home Endocrinology Formal letter addressed to the director template. Rules for writing a business letter

Formal letter addressed to the director template. Rules for writing a business letter

GOST 7.0.8-2013 “System of standards for information, library and publishing. Record keeping and archiving. Terms and Definitions” consolidated the basic meanings of the concepts that we will use further:

destination- details containing information about the recipient of the document;
document details– element of document design.

Additionally, you need to pay attention to the new term attribute, which is actively used when working with electronic scientific and technical documentation and is considered as mandatory component of the props document. The rules for the design of the “addressee” requisite, established by GOST R 6.30-2003, provide for various options for its design - the main attributes of the “addressee” requisite are formalized or not formalized in different ways.

And finally, the term destination must be distinguished from the outdated concept addressee, which is nevertheless mentioned in the appendix to the Rules for office work in federal executive authorities (approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of June 15, 2009 No. 477) in the meaning author, i.e. sender of the document(and above all letters).

Since correspondence usually takes up more than 80% of the document flow of organizations, we will consider the rules for registering the “addressee” details using the example of official official letters, which are drawn up in paper form and sent to the recipient mainly by mail.

In the process of conducting correspondence, managers, employees and the organization's records management service should take into account the following factors:

Organization letter form

To conduct correspondence, almost every organization develops and approves its own letter form. The composition of its details and examples of design can be found:

in GOST R 6.30-2003 “Unified documentation systems. Unified system of organizational and administrative documentation. Requirements for the preparation of documents" (Figures B.2 - B.4) and
Methodological recommendations for the development of instructions for office work in federal executive authorities, approved. by order of Rosarkhiv dated December 23, 2009 No. 76 (clause 3.3.1 with appendices).
Organizations pay great attention to the development of a letter form and even include it in a “corporate” style book, which is absolutely fair, because he is the “face” of a legal entity, forms the image of the author of the letter and the impression of him. But it’s not just about the quality of the paper and the colors of paint used to make the form. The form indicates the full and abbreviated name of the organization, organizational and legal form and subordination. The most important thing is to ensure that the information about the author that is indicated on it is correctly formatted, listing all the ways to contact the author. This conveys to the external environment signs of stability, readiness for contacts, openness and “goodwill” of the organization.

The location of the details in the form can be:

longitudinal(as in Example 1) or
corner:
- centered(as in Example 2) or
- flag(attributes are located in the same side zone, but the text of each line starts from the left margin border).

The longitudinal and corner forms have a different location for the “addressee” attribute; it is indicated by an orange fill (compare Examples 1 and 2).

Attributes of the “addressee” attribute

Moreover, the answer to the question “Where?”, i.e. registration of the “mailing address” attribute is considered optional by GOST. If it fits in, then its elements are written in the sequence provided for by the Rules for the provision of postal services (this is established by the Methodological Recommendations for the development of instructions for office work in federal executive authorities, Appendix No. 11). Indicating the postal address on the letter itself becomes convenient when using an envelope with a window, in which all the data about the addressee will be visible (to whom and where the letter needs to be delivered), then this information does not have to be duplicated on the envelope manually or by sticking a “label”. With large volumes of correspondence, this approach significantly saves time and money.

If the letter is addressed state body, local government body, supreme authority, higher organization, then the “mailing address” attribute is still not issued (it is indicated only on the envelope). See Examples 3 and 4.

If the letter is sent to the first the head of this “superior organization”, then the name of the organization is included in the position, see Examples 5 and 6. Both the position and full name are written in the dative case.

Example 1

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Example 2

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Example 3

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Example 4

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Example 5

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Example 6

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If the letter addressed to a third party peer or downline organization, then the “addressee” of the letter can include a postal address, which is best separated from the name of the organization by 1.5–2 line spacing and begins with a small letter as prescribed by GOST R 6.30-2003 (for example, “street” or “pr. "):

Example 7

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If the letter is addressed to the manager organization, then the position includes the full name of the organization indicating the organizational and legal form:

Example 8

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If the letter is addressed to the head of an organization with which communication is not being carried out for the first time, then it is better not to indicate the postal address.

