BA 9205, COMMUNICATION SKILLS

UNIT – IV
BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

“The word that is heard perishes, but the letter that is written remains”.

INTRODUCTION

Peter Drucker, management guru, claims that more than 60% of all management problems result
from breakdowns in communications. A major study by the Rockefeller Foundation found that 68%
of the customers who quit buying from their regular suppliers do so because employees fail to
communicate effectively with those customers. Efficiency experts claim that at least 40% of the
average worker’s time is spent doing tasks that are either unnecessary or have to be done over
because they were not done according to instructions. So, as you can see, the ability to
communicate with precision has a tremendous impact on the bottom line. One way to communicate
precisely is to put it in writing. Despite the many modern communication methods available today,
business letters are still very often the main means of establishing business relations with other
organizations. Business letters are an ambassador for every company, so a good impression is
essential.

BUSINESS LETTER

Meaning of Business Correspondence

Communication through exchange of letters is known as correspondence. We communicate our
feelings, thoughts etc. to our friends and relatives through letters that may be called personal
correspondence. A businessman also writes and receives letters in his day to-day transactions,
which may be called business correspondence. Business correspondence or business letter is a
written communication between two parties. Businessmen may write letters to supplier of goods
and also receive letters from the suppliers.

Customers may write letters to businessmen seeking information about availability of goods, price,
quality, sample etc. or place order for purchase of goods. Thus, business letters may be defined as
a media or means through which views are expressed and ideas or information is communicated in
writing in the process of business activities.
Importance of Business Correspondence
Now-a-days business operations are not restricted to any locality, state or nation. Today production
takes place in one area but consumption takes place everywhere. Since the businessmen as well
as customers live in far off places they don’t have sufficient time to contact each other personally.
Thus, there arises the need for writing letters. In the past the situation was not so. Business letters
were not essential in olden days. But now the importance of letters has increased because of vast
expansion of business, increase in demand as well as supply of goods.

i) Helps in maintaining proper relationship

Now-a-days business activities are not confined to any one area or locality. The businessmen as
well as customers are scattered throughout the country. Thus, there is a need to maintain proper
relationship among them by using appropriate means of communication. Here business letters play
an important role. The customers can write letters to the businessman seeking information about
products and businessmen also supply various information to customers. This helps them to carry
on business on national and international basis.

ii) Inexpensive and convenient mode

Though there are other modes of communication like telephone, telex, fax, etc, business
information can be provided and obtained economically and conveniently through letters.

iii) Creates and maintains goodwill

Sometimes business letters are written to create and enhance goodwill. Businessmen at times
send letters to enquire about complaints and suggestions of their customers. They also send letters
to inform the customers about the availability of a new product, clearance sale etc. All these result
in cordial relations with the customers, which in turn enhance the goodwill of the business.

iv) Serves as evidence

We cannot expect a trader to memorize all facts and figures in a conversation that normally takes
place among businessmen. Through letters, he can keep a record of all facts. Thus, letters can
serve as evidence in case of dispute between two parties.

v) Help in expansion of business

Business requires information regarding competing products, prevailing prices, promotion, market
activities, etc. If the trader has to run from place to place to get information, he will end up doing
nothing. It will simply result in loss of time. But through business letters, he can make all enquiries
about the products and the markets. He can also receive orders from different countries and, thus
enhance sales

Principles of business writing (Essential Qualities of a Good Business Letter)

A letter should serve the purpose for which it is written. If a businessman writes a letter to the
supplier for purchase of goods, the letter should contain all the relevant information relating to the
product, mode of payment, packaging, transportation of goods, etc. clearly and specifically.
Otherwise, there will be confusion that may cause delay in getting the goods. Again the quality of
paper used in the letter, its size, color etc. also need special attention, because it creates a positive
impression in the mind of the receiver. We may classify the principles / qualities of a good business
letter as:

a. Inner Principles / Qualities; and

b. Outer Principles / Qualities
a) INNER PRINCIPLES / QUALITIES - The inner qualities of a good business letter refer to the
quality of language, its presentation, etc. These facilitate quick processing of the request and that
leads to prompt action.

(i) Simplicity - Simple and easy language should be used for writing business letters. Difficult words
should be strictly avoided, as one cannot expect the reader to refer to the dictionary every time
while reading a letter.

(ii) Clarity - The language should be clear, so that the receiver will understand the message
immediately, easily and correctly. Ambiguous language creates confusion. The letter will serve the
purpose if the receiver understands it in the same manner in which it is intended by the sender.

(iii) Accuracy - The statements written in the letter should be accurate to the best of the sender’s
knowledge. Accuracy demands that there are no errors in the usage of language - in grammar,
spellings, punctuations etc. An accurate letter is always appreciated.

