Business Letters
What this handout is about
This handout will help you write business letters required in
many different situations, from
applying for a job to requesting or delivering information.
While the examples that are
discussed specifically are the application letter and cover
letter, this handout also highlights
strategies for effective business writing in general.
Principles to keep in mind
Business writing is different
Writing for a business audience is usually quite different than
writing in the humanities, social
sciences, or other academic disciplines. Business writing
strives to be crisp and succinct rather
than evocative or creative; it stresses specificity and
accuracy. This distinction does not make
business writing superior or inferior to other styles. Rather,
it reflects the unique purpose and
considerations involved when writing in a business context.
When you write a business document, you must assume that your
audience has limited time in
which to read it and is likely to skim. Your readers have an
interest in what you say insofar as it
affects their working world. They want to know the “bottom
line”: the point you are making
about a situation or problem and how they should respond.
Business writing varies from the conversational style often
found in email messages to the more
formal, legalistic style found in contracts. A style between
these two extremes is appropriate for
the majority of memos, emails, and letters. Writing that is too
formal can alienate readers, and
an attempt to be overly casual may come across as insincere or
unprofessional. In business
writing, as in all writing, you must know your audience.
In most cases, the business letter will be the first impression
that you make on someone.
Though business writing has become less formal over time, you
should still take great care that
your letter’s content is clear and that you have proofread it
carefully.
Pronouns and active versus passive voice
Personal pronouns (like I, we, and you)
are important in letters and memos. In such
documents, it is perfectly appropriate to refer to yourself as I and
to the reader asyou. Be
careful, however, when you use the pronoun we in
a business letter that is written on company
stationery, since it commits your company to what you have
written. When stating your
Like 7 people like this.
opinion, use I; when presenting company policy, use we.
The best writers strive to achieve a style that is so clear that
their messages cannot be
misunderstood. One way to achieve a clear style is to minimize
your use of the passive voice.
Although the passive voice is sometimes necessary, often it not
only makes your writing dull
but also can be ambiguous or overly impersonal. Here’s an
example of the same point stated in
passive voice and in the active voice:
PASSIVE: The net benefits of subsidiary divestiture were grossly
overestimated.
[Who did the overestimating?]
ACTIVE: The Global Finance Team grossly overestimated the net
benefits of subsidiary
divestiture.
The second version is clearer and thus preferable.
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. What if you are
the head of the Global Finance
Team? You may want to get your message across without calling
excessive attention to the fact
that the error was your team’s fault. The passive voice allows
you to gloss over an unflattering
point—but you should use it sparingly.
Focus and specificity
Business writing should be clear and concise. Take care,
however, that your document does not
turn out as an endless series of short, choppy sentences. Keep
in mind also that “concise” does
not have to mean “blunt”—you still need to think about your tone
and the audience for whom
you are writing. Consider the following examples:
After carefully reviewing this proposal, we have
decided to prioritize other projects this
quarter.
Nobody liked your project idea, so we are not
going to give you any funding.
The first version is a weaker statement, emphasizing facts not
directly relevant to its point. The
second version provides the information in a simple and direct
manner. But you don’t need to
be an expert on style to know that the first phrasing is
diplomatic and respectful (even though
it’s less concise) as compared with the second version, which is
unnecessarily harsh and likely
to provoke a negative reaction.
Business letters: where to begin
Reread the description of your task (for example, the
advertisement of a job opening,
instructions for a proposal submission, or assignment prompt for
a course). Think about your
purpose and what requirements are mentioned or implied in the
description of the task. List
these requirements. This list can serve as an outline to govern
your writing and help you stay
focused, so try to make it thorough. Next, identify qualifications,
attributes, objectives, or
answers that match the requirements you have just listed. Strive
to be exact and specific,
avoiding vagueness, ambiguity, and platitudes. If there are
industry- or field-specific concepts
or terminology that are relevant to the task at hand, use them
in a manner that will convey
your competence and experience. Avoid any language that your
audience may not understand.
Your finished piece of writing should indicate how you meet the
requirements you’ve listed and
answer any questions raised in the description or prompt.
Application letters and cover letters
Many people believe that application letters and cover letters
are essentially the same. For
purposes of this handout, though, these kinds of letters are
different. The letter of application is
a sales letter in which you market your skills, abilities, and
knowledge. A cover letter, on the
other hand, is primarily a document of transmittal. It
identifies an item being sent, the person
to whom it is being sent, and the reason for its being sent, and
provides a permanent record of
the transmittal for both the writer and the reader.
Application letters
When writing an application letter, remember that you probably
have competition. Your
audience is a professional who screens and hires job
applicants—someone who may look
through dozens or even hundreds of other applications on the day
she receives yours. The
immediate objective of your application letter and accompanying
resume is to attract this
person’s attention. Your ultimate goal is to obtain an
interview.
As you write your application letter, be sure you complete three
tasks: catch the reader’s
attention favorably, convince the reader that you are a
qualified candidate for the job, and
request an interview.
Application letter checklist:
Identify the job by title and let the recipient know how you
heard about it.
Summarize your qualifications for the job, specifically your
work experience, activities that
show your leadership skills, and your educational background.
Refer the reader to your enclosed resume.
Ask for an interview, stating where you can be reached and when
you will be available. If
your prospective employer is located in another city and you
plan to visit the area, mention
the dates for your trip.
If you are applying for a specific job, include any information
pertinent to the position that
is not included in your resume.
To save your reader time and to call attention to your strengths
as a candidate, state your
objective directly at the beginning of the letter.
Example:I
am seeking a position as a manager in your Data Center. In such a
management position, I can use my master’s degree
in information systems and my
experience as a programmer/analyst to address
business challenges in data processing.
If you have been referred to a company by one of its employees,
a career counselor, a
professor, or someone else, mention that before stating your job
objective.
Example:During
the recent ARRGH convention in Washington, D.C., one of your sales
representatives, Dusty Brown, informed me of a
possible opening for a manager in your
Data Center. My extensive background in
programming and my master’s degree in
information systems make me highly qualified for
the position.
In subsequent paragraphs, expand on the qualifications you
mentioned in your opening. Add
any appropriate details, highlighting experience listed on your
resume that is especially
pertinent to the job you are seeking. Close with a request for
an interview. Proofread your letter
carefully.
Two sample letters of application are presented below. The first
letter (Sample #1) is by a
recent college graduate responding to a local newspaper article
about the company’s plan to
build a new computer center. The writer is not applying for a
specific job opening but describes
the position he seeks. The second letter (Sample #2) is from a
college senior who does not
specify where she learned of the opening because she is
uncertain whether a position is
available.
6123 Farrington Road
Apt. B11
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
January 11, 2005
Taylor, Inc.
694 Rockstar Lane
Durham, NC 27708
Dear Human Resources Director:
I just read an article in the News and Observer about
Taylor’s new computer center just north
of Durham. I would like to apply for a position as an
entry-level programmer at the center.
I understand that Taylor produces both in-house and customer
documentation. My technical
writing skills, as described in the enclosed resume, are well
suited to your company. I am a
recent graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology in Atlanta with
an Associate’s Degree in
Computer Science. In addition to having taken a broad range of
courses, I served as a
computer consultant at the college’s computer center where I
helped train users to work with
new systems.
I will be happy to meet with you at your convenience and discuss
how my education and
experience match your needs. You can reach me at my home
address, at (919) 233-1552, or at
krock@devry.alumni.edu.
Sincerely,
Raymond Krock
Sample #2
6123 Farrington Road
Apt. G11
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
January 11, 2005
Taylor, Inc.
694 Rockstar Lane
Durham, NC 27708
Dear Ms. Jones:
I am seeking a position in your engineering department where I
may use my training in
computer sciences to solve Taylor’s engineering problems. I
would like to be a part of the
department that developed the Internet Selection System but am
unsure whether you have a
current opening.
I expect to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering
from North Carolina State
University in June and by that time will have completed the
Computer Systems Engineering
Program. Since September 2000, I have been participating,
through the University, in the
Professional Training Program at Computer Systems International
in Raleigh. In the program I
was assigned to several staff sections as an apprentice. Most
recently, I have been a
programmer trainee in the Engineering Department and have gained
a great deal of experience
in computer applications. Details of the academic courses I have
taken are included in the
enclosed resume.
If there is a position open at Taylor Inc., please let me know
whom I should contact for further
information. I look forward to hearing from you soon. I may be
reached at my office(919-866-
4000 ext. 232) or via email (Brock@aol.com).
Sincerely,
Rebecca Brock
Cover letters
As mentioned previously, application letters and cover letters
are not the same. A cover letter
identifies an item being sent, the person to whom it is being
sent, and the reason for its being
sent. A cover letter provides a permanent record of the
transmittal for both the writer and the
reader.
In a cover letter, keep your remarks brief. Your opening should
explain what you are sending
and why. In an optional second paragraph, you might include a
summary of the information
you are sending. A letter accompanying a proposal, for example,
might point out sections in the
proposal that might be of particular interest to the reader. The
letter could then go on to
present a key point or two explaining why the writer’s firm is
the best one for the job. The
closing paragraph should contain acknowledgements, offer
additional assistance, or express the
hope that the material will fulfill its purpose.
The following are examples of cover letters. The first letter
(Sample #1) is brief and to the
point. The second letter (Sample #2) is slightly more detailed
because it touches on the
manner in which the information was gathered.
