In business document flow, the request letter format is used very often when there is a need to obtain the consent of the second party or a specific service from it. Ready-made samples and examples for different situations, as well as rules for composing such letters, can be found in this article.
The tradition and rules for drawing up a letter of request have developed exclusively in practical document management - i.e. There are no forms or instructions approved at the legislative level. However, in general, the following structure should be followed:
- As usual, the “header” is first filled out, which indicates the full name of the sending organization with the corresponding contact information, as well as the name of a specific employee (usually the director of the company) and the name of the recipient organization.
- This is followed by the text itself, which consists of a description of the situation and justification for the request. The text should be as short as possible - usually 1-2 paragraphs are enough. It is important to state your request specifically and unambiguously so that the interlocutor clearly understands the essence of your appeal.
- This is followed by the signature, transcript of the signature and date of compilation.
Thus, it is drawn up according to the standard version for such documents - the form is given below.
The finished sample can be used as an example.
NOTE. The decision to indicate or not indicate the title of the document (i.e. to write “Letter of Request” in the middle) is made by the sender himself. Typically, this is necessary in cases where it is appropriate to emphasize the nature of the document and the purpose that one company is trying to achieve from another.
Since in this case we are talking about the fact that one company is counting on some favor or even a concession from its partner, of course, the writing of the letter, its design and even its sending should be taken very seriously. Any detail can make an impression, so it’s better to take into account even the seemingly insignificant nuances:
- First of all, it is better to send it using physical mail - regular Russian Post or, even better, a private organization that delivers correspondence door to door and much faster. A message in electronic form, or even more so sent via fax, is often perceived more impersonally, like spam.
- In addition, the physical method of document execution (i.e., as regular mail) allows you to make a favorable impression at the expense of more expensive paper, envelope, stamp and other means of registration.
- To write the text, a company letterhead is always chosen - this allows you to make the request more official.
- It is better to avoid obvious clericalism in the text - i.e. stable words and expressions that are commonly used in the business environment. They literally “dry” the narrative and make a generally negative impression. They can be easily replaced with more original options - for example, “Please consider” with “I hope for your understanding and assistance in resolving this issue.”
- Finally, it is worth generally adhering to the traditions of business correspondence, i.e. The text is predominantly written in an official business style. There should be no lyrical digressions, overly complex syntactic structures, or ambiguous (in meaning) phrases. Care should be taken to ensure that the message is very easy for the interlocutor to perceive, both in terms of understanding and psychologically.
ADVICE. If it is possible to write the text by hand, it is better to use this method. A handwritten letter makes it stand out from everyone else. However, it is better to entrust the writing to a specialist who knows calligraphy techniques.
Varieties
Depending on the specific situation, there are different letter options. Most requests relate to financial issues - for example, providing a discount, reducing payment for a service or deferment. A minority of request letters are devoted to assistance in resolving some other issues. The most common cases and ready-made examples letters are discussed below.
About the allocation of funds
A request to allocate money even for charitable purposes is a rather serious request. Therefore, when drawing up, it is important to describe the situation as specifically as possible and, moreover, to clearly indicate what exactly the money is needed for, and for what reason it cannot be taken from another source.
When compiling, you can use this example as a basis.
From NPO "Rainbow"
Deputy of the Legislative Assembly
St. Petersburg Miloshnikov I.N.
Dear Ilya Nikolaevich! The director welcomes you non-profit organization Rainbow". Our organization was founded in 2012 and throughout all these years it has been continuously providing financial assistance to children suffering from acute forms of leukemia. The main direction of our activity is the purchase of relevant medicines and carrying out complex operations.
All these years, the main source of funding for our activities was the LLC “...” enterprise. However, in April of this year 2017, funding volumes decreased sharply, and in this moment we cannot carry out charitable activities in the same volume.
According to our data, the annual budget of the fund, taking into account private donations, should be 10 million rubles. Thus, due to the termination of financing, it is necessary to cover the difference in the amount of 8 million rubles. annually. We hope for your assistance, since it is currently not possible to find sponsors.
Sincerely, Svetozarov V.K.
About delivery of goods
Here it is important to demonstrate your interest and desire to cooperate. Therefore, you need to find the right words so that your interlocutor is imbued with trust and makes an appropriate decision. You can take this example as a basis.
General Director of LLC "..."
Nekrasov N.K.
From the director of LLC "..."
Elizarova V.M.
Greetings, Nikolai Konstantinovich! At the regional exhibition agriculture, which took place in May of this year, our company became interested in the samples of machinery and equipment that were offered by you.
We would like to begin cooperation with you by delivering a trial batch of goods (the full list is attached as a separate document to this letter). We guarantee timely payments for goods and services. We express our hope for long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation.
Our contact details:
Sincerely, Elizarov V.M.
About providing discounts
This is a fairly common type nowadays because economic conditions in many respects they have worsened. Experience shows that convincing a counterparty to provide a discount works especially well in the following cases:
- if companies have been cooperating for a long time, for example, more than a year;
- if a large quantity of goods is purchased at once.
to CEO
LLC "Avantage" Filippov G.V.
From the director of Veres LLC
Alexandrova K.N.
Hello, Gennady Viktorovich. We are pleased to note the fact that our companies have been cooperating for more than 2 years. We express our gratitude to you for the consistently high quality of your services, as well as for your assistance in resolving a number of current issues.
We believe it is no secret to you that over the past year the economic situation in our market niche has deteriorated significantly. Unfortunately, at the moment we are experiencing a certain lack of income, which is associated with a decrease in quarterly profits.
In connection with these circumstances, we hope for your understanding and consent to provide a discount of 10% on services that will be provided in the next calendar year 2018. Of course, such a measure is temporary, and we are committed to full cooperation on mutually beneficial terms if the economic situation stabilizes.
Sincerely, Alexandrov K.N.
About rent reduction
In this case, the rationale for your request in the letter will be approximately the same as discussed in the previous example.
to CEO
LLC "Avantage" Filippov G.V.
From the director of Veres LLC
Alexandrova K.N.