(iv) Completeness - A complete letter is one that provides all necessary information to the users.
For example, while sending an order we should mention the desirable features of the goods, i.e.,
their quality, shape, color, design, quantity, date of delivery, mode of transportation, etc.

(v) Relevance - The letter should contain only essential information. Irrelevant information should
not be included while sending any business correspondence.

(vi) Courtesy - Courtesy wins the heart of the reader. In business letters, courtesy can be shown /
expressed by using words like please, thank you, etc.

(vii) Neatness - A neat letter is always impressive. A letter either handwritten or typed should be
neat and attractive in appearance. Overwriting and cuttings should be avoided.

b) OUTER PRINCIPLES / QUALITIES - The outer qualities of a good business letter refers to the
appearance of the letter. It includes the quality of paper used, color of the paper, size of the paper
etc. Good quality paper gives a favorable impression in the mind of the reader. It also helps in
documenting the letters properly.
(i) Quality of paper - The paper used should be in accordance with the economic status of the firm.
Now-a-days the cost of the paper is very high. Therefore, good paper should be used for original
copy and ordinary paper may be used for duplicate copy.

(ii) Color of the paper - It is better to use different colors for different types of letters, so that the
receiver will identify the letters quickly and prompt action can be taken.

(iii) Size of the paper - Standard size paper (A4) should be used while writing business letters. The
size of the paper should be in accordance with the envelopes available in the market.

(iv) Folding of letter- The letter should be folded properly and uniformly. Care should be taken to
give minimum folds to the letter so that it will fit the size of the envelope. If window envelope is
used then folding should be done in such a way that the address of the receiver is clearly visible
through the transparent part of the envelope.
(v) Envelope - The size and quality of the envelope also need special attention. The size of the
envelope should fit the size of the letters. Business firms use different types of envelopes i.e.,
ordinary envelope, window envelope, laminated envelope etc. In a window envelope there is no
need to write the address of the receiver separately on the envelope. It is clearly visible through the
transparent part on the face of the envelope, which may be called as window. In a laminated
envelope, a thin plastic sheet or cloth is pasted on the inner side that gives extra protection to
letters from being damaged during transit.

Parts of a Business Letter

1. Heading
2. Date
3. Reference
4. Inside Address
5. Subject
6. Salutation
7. Body of the letter
8. Complimentary close (Subscription)
9. Signature
10. Enclosures
11. Copy Circulation
12. Post Script

Heading
The heading of a business letter usually contains the name and postal address of the business, E-
mail address, Web-site address, Telephone Number, Fax Number, Trade Mark or logo of the
business (if any).

Date
The dateline is used to indicate the date that the letter was written. However, if you have taken a
number of days to complete your letter use the date it was finished in the date line. When writing to
companies in the United States, use the American date format. (The United States-based
convention for formatting a date places the month before the day. For example: June 11, 2006. )
Write out the month, day and year two inches from the top of the page. Depending which format
you are using for your letter, either left justify the date or center it horizontally.

Sender’s Address
Including the address of the sender is optional. If you choose to include it, place the address one
line below the date. Do not write the sender’s name or title, as it is included in the letter’s closing.
Include only the street address, city and postal code. Another option is to include the sender’s
address directly after the closing signature.

Inside Address
The inside address is the recipient’s address. It is always best to write to a specific individual at the
firm to which you are writing. If you do not have the person’s name, do some research by calling
the company or speaking with employees from the company. Include a personal title such as Ms.,
Mrs., Mr., or Dr. Follow a woman’s preference in being addressed as Miss, Mrs., or Ms. If you are
unsure of a woman’s preference in being addressed, use Ms. If there is a possibility that the person
to whom you are writing is a Dr. or has some other title, use that title. Usually, people will not mind
being addressed by a higher title than they actually possess. To write the address, use the Post
Office Format. For international addresses, type the name of the country in all-capital letters on the
last line. The inside address begins one line below the sender’s address or one inch below the
date. It should be left justified, no matter which format you are using.

Subject
It is a statement in brief, that indicates the matter to which the letter relates. It attracts the attention
of the receiver immediately and helps him to know quickly what the letter is about. For example,
Subject: Your complaint No. C 12345 dated 12 March 2006.
Subject: Enquiry about SONY television

Salutation
Use the same name as the inside address, including the personal title. If you know the person and
typically address them by their first name, it is acceptable to use only the first name in the
salutation (i.e., Dear Lucy:). In all other cases, however, use the personal title and full name
followed by a colon. Leave one line blank after the salutation. Various other forms of salutation are:
Sir/Madam: For official and formal correspondence
Dear Sir/Madam: For addressing an individual
Dear Sirs/Dear Madam: For addressing a firm or company.

