INSTANT

BUSINESS LETTERS

201 letters for every occasion

IAIN MAITLAND

Copyright

Thorsons

An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF

First published by Thorsons 1996

© Iain Maitland 1996

Iain Maitland asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

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Ebook Edition © MAY 2011 ISBN: 9780007399666

Version: 2019-10-09

To Tracey, Michael and Sophie

CONTENTS

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

1 Writing Effective Letters

2 Acceptances

3 Acknowledgements

4 Announcements

5 Apologies

6 Cancellations

7 Complaints

8 Compliments

9 Condolences

10 Confirmations

11 Congratulations

12 Enclosures

13 Enquiries

14 Introductions

15 Invitations

16 Notices

17 Offers

18 References

19 Rejections

20 Reminders

21 Requests

22 Terminations

23 Thank yous

24 Warnings

LETTERS INDEX

Other titles in the Thorsons Business Series:

About the Author

About the Publisher

INTRODUCTION

Instant Business Letters is written for you – the junior, middle or senior manager who has to write letters as part of your job. The first chapter, ‘Writing Effective Letters’, sets out all you need to know about planning a letter and choosing the correct approach, layout and style to suit every occasion. It includes a checklist questionnaire which will be of use throughout the book, and beyond.

Chapters 2 to 24 contain a wide and diverse range of letters from ‘Acceptances’ and ‘Acknowledgements’ through ‘Complaints’, ‘Enquiries’ and ‘Invitations’ to ‘Thank Yous’ and ‘Warnings’. You can use these immediately or amend them easily for your own, individual circumstances, by referring back to the first chapter and that checklist questionnaire.

Whatever your job and type and size of business, trade or industry, Instant Business Letters is relevant to you. Study a particular subject by checking the Table of Contents. Dip into it when you wish to find a specific letter by looking through the Letters Index. Read it from cover to cover if you want to learn as much as you can and become a first-class letter writer.

Iain Maitland

1 WRITING EFFECTIVE LETTERS

As a businessperson, it is essential that you know how to write effective letters. To begin with, you have to be able to plan a letter and choose the correct appearance, layout and style for each and every occasion. Only then can you go on to use the 201 ‘instant letters’ in this book, adapting them if necessary to suit your own particular needs and situation.

Planning a Letter

The key to a successful letter is planning. It is not enough simply to write down whatever comes into your head – you need to approach the task in a careful and thorough manner. This involves four main steps:

1) identifying your goals

2) establishing the facts

3) analysing the recipient

4) preparing a draft.

Identifying Your Goals

Think about what you are trying to achieve with this letter. Perhaps you wish to introduce your products and services to a prospective customer, and persuade him or her to place an order with your firm. Alternatively, you might want to force a late payer to settle an overdue account as soon as possible, without having to take legal action against that individual or organisation. Whether you are seeking to make a sale, obtain payment or whatever, always have your goals focused clearly in your mind. Your letter should develop from these, and these alone:

Establishing the Facts

Having set your goals, familiarise yourself with the facts of the matter. To sell those goods and services you must know all about their qualities, prices, special offers, discounts available, delivery dates and the like. If you want to be paid, you have to be conscious of what the invoice relates to, whether the customer has any complaints about it, when it was due for payment, why it has not been paid, and so forth. To ensure that you are totally up to date you will probably need to study your company’s records, re-read correspondence, remember telephone calls and perhaps even refer to your professional advisers in some instances.

Analysing the Recipient

You must be certain that the information you wish to put across will be understood by the recipient and not misinterpreted in any way. Otherwise you cannot expect to initiate the desired action, whether a large order or a cheque in settlement of an outstanding account. Consider the person who will receive and read the letter: previous correspondence and telephone conversations should have given you an accurate impression of his or her personality, knowledge and views of the matter. Put yourself in the reader’s position, imagining what his or her reaction will be upon opening and studying your letter. Decide what is most likely to generate the required response: for the reader to reach for that order form or cheque-book.

Preparing a Draft

Knowing what you want to achieve, being conscious of the background facts and aware of the recipient, you should be able to jot down the points you wish to make in your initial draft. For example, imagine you have received a letter of complaint about damaged goods delivered to a customer. Your company’s policy in such situations is to resolve the complaint as quickly and as fairly as possible, and to maintain the customer’s goodwill. Six of the 12 products were found to be damaged when their container was opened, and it is most likely that the carrier is to blame as goods are always checked before leaving your warehouse. The customer wants you to deliver replacement products and collect and credit him for these damaged items as soon as you can. A formal, matter-of-fact approach is taken by the customer in his letter to your company.