If the letter is addressed deputy manager or other official (and not the first manager), then options are allowed (with or without adding a postal address), and you should pay attention to cases and line spacing. Addressing to an official is always made in the dative case; if the name of the organization is separated from its position, then it is written in the nominative case:

Example 9

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Example 10

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If the letter is addressed structural unit of the organization, then in the “addressee” attribute, first indicate the name of the organization (established abbreviations are allowed), and only then - this structural unit in the nominative case.

It is advisable to do line spacing in Examples 7, 10 and 11 to separate the attributes of the “addressee” attribute to speed up the perception and isolation of information by the recipient, but this is not a strict requirement.

Example 11

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Example 12

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If the letter is addressed to the head of a structural unit, then the name of the organization (in the nominative case) is included in the “addressee” attribute, and the name of the unit is included in the full name of the position in the dative case:

Example 13

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GOST R 6.30-2003 establishes a method of generalized design of addressees when sending letters to several homogeneous organizations or several structural divisions one organization. This method provides:

on the letter itself, the design of the generalized name of the addressees;
additional compilation of a separate list for mailing letters, which includes their specific names and postal addresses.

Example 14

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Example 15

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See the article “Creating envelopes in MS Word” to learn how to customize your sender address, quickly create many envelopes according to a given template and mailing list, decorate them with a background or design (ideas for decorating an envelope for February 23 and March 8 are suggested

Mailing List or Mailing List is generated by the executor of the letter based on the classifier of organizations and their addresses, which is usually accumulated in the office management service as a result of document registration operations (in the EDMS or in Word, Excel tables). On each envelope in which each copy of the letter is sealed, the specific name and address of the organization is indicated in accordance with the mailing list. Based on this list, printing information on envelopes can be configured automatically even through Word.

It is necessary to note that this method is usually used by a higher organization when sending letters to its subordinate bodies.

However if there are no more than 4 recipients of one letter, then all recipients are registered on the document itself, then you can do without a mailing list (the word “Copy” does not appear before the 2nd, 3rd and 4th recipients). This limitation on the number of addressees in one letter is established by GOST R 6.30-2003 and common sense. In this case, the addressing is drawn up in the upper right corner as a listing of the “addressee” details for each body/organization, but all copies of such a letter are signed as originals, and each copy is sealed in a separate envelope on which the corresponding specific postal address is issued.

This addressing method is convenient to use when you need to notify about violations or significant events, primarily to higher-level, supervisory and regulatory authorities. This way, all recipients will see who else this letter was sent to.

Example 16

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If a letter of the same content (a letter of offer, for example) needs to be sent to several “independent” organizations, then it is better to issue each letter in the status of an original, i.e. On each, indicate an individual addressee. However, the registration numbers for these letters will be different.

Registration of the “addressee” details when maintaining correspondence with individuals has its own characteristics. The first attribute is the surname in the dative case, then the initials and then the postal address:

Example 17

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When addressing a letter to an official indicating his position, the initials are written before last name (see Examples 9, 10, 13), since the main identification of the recipient is by job title. When addressing a letter to a private person, his initials are indicated behind surname (Example 17), since our identification as citizens is carried out primarily by surname. When registering a surname and initials, they are separated by a space; the initials are not separated by a space, i.e. “I.I. Ivanov”, but not “I. I. Ivanov."

How to abbreviate double names and double patronymics of the addressee, written with a hyphen, in business correspondence, for example, Khozh-Akhmed Sultanovich, Khalimat Abrek-Zaurovna? See the answer to the question “What is the correct way to abbreviate double names and double middle names of the addressee, written with a hyphen, in business correspondence? »

In order not to make mistakes when addressing, on the websites of organizations it is necessary to find out the exact postal addresses, full names and job titles of managers, and other information that will help to best establish communication at the first stage of document perception. You can try to obtain similar information from the secretary, or glean it from documents received from this organization.

