Addressing envelopes
Envelope addresses are written in a similar way to inside addresses but, for letters in or going to the UK, the postcode is usually written on a line by itself at the end of the address, and the name of both the town and the country are written in capital letters.
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1 The layout and presentation of your letter are important as they give the reader the first impression of the firm's efficiency.
2 There are two styles of letter, blocked and indented. Both are acceptable, but the blocked style will probably save time.
3 Write both addresses in as much detail as possible and in the correct order.
4 Make sure you use the recipient's correct title in the address and salutation. If in doubt as to whether a woman is single or married, use Ms.
5 Do not abbreviate dates.
6 Choose the correct salutation and complimentary close. When you begin with Dear Sir or Dear Sirs or Dear Madam or Dear Sir or Madam, end with Yours faithfully. But if you use a personal name in the salutation, then close with Yours sincerely.
7 Make sure your references are correct.
8 Make sure your signature tells your reader what he/she needs to know about you.
addressee
attention line
blocked style
b.c.c. (blind carbon copy)
cable/telegram address
c.c. (carbon copy)
complimentary close
courtesy title
Enc./Encl. (enclosure)
fax/ telefax
for the attention of
head office
indented style
inside (receiver's) address
joint stock company
letterhead
locality
open punctuation
p.p. (per pro)
postcode
postal district
position
private and confidential
references
salutation
sender's address
signature
sole trader
subject title
telex number
registered number
VAT number
Dear Sir/Sirs/Madam/Sir or Madam
Dear Mr…/Mr…/Miss…/Ms…
USA: Gentlemen:
Yours faithfully/sincerely
USA: Yours truly
Your Ref:
Our Ref:
Ltd. (limited liability)
PLC (public limited company
USA: Inc. (incorporated)
& Co. (and company)
Board of directors
Chairman, USA: President
Managing Director, USA: Chief
Executive (CEO)
Sales Manager
Finance Director
Chief Accountant
UNIT 2
Content and style
When writing for a business audience, you have one chance to reach your readers. They are busy people who won't bother spending lime decoding your communications. That is why it is imperative that you say exactly what you mean as clearly and as quickly as you can.
Remember that your goal is to convey information. That goal won't be achieved if your readers don't understand your first few sentences or paragraphs, and slop reading, or if they finish reading but fail lo grasp your message.
This unit gives you some general ideas on how to write business letters: how much information to give, how to plan your letter, what sort of style to use, how to make your letters as clear, informative and accurate as possible. They are, however, only general ideas, your real appreciation of what to do and what not to do in commercial correspondence will only come as you read through and study the following units.
Length
Students often ask how long their letter should be. The answer is, as long as necessary, and this will depend on the subject of the letter; it may be a simple subject, e.g. thanking a customer for a cheque, or quite complicated, e.g. explaining how a group insurance policy works. It is a question of how much information you put in the letter: you may give too little (even for a brief subject), in which case your letter will be too short, or too much (even for a complicated subject), in which case it will be too long. Your style and the kind of language you use can also affect the length. The right length includes the right amount of information.
Too long or too short?
The letter should be neither too long nor too short. It is better to include too much information than too little. The reader cannot read your mind. If you leave out vital information, he won't know what he wants to know, unless he writes back again and he may not bother to do that. If you include extra information, at least he'll have what he wants, even though he may be irritated by having to read the unnecessary parts. Provided, of course, that you include the vital information as well as the extras: the worst letter of all is the one that gives every piece of information about a product - except the price.