1. Week 7 Writing Personal Business Letters
Personal business letters are an important type of business correspondence.
These letters and notes express:
Thanks
Congratulations
Condolences
They show concern and establish a social link between the writer and the recipient.
For some occasions, such as birthdays and holidays, most business people do not write letters. They send greeting cards and add a short, personal note.
Before you write the letter, make sure you have all the right information. These letters are very important to the relationship between the writer and the recipient.

2. Week 7
A. Getting Started
1. Read the s between an executive and her assistant. They discuss several personal business letters.
2. Complete the December calendar.

3. Week 7 B. Model Letter: Expressing Thanks Useful language
Look at the different elements of a letter expressing thanks.
Useful language
Thank you for ______ .
I hope to see you soon.
Again, thank you for ______ .

4. Week 7 C. Composing Your Message
The body of a letter expressing thanks generally has four parts.
Part 1, Opening
Content: Tell why you are writing.
Ex: Thank you for referring us to Xenest Industries.
Part 2, Focus
Content: Give specific information.
Ex: I met with Tae Yun last week in Beijing. …………………………………………………..

5. Week 7 C. Composing Your Message Part 3, Action Part 4, Closing
Content: Show appreciation.
Ex: I hope to see you soon in Beijing so I can thank you personally for your introduction.
Part 4, Closing
Content: Restate the main idea.
Ex: Again, thank you for putting me in touch with your contacts in Beijing.
Practice 2
Write O for Opening, F for Focus, A for Action, or C for Closing.

6. Week 7 That’s Good Business
Keep a list of major holidays in the countries where you have clients.
When you mention the holiday or send an appropriate card, you show your clients that you care about them.

7. Week 7 D. Model Letter: Expressing Congratulations Useful language
Look at the different elements of a letter expressing congratulations.
Useful language
Congratulations on ______ .
All of us are pleased that ______ .
We look forward to continuing our working relationship with you.
Again, congratulations ______ .

8. Week 7 E. Composing Your Message
The body of a letter expressing congratulations generally has four parts.
Part 1, Opening
Content: Tell why you are writing.
Ex: Congratulations on your promotion to Vice President. ……………………………………..
Part 2, Focus
Content: Personalize the information and be positive.
Ex: When we first heard that Abbas Zaki resigned, we immediately thought of you for the position. ………………………..

9. Week 7 E. Composing Your Message Part 3, Action Part 4, Closing
Content: Refer to the future.
Ex: We look forward to continuing our working relationship with you and your bank.
Part 4, Closing
Content: Restate the main idea..
Ex: Again, congratulations from all of us here at SecurityNow.com …………………………………………………..

10. Week 7
Practice 4
Read these opening sentences for letters of congratulation. Then circle the letter of the closing sentence that best restates the main idea of the letter.
Well Said
The salutation and signature for a personal note should be more personalized and less businesslike than a standard business letter.
In the salutation, address the person as if you were speaking to him or her directly.

11. Week 7 Writing you Message Well Said Giving Praise
When you praise someone in a letter of congratulations, be specific. Avoid less specific words like really, good, great, very, and a lot.
Practice 5
Choose the sentence that is more specific.
Well Said
A personal note may be handwritten or typed, but it should always be signed by hand.
A name stamp, computer-generated signature, or general signing, such as “From All of Us” may seem impersonal.

12. Week 7 F. Model Letter: Expressing Condolences Useful language
Look at the different elements of a letter expressing condolences.
Useful language
I’m sorry to hear ______ .
Please accept my condolences.
Please know that I’ll also be keeping you in my thoughts.

13. Week 7 G. Composing Your Message
The body of a letter expressing condolences generally has four parts.
Part 1, Opening
Content: Tell why you are writing.
Ex: I’m sorry to hear of your father’s death. …..
Part 2, Focus
Content: Share you thoughts.
Ex: I know that it is impossible to prepare for the loss of a parent.

14. Week 7 G. Composing Your Message Part 3, Action Part 4, Closing
Content: Offer a suggestion.
Ex: I’m sure you have many good memories of your father, and when you think of him, you can take comfort in these memories.
Part 4, Closing
Content: Restate the main idea.
Ex: Please accept my condolences. ……………… ……………………….……………………………

15. Week 7 Personal versus Professional That’s Good Business
When sending a letter of condolence to a business associate, you can make the letter personal by using I or professional by using we. We includes you associates at work.
Practice 7
Rewrite the sentences. Change the focus of the sentences from professional to personal.
That’s Good Business
In a personal business letter, a writer who knows the recipient well may use an informal style.
For example, you can use a first name followed by a comma in the salutation (Dear Jeong-tae,) and you can use contractions (I’m),

16. Week 4 Writing Your Message Well Said Prepositions
Be careful bit to use the preposition to where you should use at or of.
Practice 8
Circle the prepositions in the sentences. If the preposition is wrong, correct it using at or of. Not all the prepositions are wrong.
Well Said
Words are often abbreviated in short, informal messages especially between friends and co-workers
you can become u
with can become w/
by the way can become BTW
congratulations can become congrats

17. Week 7 Homework Assignment
Write a personal business letter for one of the following situations.
1. Write a letter of condolences to wife of Peter Kovalenko.
2. Write a letter of congratulation to Pressman company for their 50th anniversary
3. Please look definitions of these words in the glossary at the end of the book: a). Boxing Day , b). Christmas, c). Hanukkah, d). Kwanzaa, e). New Year’s Eve, f). Ramadhan, g). commitment, h). drop by, h). mention, i). resignation, j). sponsor, k). strengthen, l). ties.