Pay special attention to the use of uppercase and lowercase letters in the names of organizations and positions. The norms of the Russian language suggest writing a position with a lowercase (small) letter, but a specific high position can be written with a capital letter if this is provided for by the constituent documents and local regulations of the recipient organization. Pay attention to these subtleties.

Etiquette factor

Appeal– a conventional etiquette phrase, a speech formula that expresses respect and a friendly, polite attitude towards the addressee. It is recommended to end it exclamation point, emphasizing the significance of both the question and the appeal to this person.

Most often contacted by first name and patronymic(Example 18), much less often - by position(Example 20). The second option is strictly business in nature and is used when addressing a person holding a high official position in state and municipal bodies or a large organization. Even less often they contact by last name without initials(Example 19) - this emphasizes the “distance”, the formality of the relationship between the author and the addressee, rather typical for correspondence with a private person.

Example 18

Address by first name and patronymic

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Another way of especially respectful attitude towards the addressee is manifested in the “etiquette frame”: “Dear...” – "With deep respect,", which is used when addressing a higher-ranking person (chairman of the board of directors, head of a higher authority or management body, etc.), as well as in the case of issuing congratulations, for example, on an anniversary.

Appeal "Expensive..." even in the case of congratulations to the addressee, it should be used with caution, because In official relations, some managerial distance must still be maintained.

Appeal "Dear" is currently considered outdated, redundant - not corresponding to the norms of modern business style of the Russian literary language.

Special handling rules gradually emerged when working with citizens' appeals. In response to their letters "best practics" State bodies and local governments recommend the following speech formulas:

Example 22

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But regardless of the issue raised in the citizen’s appeal, regardless of the situation (conflict, complaint or appeal on a personal issue, for the first time or repeated, etc.), it is still a universal formula for addressing citizens is addressed by name and patronymic (as in Example 18).

Commercial organizations, when corresponding with customers and considering their complaints, can be guided by the same recommendations.

Business letters are written when communicating with partners on almost any occasion. Ready-made examples and rules for drawing up such documents can be found in the article.

A business letter can be defined as a document that is sent on behalf of the entire company to another company, individual entrepreneur or individual (for example, an investor). Essentially, any company correspondence is business letters. Their purpose is very different:

about cooperation.
cooperation, negotiations.
A reminder of the need to fulfill obligations under the contract.
An explanation of your position, a response to a previously sent letter and many others.

The document is usually drawn up on company letterhead and can be sent by regular mail or email. However, if the partner is of special importance, it is preferable to print it on high-quality, thick paper and hand it over personally or by courier. The structure of the letter resembles a typical business document - you can schematically represent it this way.

What to pay attention to when compiling

There are no specific rules or samples for such letters, so their structure, volume and design largely depend on the specific case. For example, a notification letter will be quite concise (3-4 paragraphs), but an employee recommendation or a business proposal may take more than one page.

However, there are several general rules that you should pay attention to when drawing up a paper:

The document itself does not have any legal force, but is drawn up according to all the rules of execution. Its structure and style of presentation must comply with generally accepted principles of modern document flow.
Sentences are constructed logically, in a clear sequence. Ornate, complex, emotional, and especially colloquial expressions are absent. The tonality is neutral.
The presentation is always carried out only from 1 person - either in the singular, if the text is written directly from the manager, or in the plural, if it is written on behalf of the entire company.
The specific purpose of the drafting and the expected actions of the addressee are spelled out (send a response, consider an employee’s candidacy, agree to negotiations, send a document, etc.).
The paper does not reflect the individual interests of the manager or other employees, but the goals of the company as a team. If you need to establish personal contact, it is advisable to do it differently and not position yourself as a representative of the company.