Hello, Gennady Viktorovich. In the fiscal year that ended in 2016, our company suffered losses that exceeded expectations by 10%. We are forced to admit that our company has been affected by the financial crisis. This is reflected in a decrease in client flow by 15-20% of owners.
In this regard, we hope for your agreement to provide a 10% discount on rent. Please note that we are quite large tenants and at the same time, during the entire period of our five-year cooperation, we did not allow a single delay in payment, and also filled out all other terms of the contract. We proceed from the fact that this measure is temporary, so we are ready to continue paying the fee in full as soon as the market situation stabilizes.
Sincerely, Alexandrov K.N.
About deferred payment
In this case, it is important to admit that you really did not make the payment on time and explain the reason in detail. Of course, you need to accurately indicate the repayment terms of the entire amount.
To the Director of LLC "Gruzodar"
Vakulov N.Yu.
From the director of Parabolia LLC
Aksakova T.G.
Hello, dear Nikolai Yurievich. In September 2017, we did not pay the next payment for your services in the amount of 100,000 rubles. We officially notified you a month in advance about the impossibility of making a payment. At this time, we clarify that the company has found funds to pay. We ask you to provide an installment plan for two months: October and November (50,000 rubles each).
We do not shy away from our financial obligations and debts and draw your attention to the fact that during all 3 years of our cooperation we have never violated the contract. We hope for your understanding and look forward to further mutually beneficial cooperation.
Sincerely, Aksakov T.G.
Please pay for another company
Such requests may arise in cases where one company undertakes to fulfill the financial obligations of another company under certain conditions. You can use this template as an example.
IP Blagodarova A.K.
from IP Inina A.A.
Hello, dear Anatoly Konstantinovich. As you know, you have a debt to me in the amount of 100,000 rubles. Over the past financial year, I also incurred a debt to 3 companies in the amount of 50,000 rubles. I suggest you pay my debt in full. For my part, I guarantee the provision of installment plans for the entire balance of your debt for a period of 6 months.
Drafting various types of business letters is a necessary part of the work of business representatives. Thanks to such messages, they gain the opportunity to resolve commercial issues in the most accessible, fastest and optimal way.
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What types of business letters are there?
Conventionally, business letters can be divided into several main categories:
- congratulatory letter;
- information mail;
- and so on.
You can mark responses to all these letters, which are also part of official business correspondence and are also written according to certain canons, as a separate item.
Who should act as the author of the letter?
Business letters must always contain a signature. In this case, any employee of the company whose competence includes this function or authorized to do so by order of the director can directly draw up the letter. Usually this is a specialist or the head of the structural unit whose jurisdiction includes the subject of the message. However, regardless of who is involved in writing, the letter in any case must be submitted to the manager for approval, bearing in mind that it is being written on behalf of the company.
General rules for writing business letters
All business messages should relate only to the activities of the company or circumstances related to it. At the same time, regardless of the content, they must obey certain requirements.
First of all, it is a certain structure. The message should always include:
- date of writing,
- details of the sender and recipient,
- polite address address (in the form of the wording “Dear Ivan Petrovich”, “Dear Elena Grigorievna”),
It should be noted that letters can be addressed to both individual employees and entire teams (in this case, it is enough to limit yourself to the greeting “Good afternoon!”).
Various additional documents, photos and video evidence may be attached to the letter - if any, this must be reflected in the main text.
The letter can be formatted as usual standard sheet A4 format and on the organization’s letterhead. The second option is preferable, since it does not require manually entering company details; in addition, such a letter looks more respectable and once again indicates that the message belongs to official correspondence. It can be written in handwriting (letters written in calligraphic handwriting are especially successful), or printed on a computer (convenient when you need to create several copies of a letter).
The letter must be certified by a signature, but it is not necessary to stamp it, because Since 2016, legal entities have been exempted from the need to use seals in their activities.
Before sending, the message, if necessary, is registered in the journal of outgoing documentation, in which it is assigned a number and the date of departure is set.
What to pay attention to when writing a letter
When composing a letter, you need to carefully monitor spelling, adhere to the rules and norms of the Russian language in terms of vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, etc. Recipients always pay attention to how well the thoughts in the message are presented and formatted.
We should not forget that the studies conducted clearly indicate that people are not willing to spend more than one minute reading this kind of letters.
The letter must be written in the correct form, without “spreading thoughts down the tree,” rather short and succinctly, to the point. Each new topic should be presented in the form of a separate paragraph, which, if necessary, should be divided into paragraphs. In addition, a concise and clear letter will let the recipient know that the author values his time. Here the saying “brevity is the sister of talent” is apt.
What should not be allowed in a business letter
In business letters, a cheeky or frivolous tone is completely unacceptable, as is excessively dry text and banal “clichés.” You should also avoid complex formulations, an abundance of participial and adverbial phrases, and special terminology that is understandable to a narrow circle of specialists.
The letter must not include unverified, unreliable and, especially, deliberately false information.
It must be borne in mind that this type of message is not only part of routine business correspondence, but also, in many cases, refers to official documents that may subsequently acquire the status of legally significant ones.
How to send a letter
Any official message can be sent in several main ways.
- The first, the most modern and fastest, is through electronic means of communication. It is convenient and quick, and also allows you to send information of almost unlimited volume.
There is only one minus here - if the recipient has a large amount of mail, the letter can easily get lost or end up in the Spam folder, so when sending letters in this way, it is advisable to additionally make sure that the letter has been received (through a simple phone call).
- The second way: conservative, which allows you to send the message by Russian Post. In this case, it is recommended to use the function of sending by registered mail with return receipt requested - this form guarantees that the letter will reach the addressee, about which the recipient will receive a special notification.
Typically, sending via standard mail is used in cases where original documents, letters certified by living signatures and seals are sent.
- You can also send a letter via fax or various instant messengers, but only on the condition that the relationship between the partners is close enough to allow this type of correspondence.
Good day, friends.