Body
For block and modified block formats, single space and left justify each paragraph within the body
of the letter. Leave a blank line between each paragraph. When writing a business letter, be careful
to remember that conciseness is very important. In the first paragraph, consider a friendly opening
and then a statement of the main point. The next paragraph should begin justifying the importance
of the main point. In the next few paragraphs, continue justification with background information
and supporting details. The closing paragraph should restate the purpose of the letter and, in some
cases, request some type of action.

Closing
The closing begins at the same horizontal point as your date and one line after the last body
paragraph. Capitalize the first word only (i.e., Thank you) and leave four lines between the closing
and the sender’s name for a signature. If a colon follows the salutation, a comma should follow the
closing; otherwise, there is no punctuation after the closing.
Signature - It is written in ink, immediately below the complimentary close.
As far as possible, the signature should be legible. The name of the writer should be typed
immediately below the signature. The designation is given below the typed name. Where no
letterhead is in use, the name of the company too could be included below the designation of the
writer.

For example:
Yours faithfully

For M/S ABC Electronics

(Signature)

KUMAR

Partner

Enclosures
If you have enclosed any documents along with the letter, such as a resume, you indicate this
simply by typing ‘Enclosures’ one line below the closing.

As an option, you may list the name of each document you are including in the envelope. For
instance, if you have included many documents and need to insure that the recipient is aware of
each document, it may be a good idea to list the names.

For example : Encl : (i) The list of goods received

(ii) A cheque for Rs. One Thousand dt. Feb. 27, 2005 (Cheque No........) towards payment for
goods supplied.

Post script
This is required when the writer wants to add something, which is not included in the body of the
letter. It is expressed as P.S. For example, P.S. - In our offer, we provide two years warranty

Typist initials
Typist initials are used to indicate the person who typed the letter. If you typed the letter yourself,
omit the typist initials.

Format and font

When writing business letters, you must pay special attention to the format and font used. The
most common layout of a business letter is known as block format. Using this format, the entire
letter is left justified and single spaced except for a double space between paragraphs. Another
widely utilized format is known as modified block format. In this type, the body of the letter is left
justified and single-spaced. However, the date and closing are in alignment in the center of the
page. The final, and least used, style is semi-block. It is much like the modified block style except
that each paragraph is indented instead of left justified.

Format of a business letter

March 16, 2006

Ernie English
1234Writing Lab Lane
Write City, INDIA 12345

Dear Mr. English,

The first paragraph of a typical business letter is used to state the main point of the letter.

Begin with a friendly opening; then quickly transition into the purpose of your letter. Use a couple of
sentences to explain the purpose, but do not go in to detail until the next paragraph.

Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting details to justify your purpose.
These may take the form of background information, statistics or first-hand accounts. A few short
paragraphs within the body of the letter should be enough to support your reasoning.

Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is important. If the purpose
of your letter is employment related, consider ending your letter with your contact information.

However, if the purpose is informational, think about closing with gratitude for the reader’s time.

Sincerely,

Lucy Letter
123Winner’s Road
New Employee Town, PA

WRITING A BUSINESS MEMO

A memo is a document used for communication within a company. Memos can be as formal as a
business letter and used to present a report. They are used also to pass information, ideas, and
recommendations to other people in the same organization.

Memos solve problems either by informing the reader about new information, like policy changes,
price increases, etc., or by persuading the reader to take an action, such as attend a meeting, use
less paper, or change a current production procedure. Regardless of the specific goal, memos are
most effective when they connect the purpose of the writer with the interests and needs of the
reader.

Memos are often read by many people. Many memos are written to large groups of people within
an organization. Some memos are written to only one person but are passed along (“forwarded”) to
other people in the organization who need the information. Because memos are official
organizational documents, they are sometimes read by people outside the organization. Some
memos are made public for legal reasons or during court cases.
They have the advantage of not requiring an inside address, a salutation line, and perfunctory
opening lines that greet the reader, inquiring about matters unrelated to the subject of the
document. Good memos get to the point, focus on just one issue, and support the writer’s central
ideas with coherent, relevant, convincing evidence. The best of business memos are concise,
written in plain English, and sensibly organized.

Your ability to write a crisp, clean memo will mark you as someone who contributes to the
organization – someone worth keeping, watching, and promoting. Will a good memo get you
promoted? That’s unlikely. A series of bad memos – poorly crafted, disorganized and densely
expressed – however, may stop your career in its tracks. Writing after all, is a career sifter. Good
writers move up; bad writers get left behind.

