Section I Layout of Business Letters

Letters must be clear, coherent and well-organized. While writing a business letter, you need to follow the conventional, established format or layout.

1．Essentials of Business Letters

Normally a business letter comprises seven principal parts: the letter-head (heading), date, inside address, the salutation, the body, complimentary close, and signature. Each of these parts has a special form depending on the type of the letter. Occasionally, a letter may also include some special parts.

(1)Letter-head

Letter-heads include the essential particulars about the writer—his name and postal address, his telephone number, his telegraphic and telex addresses, the fax number and telegraphic codes used and even his website. Good quality paper and a neat, well-organized letter-head combine to enhance the prestige of the firm that uses them.

(2)Date

The date should be typed three or four line spaces below the letter-head and in the indented form of layout, so placed to the right that the last figure serves as a guide for line-endings in the body of the letter. Though other placements are now accepted, it should always be typed in full and never abbreviated. Never give the date in figures such as 18/7/2002; it could easily be confusing.

Whether commas or full stops are used in dates is accepted as a matter of taste, but the inclusion of a comma after the month with no full stop after the year is now customary. For example,

(3)Inside Name and Address

The preferred position for the correspondent's name and address is the upper left-hand side of the sheet, three or more line spaces below the line of the date, depending on the length of the letter. However, in official (i.e. government) correspondence, it is sometimes placed at the foot, in the bottom left-hand corner. Where the appropriate head of department is known, address the letter to him by his official title. For example,

When addressing a correspondent personally by name, take care to spell the name correctly. English address may have the following parts (not all addresses have all the parts):

➢name of the house;

➢number of the house and name of the street;

➢name of the city or the town;

➢name of the county or state and its post code;

➢name of the country.

In order to avoid ambiguity, when you write letters to other countries, always include the name of the country, even if the city mentioned is the capital of the country, because there are some unknown cities with the same name as the popular cities. Here is an example.

(4)Salutation

The salutation is the greeting with which every letter begins. The customary greeting in a business letter is“Dear Sir”or“Dear Sirs” (when a partnership is addressed). But the Americans usually use“Gentlemen”instead of“Dear Sirs”. Note that you cannot use “Sirs” alone and that “Gentlemen” cannot be used in the singular. In American letters a colon is always placed after the salutation, while in British letter a comma is done such as:

Quite often now companies are owned and/or managed by women, and it is more and more customary to use the greeting“Dear Madam”or“Dear Sir”, if the writer is not sure whether the letter will be read by a man or a woman.

(5)Message

This forms the body of the letter and is the part that really matters. Before you begin to write, you must first of all consider the following two points.

➢What is your aim in writing this letter?

➢What is the best way to go about it?

Since the main purpose of the letter is to convey a message, the letter should be written in language that is easily understood. The following serves as reminders.

➢Write simply, clearly, courteously, grammatically and to the point;

➢Paragraph correctly, confining each paragraph to one topic;

➢Avoid stereotyped phrases and commercial jargon.

For very short letters you may adopt double line spaces except for your correspondent's name and address for which a single line space should always be used.

(6)Complimentary Close

The complimentary close is merely a polite way of ending a letter. Just as the use of“Dear Sir”, etc., it is purely conventional. So is the use of“Yours faithfully”, “Yours truly”and“Yours similar”expressions. Used in this way, the terms are meaningless. Nevertheless, convention imposes these fashions on us, and for the time being we must accept them, always bearing in mind that the expressions used must be appropriate to the occasion, and that salutation and closure must be in keeping. “Yours faithfully” is the standard closure for business letters. Like all other complimentary terms, it must be typed in full. The first word should be capitalized and a comma usually placed at the end. Yours truly is also being used in business, particularly in the United States.

Inverted forms like“Faithfully”or“Truly yours” (for business letters) and“Sincerely”or“Cordially yours”(for personal letters) are considered somewhat forced and artificial by some writers.

(7)Signature

The signature is the signed name or mark of the person writing the letter or that of the firm he represents. It is written in ink immediately below the complimentary close. Because a signature is the distinguishing mark of the one who uses it, the same style must always be adopted.