Once while corresponding with his future partner from Ireland, one of my acquaintances used words and phrases like hereby And acknowledge receipt of in your messages. He was quite embarrassed when they met in Russia, and John (that was his partner’s name) joked (very delicately) about his excessive officialdom. Their further communication led to the fact that my friend’s business style became more natural, and with his help John began to understand the different semantic shades of Russian obscene language...:)
Today I will be happy to tell you how to correctly write a business letter to English language. You will become familiar with both the basic principles and rules of business correspondence and some of its nuances. Let's look at the main types of letters, the structure common to all, as well as the typical phrases often used in them. Perhaps, after reading this article, you will not become an ace in writing business messages, but you will definitely increase your level.
Contents:
In our time correct design, competent construction and well-chosen style of business writing are very important. By the way you conduct business correspondence, your partner creates the first impression about your professionalism and the solidity of the company you represent.
Let's take a look at some of the features of preparing such messages.
Basic types of business letters
- Congratulations –
- Offer -– sent to your potential business partner with your terms and proposals for cooperation.
- About hiring -– notifies you that you have been hired.
- Statement -– contains your resume and your offer as an employee.
- Refusal-– a businesslike “turn-and-go” response to your statement or proposal.
- Complaint -– contains a complaint or claims about the quality of the purchased goods or services provided.
- Letter of apology –- This is a response to a letter of complaint.
- An inquiry-– sent when it is necessary to obtain information about a service or product.
- Letter of response to a request –– it actually contains the requested information.
- Letter of gratitude -– here, it seems, everything is clear.
There is also great amount types and subtypes of business messages ( Order, Response to Order, Invoice, Statement etc.), and it will take more than one article to pay attention to the majority.
Kind regards is an excellent and serious guide from a foreign author, a communications specialist, who has collected in this book her and others’ experience of conducting business correspondence in English. There you will find many live examples and tips.
Business correspondence in English is also a popular book. There are many samples, even more common clichés, as well as a lot of advice and recommendations from the authors. As they say, study and apply!
Steep online course in business English from Lingualeo - after completing it, you can gain confidence both in correspondence and in conversation on business topics. By the way, you can try it for free before purchasing.
General principles
Graphic design must comply with the following:
- All sentences start from the same vertical line.
- The text is divided into paragraphs without red lines.
- To simplify perception, we divide the written text into semantic blocks of approximately equal size.
- The white space should evenly surround the text. Don't put one or two lines of text at the top of the page if the letter is small. Do not print to the bottom edge of the sheet and do not narrow the margins; if the message is long-winded, it is better to use the second page.
By style:
- Do not use colloquial abbreviations in correspondence - write You are instead of You"re, etc.
- Do not solve two problems at the same time in one letter - it is preferable to write two letters.
- Decide which tone will be more appropriate - formal or relaxed.
- It is necessary to take into account those rules that we do not have, but have a specific meaning for them, national and territorial characteristics.
Components
And now we will analyze the so-called skeleton of a business letter, its structure and arrangement of elements:
- Heading(a cap):
A) The sender's address is in the upper left corner. If the letterhead is branded, then the address has already been entered.
B) The recipient's address is on the left, below the sender's address. Format: from smallest to largest (Name, house number, street, city, zip code, country).
IN) Date - three lines below the recipient's address or in the upper right corner. Format: day/month/year. No commas are used. - Greetings(appeal), or how to start a letter.
- the main idea(the main text of the message) - in the central part of the letter.
- Final phrase(expression of gratitude and further intentions).
- The final formula of politeness; Signature; First name, last name and position of the sender.
- The attachment– indicates that the letter contains additional materials (advertising booklet or brochure).
- May contain P.S., initials of the performer.
Here is a sample business request letter with translation into Russian:
John Stewart
1304 Sherman Ave.
Madison, WisconsinLemann & Sons
3597 43rd Street
New York, NY 12008With reference to your advertisement in Business Weekly Journal could you please send me a more detailed description of your monitors.
I would also like to know about discounts that you provide.Yours faithfully,
Translation:
From: John Stewart, 1304 Sherman Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin
Attn: Lehmann & Sons, 3597 43rd Street, New York, NY 12008
May 24, 2015
Dear Sirs,
With a link to your advertisement in the business weekly
could you please send me a more detailed description of your monitors.
I would also like to know about the discounts you provide.
Sincerely,
John Stewart
Sales Manager
Now let's take a closer look at the elements.
The address or greeting should look like this:
Dear Sirs, Dear Sir or Madam-if you do not know the recipient's name
Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms[last name] - if you know the recipient's name
Dear Frank, - if the person is familiar to you
Dear sales manager– if only the position is known (in this case, sales manager)
The politeness formula before signing looks like this:
Kind regards, - Sincerely…
Yours faithfully, Sincerely yours - if the addressee’s name is not known to you
Yours sincerely, - if you know the name
Now you have a general idea of how to write messages business partners and various companies.
Standard Expressions
Here are some typical phrases as an example:
It is very kind of you to- it's very kind of you
We apologize for- We apologize for
Please let me know-Please tell me
According to- In accordance with
In case- When
As you requested– At your request
Until now- Still
With reference to your– Regarding your
Unfortunately- Unfortunately
We enclose– We are enclosing
We are sorry- We regret
How to end a business letter? A few more polite phrases:
Thank you for responding to my offer— Thank you for responding to my proposal.
We look forward to hearing from you soon— We hope to receive your response in the near future
And at the end before the signature:
With best regards- Best wishes
With respect- Sincerely
With thanks for your cooperation– With gratitude for your cooperation
With best wishes- Best wishes
Are you tired of theory yet? Then a little practice!
This time a letter of refusal (such a letter must be written in a correct and delicate style):
Mr Robert Brown
General Manager
KLM Co Ltd
32 Wood Lane
London
Great Britain WC37TPJohn Stewart
1304 Sherman Ave.
Madison, WisconsinThank you for sending us your resume.
We are sorry to inform you that your candidature does not suit us/
kind regards,
Translation(translate the address and date yourself):
Dear Mr. Stewart
Thank you for sending us your resume.
We regret to inform you that your candidacy is not suitable for us.
Sincerely,
Robert Brown
CEO
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You will begin to understand business English, speak it and write excellent business letters that will impress all your partners and colleagues.
