Chapter 9 Routine Letters and Goodwill Messages

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Chapter 9Routine Letters and Goodwill Messages

• Includes material from Guffey text Ch 9

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When to Write Business Letters

• Correspond with outsiders
• Maintain permanent record
• Use formality to reflect audience or topic
  importance
• Deliver sensitive message requiring organized,
  well-considered presentation

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To express thanks, recognition, or sympathy

• Be selfless. Discuss the receiver, not the
  sender.
• Be specific. Cite specifics rather than
  generalities.
• Be sincere. Show your honest feelings with
  unpretentious language.

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In expressing thanks, recognition, or sympathy

• Be spontaneous. Make the message sound natural,
  fresh, and direct. Avoid canned phrases.
• Keep the message short. Although goodwill
  messages may be as long as needed, they generally
  are fairly short.

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The Direct Pattern

• Frontload in the opening.
• Explain in the body.
• Be specific and courteous in the closing.

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Frontloading the Opening

• Thank the addressee
• Be specific about what you are thanking them for
  (meeting, time, etc)

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Explaining in the Body

• Include specific benefits you received
• Include how you will use the information provided
• Include meaningful expression of what the action
  meant to you
• Use type-specific language

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Courteous Closing

• For goodwill messages
• Repeat appreciation
• Provide a courteous concluding thought
• Refer to the next time you will see the person
• Give best wishes for weekend, holiday, etc.
• Give best wishes for continued business success

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Courteous Close

• For requests
• Specifically indicate action you need
• Provide a deadline (if appropriate) and a reason
• typically external and out of your control
• creates sympathy/empathy in the reader
• increases the likelihood of a timely response

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Formatting Business Letters

• Side margins 1 to 1½ inches
• Date 2 from top or 1 blank line below the
  letterhead
• Leave 2 to 7 blank lines between date and inside
  address
• Justify left margin only, leave right ragged

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Formatting Business Letters

• Decide on letter style
• full block (all lines starting at the left
  margin)
• modified block (date and closing lines centered)
• Single-space within paragraphs and double-space
  between
• Allow 3 blank lines between end of letter and
  signature line

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Formatting Business Letters
Salutation
Subject Line
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Formatting Business Letters

• At your request, this letter illustrates and
  explains business letter formatting in a
  nutshell. The most important points to remember
  are these
• 1. Set margins between 1 and 1½ inches most word
  processing programs
  automatically set margins at 1 inch.
• 2. Start the date 2 inches from the top edge of
  the paper or 1 blank line below the letterhead,
  whichever position is lower.
• 3. Allow about 5 lines after the datemore lines
  for shorter letters and fewer lines for longer
  ones.
• The two most popular letter styles are block and
  modified block. Block style, with all lines
  beginning at the left, causes

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Formatting Business Letters
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Writing in Anothers Voice

• MBTI voice words
• Practice Write a description of BA324H
• Discussion
• S vs. N
• F vs. T

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Thank You Letter Examples
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Thank You!