Business communication
written communication
Written Communication
Introduction: Commercial Correspondence is buying and selling with the help of letter writing. It includes all letters exchanged before the actual
sale takes place, all letters that follow the sale and all those letters that help maintain good relations between buyers and sellers, employers and
employees and in general all letters , reports and documents that increase commerce and trade.
Need and importance: 1. personal touch
2. Least expensive
3. Permanent written record
4. It has clarity of expression’
5.It can overcome the distance that separates the sender from the receiver
Essentials of good written communication
 Good written communication must command attention and get results.
 The communication must be legible, if it is hand written and the same applies to type written messages.
 The communication must be carefully planned. The ideas should be presented in a logical manner.
 The writer should use words and sentence structures that can be easily understood by the reader.
 A sentence should have one subject and each paragraph
should deal with a single topic or aspect of a topic.
 A proper technique of emphasis should be used.
 Use the 4 c’s of communication
 Use the “you attitude”
 Follow correct language, proper grammar and correct punctuation.
 It is not possible to have good written communication without prewriting.
 The final stage of written communication is editing.
Functions of a Business letter
 Legal function
 Persuasive
 Reference
 Goodwill.
THE “ You Attitude in a Business letter”
By “ you attitude” we mean to look at things as the rader does and present their arguments accordingly. The principle underlying the “ You
attitude” is that it is the reader that counts.
At the simplest level it means using the ord “ you” as much as possible. People like to be addressed personally and this approach is very helpful
in a sales letter. For eg.
Compare the following sentences:
“ We take pleasure in announcing the introduction of our new “ Simplex Hair Dryer” ,
And
“ Have you brought your wife her Diwali present? You will be interested to know that you can now buy..
The first sentence is ineffective because it views things from the point of view of the writer. The second sentence is effective because it not looks
at things from from the reader’s side. From the above example it is obvious that the you attitude is not only a matter of phraseology but also of
attitude.
 The you attitude can be used effectively in all letters especially in collection and application letters.
 If an applicant can mentally put himself in the employers shoes he will be in a better position to emphasize the qualities that will get
him the job.
 Every effort must be made to adapt to the tone and language to the level of the reader.
 Every business letter that goes out involves a problem as we all know there are two sides to every problem. By the you attitude the
writer drafts his letter keeping in mind the side of the reader and by burying to anticipate his wants
 The you attitude does not only mean writing from the point of the reader but also putting the reader first.
 Instead of writing our organization will give you5 % on your savings account it is better to write “ you will earn 5% from your savings
account.
C’s of effective writing
 The qualities which are essential for good business writing are collectively known as the c’s of communication because most of them
begin with the letter c.
 Clarity: the message must be clear in the first reading. Clearly written messages avoid misunderstanding and save time. Consider the
following examples of ambiguous writing:
Please state from that date the patient was ordered to stay in bed and totally incapacitated by your instructions. This has been caused by the wrong
placing of words. Clarity depends upon five factors:
Use of simple . Common everyday words which everyone can understand. Never send the reader to the dictionary
Use concrete words having a definite meaning.
Some examples
Incombustible
fireproof
Optimum
best
Substantiate
prove
Use of short and simple sentences. Use of short and simple sentences. Long sentences confuse the reader and often confuse the writer also.
Important information should be give in a separate manner. Use of active verb instead of passive verb is more precise.
Use proper punctuation giving definite and concrete details with names and figure.eg. High performance 95% efficiency
Ensure a logical sequence of ideas
Be consistent in t he use of numbers. Dates, units of measurement.technical terms, abbreviations.
 Correctness: in spelling and grammar
 In appearance and form of layout
 In the information it conveys
 In tone, formality and style
 Conciseness: it means expressing much in a few words.as possible without sacrificing clarity or courtesy.
 Leave out unnecessary modifiers such a s “ actual experience”. In addition to, besides, as well as, also.
Business communication
written communication

WE would appreciate receiving the goods as early as possible since arrangements have to be made for export so they will reach our
foreign customer within the required time
This can be made concise by:
Please dispatch the goods so as to reach us by 7 September since we have to ship them to Mexico by the 17 th.
 Courtesy: it is consideration for other people’s feelings. It is seen in an individual’s behaviour with others. A well mannered and
courteous person shows consideration and thought for others.
 Use the courtesy ords, please, thankyou, sorry
 Express proper feeling according to the situation
 Make the other person feel comfortable “ we appreciate your promptness in sending the goods”
 Be attentive and prompt in responding
 Let the tone the choice of words and style of the message reflect your consideration for the feelings and needs of the reader.
 Credibility: if they believe hat you say they will buy what you sell. It comes from minding all the c’s ie giving correct information,
writing clearly, being considerate to other’s feelings and needs and being courteous.
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Language in a business letter:
Avoiding business jargon: by jargon we mean the specialized or technical language of any trade, profession,organization, class or a
group that shares a common occupation. There is nothing wrong with using technical words, indeed it is sometimes impossible to find
substitutes of the. What is wrong is that these words are used so often and sometimes wrongly, and so mechanically, that the words
themselves lose meaning.
Eg. “ I beg to state that I have received your esteemed favour.. The recipent will get flattered, but when thousand letters beg to state
they will seem hollow.
Jargon with simple English equivalents:
Have for acknowledgement
we have received.
In the event of
if
Vide
please referto.
Cliches , slangs and euphemisms: cliché is a french word commonly used in english to show that some words or phrases have
become stereotyped.
Eg, as a rule, bear in mind, if the worst comes to worst.
Slang is a language of highly colloquial type.eg. Guys, gals, cops, shake a leg .
Euphemism is an inoffensive expression used inplace of words that they offend or sound unpleasant, thus people say” left for heavenly
abode instead of “ died”
The legal obsession: the great drawback is that the youth tends to draft a letter as if he as drafting up the latter’s last will.
Eg. “ YOU ARE HEREBY INFORMED THAT IF THE AMOUNT OF RS. 4500 IS NOT PAID WITHIN THE DUE DATE THE
MATTER WILL BE REFERRED TO THE INVESTOR.
CORRECT SPELLING.
CORRECT WORD ORDER IN A SENTENCE: the basic structure of an english sentence is
Subject
verb
predicate
I /HE
GO
TO COLLEGE.