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Emails
Everyone's favorite e-mail messages account for about 80% of business turnover. It differs from ordinary correspondence in being more specific and concise. They try to use unnecessarily long phrases avoid In addition, they use acronyms (phrases formed from the first letters of a phrase), as IMHO. Electronic correspondence is characterized not only by personal messages, but also by mailing lists (the BCC field is used when confidentiality is required). Well, the main difference is that most people prefer to refrain from transmitting confidential information by email.
Of course, in the era of “OK Google!” You don’t have to look for difficult ways and simply paste the typed text into an online translator. You will most likely be understood, but you are unlikely to achieve a favorable impression. Remember, the quality of your business correspondence is an indicator of the quality of your company.
Thank you for reading my article to the end. Advise your friends to read it on social networks! Who knows, maybe someone needs this information here and now!
Subscribe to new portions of English.
Bye everyone! Take care of yourself!
Business document— the main means of carrying out management activities, recording and transmitting information. With the help of the document, business activities are coordinated and information is accumulated. In a large organization, instructions are usually drawn up that indicate who officially writes documents, who reports to whom and in what cases, who transmits information to whom, etc. One of the most important ways to formalize the transfer of information is standard forms (forms). The advantage of the form is that the person filling it out does not need to think about when, how and what information needs to be provided in this case; this saves a lot of time.
The share of correspondence in business life is very large.
Correctly compiled, it meets the following requirements:
- reliability and objectivity of the presentation;
- completeness of information;
- brevity of presentation (a business letter should take no more than a page);
- lack of reasoning and narration;
- neutral tone of presentation, but at the same time goodwill, absence of rudeness and irony, pretentiousness, false politeness;
- the use of means of logical rather than emotional-expressive assessment of the situation and facts.
There are several types of business letters. Thus, letters containing a warning, reminder, invitation, confirmation, refusal, letters of cover, guarantee, information, letters of notification and order do not require an obligatory written response. The answer must be written to a letter with a request, appeal, proposal, request, demand.
Business Writing Ethics
The disrespect of the author of a business letter, even if it is veiled, is always felt by the addressee, which forms a persistent negative attitude towards the letter and its author, despite the seemingly impeccable methods of persuasiveness of the message.
You need to be especially careful when reading a letter containing a refusal. You cannot begin such a letter with a statement of refusal. First, convincing explanations must be given. Use the following formulas: “Your request cannot be granted for the following reasons...”; “Unfortunately, it is not possible to satisfy your request...”; “We deeply regret, but we cannot satisfy your request...”, etc. The place of this formula is in the last paragraph of the letter. In this case, you must remember the rule: “When formulating a refusal, beware of losing a friend or customer.”
Here is a sample plan for a response letter containing a refusal of a request or rejection of an offer:
- repetition of the request - the addressee must be sure that his letter has been carefully read and the essence of his request is accurately understood;
- the reasons why a request cannot be granted or why an offer cannot be accepted are the recipient’s rational and psychological preparation for subsequent refusal;
- a statement of refusal or rejection of a proposal is a refusal formula.
Business letter language
Academician D.S. Likhachev, a brilliant expert on the Russian language, wrote in a memo for his young colleagues “On the good language of scientific work”: “ Good language is not noticed by the reader. The reader should notice only the thought, but not the language in which the thought is expressed.”
Confidence in writing is possible with many years of experience. At first, it is advisable to take practical advice from experts:
- you should choose simple words, but not impoverish the language;
- use verbs more than adjectives: this way the text will be dynamic and at the same time unpompous;
- do not start from afar, do not deviate from the topic, do not describe a lot of details;
- avoid long statements: they are unconvincing, so you should be brief and use a minimum of subordinate clauses;
- the transition from one phrase to another should be logical and natural, “unnoticed”;
- check each written phrase by ear;
- use a minimum of pronouns that make you think about what they refer to, what word they “replaced” (write specifically, and not “about this,” “that,” “she/it/they,” etc.).
A business letter must be literate and stylistically correct.
Formatting a business letter
An official letter is always written on the organization's letterhead.
In the upper left corner of the outgoing letter (i.e. sent from the organization) the outgoing number is indicated, which is recorded in the organization's document log. The date the letter was written must be indicated. In the upper right corner are the name of the organization (in the nominative case), the position of the addressee and his last name. In the lower left corner are the position, surname and signature of the manager, and 2 cm below - the surname of the executor of the letter (without initials) and his telephone number.
Essentially and visually, the content of the letter consists of several blocks: o the formula of the letter - what is the essence of the request; o justification for the request; o Supporting information.
In your response letter, be sure to make a polite reference to his last letter. If this letter opens correspondence with a foreign partner, you need to introduce the organization, describe its goals and objectives in the field of international activities. This part of the letter is extremely brief, because the basic information about the organization should be given in the booklet attached to the letter (a link to which is required in the letter). Such a letter should end with gratitude for cooperation and/or an expression of hope for such in the future. A proven formula is “Sincerely yours (your name).”
Good writing requires large stock words and the ability to connect them, which requires systematic and careful reading of fiction and scientific literature. Without constant feeding with humanitarian knowledge, a full-fledged leader will not emerge. This is the conclusion of the eminent management scholar Lee Iacocca: “Over the years, when my children asked what to study, my constant advice was that they need to get a good education in the humanities... The key is to build a strong foundation of knowledge in the field of literature, to master oral and written speech well.”
come back
Whatever the purpose of business letters, they are written to achieve the desired goal in business. Not every employee of an organization has the proper competence in the field of business correspondence; with an inept approach, there is a risk of completely ruining the company’s reputation with one letter. But if you use the letter writing service from our agency, the recipient will certainly be interested in working with you.
Purpose of business letters
Business letters do not lose their relevance in solving work issues and marketing tasks. Information provided in writing is convenient because you can always return to it or appeal when resolving controversial issues. Written text allows you to formulate thoughts more succinctly and clearly than oral communication. In addition, some recipients can only be contacted by sending a business letter. And the higher the status of this addressee, the more professional the text should be composed. Types of business letters as diverse as the sphere of business relations. Business correspondence can be commercial (a desire to conclude a deal, a claim to a party to a transaction) and non-commercial (a letter of gratitude, information, a letter of guarantee, letters of request, invitations, reminders, etc.) Based on their functionality, they distinguish between initiative letters and response letters, as well as messages that do not require a response.
