer variesfrom one type of company to another and from one geographicallocation to another. If, before the interview, you can determine what

employees typically wear at the firm in question, you have a guide foryour apparel. Dress according to the demands of the company and thedemands of the job.


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18BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCETowards Effective Business CommunicationF. Resignation Letter

A resignation letter is a professional way of informing youremployer that you are leaving the company. It provides the writer anopportunity to express his or her appreciation for the opportunity towork. Since references from past employers may be requested whenyou are looking for a new job, it is important to make your exitpleasant.

G. Inter-Office Communication

In todays businesses, the flow of accurate, reliable informationand ideas through effective, internal communication is essential toefficient operations. Thus, inter-office memorandums are written tocommunicate facts, ideas, statistics, trends within an organization andother information which may be relevant and important in any business

organization.

Inter-office memorandums are sent to:

1. transmit2. instruct3. announce4. congratulate5. express appreciation6. inform7. direct8. request9. reply10. confirm

11. recommend

12. persuade

Inter-office memorandums travel: upward (to supervisors, managers and executives) laterally (between people of equal rank) downward (to subordinates).


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19BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCETowards Effective Business CommunicationGenerally, memos addressed to people above the writers rank

are more formal than memos addressed to people at the same level orbelow the rank of the writer.

It is difficult and time consuming to align printed memo formswith the printed text from a computer. Because organizations today usecomputers, the practice is to print memos in plain paper. Mostorganizations tend to use the 8-1/2 x 11 inch paper so that allcorrespondence will be the same size and less apt to be lost in the files.

H. Emails

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, defines Electronic mail, oftenabbreviated to e-mail, email or originally eMail as a store-and-forwardmethod of writing, sending, receiving and saving messages over

electronic communication systems. The term e-mail (as a noun orverb) applies to the Internet e-mail system based on the Simple MailTransfer Protocol, to network systems based on other protocols and tovarious mainframe, minicomputer, or intranet systems allowing userswithin one organization to send messages to each other in support ofworkgroup collaboration. Intranet systems may be based on proprietaryprotocols supported by a particular systems vendor, or on the sameprotocols used on public networks. E-mail is often used to deliver bulkunsolicited messages, or spam but filter programs exist which canautomatically block, quarantine or delete some or most of these,depending on the situation.

Email today has become the most preferred channel ofcommunication in the business world. It is used for internalcommunication (as inter-office communication) as well as for externalcommunication. While other channels like the telephone, the fax, inter-office memos and letters are still effective, the email has become thechannel of choice basically because of the speed and convenience bywhich communication is transmitted.


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20BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCETowards Effective Business CommunicationAPPLICATION LETTER(Solicited)


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21BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCETowards Effective Business CommunicationAPPLICATION LETTER(Unsolicited)


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22BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCETowards Effective Business CommunicationFUNCTIONAL ORDER RESUM


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23BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCETowards Effective Business CommunicationREVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER RESUM(with Separate Reference Sheet)


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24BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCETowards Effective Business CommunicationRESUM FOR ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OR SCANNING

Engl21 for Pharma Chapter 3

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