BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE Based on A. Littlejohn: Company to Company, Fourth Edition, Cambridge University Press, 2005

LETTER LAYOUT (extra sheet: Letter of Application, T.Trappe: New Insights intoBusiness) CHECKLIST • Sender's address (letterhead?) • Recipient's (addressee’s) name and address • Date • Salutation: e.g.Dear ... • Subject line (heading) • Opening: e.g.I am writing to ..., Thank you for your letter of 13 November... • Main part (Body of the letter/e-mail) • Close: e.g.I look forward to ... • Ending: e.g.Yours sincerely / Yours faithfully, ... • Signature • Name in printed letters:John Smith • Job title (position): IT Department Manager

Date? 06/12/2012

DATE*CC: ex. 4.3 (p.39) • CRO 06. 12. 2012., 6. prosinca, 2012. • UK 6 December 2012 • US June 12, 2012 • Say: the sixth of December two thousand and twelve /twenty-twelve» «December the sixth two thousand and twelve/twenty-twelveeleven» • Prepositions: With reference to your letter ......... 6 December 2012; The order was received… a) ...........6 Dec 2012; b)........ December; c)....... 2012; d) ….... .the first week of December;

DATE - prepositions Prepositions: With reference to your letter of 6 December 2012; The order was received… ... on 6 Dec 2012; ...in December; …in 2012; …in the first week of December; Ex: C to C p.39 (4.3)

SALUTATION: Dear...? • to a company • to a man if you do not know his name • to a woman if you do not know her name • to a married or unmarried man • to a married or unmarried woman • to a married woman • to an unmarried woman • to a friend or someone you know well

Dear Sir or Madam Dear Sir Dear Madam Dear Mr Smith Dear Ms Smith Dear Mrs Smith Dear Miss Smith Dear John US: Dear Ms Smith: UK: Dear Ms Smith to a company to a man if you do not know his name to a woman if you do not know her name to a married or unmarried man to a married or unmarried woman to a married woman to an unmarried woman to a friend or someone you know well NO! Dear Mr John Salutation

Salutation and closing • Dear Sir or Madam /Yours faithfully • Dear Ms Jackson /Yours sincerely • Dear Mark/Best wishes(Best regards) • Dear Ms Gonzalez, Dear David, Dear Mrs Wilson, Dear Sir or Madam *CC: ex. 1.3 (p.9)

SUBJECT HEADING CC: ex.1.4, p.9-10, ex.3.2, p.28 • key word(s) • e-mail vs. traditional letters Dear Mr Kane Dear Mr Kane Order ref.no.2345Re: Late Delivery I am writing to enquire about ... I am writing to complain about ...

E-MAIL CC:ex. a-c, p.22-23 • expressions: cc, bcc, attach, forward,... • attachments: Please find attached the report. (I attach the report.) • Open and close your e-mails • Do not write in capital letters • Do not send the original message back to the sender (sometimes ok?) • Use paragraphs - easy to read! (RB:p.71) • Formal contacts – formal style!

STYLE CC: ex.1.5,1.6, 1.7, (p.10-11) LANGUAGE • polite, clear, accurate, concise (formal but natural) • avoid contracted forms (I’m → I am) BLOCK STYLE • beginning/ending – punctuation? • no indentation • paragraphing and line spacing (RB:p.70)

PARAGRAPHING EX. Source: Courtesy of Stephen Hindlaugh) • I am writing to complain about a management motivation training course organised by your company that I attended on March 30th of this year. The main reason that I was not satisfied with the course is that the presenter was totally unprofessional. In the first place, he was fifteen minutes late and didn’t even apologise. Secondly, he was obviously unprepared and was unable to organise his graphics. On top of everything, he finished half an hour early and didn’t take any questions. I had spent a significant amount of money on this course and expected to gain some useful insight and tips on motivating my team. The only thing that I learned was how not to give a presentation. As a minimum, I expect a refund from your company to compensate me for the money and time I have wasted. If this is not forthcoming, I will take the matter up with the Professional Management Seminars Organisation.Source: courtesy of Mr Stephen Hindlaugh

