Week 4
BUSINESS LETTER WRITING: PLANNING
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
General
•
•
•
To understand the nature of business letter writing as reader-centered
To learn how to deliver messages in business letters clearly and appropriately
To appreciate the role of tone, culture and persuasion in business letter writing
Specific
•
•
To know how to plan business letters according to the needs of readers
To know how to plan business letters according to the nature of content or
information to be delivered
INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS LETTER WRITING
Letter writing is unavoidable in business communication. In this set of notes, and the following
other sets (drafting and revising ) we shall use ‘letter writing’ broadly to refer to all kinds of
letters produced in the workplace, including letters sent via email and memos in hard copy.
There are certainly differences among different kinds of letter in business settings, for example
in terms of their degree of formality, whether they are for internal or external consumption,
and so on. Nevertheless, our most pressing concern is delivering our message clearly and
appropriately. Whatever kind of letter you write (and in fact, whatever form of business
communication you engage in), it is by now clear to you that a message has to be sent, and it
has to be sent clearly and appropriately in order to persuade your reader to accept your
message or do something about it.
This is, of course, easier said than done. Delivering our message clearly and appropriately is
more complicated than we think it is. And this is perhaps the most fatal mistake people
(including students) have made when faced with the reality of learning about writing letters.
Students sometimes think that letter writing is easy, and that it begins only with the first word
we write. Unfortunately, this is not the case; to write effective letters, we should plan our
message even way before we write the first word on paper or the computer. We should also
ensure that our tone is just right for our targeted readers. Good tone is not simply a mere
intellectual or mental exercise in the English language classroom. Good tone translates to
better business sales.
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B
ASIC ELEMENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE BUSINESS LETTER
An effective business letter must be able to accomplish two basic things: deliver your message
(1) clearly and (2) appropriately.
Deliver your message clearly
To achieve clarity of message, you must accomplish these:
1.
2.
3.
4.
The aim or purpose of the letter is clearly stated and strategically placed.
The problems or issues to be addressed are correctly articulated.
Ideas and information are organized into a structure based on audience needs.
Information is correct and complete.
Deliver your message appropriately
To achieve appropriateness in the delivery of message, you must accomplish these:
5. Use simple language (3Cs). It must be:



Clear (simple, concrete and specific words in complete sentences)
Concise (most economical use of words to deliver message)
Correct (free from basic grammatical errors)
6. Use appropriate tone and style (4Ps). They must be:




Polite
Positive
Personal
Professional
7. Format and/or package the letter properly.
If your message is delivered clearly and appropriately, you will most likely have a persuasive
letter.
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T
HE PROCESS OF LETTER WRITING
In order to accomplish the above requirements for an effective business letter, going through
the process of writing it is necessary. There are four main steps in the process:
PLANNING
ORGANIZING
DRAFTING
REVISING
PLANNING
In planning your letter, you must undertake to do the following, with accompanying questions
which can help you tease out the issues even more concretely:
Planning Worksheet
o Determine the message and purpose of the letter.
What is the main purpose of your letter, or What do you want to do in the letter?
(e.g., to sell our company’s newest product, to encourage volunteer work in a charity organization, to ask for a
refund for Product A, to reject a request for deadline extension)
___________________________________________________________________________
What is the core message that you want to convey to the reader?
(e.g., “I want a refund for Product A”, “Buy our newest product in the market”, “Please volunteer your time in
a charity work for children”, “We reject your request for a deadline extension).
___________________________________________________________________________
What is/are the reason(s) for the main message?
(e.g., “I want a refund for Product A because your customer service is bad”, “Buy our newest product in the
market because it has unique features”, “Please volunteer your time in a charity work for children because it is
a worthwhile activity”)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Note that some business letters do not provide reasons for certain decisions made. For example, when credit card
companies reject applications for new cards, they simply tell you it is unable to give you one without any reason.
What is the nature of the letter based on your message?
(e.g., persuasive, informative, descriptive)
___________________________________________________________________________
Note that business letters are essentially persuasive. However, there are cases when they are not. For example, when you
are asked to provide details about a person’s transaction history, the letter is essentially informative. Some letters can also
be descriptive, for example when you describe to a customer how a machine works. Nevertheless, business letters are still
generally about persuading people.
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o
Analyze your reader.
How familiar is your reader with the subject you are writing about?
________________________________________________________________________
What specific pieces of information do you need to furnish your reader in order for her
to understand your letter?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Which parts of your letter is the reader likely to accept, and which parts is she likely to
reject?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
What are your reader’s characteristics with respect to her position in the organization,
educational background, familiarity with the technicalities of your profession, and any
other characteristics that you need to consider in writing this letter?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
What is your social and professional relationship with your reader? How may this
influence her response to your letter?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
What is your reader’s attitude towards you and the subject likely to be? What would
you want it to be after she has read your letter?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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TUTORIAL EXERCISES
ACTIVITY 1: Determining the core message and understanding the audience
Read the The Consultancy Project notes again and familiarize yourselves with the context of the
project. Then, read the following notes on the letter writing assignment:
The Sales Department of Golden Clothes Asia has asked you to draft a letter to one group of
sales employees requiring them to attend a series of oral presentation workshops. The Sales
Department got the top management to approve the plan to require a targeted group of
employees (16 out of 36) in the department to make a mock oral presentation in front of you.