How to write business letters correctly.
Features of the structure and text of a business letter
Business letters have a clear composition:
The introduction indicates the purpose and reason for the letter, and provides a link to the document that served as the starting point for this message;
The main part describes the state of affairs, provides an analysis of the situation, and argumentation.
The nature of the evidence depends on the direction of the letter: for example, to persuade to come to a conference, to invest in a project, to purchase a product;
In conclusion, a conclusion is drawn based on the above: offer, request, refusal, wish, etc.
Before the text of the letter, a polite address to the addressee is always placed (For example, “Dear Sergei Mikhailovich!”) And also at the beginning or at the end of the text there is a politeness formula drawn up according to the canons of business correspondence. Politeness formulas usually begin like this: “I express my gratitude for the assistance provided... / gratitude for the invitation... / hope for fruitful cooperation...”. When writing this type of letter, business style is observed. Its features: conciseness, clarity, unambiguity, use of terms, neutral tone, standardization.
Difficulties in writing business letters
Be well aware of the addressee and the information that he already has on your question;
Knowledge of the rules of the Russian language and the features of business style: language formulas, rules for composing sentences, etc.;
Correct and appropriate use of terminology;
Correctness in addressing the addressee.
How to write business letters correctly.
Dictionaries and samples of writing business letters can help you cope with this task on your own. But if there is not enough competent employee or time to prepare for writing business letters, a professional agency can provide this service. The specialists of the communication agency Comagency will help you develop a company letterhead, collect the necessary documents for a convincing argument, write a competent and presentable business letter, thereby improving the image of your organization.
How to learn to write business letters
Watch the video below, which easily and simply explains how to learn how to write business letters, and provides clear and understandable recommendations and practices for training:
What do you plan to outsource in 2017?
Service letter is a generalized name for documents of various contents that serve as a means of communication with institutions and individuals, reporting something, notifying about something.
Business letters are drawn up to inform the correspondent, communicate to him information that may be extremely important to him, letters are written in order to obtain the necessary information, in order to establish contact, establish business connections, so that in the future it will be possible to carry out joint activities, make transactions, etc. Business a letter is a means of rapid information exchange in the implementation of joint activities. A letter can be used as confirmation of oral agreements, as a guarantee of undertaken obligations, as a requirement to fulfill the conditions assumed, as a reminder. In addition, in any of these cases, a business letter is always a way of presenting the company. Just as the first impression of a person determines the attitude towards him for a long time, the form of the letter, the envelope, the design of the letter and, finally, the text can produce a favorable or unfavorable effect on the recipient of the letter. So, if you want this impact to be favorable, the business letter must be impeccable in all respects.
A business letter should not be long. In business relationships, every minute is precious, so you need to express your thoughts concisely, simply, and clearly. The letter should contain only information that is directly relevant to the case. The letter must be written logically, clearly, and understandably. In a business letter, you should use complex language, complex concepts, and the business letter should not be dry, it should interest the addressee. At the same time, this does not mean that the letter should be emotional, much less expressive. Even if the situation itself is quite tense, causing serious fears or concerns, emotions should be restrained in the letter, the tone of the letter should be outwardly calm and neutral. Moreover, familiarity is not allowed in a letter. Conversational manner of communication, informal style - not for business writing.
The following requirements apply to business letters:
− a business letter is drawn up on a special form - a letter form (for other types of correspondence, special forms can also be used: telegram forms, fax message forms, telephone message forms);
− the formatting of a business letter must comply with GOST R 6.30-2003 ;"
− a business letter is signed by the head of the organization, or his deputy, or another official in accordance with the distribution of responsibilities between management accepted in the organization;
− the letter must be devoted to one issue; several issues can be considered in a letter only if these issues are interrelated and one decision will be made on them;
− the letter should not be large in volume (most letters - up to one page of text, and only in exceptional cases requiring a detailed description and analysis, a letter may contain more than one page of text);
− a response must be given to an initiative letter (request, inquiry, demand, etc.);
− a business letter must be written correctly, accurately, without corrections;
− a business letter must contain objective information about the events and facts presented, and, if necessary, have explanatory and supplementary materials.
Computer technology is used to prepare and format business letters. The official nature of business correspondence and the ethics of business communication require high-quality production of documents on printing devices, and the following must be observed:
− uniform document design style;
− established dimensions service fields;
− correct location of the addressee, signature, date, registration number and other details;
− equal paragraph indentations if the paragraph begins with a red line;
− clear, clear imprints of signs;
− straight line lines, letters;
− equal spaces between characters, letters and numbers.
The preparation of documents transmitted via telecommunication channels has its own characteristics and involves:
− presence of service headers;
− message volume limitation;
− use of an established limited set of abbreviations;
− registration in accordance with the rules established by communications authorities.
From everything that has been said previously, it follows that composing the text and designing the letter requires a creative attitude. Each specialist must not only be competent in his field of activity, but also be literate, master the skill of formulating thoughts and formalizing them within the framework of the requirements of current regulatory documents. Theoretical principles, no matter how fully they are presented, require for their assimilation and practical application to be shown models, samples and examples of their specific implementation.
Correspondence skills, as a rule, are developed with experience, so the letter writer needs to carefully study the previous correspondence of the organization, use letters previously compiled by specialists as samples, study the rules of correspondence, analyze the features of composing texts of letters on the subject of the organization, taking into account its goals, objectives, specifics activities. An important role is played by a person’s general culture, his knowledge, skills, and outlook, so it is very important to constantly work on oneself, improve the general culture, including the culture of business communication and the culture of speech.
Preparing a letter includes the following stages:
Studying the essence of the issue;
Collection of necessary information, including from previous correspondence;
Preparing a draft letter;
Project approval (if necessary);
Signature by the manager.
Draft letters are prepared by executors on behalf of the head of the enterprise.
Business letters are drawn up on letterheads in accordance with GOST R 6.30-2003, as a rule, with angular placement of permanent details (“stamp”). Forms with a longitudinal arrangement of permanent details for letters are used less frequently, mainly by authorities and higher organizations. A4 and A5 formats are used. A5 format is used if the letter does not exceed 7-8 lines.