From this you can note various points for inclusion in your preliminary draft – ‘we want to apologise for the problem,’ ‘we wish to explain why it occurred,’ ‘we agree to your suggested solution,’ ‘we have set about resolving the complaint’ and ‘we want to apologise again’. Then sketch out a very rough-and-ready draft, jiggling it into an approximate order but not worrying too much about its appearance, layout or style at the moment. An example of this draft is shown in Letter 1.1.

The Appearance of a Letter

Putting the draft aside for a moment, you now need to consider the appearance of your letter. This will have a significant impact on the reader and can affect the success or failure of your letter. There are two main areas to think over:

1) envelopes

2) paper.

Envelopes

From the recipient’s point of view, the envelope you use is his or her first point of contact with you – and could also be the last! A cheap and scruffy one with a misspelt name and address scribbled across it is unlikely to impress the reader or put him or her in a favourable mood towards the letter within it. Choose quality envelopes, which help to convey a professional and dignified image of your firm. White or other conservative colours can develop this impression – and also stand out from the nondescript buff envelopes used so often by run-of-the-mill businesses.

Carefully put the recipient’s name, job title (if appropriate), address and postcode in the centre of the front of the envelope, making sure they are identical to those on the letter itself. If you make an error, always start again with a fresh envelope – writing over or crossing out a mistake looks careless. Should you have a rubberstamp of your firm’s name and/or logo, imprint it at the top left. Neatly place a stamp in the top right-hand corner.

Paper

You should select watermarked, A4-sized paper (or 8½ x 11 inches for U.S. businesspeople) for your letters – ideally it will match the envelopes so that a neat and unified image is put across. Half-sized A5 paper (U.S. equivalent would be 4 X 6 inches) can be used for shorter letters such as acknowledgements, assuming that you have smaller envelopes as well. It is important that the paper and envelope fit together properly, maintaining that complementary and coordinated impression.

You will have to use common sense to decide whether to type or write the letter by hand. A typed letter is more formal and professional in appearance, whereas a handwritten one is more personal, which may be appropriate on some occasions, such as when you have to apologise, offer condolences or thank someone. Whatever your choice, letters must be neat and easy to read. Tidy, error-free text is essential, as are paragraphs of similar size and generous margins at the top, sides and bottom. Fold each sheet into a third and third again, rather than into quarters; this ensures that it will be less creased and more attractive when removed from the envelope.

The Layout of a Letter

It is then sensible to think about the layout of your letter. Clearly, this is as important as its appearance. You may wish to incorporate numerous entries, as follows:

• letterhead

• references

• date

• name and address

• greeting

• subject matter

• message

• continuation sheets

• complimentary close

• signature

• enclosures

• copies.

Letterhead

Your letterhead should include your firm’s name, address, telephone number, fax number and logo, as relevant. Other additions may be required by law, such as the names of the company directors, although this depends on the way in which your business is organised and run. Your professional advisers will confirm the exact requirements, on request. Typically, the letterhead will cross the top of the paper, unless you prefer to place it to one side or the other.

References

These are optional, although you should quote your own (‘Our ref:’) if you handle a large volume of letters, and/or the recipient’s (‘Your ref:’) if this has been stated in earlier correspondence. Usually, references comprise the initials of the writer followed by those of the typist. Thus, a letter from Peter Abbot typed by Sarah James might have the reference PA/SJ. Alternatively, each subject and/or person in the firm can be given his or her own reference; SAL for Sales, 32 for Janet Baker, and so on. Place references three to five lines beneath the letterhead and one line space apart.

Date

Your letter must be dated – an obvious point perhaps, but one which often seems to be overlooked none the less. Put 3 (not 3rd) January 1996, 11 (not 11th) August 1996 or 2 (not 2nd) December 1996. Never abbreviate to ‘Jan’, ‘Aug’ or ‘Dec’. Also avoid ‘3/1/96’, ‘11-8-96’ or ‘December 2 1996’ (unless of course this is the accepted style in your country, as would be the case in the U.S.). Type or write the date in full, some two or three lines below the previous entry.

