Technical Letters

The Importance of Letters Represent your company’s public image and your competence More personal than a report, yet more formal than memos or e-mail More permanent than e-mail Constitute an official legal record of an agreement

Writing Effective Letters Analyze Your Audience: Who is my audience? Will my audience be favorably or unfavorably disposed to what I am going to say? What kinds of information will my audience expect me to supply? How will my audience use the information I am sending? What impression do I want my letter to make on readers? Have a clear sense of your purpose and theirs Select the best communication strategy Draft, revise, and edit your letter

Letter Components Essential Components Optional Components Writer’s Address Date Inside Address Salutation Letter Body Complimentary Close Signed Name Typed Name Optional Components Subject Line New Page Notations Writer’s and Typist’s Initials Enclosure Notation Copy Notation

Essential Components of a Letter

Writer’s Address Personal Address Company Address Street address City State Zip Code Company Address Company’s name

Date Full Calendar Date May 31,2009 31May 2009 2-4 spaces

Address of the reader 2-4 spaces Reader's Address Reader’s Name Reader’s Title Company Name Company Street Address Company City Company State Company Zip Code 2-4 spaces

IF you know the reader’s name, salutation will be First / Last Name Followed by Colon For example Dear Mr. Smith: Dear Ms. Jones: Dear Miss / Mrs. Jones: Dear Chris Evans: OTHERWISE Use title Dear Vice President: Use department’s name Accounting Department: 2 spaces

2 spaces below salutation 2 spaces b/w paragraphs Letter Body Includes Introductory Paragraph Discussion Paragraph Concluding Paragraph 2 spaces below salutation 2 spaces b/w paragraphs

Place a comma after complimentary close Preferred close is Sincerely, 2 spaces below body

Signed Name Sign your name legibly

Mention your title (Optional) 4 spaces below complimentary close Typed Name Type your name Mention your title (Optional) 4 spaces below complimentary close

Optional Components of a Letter

Must have a topic & focus Can be used instead of salutation Subject Line Must have a topic & focus Can be used instead of salutation All CAPS 2 spaces below inside address

Writer's and Typist's Initials If writer and typist are two different persons Writer’s initials- ALL CAPS Typist’s initials-LOWERCASE Separate both initials with a colon 2 spaces below typed signature

Enclose information as Enclosure Notation Enclose information as Enc.; OR Enclosure; OR Enclosures(2); OR Enclosure: August Report 2 spaces below writer’s and typist’s initials

For a copy of letter, write Copy Notation For a copy of letter, write cc (complimentary copy) pc (photocopy) For copies sent to other readers, write pc: Reader Ma,e 2 spaces below enclosure notation

Letter Formats Full-block format Simplified format All text typed on left margin Spaces between paragraphs Simplified format Same as full block format except No Salutations Subject Line introduced No Complimentary Close

Full Block Format

Simplified Format

Classifications of business letters Positive Customer relations letters responding favorably to a writer’s request or complaint Sales letters promoting a product Neutral Letters requesting information about a product or service, placing an order, or responding to some action or question Negative Customer relations letters refusing a request, saying no to an adjustment, etc.

Types of Letters Letters of Inquiry Sales Letters Good-News Letters Bad-News Letters Complaint Letters Adjustment Letters Cover Letters

Letters of Inquiry

Inquiry Letter You require information about any matter of interest to you It must Contain an effective technical writing style Involve audience through pronoun usage Avoid grammatical errors Must contain the essential letter components

Components of Inquiry Letter Body Introduction Tell your reader why are you writing Inform reader about subject matter What are you writing about? OR What info do you want?

Components of Inquiry Letter Body Discussion Specify your needs Ask precise questions List specific topic of inquiry Quantify your questions

Components of Inquiry Letter Body Conclusion Must be precise Mention when do you want a response Provide a specific date for response Explain why do you want response by the given date