TOP 5 mistakes when writing

Errors can be divided into 2 large groups - some are associated with writing as a text (violation of logic, vocabulary, other language norms), others - with a violation of business etiquette itself:

Spelling and punctuation errors are not allowed - the text of the letter should always be checked at least 1-2 times before sending.
Violation of the business style of presentation, the presence of emotional phrases, excessive politeness or, conversely, severity.
Negative tone - even threats must be written without unnecessary words - for example: “We reserve the right to go to court within 30 days from the date of receipt of this letter.”
Too large or, conversely, too small volume. Usually the entire text can be fit into 1-2 pages. However, this does not mean that all important information should not be conveyed to the partner. Volumetric data, diagrams, document forms can be included in applications.
Depriving the interlocutor of the right to choose. For example, you should not write: “We ask you to review and approve the final version of the contract.”

Typical template phrases

The use of standard phrases typical of business speech in the text is completely normal and even desirable. Below is a list of the most common clichés used in various situations.

situation	phrase
notice	We inform/Bring to your attention/Inform/Notify
explanation of the reason, motive	Based on/In accordance with/In connection with/For the purposes of/For reason/In support of/In pursuance
request	Please take action/Please inform, forward, do, confirm...
confirmation	We confirm/Assure/Accept your terms/We do not object to...
offer	We recommend/offer/invite/ask
	We guarantee
refusal	We are forced to refuse for a reason/We are rejecting your offer due to...
conclusion	We kindly ask/We hope for cooperation, understanding, assistance/We ask you to excuse, guide, do...

An entrepreneur has to conduct active correspondence both with officials (for example, representatives of government agencies) and with “semi-official” ones - partners, contractors, freelance specialists, and so on. The skill of written communication is developed quite quickly, but at first you can make a lot of mistakes and make a not the most pleasant impression on your recipients. In this article we will talk about the features of writing both regular business letters (on paper) and electronic messages.

Letter form and design

Be sure to use your company letterhead. This always makes an impression and increases the loyalty of the “interlocutors”. The type of forms, standards for filling them out and design elements must be specified in the order for the organization (or instructions for office work). Basic requirements for business letter forms can be found in GOST 2003 “Requirements for the preparation of documents.”

It is advisable to “squeeze” basic information about the company into the form:

name (and abbreviated name);
actual and postal addresses;
E-mail address;
Contact phone numbers;
Website address.

This is not a list of required data, but only a sample list. If desired, you can add or exclude something.

The general requirements for writing a letter are as follows:

minimum indentation – 10 mm on the right and 20 mm on the left, top and bottom;
if the letter is written on two or more sheets, each of them must be numbered in the middle at the top;
Each application is numbered separately;
in the upper left corner the outgoing number of the letter is indicated (do not forget to record it in the document registration log);
in the upper right corner the name of the organization, the position of the addressee and his surname with initials are indicated;
in the lower left corner - your position, surname with initials and signature;
Be sure to put the date the letter was written at the bottom.

However, GOST 2003 allows the use of forms not only with angular, but also with longitudinal arrangement of details (when they are indicated in the center). The corner arrangement looks more familiar and is easier to read, so it is better to choose this option.

General writing rules

The classic structure of the text of a business letter includes three elements:

introductory part (a brief statement of the reasons why the letter is being written, its purpose);
content (description of the situation, proposal of solutions, statement of conclusions and recommendations);
the summary part (a brief summary with a clear indication of what you expect from the addressee).

You should always understand the purpose for which you are writing a letter. Do you want to offer cooperation? State your grievances? Invite to a presentation or other event? Write only about this and do not be distracted by lengthy arguments and assumptions that are not relevant to the matter.

Every business letter should have one specific purpose. If you touch on several issues in it, they should be closely interrelated. If you need to contact the same organization on several different topics, it is better to write a separate letter for each of them.

Writing language

The style of business correspondence is “lightweight” official business. It is possible and necessary to standardize phrases, use some cliches and cliches, but it is not recommended to reduce all this to dry bureaucracy. “Living” language is always perceived easily and favorably. Of course, business writing must comply with the norms of etiquette (which will be discussed below), but the essence of the issue should be stated clearly and concisely.