The first page of the letter is printed on letterhead, the rest - on blank sheets of A4 paper.
The letter must be prepared in at least two copies.
The first copy is drawn up on letterhead and sent to the addressee, the second (it is called a copy) is printed on a blank sheet of paper and filed as evidence of the work performed.
When preparing business letters, the following details are used:
− National emblem Russian Federation;
− coat of arms of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation;
− organization emblem or trademark (service mark);
− organization code;
− main state registration number (OGRN) of a legal entity;
− taxpayer identification number / reason code for registration (TIN/KPP);
− document form code;
− name of the organization;
− reference information about the organization;
− document date;
− registration number of the document;
− addressee;
− resolution;
− title to the text;
− control mark;
− text of the document;
− mark about the presence of the application;
− signature;
− visa document approval;
− seal impression;
− note about the performer;
− a note on the execution of the document and sending it to the file;
− a note on receipt of the document by the organization;
− identifier of the electronic copy of the document.
The listed details can be divided into three groups:
− details of the letter form: State Emblem of the Russian Federation; coat of arms of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation; organization emblem or trademark (service mark); organization code; main state registration number (OGRN) of the legal entity; taxpayer identification number/reason code for registration (TIN/KPP); document form code; name of company; reference information about the organization;
− details used when composing a business letter: reference to the registration number and date of the document; destination; title to the text; text; mark about the presence of the application; signature; visa document approval; seal; mark about the performer;
− details used when working with business letters and necessary for organizing document flow, executing letters, systematizing letters and organizing their storage: document date; document registration number; resolution; title to the text; control mark; a note on the execution of the document and sending it to the file; a note on receipt of the document by the organization; ID of the electronic copy of the document.
The text of the letter most often consists of an introductory part and a main part. The introductory part indicates the reasons for drawing up the letter, accompanied by references to facts, dates, and documents. The main part of the letter states its main purpose (offer, refusal, request, guarantee, etc.).
The text of the letter is written in the first person plural: “we ask..., we direct...”, or the third person singular – “the enterprise considers..., the organization has considered...”.
If the letter is written on the official letterhead of the head of the organization, then the text, as a rule, is written in the first person singular: “I offer..., I ask...”.
The text of the letter may begin with an appeal.
This small part of the text is extremely significant for communication purposes. A correctly chosen message not only attracts the addressee’s attention, but also sets the right tone for the correspondence and helps establish and maintain business relationships. The importance of the appeal is determined by the author of the letter; the appeal allows you to secure a listener. Special attention deserves a punctuation mark following the address. A comma after an address gives the letter a casual character, while an exclamation mark emphasizes significance and official character. The appeal is printed in a centered manner.
Dear Mikhail Petrovich!
Mrs. Petrova!
Dear Mr. Smirnov!
Mr. President!
Dear Colleagues!
The letter is usually composed according to the following scheme: introduction, main part, conclusion.
“In accordance with the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated June 27, 2003 No. 620 “On approval of the Model Regulations...”.
The main part contains a description of the event, the current situation, their analysis and the evidence provided.
The conclusion of the letter represents conclusions in the form of requests, proposals, opinions, refusals, reminders.
Letters should only use officially accepted abbreviations, designations and terms. The names of institutions, organizations and positions, titles, units of measurement, geographical names and others must exactly correspond to the official names.
The final part of the text may end with an expectation for the fulfillment of a request, as well as with a politeness formula:
The letter may contain only one final part.
A note about the presence of attachments is printed two intervals below the text of the letter from the left border of the text field if the letter includes an attachment to it.
The signature is separated from the text by three line spacing.
Approval visas are issued on a copy of the letter remaining on file. Visas are placed at the bottom of the letter.
The executor's note is printed on the front or back of the last sheet of the document on the left side of the document.
The date of the letter is the date of its signing.
Letters are signed by officials in accordance with the distribution of responsibilities and the assignment of their right to sign documents in the regulations on structural units and job descriptions.
Before the “signature” attribute, there may also be a politeness formula, which is printed from the paragraph and separated from the position by a comma, for example:
The politeness formula might look like this:
Yours sincerely, …
Best wishes, …
With sincere gratitude,...
Sincerely, …
The seal certifies the authenticity of the signature of an official on documents certifying the rights of persons, recording facts related to financial, material resources, etc. The seal certifies letters containing obligations (letters of guarantee), confirming facts, events, letters of financial content.
The seal imprint on a document may capture part of the job title, but not the signature of the official. The imprint of the seal affixed must be clearly readable.
The layout of a business letter is shown in Fig. 7.
If the text of the letter consists of two or more paragraphs, then the letter begins with the 5th character (from the margin line). Text without paragraphs can be printed directly from the left margin.
The text of the letter should include three structural elements: an introductory part outlining the reason for writing the letter; evidentiary part; the final part, which sets out the request, consent, refusal, etc.
The reverse order of structuring the letter is possible: the final part is given before the evidentiary part. This procedure is typical for letters from higher organizations.
Appendix: on ... sheet, in ... copy.
Job title
head (signature) AND ABOUT.
Job title
(signature) I. O. Last name
00.00.0000
Performer (I.O. Surname)
Telephone (000 00 00)
ID of the electronic copy of the document
Fig.7. Business letter layout
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Writing plan
1. In the first introductory phrase, inform about the purpose of your letter introducing your company, product, services.
I am writing to you to introduce our company.
I am writing to you to introduce our company.
I am very pleased to introduce our company.
I am pleased to introduce our company.
Further to our telephone conversation I am very pleased to write you more about our company and its products.
Continuing our telephone conversation, I am very pleased to tell you more about our company and the products it produces.
With reference to our telephone conversation of May 19 regarding the educational software, I am very pleased to inform you.
According to our telephone conversation on May 19, regarding the training programs, I am very pleased to inform you.
I am writing to you in connection with…
I am writing to you about...
With reference to our telephone conversation this morning I am writing you to confirm…
According to our telephone conversation this morning, I am writing to you to confirm...
I am writing to you regarding…
I am writing to you regarding...
You may remember we met and exchanged addresses at the CeBIT’2004 in Hannover.