Because of the company’s expanding market reach, the targeted group of sales employees is
expected to make presentations to co-workers and customers on topics that are relevant to
these people. The bosses at the department think that these employees lack even the basic
skills in making oral presentations.
In addition to the above essential information, you are also aware of differing values in the
workplace due to inter-generational gaps. According to Chris Fenney, co-founder and director
of Training Edge International, “Different generations have different approaches to the same
problem. Different is neither right or wrong – just different. Remember, the generational
context is not about age, but common experiences”. 1
What will the differences be in your letter writing approach and content if you are writing to
specific groups of workers, e.g., The Matures, The Boomers, The Generation X, and The
Generation Y? Do you agree with the views? What are potential uses and dangers of
categorizing groups of people? Discuss these questions with your groupmates.
INTER-GENERATIONAL CULTURES AT THE WORKPLACE 2
The Matures
The Boomers
Generation X
Born between 1964
and 1980
Diversity
Entrepreneurial
It is a way to get
ahead
By investing it
Generational
context
Defining idea
Work style
View of education
Born before 1945
Duty
Team player
It is a dream
Born between 1945
and 1964
Individuality
Self-absorbed
It is a birthright
Money
By saving it
By spending it
1
(Fenny, 2010)
2
(Fenny, 2010)
Generation Y
Born after 1980
Back to basics
Team player
It is a lifelong
endeavor
By spending their
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management
Values
Work ethic
Dedication, law and
order and a strong
work ethic; risk
averse, have respect
for authority and
loyalty to the
organization
Stable, detailoriented, thorough,
loyal and hard
working; often
uncomfortable with
change and
ambiguity, reluctant
to buck the system,
prefer to avoid
conflict and reticent
when they disagree
parents’ dollars
Optimism,
confidence,
ambition and
achievement in
education, idealism,
fun and diversity
Optimism,
teamwork, personal
gratification,
promotion and
recognition, health
and wellness
Diversity, a balance
in life, computer
literacy, personal
development,
informality and
initiative
Service-oriented
driven, good at
relationships, want
to please and good
team players; not
naturally “budgetminded”,
uncomfortable with
conflict, reluctant to
go against peers, put
process ahead of
results and overly
sensitive to
feedback
“Feedback once a
year”
Adaptable, technoliterate,
independent, not
intimidated by
authority, and
creative; can be
impatient, have
poor people skills,
inexperienced and
cynical.
Loyal, optimistic and
tolerant, adept at
multi-tasking; fast
thinkers and
technological savvy;
in need of
supervision and
structure;
inexperienced –
particularly with
handling different
people issues – and
low service levels.
“Sorry to interrupt
but how am I
doing?”
Leaders must give
them many projects
and lots of control,
offer constructive
and straightforward
feedback, invest in
computer
technology, resist
micro managing
them, provide a
flexible work
environment and
reward initiative
“Feedback at the
push of the button”
Attitude to
feedback
“No news is good
news”
Leading them
Leaders must make
time for their hard
work with symbolic
records of
achievement,
verbally and publicly
acknowledge their
experience, provide
proactive
technology support
and create ways
they can mentor
others
Leaders must give
them lots of public
recognition, a
chance to prove
their worth, perks
with status, ask for
their inputs and get
their consensus
Training
Give them the big
picture, emphasize
long-term goals, let
them share their
experiences
Focus on the near
future, challenges
and their role, and
provide
development
experiences
Focus on balance,
offer them access to
many different kinds
of information and
provide electronic
support
Leaders must learn
about their personal
goals and find ways
to mesh these with
the company’s
goals; forget
traditional gender
roles, be sensitive to
the potential for
conflict with Gen
EXers, develop a
hands-off style,
open avenues for
education and skill
building and
introduce mentoring
programmes
Let them know that
what they do
matters,
communicate
expectations, focus
on boosting their
customer service
and interpersonal
skills
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ACTIVITY 2: Planning the letter
Letter Writing Planning Activity: Below are more details about your target audience. Use these
details, together with the general notes above about the request from the Sales Department, as
well as the intercultural information on inter-generational differences above, to help your
EACT™ team shape your letter more effectively. Use the planning worksheet above (pp. 3-4) to
guide your team in the discussion and planning of the letter. Be ready to share your plan with
the rest of the class.
The challenge here is to persuade your target readers to participate in the activity. They are all
university graduates (with 5 – 8 years of experience in the workplace) who have proven
records in successful sales. The problem of “face” in the company and in the culture that they
are from makes this plan even more difficult to implement. Plus: the possibility of being fired
after they are found to be lacking in many essential skills in oral presentation is also a valid
concern. The letter will have to be written by you – the EACT™ team – but the Director of the
Sales Department is the signatory.
Bibliography
Fenny, C. (2010, July 10). Closing the generational gap. The Straits Times , p. R34.
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