Name and Address

Always incorporate the recipient’s name, job title (if appropriate), address and postcode in the letter. Check spellings if necessary by referring to earlier letters or telephoning his or her company for guidance. Be especially careful with the person’s name – it is irritating to be addressed as Miss when it is Mrs, Jonathan instead of Jonathon or Plumley rather than Plumleigh. It looks careless too. Place the name and other details two or three lines under the date.

Greeting

Try to avoid using ‘Dear Sir’, ‘Dear Madam’ or (even worse) ‘Dear Sir or Madam’ as a greeting because they all sound vague and half interested – even the most modest effort would enable you to discover the name of the sales director, accounts manager or whomever you are writing to. Using the person’s first name or surname depends upon how well you know him or her and the relationship that exists between you. It may be wise to put ‘Dear Mrs Patel’ when congratulating a managing director on her success, whereas ‘Dear Sam’ could be used when thanking a colleague for a favour. Put the greeting some two to three lines beneath the name and address.

Subject Matter

This is an optional entry but can be included to identify quickly the subject of the letter and concentrate the reader’s mind upon it. Typically incorporated when the letter deals with one subject only, sometimes preceded by ‘Re:’ and in capitals, ordinary type or underlined as preferred, it should be placed one line below the greeting.

Message

Your message must be spread out over the required number of paragraphs. Each of these should deal with one main point and be of approximately equal length. Do attempt to create a well-balanced look if you can. The first paragraph should commence one line under the preceding entry, with one-line gaps separating subsequent paragraphs.

Continuation Sheets

Some lengthier letters will have to be written over two or more sheets. Use letterheaded paper for the first page, with subsequent ones being typed (or handwritten, as required) on plain paper. Leaving about six lines from the top of the page, put the page number, date and the recipient’s name, on three separate lines, down the left-hand side of the page. Then leave a further two or three lines before continuing with the letter.

Complimentary Close

End your letter with a complimentary close – ‘Yours sincerely’ if you began with ‘Dear Tom’ or ‘Dear Mrs Barham’, ‘Yours faithfully’ if you started (perhaps unwisely) with ‘Dear Sir’ or ‘Dear Madam’. Alternatively, use a less formal ending such as ‘Yours’, ‘Best regards’, or ‘Kind regards’ if you feel it is appropriate to the situation. These are being used more frequently nowadays. Place the complimentary close one line beneath your final paragraph.

Signature

Make sure your signature is legible – a squiggle or scrawl creates the impression that you are too busy to be interested in the letter, and therefore its recipient. Allow approximately five or six lines for the signature, and then type or write your name, followed by your job title if appropriate, one line beneath that.

Enclosures

You may wish to indicate that an item (or items) is attached to the letter, or enclosed in the envelope – a sales catalogue, a draft contract or an invoice, as examples. If so, put ‘Enclosure’, ‘Enc’, ‘Enclosures’ or ‘Encs’, as appropriate, two lines below the last entry.

Copies

Should you want to inform the reader of the recipient(s) of a copy (or copies) of the letter, you can put ‘Copy: John Brownlow’, ‘Copy: John Brownlow, accountant’ or ‘Copies: John Brownlow, accountant, Sophie Henderson, solicitor’, as relevant. Place this two lines beneath the previous entry.

The Style of a Letter

Familiar with the planning, appearance and layout of a letter, you can then set about polishing that draft in order to produce a final version of the letter, ready for posting. You should consider these areas:

• format

• language

• tone

• accuracy.

Format

Your letter can be laid out in one of three basic formats: blocked, semi-blocked and indented. The blocked format has all entries tight against the left-hand margin, as shown in Letter 1.2. The semi-blocked format sets the references and date to the right margin for filing and retrieval purposes, with the remaining entries placed against the left margin. Letter 1.3 illustrates this. The indented format follows the same layout as either of the other two, but indents each paragraph by five or six spaces. This can be seen in Letter 1.4 . Not surprisingly, the format you choose depends upon your firm’s preference – these days, companies often blend them together to develop an individual house style.