You may remember that we met at CeBIT’2004 in Hannover and exchanged addresses.
We are a company which imports tools for the industrial and do-it-yourself markets.
Our company imports tools for industry and DIY consumers market.
2. List the main advantages, innovations, advantages of the proposed product and services.
This is a new reviewed edition including more than 20 new pictures.
This is a new, revised edition that includes more than 20 new pictures.
3. Determine the market segment in which you propose to introduce your product. Identify potential customers.
Our customers are small entrepreneurs.
Our consumers are small business entrepreneurs.
We are working for teenagers.
We work for teenagers. We produce products for teenagers.
We suppose that our products will be of interest for young families and people with rather low income level.
We believe that our products will be of interest to young families and people with fairly low incomes.
4. Make a specific proposal for cooperation: wholesale or retail, licensing agreement, creation of a distribution network, etc.
We are particularly interested in long term working relations.
We are particularly interested in long-term working relationships.
We are looking for German companies to create a chain of retailers.
We are looking for German companies to create a retail network.
In fact we are interested in license agreements only.
In reality, we are only interested in licensing agreements.
5. If you are enclosing product samples, you must explain which products are in the series offered.
I am enclosing 5 copies of the software mentioned above.
I am attaching 5 sample programs mentioned above.
Please find enclosed 3 units of the “Smart Styler” for evaluation.
3 samples of the Smart Styler product are included for testing and evaluation.
6. Express your willingness to answer all questions that may arise during the product evaluation process.
If there is any further information you require, please contact us.
Please let us know if you require further information.
We will be pleased to supply any further information you require.
We will be happy to provide you with any information you require.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you need any further information.
Please let us know if you require further information.
7. End the letter with a standard phrase, expressing hope for cooperation.
Hope to hear from you soon.
We look forward to hearing from you.
We hope to hear from you soon.
We look forward to doing business with you.
We look forward to working together.
We would be grateful for an early reply.
We would be glad to receive your prompt response.
Hope for future cooperation.
We look forward to working together. Looking forward to working together.
8. Your signature, name and position
Golden Rule:
You need to list all the achievements, advantages of your company, product, service, and your personal ones honestly, without undue exaggeration. Any information can be easily verified.
Golden Rule:
A formal business letter should be written as a personal letter, addressed to him alone, the recipient. No cold, formal phrases!
The entire world business is built on personal relationships, and they must be built!
Golden Rule:
The letter should be both informative and concise and take no more than one page. Remember, no one will read more than one page. The letter should end with a direct statement of what you expect from this company. It is this final phrase that will be remembered most.
Golden Rule:
When writing any letters, you should always be guided by the formula:
KISS = Keep It Short and Simple
Example 1. Representations of a company that develops educational computer programs.
I am very pleased to introduce you to our company and its software products for possible cooperation with your company.
Our interactive software products “Open” versions contain the latest achievements of the modern technologies and make the educational process very attractive and effective. This “Open” version is a unique combination of possibilities to listen and read texts, make computer experiments and solve a set of problems. I would like to point out that there are no such quality educational software products on the German market at the moment.
“Open” version is highly recommended for high school and college students as well as for self education.
This “Open” version includes at the moment:
"Open Physics" (2 parts, 2 CD-ROMs), German/ English/Russian/French, and
“Open Math” (6 parts, 6 CD-ROMs) German/ English/Russian/French.
The software mentioned above was developed by joined venture Open Learn Inc. (USA) – MATHEMATIC Ltd. (Russia) and widely used in USA, Russia and Europe.
Since our business is expanding in German speaking part of Europe, we are interested in long term contacts with German software retailers and consider Media Surep-Market to be one of the best.
Therefore, please, find the “Open” set enclosed for your review and evaluation.
I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely yours,
Example 2.
Would “Seans Printers” be interested in marketing the exciting new ink-cartridges from “Russian Rainbow ink”?
I have developed and own all the rights to perfect ink-cartridges for “Seans Printers” which I feel could be selling exceptionally well in a printers industry such as yours.
The new ink-cartridge offers a variety of benefits to its users.
The colors of ink are perfectly fresh and bright.
The cartridge itself is the same size as the item you are using now, but contains two times more different colors.
The quality of printing is higher in comparison with the current models you used.
I honestly believe that this product would fit very well with the realistic pricing and strong distribution channels that seem to be the hallmark of “Seans Printers”.
This letter is not a broadside attempt to attract anyone and everyone who would be interested in new ink-cartridge.
It is being sent solely to “Seans Printers”, and I would truly appreciate you getting back to me as soon as possible so we could discuss the prospects of this issue further.
Please consider the new ink-cartridge and let me know your thoughts!
Example 3.
A proposal to produce and sell in Russia a product owned by a foreign company.
I would like to explore the possibility of doing some business with your company.
I recently visited Boston and needed some toy as a present for my own personal use. I bought the “Selfeducable Box” developed by your company and it did exactly what I needed.
The thought struck me that if packaged correctly and properly marked, this product could prove to be a very effective promotional tool, at least for education.
I propose to produce and package your product, along with complementary products, and sell it in Russia initially to our clients in the book stores and libraries field. We believe that this more direct approach to selling you product would help establish some significant long term relationships.
I would like to know what could be worked out in the way of a royalty/licensing agreement for us to use the “Selfeducable Box”. As an alternative means to sell your product, this could prove to be an excellent way to “Magic Tools” and “Selfeducable Box” to the Russian market that is, at the current moment, untapped.
I would appreciate your thoughts.
Sincerely yours,
Example 4.
An offer to find a publisher abroad for a book by a Russian author.
As a follow up to our discussion yesterday, I am enclosing a copy of our “Emergent Markets” book which was published by Moscow Business Press. It has been received very well by the press.
By the spring of 1999, the book will have been published in four languages: Russian, Chinese, Danish and Slovenian. As I mentioned to you, I would very much like to also see an American edition. I believe the issue of Emergent Markets will be very timely in USA. Could you help me to find a good publisher? I would be most grateful.
As such cooperation evolves; I would also like to look into the possibility of talking to some of your colleagues in the Bergamon Press in the same subject.
Do you think there would be an interest?
