Specific Types of Business Letters presentation

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Title: Specific Types of Business Letters

1
Specific Types of Business Letters

Inquiries, Answers to Inquiries
Claim and Adjustment Letters
Credit Letters
Sales Letters

2
Inquiries, Answers to Inquiries

Two types of inquiries
The solicited letter of inquiry
which is usually a response to an adv inviting
the reader to write in for further information to
a certain dept or division.
The solicited letter of inquiry is simple, and it
should be brief usually no longer than one or two
sentences and should state definitely what is
wanted. A mention of the adv medium in which the
suggestion to write appeared is appropriate.
The writer should here remember two things that
make a satisfactory reply
Be as specific as possible about what you want.
Include your address if you use paper without
letterhead.

The unsolicited letter of inquiry in which the
writer takes the initiative in asking for
information.
It is more complex and much more detailed. Since
the writer is asking a favor, he should strive
beyond all else to make his inquire easy to
answer.
This best can be done by making the question as
direct and specific as possible or, if the
inquiry is lengthy, by tabulating the questions
or by using arrangement in which they may be
answered by yes or no or by checking.
The writer must also phrase his queries so
carefully that answering them will require the
shortest possible time.
Courtesy demands that a stamp or a
self-addressed, stamped envelope be enclosed if
the inquiry is addressed to an individual or to a
small firm.
To give the reader sufficient information to
enable him to answer intelligently and easily,
the well-planned unsolicited inquiry usually
contains

A clear statement of the information desired or
of the problem involved. This should include
What is wanted?
Who wants it?
Why it is wanted?
A tabulation of questions or a reference to an
enclosed questionnaire.
An expression of appreciation.
To ensure getting the maximum amount of
information from his letter, the writer of an
unsolicited inquiry should
Ask as few questions as possible.
Phrase them so that they are clear, direct, and
easy to answer.
Where confidential information is requested,
promise to keep it confidential.
Try to send the inquiry at those seasons when the
pressure of business is least heavy.
If possible, stress the way in which the
recipient will benefit by answering the
questions.

Answers- To- Inquiry Letters
Four principles should be followed
Answer all inquiries promptly.
Take special care in addressing, posting, and
enclosing material.
Make certain that you have answered all the
inquirers questions in clear understandable
language.
Refer specifically in your letter to any
catalogues or brochures enclosed or sent
separately.
Granting a Request
Two categories of the answers to
inquiries
Those granting requests and those
refusing requests.
the letter that says yes is always easier to
write, it should go beyond a mere yes if it is
to build sales or good will.
Such letters involve the sending of
catalogues, brochures, pamphlets, or reprints as
part of answering the request.

To do well in answering request with enclosures,
the correspondents should write at least three
paragraphs organized around three functions
State the action taken.
Refer specifically to the enclosure.
Motivate action or build good will.
Refusing a Request
The refusal of a request is one of the more
difficult types of letters
Regardless of how thoughtless the request may
seem, the intelligent technique is to refuse it
tactfully. By doing this, good correspondents
have learned that they can say no and still
retain the readers good will.
The refusal of an inquiry usually follows this
pattern
A statement of appreciation to the inquirer for
his interest.
A refusal of his request without hedging and
apology.
An explanation of why the request must be
refused. Whenever possible, avoid vague terms
like company policy or similar generalities.
A constructive suggestion or offer in the closing
paragraph to be of service in the future.

7
Claim and Adjustment Letters

Claim Letters letters written to bring these
errors to the attention of those who must take
the responsibility for them.
Adjustment Letters letters written to take
action on such claims.
The Claim Letter
Four elements are usually present within such
letter
An explanation of what is wrong. This explanation
should give exact dates, amounts, model numbers,
sizes, colors, or any other specific information
that will make a recheck easier for the reader.
A statement of the inconvenience or loss that has
resulted from this error.
An attempt to motivate action by appealing to the
readers sense of fair play, his honesty, or his
pride. Do not threaten him with loss of business
at the first error.
A statement of what adjustment is considered
fair if the writer doesnt know what adjustment
is equitable, he should try to stimulate prompt
investigation and action.

Refer to page 172-3 to contrast the tone
of the two claim letters.
The Adjustment Letter
Four principles govern the intelligent use of
such letter. the intelligent use is considered as
a vital element in building good will.
Every complaint or claim, no matter how trivial
it seems, is important to the person who makes
it.
It therefore requires a prompt answer or
acknowledgment.
The answer should be factual, courteous, and
fair.
Above all else, it should not argue or take a
critical attitude.
According to the companys policy, there are
three policies in effect concerning the granting
of claim
The customer is always right therefore, all
claims are granted.
Grant adjustments wherever the claim seems fair.
Let the buyer beware! No claims are granted.