Language

As a general rule, the letter must be clear and easy to understand. Use language to suit the recipient. Obviously, it is inappropriate to include technical expressions when writing to a member of the public. Similarly, it is unwise to incorporate simplified language when addressing a specialist in the field. In both instances, the recipients will feel alienated. Try to use short words, phrases and sentences whenever you can, as these tend to be unambiguous and are less likely to be misinterpreted. Steer away from in-house jargon, slang and local or regional expressions, which increase the risks of misunderstandings.

Your letter should also be concise, regardless of the subject. For example, the reader wants a straightforward apology, not a rambling explanation of the complexities of the matter. He or she requires an acceptance or a rejection of a request for a cash discount, not an aimless discussion on the respective pros and cons of such a policy. Keep that letter short and direct. Check through your draft, constantly asking yourself whether the statements are all relevant to the recipient. If not, eliminate them. Set out the rest of the points as crisply as you can. Avoid repeating yourself. State what you have to, move on and finish.

Tone

Whatever the letter, try to project some personality into it. Attempt to be courteous and friendly even if you are writing a difficult letter, such as one which is demanding money. It costs nothing to be polite and to say ‘please’, ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’, as appropriate. It also projects a dignified and positive image of you and your firm. Be sincere as well, attempting to write naturally in your own words. Don’t be reluctant to add personal touches when relevant, such as ‘Kind regards’ or ‘With good wishes’. Avoid giving the reader the impression that this is just another letter with little or no thought behind it – it isn’t!

Accuracy

Once the final version of the letter has been written or typed, it must be checked thoroughly again. The spelling and punctuation have to be perfect. An error can distract the recipient from your message, and does nothing to impress him or her about your expertise or standards of quality. A typographical mistake, for example, can not only make you look foolish but could be misleading as well: typing ‘right’ rather than ‘eight’ in the sentence ‘We want eight of these products’ could cause considerable confusion!

1.1: A draft of a letter

Dear Mr Tate

We’re sorry that the pushchairs delivered to you on 17 September were damaged. We think this must have happened on the van as our goods are always checked in the warehouse before being sent off.

We’re pleased to agree to your suggestion that we deliver replacement goods and collect and credit the damaged ones at the same time, which seems the fairest and quickest way of resolving the matter. Therefore we’ve instructed our despatch department and the carriers to do this for you.

Please accept our apologies for the trouble caused to you by this.

Yours sincerely

Rajesh Munglani

Sales Manager

1.2: The blocked format

Our ref: HEM/TL Your ref: RJD/BC

24 August 1996

Mr R J Dhalival

Mossman and Sons

20 – 26 Windmill Road

Littleton

Sussex

RH17 OYS

Dear Mr Dhalival

Re: Wayliner Mark II

Thank you for your catalogue and price list.

We enclose an order for your attention and ask you to deliver these goods to us at your earliest convenience.

We would be pleased to see your representative on a regular basis to discuss new lines and related matters. We look forward to his call.

Yours sincerely

Harold Mitchell

Proprietor

Enclosure

Copy: Rachel Cohen

1.3: The semi-blocked format

Our ref: JP/MA

12 September 1996

Debbie Taylor

Smart Moves

2–6 Brightwell Road

Esbury

Yorkshire

IP10 7NG

Dear Debbie

I write to introduce you to David Cooke who worked with me at Kaleidoscope for 12 years.

An innovative and hard working person, David is currently working on a new exercise cycle which may be of interest to you and will be contacting you in due course to arrange a meeting.

I am sure it would be very worthwhile for you to agree to see him.

Kind regards

Jacquie Phillips

Product Development Manager

1.4: The indented format

Our ref: DC/FT

18 October 1996

Mrs E Simpson

56 Amberley Crescent

Morden-on-Sea

Norfolk

NA12 4FR

Dear Mrs Simpson

Many thanks indeed for attending an interview with regard to our vacancy for a manager at our Todbury plant.

We have given your application careful consideration but regret to say that you have not been successful on this occasion.

We are sorry if this is a disappointment but hope you succeed in finding a suitable position soon.

Yours sincerely

Esus Tella

Partner

1.5: A final version of a letter

Our ref: RM/TM

Your ref: TT/FT

18 September 1996

Mr A P Tate

Babyland

20 Rydens Road

Tinheath

Warwickshire

CV17 ONB

Dear Mr Tate

We very much regret that the pushchairs delivered to you on 17 September were damaged. We can only assume that this must have occurred in transit as our goods are always inspected in our warehouse before being packed and despatched.

We are pleased to agree to your suggestion that we deliver replacement goods and collect and credit the damaged ones at the same time, which seems to be the fairest and quickest way of resolving the matter. Therefore, we have instructed our despatch department and the carriers to do this for you.

Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience caused to you on this occasion.

Yours sincerely

Rajesh Munglani

Sales Manager

Checklist Questionnaire

2 ACCEPTANCE
2.1: Acceptance of delayed delivery of goods

[DATE]

[NAME]

[ADDRESS]

Dear [NAME]

Thank you for your letter of [DATE], notifying us that there will be a delay in delivering order [NUMBER] dated [DATE] because of [REASONS].

I can confirm that we are prepared to accept a delayed delivery on the understanding that the goods are with us no later than [DATE].

If we have not received them by that date, we shall have to cancel the order and take our custom elsewhere on this occasion.

Yours sincerely

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

2.2:Acceptance of delayed payment proposal

[DATE]

[NAME]

[ADDRESS]

Dear [NAME]

Thank you for your letter of [DATE], outlining your temporary financial circumstances. We agree to extend your credit facilities on this occasion and can confirm you may settle the outstanding balance of [AMOUNT] no later than [DATE].

However, we must emphasise that if payment is not made on this date, we shall have to pass the matter to our solicitors with instructions to take immediate action to recover the debt.

Yours sincerely

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

2.3: Acceptance of invitation, business event

[DATE]

[NAME]

[ADDRESS]

Dear [NAME]

Thank you for inviting me to your [BUSINESS EVENT] on [DATE] at [LOCATION]. I am sure this will be a memorable occasion and I am delighted to accept your invitation.

I look forward to seeing you again,

Yours sincerely

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

2.4: Acceptance of invitation, personal event

[DATE]

[NAME]

[ADDRESS]

Dear [NAME]

Many thanks indeed for inviting [PARTNER] and me to your [PERSONAL EVENT] on [DATE] at [LOCATION]. We are sure that this will be a wonderful occasion and we shall be delighted to attend to wish you every happiness now and for the future.

Yours sincerely

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

2.5: Acceptance of job offer

[DATE]

[NAME]

[ADDRESS]

Dear [NAME]

Thank you for your letter of [DATE], offering me the post of [TITLE]. I am delighted to accept your offer.

I am pleased to confirm that you may now approach my current employer for reference purposes. I am available to start work on [DATE], as suggested at our interview.

I look forward to working with [BUSINESS],

Yours sincerely

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

2.6: Acceptance of proposed payment schedule

[DATE]

[NAME]

[ADDRESS]

Dear [NAME]

Thank you for your letter of [DATE]. We agree that you may clear the outstanding balance of [AMOUNT] on your account [NUMBER] by [NUMBER] payments of [AMOUNT] on [DATES].

However, please note that if this schedule of payments is not adhered to, we shall have no choice but to refer this matter to our solicitors with instructions to recover the debt.

Yours sincerely

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

2.7:Acceptance of quotation

[DATE]

[NAME]

[ADDRESS]

Dear [NAME]

Thank you for your quotation [NUMBER] of [DATE] for [PROJECT]. We are pleased to accept your figure of [AMOUNT] and ask you to confirm when you will be able to commence work on this project. We trust that it will be at your earliest convenience.

We look forward to hearing from you,

Yours sincerely

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

2.8: Acceptance of quotation, subject to conditions

[DATE]

[NAME]

[ADDRESS]

Dear [NAME]

Many thanks indeed for your quotation [NUMBER] of [DATE] for [PROJECT]. We wish to accept this, subject to the following provisos;

[PROVISO]

[PROVISO]

[PROVISO]

[ETC.]

We trust you are agreeable to these provisos, and look forward to receiving your comments in due course.

Yours sincerely

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

2.9: Acceptance of request for discount

[DATE]

[NAME]

[ADDRESS]

Dear [NAME]

Thank you for your letter of [DATE] requesting a discount for [REASON] on your proposed purchase of [NUMBER] [PRODUCTS].

In the circumstances, we are prepared to give you a [PERCENTAGE] discount for your order. We trust this is to your satisfaction.

We look forward to hearing from you,

Yours sincerely

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

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