THE SIX COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

Before you begin writing, begin thinking. Give some careful thought to your reader, to your
objectives, and to the strategy you will employ to achieve you objectives. The content and pattern
of organization will follow from those. When you are sure you know what you want to achieve – and
what you want your reader to learn from writing – you will need a communication strategy.

Here are six basic strategies, three designed to convey information, and three designed to promote
action.

INFORMATION STRATEGIES ACTION STRATEGIES

1. To confirm agreement
2. To request assistance
3. To provide facts
4. To give direction
5. To provide a point of view
6. To seek agreement

WRITING AN OVERVIEW PARAGRAPH

The opening or overview paragraph of any memo should reveal a communication strategy for the
entire document. By writing it first, you will identify your purpose and main ideas. This will give you
perspective and direction that will guide the development of the memo, letter, or report. Your
reader will benefit as well. Overview paragraph provides perspective on what’s coming and what’s
important, much like the topic sentence of a well-constructed paragraph. Overview paragraphs
should clearly tell the reader:

1. Purpose: why are they writing the memo?

2. Main idea: What do you want to tell the reader? Or, what do you want the reader to do?
3. Opinion: What is your point of view on the subject?

In addition, the overview should begin to establish the tone of the document for your reader. Since
the overview is the first paragraph a reader will see it and it is, without question, one of the most
important elements of a memo, you should keep in mind that it should display a number of
important basic qualities. It should:
 1. Be clear and simple. Remember that the reader is trying to get oriented. The overview
provides perspective on what is coming. Keep the words simple and the sentences short.
Think about your audience and what the various readers know. Anyone who receives the
document should be able to understand it.
2. Be brief: The overview paragraph acts as an executive summary of the memo that follows.
This is not entire memo packed into a paragraph or two. Stick to the main ideas.
3. Deal with the what – not with the how: What is the recommended course of action in a
proposal or the main conclusion in an information memo? Avoid how or implementation at
the early point in your memo. Readers have trouble dealing with implementation until they
understand and agree what should be done.
4. Include and identify the writer’s point-of-view. Go beyond the facts – interpret, conclude,
and recommend. That will take responsibility up front for what you believe by stating your
point of view in the Overview. This helps convey confidence and a sense of leadership.
5. Reflect the needs of the reader: The overview is geared to the knowledge and skill level of
the reader. It takes into account what the readers needs and wants to know.
6. Be thorough and complete: Although brief, the overview should be able to stand on its
own. It does not tell the reader everything in the memo; it contains key highlights. The best
test of a good overview: Can the reader say yes without reading further?

SAMPLE OVERVIEWS

Here are several overview paragraphs that will help the reader to better understand what the writer
is saying and what he wants from the reader, Pay careful attention to the length and structure of
these overviews. Note how compact and cogent each of them is.
1. This memo recommends the establishment of an on-site exercise and health club facility in
the corporate headquarters complex.
2. This memo provides a summary of The Grill Master II’s market performance in each sales
region for the first quarter of FY-2006.
3. This memo urgently recommends a product design review for the XYZ Plus. Warranty
claims, field reports, and customer’s complaint about this product indicate a possible
defect in the blade shield. Failure to review the design may result in significant liability
exposure of the form and may irreparably damage the brand reputation.
4. This memo recommends a 30-day continuation of the Visa Classic customer rebate
program to Region 5. Initial response to the rebate coupons at retail level has exceeded
market projections by 135%.
5. This memo recommends the addition of 3 administrative assistants in the Information
Technology Division. Launch of the company’s new Intranet and our new wireless PDA
system have increased technical workloads and created a 20 – day back log.

THE INFORMATION MEMO

Interoffice memos have two purposes: to inform or to persuade. If your purpose is to document,
records, or inform, here are some things you write.