Granting the adjustment
Because it says yes the letter granting an
adjustment is usually easy to write.
Any or all the following elements- arranged in a
sequence appropriate to the specific situation-
may be included
An expression of regret for the inconvenience
suffered
An expression of the cause of the error
A statement of what adjustment is to be made
An attempt to build good will.
In routine situations, many follow this pattern
Grant the adjustment
Make any necessary explanation
Resell the product, the service, and/or the
company.

Refusal of adjustment
Much more difficult is the refusal of an
adjustment, which may be defined as any letter
that does not grant the original claim.
A partial adjustment may be made, but if it does
not comply with the request, from the customers
viewpoint, it is still a refusal of adjustment.
The contents of adjustment refusal letters are
usually be as follows
An attempt to get on common ground with the
reader by agreeing with him in some way
A clear explanation of the situation from the
adjusters point of view
A complete refusal of adjustment or a statement
of a partial adjustment
An attempt to get the reader to accept the
adjusters analysis of the situation.

No exact formula will solve the problem of
writing effective adjustments.
Whether the claim is granted entirely, partially,
or not at all, the correspondent must seek to
Convince the reader that he is being treated
fairly
Gain his confidence in the products, services, or
policies of the company
Regain his good will.

12
Credit Letters

What the word credit means
To the user of credit it is a means by which he
may have something now and pay for it later.
To the grantor of credit, it is an estimate of
someones ability and willingness to pay later.
Certain letters are needed to be formerly
integral parts of the credit process and which
might include the following
A letter acknowledging the customers order or
his application for credit and requesting that he
sends credit references
Letters to the references furnished requesting
credit information
Letters from these references giving the credit
information
The final letter to the customer
Granting him credit and explaining the term
Refusing him credit

Acknowledging Applications for credit
When a letter requesting credit is received
or
When an order is received from someone who has
not yet established credit.
The acknowledgment letters may include all or
most of the following elements
A statement welcoming the customer or expressing
appreciation for his first order.
An explanation of the firms policy with regard
to credit and payment of bills.
A request that credit references be sent or that
an enclosed credit blank be filled out.
(If you have requested credit information from
him) An incentive to action emphasizing that the
sooner the credit information is received, the
sooner he may receive the order.
A sales statement about service, quality of
merchandise, or your future mutual relationship.

Requesting credit information
Basically, a request for credit information is a
letter of inquiry, which has been discussed
before. Above all it is easy to answer.
The question asked should be specific rather than
general.
The customary procedure is to enclose a credit
blank to be filled out. Where less detailed
information is required. See Pp. 199-200 for a
sample of such letter.
Giving credit information
The letter giving credit information varies
considerably, depending upon whether the
correspondent speaks favorably or unfavorably of
the credit applicant.
Where a favorably reply can be given, the letter
is frank in answering any necessary questions.
See P. 200 for such letter.

When the information is unfavorable to the
applicant, the letter should be much more guarded
and careful in its language because of the legal
implication involved in expressing an unfavorable
opinion of someones credit reputation.
It is customary to avoid using any names in
letters reporting unfavorably on the applicants
credit reputation. See P. 200 for such letter.
The final letter, Granting or Refusing Credit
The letter granting credit is not merely a
statement of terms and conditions it is a also
a sales letter which tells the customer of the
quality of merchandise and of excellence of
service the firm tries to give.
Usually The letter granting credit
contain
A granting of credit
A statement of terms
A sales talk on the type of service the company
hopes to render
An expression of appreciation.

The letter refusing credit
There are perfectly sound argument which
can be used to convince the customer that cash
buying is to his own advantage.
The credit man can advance such
incentives as a discount for cash, savings on
interest charges, or the advantages of buying in
small quantities for cash an thus keeping
up-to-date merchandise in stock, or the pleasure
of end of the month freedom from bills, or the
fact that cash buying over a period of time will
establish his reputation so that credit may be
granted in the future.
In its structure, the refusal of credit letter,
then should accomplish two tasks
It should tactfully refuse credit
It should attempt to get a cash order.