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
With kind regards,
Yours sincerely,
Example 5.
Offer to receive correspondence business education.
Dear Mrs Vancouver
Thank you for your interest in the World Open University Business School.
The Business School provides management development designed for people in full-time employment. In choosing this type of program you will be able to focus on your own organization and situation as a basis for practical assignment, while gaining insight into other organizations and industries from case studies and from interaction with your local study group.
The World Open University is the world’s leading university in “Supported Open Learning”. It has more experience and expertise than any other university in providing effective, high quality education for adults in full-time employment.
Our programs are relevant to your work and career, and guarantee flexibility, where you learn at a pace which fits in with your other commitments.
The World Open University is a recognized British state-university, and the Business School’s MBA is acceredited by AMBA, which accredits only the top 30% of all Europeam MBA programs.
Before deciding on your next step, take advantage of our local advisory service! We offer regular information evenings in Moscow and St.Petersburg or the choice of a personal appointment at a time convenient to you.
Example 6. Response to a newspaper advertisement about an offer to represent a Russian company in the USA.
Re: Your Advertisement in the Business Weekly
I learned from the Business Weekly that you are interested in representing Russian companies in the United States.
Our company is not yet represented in the USA. Last year we commissioned a market research institute to investigate the market there for sales of our products. The results of the study were very encouraging, and we are therefore now looking for a representative in this region.
The Business Weekly wrote very highly about your achievements as a new start–up company, so I think that we could cooperate successfully.
Therefore could you please let me have some references and a list of the companies which you represent?
Please mail or fax me the references, together with the name and telephone number of a contact with whom I can discuss the project in detail.
With hope for future cooperation.
Sincerely yours,
Exercise 1. Offer to represent a foreign company in Russia.
Below is the text of a letter offering representation services by a Russian company for a certain foreign company. The text of the letter is divided in any way. Using the above plan for composing such letters, create a letter formula for a real letter. Check the result by clicking the “Check” button.
Dear Mr Heathrow
d. If you are interested in being represented in Russia, I am confident that you would be satisfied with our services.
b. Our company “Soft-System” has been working in the software industry for more than 10 years, and we are very interested in representing you and selling your system software in Russia. Please let us know if you are interested in distributing your software in Russia.
a. We received your address from the Moscow branch of the American Chamber of Commerce.
e. We enclose a brochure and further details of our organization for your information.
f. I look forward to hearing from you soon,
c. We currently represent two American and one French company of great renown here in Russia. I would like to point out that we enjoy above average sales results. We employ a well-trained and efficient sales staff, and also have adequate facilities and means of transportation.
Sincerely yours,
Correct answer: a, b, c, d, e, f.
Below is the restored text of the letter.
Example 7. Offer to represent a foreign company in Russia.
Dear Mr Heathrow
We received your address from the Moscow branch of the American Chamber of Commerce.
Our company “Soft-System” has been working in the software industry for more than 10 years, and we are very interested in representing you and selling your system software in Russia. Please let us know if you are interested in distributing your software in Russia.
We currently represent two American and one French company of great renown here in Russia. I would like to point out that we enjoy above average sales results. We employ a well-trained and efficient sales staff, and also have adequate facilities and means of transportation.
If you are interested in being represented in Russia, I am confident that you would be satisfied with our services.
Promises: – urgent, spectrum (of services)–wide, discounts–significant / insignificant, proposal–constructive, disagreement–significant / insignificant, profitability–high / low, calculations–preliminary or final and so on.
Thank you letter to supplier
Letter #1:
Dear Ivan Ivanovich,
expresses his gratitude LLC "Delopis.ru" for mutually beneficial and fruitful cooperation for several years.
Your company is a company that is really interesting to work with, because "Delopis.ru" A very dynamically developing company that every year releases new products of excellent quality to the market. I would like to separately note that, just six months after entering the market, it was able to win its regular customer.
We are looking forward to the release.
We hope that in the coming September 2013 year exhibition LLC "Delopis.ru" will once again delight us with its new products.
"Delopis.ru"– this is a team of professionals with whom you can deal!
Sincerely,
Petr Petrov
Letter #2:
Dear Ivan Ivanovich,
Company "Delopis.ru" is a repeated winner of competitions for the purchase of products and services for government needs, and has established itself as a reliable supplier partner.
For the entire period of cooperation, starting from 2005 year, deliveries were carried out on time and in full.
During the work process, the company's employees showed a high level of professionalism and communication skills.
We express our gratitude for many years of joint work and look forward to further fruitful cooperation.
Sincerely,
Petr Petrov
Letter #3:
Dear Ivan Ivanovich,
With this letter we express our gratitude to the company "Delopis.ru" for timely compliance with delivery deadlines, installation work by a team of professional installers with extensive experience and high professionalism in their field. I would especially like to note the high quality of the products, which have proven themselves to be the best throughout the entire period of operation.
Sincerely,
Petr Petrov
Letter #4:
Dear Ivan Ivanovich,
The company expresses its gratitude and appreciation to you for the high-quality and timely delivery of equipment, and for your attentive approach to the task.
We would also like to express our personal gratitude to the head of the department Alexey Alexandrovich Semchenko for professionalism, patience and ability to resolve issues as quickly as possible.
Sincerely,
Petr Petrov
Letter #5:
Dear Ivan Ivanovich,
thanks LLC "Delopis.ru" for timely delivery of products to city repair facilities Tver.
has established itself as a reliable supplier that ships equipment in full and on time. The supplied products are of consistently high quality and have passed all necessary tests and certifications.
In addition, it provides information support to our company, providing professional consultations on the entire range of electrical equipment.
Thank you for your cooperation and quick response to the stated volumes. We are ready to continue working on joint projects.
Sincerely,
Petr Petrov
Letter #6:
Dear Ivan Ivanovich,
I thank the company team "Delopis.ru" and you personally for successful and fruitful cooperation with us in the city’s construction market Moscow.
During the period of our collaboration, the company "Delopis.ru" has established itself as a reliable supplier of quality products, capable of performing complex tasks at a high professional level.
I sincerely wish you and your company prosperity and further success in implementing new projects.
Sincerely,
Petr Petrov