1. Make your reasons for writing clear to the readers: Explain, right up front, in the overview
paragraph why you’re writing. Use boldface headings and subheads to label and describe
the information you’re providing.
 2. Write about just one subject: Don’t confuse your readers with information about more than
one subject in a memo. If you must write about several subjects, either give your memo a
more general, abstract subject line, or (preferably) write several memos.
3. Begin with the big picture first, then move to the details: Don’t simply download data on
your readers and expect them to figure out what it means. Show your readers where this
information fits into the big picture and then organize it in a way that makes sense to them.
4. Provide just as much detail as you think your reader will need. The problem, of course is
that some readers want all sorts of detail. Others just want the bottom line or main point.
There’s nothing wrong with either of those groups, that’s just the way they are. In order to
satisfy the needs of as many readers as possible, you should provide the most important
information first, explaining what it is, what it means, and why it’s important. You might
then direct those who want additional detail to a paper appendix attached to your memo or,
perhaps, to an Intranet or website where they can read or download what they want.
5. Group similar information together: Read through your first draft and look for similar bits of
information that appear in multiple paragraphs. Eliminate redundant sentences or
paragraphs in which you’ve become repetitious.
6. Provide a point of contact for your readers. If the people reading your memo have
questions or concerns about the information you have provided, who should they contact?
Helpful informative memos will include not only a return address but telephone numbers,
e-mail addresses, and (if you’re willing) the name of a person who can assist with
questions.
7. Avoid gratuitous use of the first-person singular: Address the reader as “you” or write in the
third person. By doing so, you will reduce the temptation to include your own opinion with
such phrases as “I think….” “In my opinion ……”.etc.
8. Stick to the facts … Distinguish clearly between fact and opinion and omit those things
about which you are not sure. Finally, ask yourself how you know that this information is
current and accurate. What is the source of your confidence for all of this?

THE PERSUASIVE MEMO

Writing a persuasive memo is much like constructing a winning argument. The document must
provide a complete, logical argument with which the reader agrees. It must anticipate all questions
and responses – and deal with them. Proctor and Gamble Vice President, G.Gibson Carey, offers
this advice on persuading others by memo.

1. Consider your objective against the readers’ attitudes, perceptions, and knowledge of the
subject, be sure you know exactly what you want to accomplish with your memo. Do a
careful assessment of the reader’s mindset at the beginning. What will it take to get the
reader to say yes?
2. Outline on paper, focusing on the Situation Analysis and Rationale sections. This will help
you construct a complete, logical argument. An outline also helps identify missing
information.
3. Include a plan of action: A well thought out implementation section adds credibility and
practicality to your ideas. It gives the busy reader added incentive to consider your
proposal. Even if you are awaiting approval to develop a detailed plan, include an outline
of the plan to demonstrate that your concept can be accomplished.
4. Don’t lose your argument in the Situation Analysis. Your proposal should flow naturally
from the problem or opportunity described in the Situation Analysis. The reader who
 disagrees with anything in this section of the memo cannot buy your proposal. Avoid
controversial issues, opinions, and unsupported assertions in the situation analysis. Stick
to the facts.
5. Use the direct approach: Present your Recommendation and Rationale before you discuss
other options that you have considered and rejected.
6. Always lead from strength: Start your proposal with a strong, confident overview
paragraph. Bring the important ideas to the beginning of each section. In the Rationale
section, always present your arguments in order of importance.
7. Gear your argument to the reader’s decision criteria. Know how your reader’s mind works.
Ask yourself if your argument is persuasive, given the reader’s interests and motivations.

STANDARD FORMATS FOR MEMOS

Putting your ideas on paper helps you evaluate them. It forces you, the writer, to think through the
issues carefully. Good ideas are invariably strengthened on paper and weak ideas are exposed for
what they are. Having a format in mind for the memo or report as you move forward with any
project can eliminate one of the common stumbling blocks to sound thinking and good
communication. The format becomes an organization plan for your ideas. It ensures that you think
logically and that you don’t overlook anything relevant to the project.
A standard format helps you organize information and concepts quickly. You don’t have to think
about where to put everything each time you start writing. If something is missing, it is immediately
evident. A standard format helps readers too. They don’t have to figure out how your mind was
working each time they get a document from you. They know immediately where to find the pieces
and how they fit together. This saves time and promotes understanding. A document can be
organized or put together in a variety of ways. Always be certain your case is developed in a logical
and persuasive manner. Consider using a format with which your readers are familiar, since they
will be more comfortable with it. But don’t compromise on clarity, simplicity, and logical flow to do
this.

Sample Memo Format / Template

TO
FROM
DATE
SUBJECT:
First Sentence
Reason for the memo

Second Sentence - Main Body

Any Instructions or information

Closing Sentence
What is required of the reader e.g. Confirmation, answers or feedback

EXAMPLE OF MEMO
MEETING AND CONFERENCE REPORTS
The purpose of a conference or meeting-report is to record decisions made at the meeting. Avoid
long descriptions of what was discussed or presented, restatements, of arguments, or praise, or
blame. Use a standard format that includes the name or the group, persons attending and subjects
covered.
Report briefly on:
1. What was discussed or presented
2. What was decided and why
Focus your report on:
1. What action is required?
2. Who is responsible?
3. What the timing will be.