Some practical tips:

use simple words: “smart” terms are poorly perceived and often irritate the person who is forced to read and decipher them;
use verbs more often and adjectives less often;
do not spread your thoughts over the tree - only specifics and only within the framework of a given topic, without many details and unimportant details;
avoid long statements, if possible do not use participial and participial phrases;
write specifically: various “about this”, “they/he/she” are unacceptable;
avoid logical inconsistencies and abrupt transitions from one semantic block to another;
check everything written by ear: speech errors occur in almost every unedited text.

One of the main rules for writing business letters is: the message must be literate and stylistically correct.

Features of addressing the addressee

As a rule, the addressee is addressed once, at the beginning of the letter. This can be done in three ways.

If you are addressing a person for the first time (or if a purely official relationship has been established between you and the addressee), you should use an address that indicates a certain distance. Example: “Dear Mr. Ivanov!”
If you are addressing a person with whom you have long established a trusting business relationship, it is better to call him by his first name and patronymic. Example: “Dear Ekaterina Leonidovna!”
When addressing a group, use the standard phrase “dear sirs!”

In the final part you need to use the so-called closing phrase. There are more options here:

“With respect,” “Sincerely yours”;
"Best wishes";
“With hope for continued cooperation”;
“We are always happy to provide you with a service”;
etc.

In a word, the choice of the last phrase is a matter of taste.

Business Writing Ethics

Even veiled disdain in a business letter does not go unnoticed. Of course, in this case, you will no longer be able to count on a positive or even equal attitude towards yourself. The conclusion is obvious: do not give in to emotions and keep yourself within limits even if the recipient really annoys you. Always pay attention to the tone of the message.

You should be especially careful when drafting a letter containing a refusal. It is extremely unwise to begin such a message with a categorical “no” in one form or another - this will create in the person the feeling that he was simply sent. Try to provide convincing (not flimsy) explanations first. Having briefly outlined the reasons for the refusal, one should move smoothly to its statement. In this case, you can use the following formulations:

“Unfortunately, we do not see any way to satisfy your request”;
“Your request cannot be granted for the following reasons...”;
“We deeply regret, but we are forced to reject your offer.”

Ideally, even before justifying the refusal - at the very beginning of the letter - you should briefly repeat the addressee’s request. He will understand that you have carefully read his request or proposal, and he will probably appreciate it. Perhaps in the future you will work together again - why immediately broadcast the negative and scare the person away with excessive harshness?

Never go to the other extreme. Flattery and numerous assurances of sincere affection are obvious signs of insincerity. Insincerity always causes rejection.

Composing emails

Messages on paper have already become obsolete. Of course, “paper” correspondence will never completely disappear, but in a few years letters written on classic letterhead will become a rarity. Negotiations are increasingly being conducted electronically. A modern entrepreneur now sends many more letters by email than by regular mail.

Business letters sent by email are written according to the same general rules. Requirements for language, style and tone, adherence to etiquette standards - all these mandatory elements do not change. However, electronic messages also have their own specific features.

Signature example:

Sincerely,

Ivan Ivanov

[email protected]

http://site.com.

We offer you a sample business letter.

Summing up

Although everything is quite simple, examples of correctly written business letters are not so numerous. Entrepreneurs regularly get confused in the design, use not entirely correct addresses and forget about important nuances.

Let's list the main features of good business messages:

objectivity;
brevity (it is advisable that the letter takes no more than one page);
neutral tone of presentation;
lack of reasoning, narration, excessive detail;
lack of emotional assessments;
a clear logical relationship between parts of the text and individual phrases.

This is a kind of checklist that you can check with at first. After hundreds of business messages have been compiled and sent, there will be no need for it. Do not ignore the rules stated above and remember: “pumped up” business correspondence skills significantly improve your reputation and, accordingly, the image of the company.

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!”).

information component containing the reasons and goals that served as the basis for writing the letter,

requests and explanations

conclusion.

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 drawn up either on a regular standard A4 sheet or 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.

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 sizes of 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;

− a straight line of 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:

− 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 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 send...”, 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. The punctuation mark following the address deserves special attention. 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 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 sales, 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