Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Chapter 12 Letters

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Letters ‣ A primary means of solving external problems ‣ Usually transmit smaller chunks of information ‣ Written by nearly all workplace writers

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Types of Letters ‣ Adjustment letters describe how an organization will deal with a problem in a product or service ‣ Claim letters request adjustments or reimbursements for defective goods or services ‣ Collection Letters ask readers to pay for goods and services they have already received ‣ Confirmation Letters serve as a written record of previous conversations or agreements

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. ‣ Inquiry letters ask for something or make a request ‣ Rejections and Refusals inform readers that you cannot give them what they want, though they often present alternatives ‣ Sales Letters are written to potential or existing customers in attempt to stimulate interest in a product or service ‣ Thank-You and Congratulatory Letters build goodwill between you and the reader, drawing attention to a positive experience or achievement

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Basic Elements of Letters morguefile.com

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Heading or Letterhead ‣ Use a letterhead on stationery for a more professional appearance ‣ Text or a simple graphic can be used in place of letterhead ‣ Simple headings should contain your address (but not your name) ‣ Both can be centered or aligned left

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Date ‣ Should be included ‣ May be important in tracing the history of an idea, action, or problem ‣ Should be aligned left

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Recipient’s or Inside Address ‣ Should address a specific individual ‣ Should include job title ‣ Use the Postal Service’s two letter state abbreviations ‣ Is placed four lines below the date, on the left

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Salutation or Greeting ‣ Should begin with the word Dear, continue with the recipient’s last name, and end with a colon ‣ Uses both the first and the last names in the salutation, if the recipient’s gender or their professional title is unknown ‣ Refers to the department you are writing to if you do not know the recipient’s name ‣ Should not be vague or impersonal

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Introductory Paragraph ‣ Should provide any background information readers will need to understand the letter ‣ Contains short, descriptive sentences ‣ May also include a thesis sentence identifying the problem or main point ‣ Is generally placed two lines below the salutation

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Three Heading Variations

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Body Paragraphs ‣ Contains further details concerning the message ‣ Should be focused, omitting extraneous or irrelevant details ‣ Often contain bulleted or numbered lists to improve readability

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Concluding Paragraphs ‣ Sum up or reiterate the main point of the message ‣ Might state specific steps you’d like your reader to take ‣ Might state something positive about the relationship between you and the recipient

Closing Phrase ‣ Can be formal ‣ Respectfully yours, Yours sincerely, or Respectfully ‣ Can be moderately formal ‣ Sincerely (most often used), Cordially, Thank you, or Regards, ‣ Can be informal ‣ Best wishes, Kindest regards, or Best, Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved.

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Signature ‣ Is your full name typewritten four lines below the closing phrase, aligned left ‣ Includes job title, if it is not in the letterhead ‣ Is signed (blue or black ink) in the space between the typewritten signature and the closing phrase

Additional Pages ‣ Might sometimes be necessary ‣ Should be printed on plain stationary paper ‣ Should include a header with ‣ the name of the person to whom the letter is sent (flush with the left margin) ‣ the page number (in the center) ‣ the author (at the right margin) Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved.

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Additional Features ‣ Introducing line ‣ Typist’s initials ‣ Enclosure line ‣ Distribution line

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Letter Formats morguefile.com

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Block Style ‣ Is the most commonly used format for writing professional letters ‣ Aligns everything along the left margin ‣ Uses single spacing for all text, with a space between each paragraph ‣ Looks sleek and businesslike ‣ Conveys a sense of order and symmetry

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Modified Block Style ‣ Is slightly less formal than block style ‣ Aligns your return address and your closing phrase and signature along the right margin ‣ Aligns all other text to the left ‣ Can be useful when you want to highlight information about you

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Positive Messages ‣ Give the good news first ‣ Provide the necessary follow-up details ‣ Are clear about potential negative elements or limits ‣ Explain the advantages and benefits to the reader ‣ Use a good-will ending to cement the relationship

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Negative Messages ‣ Prepare the reader for the bad news by using buffers ‣ Clearly state the negative — once ‣ Present alternatives, compromises, solutions, or possible actions, if they exist ‣ End with a positive, forward-looking statement

Dobrin / Keller / Weisser : Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. © 2008 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ, All Rights Reserved. Persuasive Messages ‣ Capture your reader’s attention ‣ Connect their interest with your goals ‣ Give them convincing details ‣ Tell them how to act