Many businesses keep track of current and proposed activities with project lists. These are nothing
more than simple description of what the organization is doing to achieve its goals or serve its
customers. Projects lists usually take more time to prepare than they are worth, so try to keep them
simple. This will save time and actually make them more useable documents. Separate each
project by category, and then list projects in order of priority of importance. Each project on your list
should include a title and brief description, status, next steps, responsible parties and date due. If
your project list is long, consider adding a cover page to highlight key projects that require
management attention. Projects should never just disappear, completed or terminated projects
should be shown as such the following month, with a brief notation about why the project will not
appear on future project lists.

MAKE YOUR MEMOS INVITING AND ATTRACTIVE

A good document is both inviting and easy to read and easy to use as a reference. Here are some
ideas on how to achieve this:

1. Grab attention up front. A strong overview section gives the reader perspective on what’s
coming. This makes any memo easier to read and understand. Don’t open the memo with
unimportant details or information the reader already knows.
2. Vary sentence and paragraph length - but keep them short. Short paragraphs and short
sentences are inviting because they are easier to deal with. If all your sentences or
paragraphs are of the same length, however, the memo will seem monotonous.
3. Use headings: The reader will understand your organization plan for the memo. Headings
also make it a better reference document.
4. Use bullets and numbers to identify groupings. This helps break up long paragraphs and
it’s another way to indicate how the memo is organized.
5. Use parallel structure for lists (as this one does) Keep things with things, actions with
actions, do’s with do’s, don’ts with don’ts, and so on.
6. Underline or use boldface type to focus on topic sentences, key words, and phrases. But
don’t overdo, too much underlining makes a document look cluttered.
7. Leave adequate margins: Lots of white space makes any document more inviting. Use
tables, charts, and exhibits, paragraphs full of numbers are difficult to read. Presenting the
same information in a table or chart makes it easier to understand and easier to refer to.
8. Don’t settle for sloppy or illegible duplication: Make it a quality document.

EDITING YOUR MEMOS

Good writing requires rewriting. The overall purpose of editing is to trim, clarify, and simplify. Put
the document aside for a while – overnight if possible – before revising. This helps you step back.
Look at the memo through the eyes of the reader, and be more objective.

Before revising your memo, quickly, review the guidelines provided in the opening sections. Then
put yourself in the reader’s place and go through the document several times.

1. Is it clear? Is the flow of the memo logical? Will the reader understand the development of
your thesis? Are the words simple and concrete? Will the reader understand technical
terms? Is every sentence clear, unambiguous, easy to read?
2. Is it complete? Will the reader understand your purpose? Does the Situation Analysis have
all the background information the reader needs to know? Are all the key numbers in the
body of the memo? Have all necessary agreements been spelled out?
 3. Is it persuasive? Does your Rationale section lead from strength? Are your arguments in
order of importance? Have you anticipated potential responses and questions – and dealt
with them? Have you avoided exaggerations and provided a balanced, rational argument?
4. Is it accurate? Are opinions and facts separated and clearly labeled? Is every number
correct?
5. Is it concise? Do you have too many arguments? Did you waste words telling readers what
they already know? Do you have unnecessary words, phrases or sentences?
6. Is it inviting to read? Are there large blocks of type that can be broken up? Did you leave
adequate margins? Is the memo neat, clear, legible?
7. Is it perfect? Are there any typos, misspellings, or grammatical errors that could cast doubt
on the quality of your thinking?

E – MAILS

Electronic mail, commonly called email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages
across the Internet or other computer networks. Originally, email was transmitted directly from one
user to another computer. This required both computers to be online at the same time, i.e. instant
messaging. Today's email systems are based on a store-and-forward model. Email servers accept,
forward, deliver and store messages. Users no longer need be online simultaneously and need
only connect briefly, typically to an email server, for as long as it takes to send or receive
messages.
An email message consists of two components, the message header, and the message body,
which is the e-mail's content. The message header contains control information, including,
minimally, an originator's email address and one or more recipient addresses. Usually additional
information is added, such as a subject header field.
Originally a text only communications medium, email was extended to carry multi-media content
attachments. The history of modern, global Internet email services reaches back to the early
ARPANET. The Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET), was the world's first
operational packet switching network and the core network Standards for encoding email
messages were proposed as early as 1973. Conversion from ARPANET to the Internet in the early
1980s produced the core of the current services. An email sent in the early 1970s looks quite
similar to one sent on the Internet today.