The signature as written and the signature as typed must correspond exactly. Never sign your letters with a rubber stamp.

2．Miscellaneous Matters

Above seven parts are necessary for an official letter. In addition, business letters sometimes have one or more of the following parts:

(1)Reference Number

Most letter-heads provide reference letters and numbers. When one firm writes to another each will give a reference, and there are marked“Our ref.”and“Your ref.”to avoid confusion and ensure the letters reach the right person or department without delay. Failure to quote your correspondent's reference causes inconvenience.

Where the letter-head does not provide for it, the reference may form part of the first paragraph of the reply letters.

(2)The Attention Line

The phrase“for the attention of”or simply“attention”is used where the writer of a letter addressed to an organization wishes to direct it to a particular member. It is typed two line spaces above the salutation, underlined, and centered over the body of the letter. For example,

(3)Subject Headings

There are two kinds of subject headings: main headings and paragraph headings.

➢Main Heading

The heading is typed two line-spacing below the salutation, underlined, and centered over the body of the letter. It helps to ensure that the letter is passed to the right person or department without delay, for example,

Your Order No. 3456

A heading will be appropriate if it has already been used by your correspondent, in which case your reply should carry the same heading, or if you are beginning a correspondence likely to lead to a number of letters on the same subject.

➢Paragraph Heading

The heading is placed at the beginning of each paragraph to show what subject this paragraph is dealing with. Block capitals may be used, followed by a full stop to emphasize the distinction between heading and text. Main heading does not take a full stop.

Paragraph headings may be useful, but it is better to confine each letter to one subject if possible, because different subjects may need attention from different departments or different persons.

(4)Enclosures

When there is something enclosed with the letter, type the word“Enclosure”, or an abbreviation of it“Encl.”or“En.”in the bottom left-hand under the identification marks, with a figure indicating the number of enclosures, if there are more than one.

(5)“Per Pro.”Signature

“Per pro.”is the abbreviation of per procurationem, which is a Latin phrase denoting agency. Strictly speaking, only a partner is entitled to sign the name of his firm. But for convenience authority to sign is often given to a responsible employee by a document known as a power of attorney, though the authority to sign may also arise from custom. In either case the attorney or agent, as the authorized signatory is called, signs“per procurationem”or“per pro.”, sometimes further abbreviated to“p.p.”, for instance,

Per Pro. Hopkins, Wright Co. Ltd.

Signature

(6)Postscript

A postscript(P.S.)is an afterthought. If the writer wishes to add something he forgot to mention or for emphasis, he may type his thought two spaces below the copy notation. The adding of a P.S. should, however, be avoided as far as possible, since it may suggest that the writer failed to plan his letter before he wrote it or dictated it.

(7)Carbon Copy

There are two types of carbon copy notations. The first is indicated by“cc”followed by the names of the persons who will receive copies of the letters. This notation is typed on the original and carbon copies.

The second type of copy notation is specified on the copy only by the abbreviation“bcc” (blind carbon copy) and the recipient's name. No one other than the recipient of the“bcc”and you will know he has received a copy of the letter.

Notations for“cc”and“bcc”would look like this in your letter:

Cc Shanghai Branch Office

Bcc Mr. Jones

(8)Identification Marks

The identification marks (or reference notations) are made up of the initials of the person who dictated the letter and those of the secretary or typist. The initials are usually in capital letters and typed two spaces below the signature against the left margin. The two sets are separated by a colon or a slant. The following examples are acceptable forms of the identification marks:

AS/hu AS: hu

(9)Margins

Margins contribute substantially to the visual impression a letter makes upon its reader. Margins should create the effect of a well-framed picture. Both left-and righthand margins are generally 30 mm. A brief letter can have margins as wide as 34 mm.

(10)The Second Page

With the exception of sales letters, business letters are usually one page long, but sometimes a message is sufficiently complex to warrant two or more pages. When you have a second page, use the following second-page heading.

The phrase“to be continued”may be added on the right hand side at the bottom of the first page. The second and succeeding pages should have the same quality, size and color as the first page.

