Jame et al (2006, p. 86) identify some forms of business
correspondence.
i)
Information Letters
This type of letter enquires about information, collects
or supplies it. Such letters include:
1. Enquiries
2. Circulars
3. Memoranda
4. Orders
5. Quotations
6. Complaints
Sales Letters
A company, through sales letters,
announces or advertises the goods and services it offers.
By this, the letter projects the
image of the products or people in the organization. Sales letters include
those of:
1. Applications
2. Promotion of goods and services
ii)
Problem Letters
Challenges and problems have
always been part of business organizations, agencies, and other corporate
bodies. Orders and consignments may be delayed and or not sent, payments may be
delayed, goods may be damaged in transit, services may be unsatisfactory, “in
most of these cases, equanimity is lost, tempers flare, mistakes are made and
letters have to be written to redress the situation.
Problem letters include:
1. Adjustments
2. Collection of bills
3. Complaints
4. Queries
Note: Whatever the level of grievance
in a letter of complaint, avoid rudeness or sarcasm. It is believed that a good
firm will put the matter right if the facts are laid before it fairly. Rudeness
only makes the receiver defensive and incoperative.
iii)
Goodwill Letters
Business and industry thrive on
sustenance of goodwill and maintenance of mutual understanding between those
businesses and their various publics. Goodwill letters achieve this purpose:
they are used to create, build and maintain a favourable opinion of people who
do business with the organization.
Examples of such letters:
1. Appreciation/thank-you letters
2. Congratulatory letters
3. Consolation/condolence letters
4. Invitation letters
The Reasons for
Writing Business Letters
According to Bel-Molokwu:
i) It provides the most convenient and economic means of communication
ii) It is the most reliable means of seeking and receiving information about
an organization and its businesses
iii)
It serves as evidence of a transaction between an
organization and those (people or organization) it does business with.
iv) It makes for easy future referencing
v) It helps to create and sustain goodwill for the organization
In writing a formal
letter, the following points according to Peter Little must be noted.
i. Sustainability of register to subject matter and circumstances,
ii. Friendliness and warmth of tone
iii. Selection of material and choice of wording to suit the recipient or
receivers (his probable vocabulary level knowledge of the subject and its
technical jargon, the type of person he seems to be et cetera.
iv. Psychological factors (tact, courtesy, special care when conveying
unwelcome information – which is liable to be misunderstood simply because the
recipient wants to read it in a sense of different form that which you intend)
v. Freshness of language (freedom for clichés and commercial jargon.
The business letter should be expressed in clear and exact
English and should contain no errors of syntax, spelling or punctuation.
The Form of a
Business Letter
A business letter consists of the following
1. Letter heading
2. Name and address of addressee recipient (Rx)
3. Date of correspondence
4. Salutation
5. Title
6. Introductory paragraph
7. Body of the letter
8. Closing paragraph
9. Subscription and Signature