Effective writers of refusal of credit letters
attempt to achieve their purposes as follows
Refuse credit by
Referring indirectly to credit information or
acknowledging the credit
references that have been sent.
Analyzing the situation by beginning with its
more favorable aspects
but ending with a clear
statement of refusal of credit.
Attempt to get an order on a cash basis by
a. Making some practical offer to
cooperate (for example, cutting down
the size of the order and
paying part cash and the balance on specified
terms). Or by
b. Advancing arguments to show
that customer himself benefits by
cash buying, such as
1) An offer of cash
discount, usually 2 percent
2) A suggestion that cash
buying in smaller quantities will give
a wider selection and
more up to date stock
3) An inducement to
establish credit within a short period by
buying for six months
or a year on a cash basis

18
Sales Letters

Why is it used so widely?
It can reach almost any age group, financial
class, professional group, geographical area, or
occupation that may be potentially interested in
a given product or service.
When is it most effective?
It has been found that it is best adapted to
selling products or services of specialized
appeal, of fairly expensive items, or those
belonging within
the class of novelties.
By contrast, it is abundantly clear that
manufacturers of toothpaste, groceries, tires,
cameras select other media (namely, those
reaching the greatest numbers) because these
products are used by everybody.
With its selectivity, the sales letter should be
used where potential buyers can be picked out
from many uninterested ones. Its success, in the
last analysis, will depend on three factors
The product or service which is being sold
The prospect or list of prospects to which the
material is sent
The sales letter itself.

The purposes for the use of sales letters
To make direct sales
To obtain inquiries about services and products
and to locate leads for salesmen
To announce and test the reaction to new services
and products
To reach out-of-the-way prospects and to build up
weak territories
To reinforce dealers sales efforts and to secure
new dealers
To build good will
The structure of the sales letter its parts are
arranged to
Attract the readers attention
by pictures, catch phrases in large
type, questions, commands, or humorous
illustrations
Create a desire for the product or service
by descriptions of pleasure, profit,
utility, or economy of the product or
service

Convince the reader that the product or service
is the best of its kind
by statistics, testimonials, samples,
tests, or guarantees
Motivate action
by easy to follow suggestions such as
Fill in the coupon or Send for this pamphlet
or Go to your neighborhood grocer today
These four elements in the structure of a sales
letter must be adapted to a viewpoint which
answers one central question
Why should my reader (s) do what I am
asking him (them) to do?
The following are various methods which may be
used to answer this question in the four-part
structure of the sales letter.
Attracting attention in the sales letter
Many readers glance at the first paragraph of the
letter and either read the rest of it or toss it
aside depending on what the first paragraph says.
If it attracts the readers attention,
the rest of the letter can capitalize on that
fact but if it does not, the whole sales letter
fails.

What devices can be used to attract the readers
attention?
A pertinent question is very common method used
successfully to attract the readers' attention
and arouse his curiosity to read further in order
to discover the answer. For example
Why dont try minding your own business?
Are you satisfied with the amount of
money you save?
Did you sleep well the last time you were
in Dubai?
A courteous command is another technique used
frequently.
Here is some examples
Dont waste your time and energy in a
sweltering office when you can enjoy the cool
comfort of air conditioning!
For your familys sake, dont drive on
tires that are worn smooth!

A split beginning arranged in such a way as to
attract maximum attention.
some examples in p245
A statement of a significant fact or a
quotation from an eminent authority or prominent
individual will arouse interest if the fact is
significant or the authority is known to the
reader Some examples
You can judge a company by the customers
it keeps.
Forty-nine percent of our customers have
kept company with us for more than fifteen
years.
Anecdotes are frequently used to attract
attention, and they do get read. Their purpose is
not to entertain the reader, however, but to
promote sales therefore, the story should have
some connection with the sales message.

Creating desire for product or service
The best method of making the reader desires
goods or services is the appeal to emotions or
the appeal to reason, or, more frequently, a
combination of the two.
Whether to appeal to the readers logic by
expository and rational methods or to his
emotions by descriptive techniques will depend on
product, kind of reader, and the overall
situation.
For instance, a sales correspondent
for an air conditioning company might choose
between a description of the cool, clean air
like a mountain breeze, free of pollen and dust
or an exposition of the way the apparatus works.
The deciding factor in this instance would be the
type of the reader if it is written to the
general public, it will probably concentrate on
the joys of air-conditioned homes or offices.
It is generally thought that a logical appeal is
best for necessities and an emotional one for
luxuries or novelties, but here again there are
exceptions.

Convincing the reader of the merits of the
products or service
The function of the third section is to marshal
support to show that the claims made for the
product are true.
Any claims or statements must here be supported
by fact or logic otherwise, the reader will
correctly assume that the claims are grandiose
and the statement untrue.
Three types of logical support may be used in
sales
Expert Testimony. This consists of statements by
qualified experts concerning the product sold.
Facts. Since the statements in the first part of
the sales letter belong in
the category of opinion (e.g., The
Colderator is the most economical
refrigerator on the market today),
their truth is best shown in the third
section by a solid basis of
fact.

