Invitation letter

Business letter may serve dual purpose.

- it announce an event
- it invites the reader to be present in the event.

Invitation letter must have the following qualities

- completeness of information (what, where, when, who and why)
- pleasant tone and brevity

Letter of Inquiry

Inquiry letter is written to identify at once the inquiry about a specific object.


Rules in writing a letter of inquiry

1. Ask the information right after the salutation
2. State the reason why you need the information.
3. If you are asking more than one question, number or letter them. Word each question in such a way that it can only be answered yes or no.
4. Ends with a statement of immediate need of a reply.

Please click here for SAMPLE INQUIRY LETTER

Adjustment Letter

Adjustment Letter

Definition of Adjustment Letter

Adjustment letter is very essential to maintain good relationship with your client or customer.

Adjustment letter is written to offer brief description of the cause of dissatisfaction and prepare the necessary action.

Adjustment letter is a letter in answer to a complaint letter. The answer may either be a refusal or a grant.

Adjustment letter must be:

• State that the claim is to be honored and say when.
• Explain how the error was made.
• Express regret that the errors occurred and that the address was inconvenienced.

Please click here for SAMPLE ADJUSTMENT LETTER

Sales Letter

Sales letter is written to sell merchandise or commodities, services, ideas, policies, or goodwill.

Sales letter are the most selective and the lease expensive of all advertising media.

Your sales letter must be:


Attract Attention

The good beginning of a sentence must gain the reader’s attention immediately. If the opening sentence fails to gain attention, chances are your sales letter is not read.

Arouse Interest

By mentioning the physical or external description of the merchandise, the reader may arouse the interest of the reader. The reader’s interest is usually stimulated by observing its size, shape, color, flavor, texture, weight, taste, etc. Descriptive words must be used to convince the reader.

Create Desire

The writer must show how the object or merchandise is useful, pleasurable, and profitable. To stimulate desire, the appeal should be made to the emotions like appeal for comfort, convenience, cleanliness, security, education, economy, and the like.

Stimulate Action

The last and most important step in the sales process is to prepare an effective ending that will more the reader to act.

Click here for SAMPLE SALES LETTER

Complaint Letter

Complaint letter or claim letter is written when you are not satisfied with the product or service you have purchased. Your purpose of writing a complaint letter is to replace or exchange of a product purchased, completion of the promised service, adjustment of the bill or money refunded.

A simple phone call or email messages sometimes not enough to get results. So, you must know how to write an effective complaint letter. A writer must identify a definite purpose and outcome that you want to achieve, and indicate those ideas clearly in the letter of complaint.

A letter of complaint should contain the following information.

• State the nature of complain
• Give the history of the transaction citing previous correspondence on the transaction
• Be exact on dates, sum of money, quantities and figures
• Indicate adjustment expected

Click here for SAMPLE CLAIM or COMPLAINT LETTER.

Memorandum

Memorandum is a written communication sent to employees within a company to give reminders, suggestions, information or transmit papers or documents, and the like. It has three main parts namely; the heading, the subject and the message. It is actually differs from a letter since the inside address, salutation and complimentary closing are omitted.

The Heading
It contains the date, the to and from sections.

The Subject
It states what the memorandum is about.

The Message
It contains the purpose in writing; the details; suggestions or actions.

Office Reports

An office report is a factual record of activities, conditions, programs, accomplishments or investigations. There are different kinds of reports, namely:

1. Periodic reports – these are reports of activities in a given period. They may be presented weekly, monthly, or annually. Examples of this type are reports in repair of office equipment; the company’s accomplishment to fill up pending orders for merchandise; completion of negotiations on the acquisition of additional transportation equipment.

2. Progress reports – these are reports on accomplishments or progress within the business firm of a particular department. Examples of this type may be a 30% increase on production of a certain product, or 10% completion of a new plant.

3. Informational reports – these are factual reports that do not include the writer’s opinions. An example is a report on the employee’s daily attendance.

4. Special reports – these are reports based on investigations or examinations conducted upon the request of an authority in the firm. The information is presented in an analytical form. Special reports are done to help determine the course of action that a company will take on certain projects or matters. An example may be a report of a drug firm regarding its new product.