PARAGRAPHING EX. (CC: ex.a-b, p.32.33) • I am writing to complain about a management motivation training course organised by your company that I attended on March 30th of this year. • The main reason that I was not satisfied with the course is that the presenter was totally unprofessional. In the first place, he was fifteen minutes late and didnot even apologise. Secondly, he was obviously unprepared and was unable to organise his graphics. On top of everything, he finished half an hour early and didnot take any questions. • I had spent a significant amount of money on this course and expected to gain some useful insight and tips on motivating my team. The only thing that I learned was how not to give a presentation. • As a minimum, I expect a refund from your company to compensate me for the money and time I have wasted. If this is not forthcoming, I will take the matter up with the Professional Management Seminars Organisation. • Source: Courtesy of Mr Stephen Hindlaugh

PARTS OF A LETTER • beginning (opening) • main message (paragraphing!) • ending (close)

Beginning CC: ex.2.5, p.20 • We are writing ... connection ... • We are writing to enquire ... • Thank you for your letter .... February 20 concerning (…) • Further ... our telephone discussion (…), we would like to inform you (...) • With reference ...your enquiry …

Beginning CC: ex.2.5, p.20 • We are writing in connection with... • We are writing to enquire about ... • Thank you for your letter of February 20 concerning … • Further to our telephone discussion …, we would like to inform you that ... • With reference toyour enquiry about…

Ending CC:ex. 2.7, p.21 • I look forward to ... your reply. • I look forward to ... from you soon. • We look forward to ... you soon. • Please feel ... to ... us if necessary. • Please do not ... to contact me if you have any .... + CLOSE (Yours ..., Best ...)

Ending CC:ex. 2.7, p.21 • I look forward to receiving your reply. • I look forward to hearing fom you soon. • We look forward to seeing you soon. • Please feel free to contact us if necessary. • Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. + CLOSE ( Yours sincerely/faithfully, Best regards/wishes, ...)

Dear Mr Hugo ................................................................................. We sell three different kinds of water heaters. The prices are €1,600 (150 litres), €1,750 (200 litres) and €1,900 (250 litres). I enclose some brochures. ................................................................................ ................................ Jan Van Oss Sales Department

Dear Mr Hugo Thank you for your enquiry of April 15 asking about the prices of our water heaters. We sell three different kinds of water heaters. The prices €1,600 (150 litres), €1,750 (200 litres) and 1,900 (250 litres). I enclose some brochures. Please feel free to contact me if you need any further information. Yours sincerely Jan Van Oss Sales Department

TYPES OF LETTERS • job application sample letters: MK, RB • enquiries sample letter: RB • replies to enquiries sample letter: RB • good/bad news • requesting action • complaints sample letter: RB (slides) • apology sample letter: RB • orders ...

Good news We are HAPPY to inform you that... PLEASED DELIGHTED • ... you have been shortlisted for interview for the position of ... • ...we ARE ABLE TO deliver ...

Bad news +reason We areSORRY to inform you that .. We REGRET to inform you that ... ... we ARE UNABLE TO deliver ... ... we HAVE BEEN FORCED TO increase our prices. This is DUE TO unforeseen circumstances. OWING TO ... AS A RESULT OF ... BECAUSE OF ...

Bad news • We ... to inform you that we ... to cancel the meeting scheduled for 27 May. This is .... to staff illness.

Bad news • We regret to inform you that we have been forced to cancel the meeting scheduled for 27 May. This is due to staff illness.

Referring (beginning) + good news (CC:p.29) • .............. your application for a post as secretary, ........that we would like you to start work as soon as possible. • .............our telephone conversation last week, .................that your car is now ready for you to collect.

Good news (CC:p.29) • With reference to your application for a post as secretary, we are happy to inform you that we would like you to start work as soon as possible. • With regard to our telephone conversation last week, we are pleased to inform you that your car is now ready for you to collect.