Sample #1
Your Company Logo and Contact Information
January 11, 2005
Brian Eno, Chief Engineer
Carolina Chemical Products
3434 Pond View Lane
Durham, NC 27708
Dear Mr. Eno:
Enclosed is the final report on our installment of pollution
control equipment at Eastern
Chemical Company, which we send with Eastern’s Permission.
Please call me collect (ext. 1206)
or email me at the address below if I can answer any questions.
Sincerely,
Nora Cassidy
Technical Services Manager
ncassidy@company.com
Enclosure: Report
Sample #2
Your Company Logo and Contact Information
January 11, 2005
Brian Eno, Chief Engineer
Ecology Systems, Inc.
8458 Obstructed View Lane
Durham, NC 27708
Dear Mr. Eno:
Enclosed is the report estimating our power consumption for the
year as requested by John
Brenan, Vice President, on September 4.
The report is the result of several meetings with Jamie Anson,
Manager of Plant Operations, and
her staff and an extensive survey of all our employees. The
survey was delayed by the transfer
of key staff in Building A. We believe, however, that the report
will provide the information you
need to furnish us with a cost estimate for the installation of
your Mark II Energy Saving
System.
We would like to thank Billy Budd of ESI for his assistance in
preparing the survey. If you need
more information, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Nora Cassidy
New Projects Office
ncassidy@company.com
Enclosure: Report
Works consulted
We consulted these works while writing the original version of
this handout. This is not a
comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we
encourage you to do your own
research to find the latest publications on this topic. Please
do not use this list as a model for
the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the
citation style you are using. For
guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial.
10
Types of Business Letters
- 1. Letter of Complaint
A letter of complaint will almost
certainly result in an official response if you approach it from a businesslike
perspective. Make the complaint brief, to the point and polite. Politeness pays
off regardless of the extent of anger you are actually feeling while composing
this type of business letter.
- 2. Resume Cover Letter
A cover letter that accompanies a
resume should revel in its brevity. You should take as little time and as few
words as possible to accomplish one task: persuading the reader to anticipate
reading your resume. Mention the title of the job for
which you are applying, as well or one or two of your strongest selling points.
- 3. Letter of Recommendation
A recommendation letter allows you
to use a few well-chosen words to the effect of letting someone else know how
highly you value a third party. Resist the temptation to go overboard; approach
your recommendation in a straightforward manner that still allows you to get
the point across.
- 4. Letter of Resignation
An official letter of resignation is
a business letter that should be fair and tactful. Be wary of burning any
bridges that you may need to cross again in the future. Offer a valid reason
for your resignation and avoid self-praise.
- 5. Job Applicant Not Hired
In some cases you may be required to
write a business letter that informs a job applicant that he was not chosen for
an open position. Offer an opening note of thanks for his time, compliment him
on his experience or education and explain that he was just not what
the company is looking for at the present time.
- 6. Declining Dinner Invitation
Declining a dinner invitation is a
topic for a business letter that, if not done tactfully, may result in a social
disadvantage. Extend your appreciation for the invitation and mention that you
already have an engagement for that date. Do not go into detail about what the
engagement is.
- 7. Reception of Gift
It is very polite to return a formal
business response letting someone know that you have received her gift. Extend
a personalized thanks to let her know that you are exactly aware of the
contents of the gift. If possible, it is a good idea to include a sentiment
suggesting that you have put the gift to use.
- 8. Notification of Error
When sending a business letter that
lets the receiving party know that an error has been corrected, it is good
business sense to include a copy of the error in question if there is paperwork
evidence of it. Make the offer of additional copies of material involved in the
error if necessary.
- 9. Thanks for Job Recommendation
A letter of thanks for a party that
helped you get a job should be professional and courteous. Above all else,
avoid the temptation to go overboard in offering your thanks. Be aware that
your skills also helped you land the job and it was likely not handed to you as
a result of the third party.
- 10. Information Request
A business letter that requests
information should make the request specific and perfectly understandable. It
is also a good idea to state the reason for the information request. Extend
advance appreciation for the expected cooperation of the recipient.
example business letter:
https://whedya.wordpress.com/2011/08/16/10-types-of-business-letters/
https://www.google.com/search?q=10+kinds+business+letter&client=firefox-b&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiO3b61p5PRAhWHq48KHdmNCHoQ_AUICCgB&biw=1280&bih=689#imgrc=4N9EZS6-9bF-tM%3A
Freeman, Lawrence H. Franklin Covey Style Guide for Business and Technical Writing. Salt Lake
City, Utah: Franklin Covey, 1997.
Locker, Kitty O. Business and Administrative Communication. Boston, Mass.: Irwin/McGraw-Hill,
1997.
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