Pros and Cons of E-MAILS

The pros are:
• E-mail is easy. The hardest part of Internet e-mail (or any Net service, for that matter) is
getting connected to the Internet in the first place. Once you've made it through that trial-
by-fire, however, the rest is no sweat. All you need is the appropriate software that runs on
your computer.
• E-mail is fast. No matter where you're sending your message, whether it's on the other
side of town or on the other side of the planet, even the most rambling missive still takes
only seconds or, at most, minutes to reach its destination.
• E-mail is cheap. Outside of your normal online connection charges, Internet e-mail costs
precisely nothing (although some commercial e-mail systems do charge a nominal fee
after you've sent a certain number of messages or characters).
• E-mail messages are easily stored. Because they're electronic, saving an e-mail message
you've received (and calling it back up again later on) is a breeze.
 • E-mail is practically universal. Not only do millions of people on the Internet use e-mail, but
every major e-mail system in the world has built-in electronic "bridges" (called gateways)
that allow their users to send messages to and receive messages from the Internet.
The cons are:
• E-mail is impersonal. Unlike in a man-to-man conversation, it's tough to get across facial
expressions and other nuances in e-mail prose. Even a telephone confab relies on oral
cues such as inflection and volume to convey sarcasm and humor.
• Impersonality of e-mail also leads to another problem: forgetting that, most of the time, a
live human being will be reading your message. E-mail is so easy that you can throw
together a message in a few minutes and send it packing with a single keystroke or mouse
click. And once it's sent, there's no way to retrieve a message that was written in a fit of
anger.
• E-mail can take over your life. As you get more involved in the world of e-mail, you'll
naturally start getting more correspondence. You'll be exchanging pleasantries with friends
and colleagues, subscribing to mailing lists and online journals, and trading info with
complete strangers. Before you know it, you can spend most of your day just reading and
responding to mails.
• E-mail security is negligent, at best. As your e-mail messages wend their way to their
destinations, they have to pass through other, public, systems. Anyone with the right
amount of technical know-how can easily intercept your mail and snoop through it without
you or the recipient knowing.
• E-mail messages are easily stored. "Hey, wait a minute! I thought that was a pro." Well, it
is, but there's a downside to this easy storage. If you say nasty things about your boss or a
colleague in a message, a saved copy of your tirade could easily resurface and come back
to haunt you sometime in the future. A good rule to follow is to assume your message will
be read by the general public and to write accordingly.
• E-mail can only handle text. The big advantage that couriers have over e-mail is that you
can send things like Christmas presents and food. E-mail is a text-only medium, which
limits the types of things you can send. Things are getting better, though. Most modern e-
mail programs let you "attach" things like graphics, sound files, and other types of
documents.
Overall, the pros of e-mail easily outweigh the cons, thus e-mail is a good thing after all (so it's safe
to keep reading).
AGENDAS
An agenda is a list of meeting activities in the order in which they are to be taken up, beginning
with the call to order and ending with adjournment. It usually includes one or more specific items of
business to be considered. An agenda may also be called a docket.

Etymology
Originally agenda was a plural word, a Latin term for "things [needing] to be done". What is now
known as an agenda is a list of individual items, each of which was originally referred to as an
agendum. The modern English word is singular, and has a plural of agendas.

Explanation
In business meetings of deliberative bodies, the agenda may also be known as the orders of the
day. The agenda is usually distributed to a meeting's participants prior to the meeting, so that they
will be aware of the subjects to be discussed, and are able to prepare for the meeting accordingly.
Form of agenda
The agenda is usually headed with the date, time and location of the meeting, followed by a series
of points outlining the order of the meeting.
Points on a typical agenda may include:
• Welcome/open meeting
• Support for absence (what ever that is)
• Approve minutes of the previous meeting
• Matters arising from the previous meeting
• A list of specific points to be discussed — this section is where the bulk of the discussion
as well as decisions in the meeting usually takes place
• Any other business (AOB) — allowing a participant to raise another point for discussion.
• Arrange/announce details of next meeting
• Close meeting

MEETING MINUTES
Minutes are a formal and brief summary of proceedings at meetings.

Reasons for keeping minutes

1. provide an authoritative source and permanent record of proceedings for future reference
2. provide formal evidence of decisions, e.g. appointments, financial allocations, authorized
actions
3. provide formal evidence of decisions, e.g. appointments, financial allocations, authorized
actions
4. provide a record of policy decisions made and the basis for them
5. provide a starting point for action to be taken in future
6. create an official record which can be used in legal proceedings
7. inform members not present at the meeting and any others of the actions of the body
concerned
8. assist in the conduct of subsequent meetings
9. set out precedents for future occasions, in the case of rulings from the chair
10. provide documentary evidence for audit purposes

Notes
The term ‘minutes’ is sometimes replaced by the term ‘notes’. Notes are less formal. They are
typically:
1. less detailed, involving a shorter précis of discussion
2. emphasizes action to be taken after the meeting
3. do not need to be approved at the next meeting

Essentials of a good minute: A good minute is:

1. Brief
Brevity can be achieved in two ways:
a. First, a minute should be selective. It is not a verbatim record, and should not attempt to
reproduce, however summarily, what every speaker said. It is a skilled summary of
 proceedings and should record only the essence of the discussion, picking up the main
threads which lead to the conclusion.
b. Secondly, the points selected for inclusion in the minute should be recorded as briefly as
possible. The secretary may make use of any striking phrases used in the discussion but
should not attempt to set out the course of the arguments as they were developed by the
speakers, as this will lead to an unnecessarily diffuse style.