Tests made by independent experts, statements
about the number of sales made within a specified
period, actual cost of operation of the product,
mention of the number of satisfied customers, and
specific data about the product under actual
working conditions-all these give an objective,
factual support to the claims made for the
product.
Use of Logic. In the sales letter, however,
logic may be used to appeal favorably to the
readers reasoning or to get him to draw his own
conclusion.
A trial offer of the product may be made
with the purpose of getting the reader to
conclude, If they are willing to let me try it
out, it must be pretty good. Sample and
guarantees are similarly effective.
Widely used are causal relationships, such
as Because Pan-American coffee is packed in
air-tight tins, it reaches you as fresh as the
day it was roasted.

Motivating action
The final paragraph of the letter should do two
things
Offer a specific suggestion concerning the action
the reader should take.
Point out how he will benefit by taking this
action.
The easier it is for the reader to take this
action, the more effective the sales message will
be.
Stamped and addressed envelopes are frequently
enclosed, or the reader is told to call by
telephone or to write collect.
The following closing paragraphs show various
methods to motivate action
You have nothing to lose-and perhaps
much to gain-by using the enclosed card.
Which models would like to see on
approval? Just check them on our order blank.

27
Memorandums

In contrast to the letter, which is directed
outside the organization,
the memorandum (memo) goes within the
organization.
The stationary, parts, layout, and envelopes of
the memo are somewhat different from those of the
letters.
Preprinted memo stationary may include
MEMORANDUM (or INTERDEPARTMENTAL MEMORANDUM)
and the companys name (but not address). Also,
words naming various memo parts, as showing in
the following figure.

28
(company name)
MEMORANDUM
DATE TO DEPT
SUBJECT
FROM TELEPHONE
For your
Message, Comment, or Reply

APPROVAL

INFORMATION

COMMENT

Parts of the Memorandum
The standard memo parts of the memorandum are
to, from, subject, date, and message.
Optional parts are such items as reference
initials, enclosures, file number, routing
information, and the senders department and
telephone number.
Unlike the letter, the memo require no inside
address, salutation, complimentary close, or full
signature.
The combination message-and-reply memorandum form
is an specially good time and expense saver for
both sender and recipient.

A packet of three or more perforated sheets
(white and colored), plus carbons (unless special
carbonless paper is used), makes up a
message-reply packet.
The combination message-reply forms provide lines
for both the writers and the readers
signatures.
Printed instructions at the top or bottom tell
the sender and the reader how to use the sheet.
Printed lines may aid those who communicate in
handwriting.
Each sheet is divided into two sections-MESSAGE
and REPLY. Those two sections may be side by side
or one above the other.

31
INTEROFICE COMMUNIACTION
ABC Company TO
From
DATE
SUBJECT
Message
SIGNED
Reply
DATE
SIGNED
32

What you write after the TO, FROM, and DATE will
vary with the situation and the organizations
practices.
A courtesy title- Mr. Mrs. Miss- before the
readers name (after TO) may be used or omitted,
depending on your relationship with the reader
(superior or subordinate) and the degree of
informality within the organization. The writer
omits the title before his name.
If the memo is a temporary message, not to be
filed, and if the reader and the writer work
together regularly, the writer may merely use
initials, first name or nickname after TO and
FROM, and use all figures or abbreviations for
the date. Place your (the writer) handwritten
initials above or to the right of your name.

TO A. M. or
TO Ali
FROM S. A.
TO Saad
DATE 10 Feb. year
DATE Feb. 10, 2006
SUBJECT
SUBJECT
However, if the memo will be filed, the names of
the sender and receiver should be spelled out
TO Mr. optional Ali Alsayeed,
Personal Manager
FROM Saad Al Ahemd,
accounting Manager
DATE Feb. 10, 2006
SUBJECT
If you are sending the same message to several
persons, their names, titles, or both should be
typed after TO.
If you write to the same persons often, you might
have a form called a routing slip prepared with
their names printed after the TO.

A subject line should include terms that
instantly make the purpose of the memo clear.
The length of the subject line may be up to seven
words, sometimes longer if has a verb.
Unclear Subject Lines
Clear Subject Lines
Vacations
Vacation Policy for 2006
D P I s Problem
DPI should Consider
Expanding Its Recruiting Staff
The clearer subject line may include a verb to
give an immediate sense of direction to a request
or recommendation.

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