Letter Format

• General– 1 to 1-1/2 inch margins– Centered on page– Single-spacing within paragraphs– Double-spacing between paragraphs and sections– Quality paper– Full block style (every line flush with left margin)

Writer’s Address or Letterhead

• Type address with no name• Official company letterhead

Date

• Spell out month and use complete numerals for the year (not 8/27/13)

• Example– August 27, 2013

Inside Address

• Recipient’s name, title, and address• Use appropriate title, department, or company

name if necessary• Examples: Director of Human Resources,

Human Resources Department, H & H Manufacturing

Salutation

• Dear _________: • Use title, department, or company name if

necessary• Avoid anonymous and sexist greetings (To

Whom It May Concern, Dear Sirs, Dear Sir/Madam)

Complimentary Close

• Use traditional closing followed by a comma• Example: Sincerely,

Signature/Name

• Triple or quadruple space after the complimentary close and type your name

• Place comma between your typed name and title or place title underneath name

• Sign your name between the closing and your typed name using black or blue ink

Typist’s Initials

• Your initials/typist initials • GB/pw

Enclosure Line

• If you are sending another item with the letter, include Enclosure, Enclosures, Enclosures (3), or Enclosure: Receipt

• NOTE: Also mention enclosure in the body of the letter

Copy Notation

• Use when a copy or copies of letter are being distributed to another reader or readers

• cc: Name(s), title(s) (appears on all copies of letter)

• bcc: Name(s), title(s) (appears only on blind copy)

Claim Letter Addressed to Customer Service Dept.

Enclosurecc: John Peters, CEO

Enclosurecc: John Peters, CEObcc: Felicia Jones, Attorney at Law Abbot and Jones Law Firm

Writing and Organizing Letters

Content• Brief introductory paragraph that establishes context

and states the letter’s purpose concisely.• Middle paragraph(s) that convey the content of the

message in a logical order.• Brief concluding paragraph that politely requests

action, thanks the reader, or provides additional relevant information.

Organization• Two approaches

– Traditional, Direct Approach

– Indirect Approach

Direct Approach• Anticipates no resistance to message• Communicates good news, straightforward

information, requests likely to be granted• Begins with an up-front statement of purpose

Indirect Approach• Anticipates resistance to message• Communicates “bad news” of some type• Begins with a buffer—material designed to

win trust and goodwill; postpones the “bad news” or negative message

Buffers• Agreement• Appreciation• Cooperation• Fairness• Good News• Praise• Understanding

Using E-mail Effectively

E-mail Use• How many use it regularly?

• Why or when do you use it?

Statistics: Radicati Group

• 825 million business e-mail accounts worldwide as of 2012

• Expected to grow to 1.15 billion (35% by 2016)• As of 2012, 89 million business e-mails sent

per day• About 105 per day, per account

Advantages of E-mail• Quick sending and replying• Inexpensive• Embedded internet addresses• Attached files• Easy distribution of copies

Potential Disadvantages• Overuse• Sloppy Habits• Difficulty of Retrieval• Security Concerns• Less “permanent” paper trail

Limitations of E-mail• E-mail in the workplace is generally not

used for extremely important or formal messages or for personal use.

• Instead, use e-mail for routine communication

E-mail Format

• Modification of traditional memo: From, Date, To, Subject, CC

• Organize each e-mail the same way you would a letter.

• Use paragraph breaks if needed• Include salutation if desirable and signature

block

Guidelines for E-mail• Avoid using fancy formatting (italics, boldface,

tab spacing, and so forth)• Check your message for spelling and grammar

before you send it.• DON’T WRITE IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. DOING

SO IS OFTEN VIEWED AS “SHOUTING” AND ALL CAPS IS HARD TO READ.

• Follow your company’s guidelines for using e-mail.

• Avoid “spamming” and “flaming.”• Be brief.• Follow-up.