Good/bad news + reason (cause-effect) -We regret/are sorry/pleased/delighted to, -that we have been forced to..., we are unable to..., we are able to/intend to..., -This is due to (the fact that)... • delay the delivery of the goods – strike by airline pilots • cut all salaries by 10% - fall in sales • increase all salaries by 10% - rise in sales

Good news/bad news and giving reasons (cause-effect) • With regard to your order of March 25, we regret to informyou that we are unable to deliver the goods on time. This is due to a strike by airline pilots. • We are sorry to inform you that we have been forced to cut all salaries by 10%. This is as a result of a fall in sales of 12% in the last quarter. • We regret to inform you that tomorrow’s meeting has been cancelled. This is due to the fact that a lot of staff have been ill • We are delighted to inform you that we have decided to increase all salaries by 10%. This is due to a rise in our sales last year.

Requesting action • PLEASE COULD YOU... • We WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF you could ... • We WOULD APPRECIATE ITIF you could ... Ex. You have moved your office and you want the post office to forward your letters to your new address.

Requesting action CC: 5.2., p.50 • Please / arrange / for ten o’clock / could / an appointment / you • we / send / asap / would / if you / the goods / be grateful / could • appreciate / arrange / would / for ten o’clock / could /it / an appointment / if/ you /We

Letters of complaint • complain (v.) - complaint (n.) He complained. He made a complaint. • mild complaint vs. strong complaint

MILD OR STRONG? • I am writing to complain about a management motivation training course organised by your company that I attended on March 30th of this year. • The main reason that I was not satisfied with the course is that the presenter was totally unprofessional. In the first place, he was fifteen minutes late and didnot even apologise. Secondly, he was obviously unprepared and was unable to organise his graphics. On top of everything, he finished half an hour early and didnot take any questions. • I had spent a significant amount of money on this course and expected to gain some useful insight and tips on motivating my team. The only thing that I learned was how not to give a presentation. • As a minimum, I expect a refund from your company to compensate me for the money and time I have wasted. If this is not forthcoming, I will take the matter up with the Professional Management Seminars Organisation. • Source: Courtesy of Mr Stephen Hindlaugh

STRONG COMPLAINT • 1.PROBLEM • I am writing to complain about a management motivation training course organised by your company that I attended on March 30th of this year. • 2.GIVE REASONS FOR THE COMPLAINT • The main reason that I was not satisfied with the course is that the presenter was totally unprofessional. In the first place, he was fifteen minutes late and didnot even apologise. Secondly, he was obviously unprepared and was unable to organise his graphics. On top of everything, he finished half an hour early and didnot take any questions. • 3.MAKE A POINT (SUPPORT THE COMPLAINT) • I had spent a significant amount of money on this course and expected to gain some useful insight and tips on motivating my team. The only thing that I learned was how not to give a presentation. • 4.REQUEST IMMEDIATE ACTION • As a minimum, I expect a refund from your company to compensate me for the money and time I have wasted. If this is not forthcoming, I will take the matter up with the Professional Management Seminars Organisation. (MAKE A THREAT?) • Source: Courtesy of Mr Stephen Hindlaugh

Mild complaints Complaint (pg.1) • UNFORTUNATELY, the invoice you sent us is higher than we agreed. • I AM AFRAID that the invoice you sent me… • ItSEEMS to me that… • ItAPPEARS that …

Complaints Reminder / making a point (pg.2) • I should like to remind you that… • I would like to draw your attention to (the fact that)… • I would like to point out that … Requesting action (pg.3) • We would be grateful if you correct the invoiced amount so as to keep to our agreement.

Complaints • RB:77: mild or strong complaints? Differences? • Letter correction, RB:p.85 Check the following: a)grammar/spelling, b)style, c)layout d)phrases

APOLOGISING • apologise (v.) • apology (n.sg.), apologies (n.pl.) • We APOLOGISE FOR losing your order. • We are EXTREMELY SORRY FOR losing your order. (We are extremely sorry that we have lost your order.)

Apologies (ending) • With apologies once again. • Please accept our apologies once again. • We hope that this has not caused you any inconvenience.

BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE