OPTIONAL: Independent Practice: (Correcting inside addresses) -- The following 7 inside addresses do not abide by inside address guidelines. Rewrite each fully, applying proper format, correcting mistakes, and adding the missing details, if any.

Ms Tia

VIP

A Business Company

3400 Onesite Parkway

Denver, CO 80016

________________________________________________________________________

President Phil Anthropist working at Hometown Bank 123 Main Street Core, CO 98765

________________________________________________________________________

Ms. Amrita Kumar Director of Communications Waverley College 1400 Meadowvale Road ________________________________________________________________________

Sales Manager Suite 102 1169 Parkwood Place Wheaton, BC V9Z 2Y8

________________________________________________________________________

Acme Industries, Ltd. Marketing and Research Division Dunbar, AB

________________________________________________________________________

Mr. James, Little Johnny

1480

Littleton, CO 80165

________________________________________________________________________

Ms. Helen Jones Vice-President Phone number 200-1111111

Jones, Jones & Jones 123 International Lane Boston, Massachusetts 01234

CHAPTER REVIEW NOTES

• The Importance of Letters

Letters are among the most important and official business documents. They are vital because:

• They represent your companys public image and your competence.

• They are far more formal in tone and structure than other types of business communication.

• They constitute an official legal record of an agreement.

• Unlike e-mails, they are routed before they are sent out.

• They are more permanent than e-mails.

• They are the official and expected medium through which important documents and attachments are sent to readers.

• They are still the standard medium through which to conduct business with many international audiences.

• A hard-copy letter is confidential

• Parts of a Letter (fig. 5.3; p. 91) (Read about each part in pp. 90 94)

• Heading: The heading may be either your company letterhead or your full return address.

• Date line: Spell out the name of the month in full, and include the date and year

• Inside address: The name and address of the person to whom the letter is being written.

• Salutation: For instance, Dear Dr. Brown. Never use a comma after the salutation in a formal letter; use a colon instead.

• Body: The complete message portion of the letter.

• Complementary close: For instance, Sincerely or Yours truly.

• Signature: Allow four spaces for your handwritten signature, and type your name and title below the handwritten signature.

• Enclosure(s) line: Indicate any enclosures sent with the letter. You may simply write Enclosures or be more specific.

• Copy notation: The notations cc (carbon copy) or pc (photocopy) indicate who else received a copy of the letter.

• Letter Formats

• Full-block format (fig. 5.1, 5.3, 5.4; pp. 87, 91, 96)

• All information is flush against the left margin, with spaces between paragraphs

• This format should be used only when the letter is on letterhead stationery.

• Modified format (fig. 5.2a, 5.2b; pp. 88, 89)

  • The writers address, date, complementary close, and signature to the right side of the letter

  • The date aligns with the complementary close

  • The inside address, salutation, and the body of the letter are flush against the left margin

  • Paragraphs could be indented

• Semi-Block format (fig. S; p. 89)

  • Identical to the modified-block format except that each paragraph is indented five to seven spaces

• Continuing pages

  • If your letter runs beyond one page, use name, page number, or address in the header of the second page

• 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

• Conduct appropriate research

• Select the best communication strategy

• Draft, revise, and edit your letter

• Proofreading Your Letter

• Proofread everything that has your name on it

• Take time to proofread your letter for

  • Errors of fact

  • Miscalculations

  • Misrepresentations

  • Accuracy of prices, dates, and serial numbers

• Letter Appearance

• Use a letter-quality printer.

• Stay away from fancy fonts and scripts.

• Consider using letter wizards.

• Leave generous margins.

• Leave double spaces between key parts of a letter.

• Single space within each paragraph, double space between paragraphs.

• Avoid crowding too much text onto one page.

• Be careful about lopsided letters.

• Use print preview to view an image of your letter before you print it.

• Use high-quality white bond paper and matching standard sized business envelopes.

• Organizing a Standard Business Letter (fig. 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4)

• To help readers grasp your message clearly and concisely, follow this simple plan:

• In your first paragraph tell readers why you are writing and why your letter is important to them.

• Put the most significant point of each paragraph first to make it easier for the reader to find.

• In the second and subsequent paragraphs of your letter, develop the body of your letter with factual support.

• In your last paragraph, thank readers and be clear and precise about what you want them to do or what you will do for them.