3．Envelope Addressing

The three important requirements of envelope addressing are accuracy, legibility and good appearance. Here are two examples, which show, respectively, the indented form of address and the blocked form of address. In the second method the word“confidential”could be placed at the bottom left, or more often, under the sender's address.

Generally speaking, sender's name and address are written at the left-hand top of the envelope, while recipient's name and address are centered on the cover of the envelope (figure 1). If sender's name and address do not appear on the cover, it can be written on the back of the envelope(Figure 2).

If the letter is forwarded to instead of mailing, such words as “Kindness of... (name of the middleman)”or“By courtesy of... (name of the middleman)”or“By favor of... (name of middleman)”should be written in.

The Letter of introduction is usually sent by the holder who is introduced. Phrases like“Introducing Mr. (Mrs., Miss, etc.)...(name)”, “To introduce...(name)”or“Recommending...(name)”will be written at the left-hand top of the envelope which are used with the same function as“Hereby introduce sb. ....”

Nature of the letter will be shown at the left-hand bottom of the envelope, such as“Personal”or“Confidential”or“Private”; if possible, “Immediate”or“Urgent”or“Rush”can be marked, too.

For the convenience of delivery of letters, some conventional marks can be shown on the envelope in light of international conventions as follows.

(1)In the place of“A”, the following phrases are okay.

If undelivered, please return to(无法投递，退回原处).

After 10 days, please return to(十天后请寄回).

Return Postage Guaranteed(回信邮资已付).

Via San Francisco(经由旧金山).

Introducing Mr. ... (兹介绍……先生转交).

Kindness of Mr. ... (敬烦……先生转交).

By airmail to San Francisco, by train to Hong Kong(到旧金山用航空，到香港用火车).

(2)In the place of“B”are:

Printed Matter(印刷品);

Sample(样品);

Sample of No Value(无价值的样品);

With Compliments(赠品);

Photo Only(内有像片，请勿折叠).

(3)In the place of“C”are:

Via Airmail; By Airmail; Par Avion.

(4)In the place of“D”are:

Urgent(急件);

Confidential(密件).

4．Principles for Business Writing

Writing effective and productive business letters is an essential skill for any individual working in a company. Different business letters about the same issue might bring about difierent results. Therefore, it is of vital importance to master the skill of business writing. The first step is, needless to say, to know the basic principles of a good business letter. There are six Cs' principles for a good business letter, namely,(1) clearness, (2) conciseness, (3) courtesy, (4) completeness, (5) correctness and (6) concreteness.

(1)Clearness

Clearness requires the writers to be simple and understood, so that readers will get their main intention at the first sight of the letter without any confusion or misunderstanding. There should not be any ambitious words appearing in the letter accordingly but general and simple English in a straightway tone.

(2)Conciseness

Conciseness asks us to use as few words as possible to express ideas avoiding long and tedious sentences. Generally speaking, short sentences are more concise than long ones. If much more information is included in a letter, it can be written in paragraphs.

(3)Courtesy

Courtesy is reflected in the tone of the words or sentences, that is to say, writer should better think of readers' attitude or feelings and take readers' place to consideration. Besides, prompt reply is polite in business communication.

(4)Correctness

Correct grammar, punctuation and spelling are basic requirements for business writing. In addition, correctness means choosing the correct level of language and using accurate information and data.

(5)Concreteness

Business writing should be vivid, specific and definite rather than vague, general and abstract, especially when the writer is requiring a response, solving problems, making an offer or acceptance, etc.

(6)Completeness

A business letter should include all the necessary information and data in the message because information and data can help senders get receivers' responses and achieve desired objectives. It is essential to check the message carefully before it is sent out. An incomplete message may result in increased communication costs, loss of goodwill, sales, and value customers, cost of returning goods, etc.

(7)Consideration

Consideration focuses on“you”instead of“I”or“we”. Your oriented writing is the key to successful business. Effective writers make the audience believe that the most significant person in their correspondence, say, in their business relationship, is“you”, the reader. Your attitude looks at things from the reader's point of view, emphasizes readers'benefit, and protects the readers'self-esteem, so such attitude is very positive in written communication, implying psychology to humanize our messages.