5. Analytical reports – these are reports that present facts, analysis of the facts, and the writer’s conclusions and recommendations. An example may be report n replacement of office equipments. Facts may be presented on the number of machines that need replacement, the age of the machine and their conditions. After the presentation of the facts, the writer may give his conclusions and recommendations based on the facts gathered, and not on his personal observation.

The Pattern of Office Reports

The pattern of office reports depend on the company’s standards. Some reports may be long or short. Some reports may be simple or informal, while others may be long or formal. Some companies require detailed reports. There are reports that follow a pattern containing these parts:

1. Introduction - this includes the purpose of writing the report and how the data were gathered.

2. Summary – this gives the gist of the report so that the reader may know beforehand what the report is all about.

3. Presentation of facts

4. Conclusions and recommendations

Order Letter

Order letter is written to deal an order and payments for products or merchandise. Therefore, order letter must be complete and definite so that the reader knows exactly what the writer wishes. Details about what you are ordering, shipment, and terms of payment must be properly defined in order letter to avoid delay of transactions.

Essential Information in the order:

1. Give specific directions concerning shipment of goods:

• Where to ship - complete mailing or shipping address, made up of heading of letter and signature.
• How to ship – whether by parcel post, express, etc.
• When to ship – exact date when goods are wanted or needed

2. Give definite information concerning the goods themselves:

• How much to send – state quantity of goods desired.
• What to send – describe the goods; give catalogue number, special trade-name, size, shape, color, style, price, etc.

3. Make reference to remittance for goods:

• State whether or not you are enclosing money and, and if so, in what form. Otherwise, say how you intend to pay for the goods.

4. Give such additional information as you deem necessary to enable the recipient of the order to understand your wants better to serve you more efficiently. If you need goods badly, emphasize this fact here. If you are entitled to special discounts or prices, say so also


Click here for SAMPLE ORDER LETTER

Technical Writing

Today’s generation, proper communication through writing is essential to every business. Whether you are an engineer, scientist, teacher or an office staff must involve themselves into the world of technical writing which most of them are not prepared. They must have adequate knowledge of how to perform the basic work activities such as conceptualization, planning, analysis, evaluation and interpretation of the data gathered. These data gathered must be accurate, readable, concise, and helpful to its anticipated readers.

Technical writing is presentation of data or information into simple language enables a specific user or reader to perform specific task. To present appropriate content, writers must understand the audience and purpose.

Technical Writing falls into two categories

• Direct Communications. Example: technical reports, proposals, letters, directives, and among others
• Mass Communications. Example: magazines, books, articles published in special journals

Basic Principles of Technical Writing

• Know your reader. The reader must understand the information presented by the writer. If reader fails to understand what he reads, the writer fails its mission
• Purpose of each article or report. Maybe the purpose will be to analyze and solve the problem, to offer service or describe something. The report must accomplish its purpose
• Be familiar with the subject matter. The writer must be well-versed with the subject he is to write about
  
• Organize Writings. Report must be written properly by having the main topics, sub-topics, sub-sub topics, etc. The writer outline what he is to build
  
• Writing objectively. The writer must not be biased about the report he is presented
• Correct format. Report must be presentable in the reader. Using correct format such as proper heading or style of the report
• Formal English. The writer as much as possible must use formal English in writing his report
• Adopting ethical standards. A good technical writer must acknowledges the help he receives from others, and cites resources of reference materials
  

Functions of Technical Writings

- Provide as basis for management decisions.
- Deliver needed information
- Present instructions
- Document what has been done
- Obtain business through proposals
- Use as bases for public relations
- Give report to stockholders of companies

Qualities of Good Report

- Functional
- Informative
- Factual
- Efficient
- Correctly designed (margin, indention, etc)

Kinds of Technical Articles

- Reviews
- Documentary
- Tutorial articles
- Descriptive articles

Inter-Office Correspondence

In today’s business, employees cannot communicate personally with one another at all times. Since companies is composed of different departments such as Personnel Department, Purchasing Department, Payroll Department, and Accounting Department. That’s why; written communications are sent to get information of what goes in the company and provide record for reference in case the future need arises. Here are the different types of written communication:

- Office Reports

- Memorandum

- Resolutions

- Minutes of Meetings