2. Self-contained
A minute should normally be self-contained, so that it is able to be understood without reference to
other documents. This may not seem important at the time, when the subject is topical and other
relevant documents are fresh in people’s minds. But minutes are usually designed not only as a
basis for current action, but also for permanent record; and for purposes of subsequent reference
they are much more valuable if they can be understood by themselves

3. Decisive
The minute should be as decisive as possible. This is specially important for the conclusions. But it
applies also to the record of the discussion. The secretary should not try to reproduce what the
speaker said; they should get down to the essential core of discussion and record that as briefly
and as clearly as possible.

Structure of a minute
The first purpose of a minute is to set out the conclusions reached so that those who have to take
action will know precisely what they have to do.
The second is to give the reasons why the conclusions were reached. A minute should fall clearly
into three parts:
1. opening statement i.e. background
2. points in discussion
3. conclusions i.e. resolutions or recommendations
It is a good rule to think out the sequence of a minute before beginning to compile it, and to work
backwards from the conclusion. The secretary should first decide what are the conclusions to be
recorded and keep those clearly in their mind while preparing the minute. This will help them
decide how much of the discussion needs to be recorded and in what order it can be best
arranged.

Opening Statement
This part, which can be written before the meeting, and may even appear in the agenda, provides
the background to the item. It can show who was responsible for putting the item before the
meeting, what were the reasons for the proposal and the previous history of the matter. It should
not summarize the whole of the documents under discussion; the sole purpose of the opening
statement is to make the subsequent discussion intelligible without reference to other documents.

This can usually be achieved in a few lines. If not, the subject should be stated and the readers left
to refer to the documents themselves. The minute should begin by recording any documents under
discussion, giving the name and date of each.

Thus:
“The Committee noted a letter dated .... from ............stating that .........”
or, where there are several documents -
“The Committee noted the following information concerning ................”
or,
“The Committee had before it the following information - ....................”

Points in Discussion
The second part of the minute contains the reasons advanced in the meeting for the decision. It will
usually proceed: “The following points were raised in discussion”, and will then set out, in separate
paragraphs or in point form, a concise summary of the various points made before the conclusion
was reached.

It is normally desirable that this part of the minute should be impersonal, i.e. that it should not
attribute views to persons. Titles/names would be used on occasions. Much less emphasis need
be given to unsuccessful arguments that did not convince the meeting. It is often unnecessary to
reproduce the points in discussion in the order in which they were made. It is better to look forward
to the conclusion, and arrange the points in the logical order in which they lead up to it.

Conclusions
A minute should end with conclusions which are clear and precise. The chairperson will sometimes
have summed up the discussion and indicated the conclusions reached. But, if they have not done
so, it is the duty of the secretary to draft a set of conclusions which express fairly the sense of the
meeting.

Where action is required, the conclusion should place the responsibility firmly upon an individual, to
carry it out. If several committee members are concerned they should all be named but care should
be taken to indicate who has the main responsibility.

To make them stand out as clearly as possible, it is preferable to divide the conclusions into
constituent parts, putting each into a separate provision, e.g.:

“It was resolved -

(a) that Dr X be requested to draft a revised statement on ...;
(b) that the Vice-Chancellor be invited to discuss the matter at the next meeting of...”

MINUTE WRITING
1. Assume that you attended a meeting to discuss the genuine complaints from your customers
convened by your General Manager (Customer Relations). Write the minutes of the meeting with
relevant details (January 2010)

Answer
ABC Ltd
Minutes of Meeting # 1
November 30, 2010 @ Board room
Members present: Mr. J (General Manager), Mr. M (Head, Marketing), Ms. S (Head, Sales),
Ms. N (Customer Cell)

Apologies: None

General Manager said, “Thank you to customers for taking time to communicate to us why our
product/service did not meet your expectations. We wish to address your needs and provide the
best solution available to resolve your issue as soon as possible. We will be in contact with you in
the coming days to make our best attempt in re-establishing your confidence in our company. We
will further evaluate how we can prevent this problem from recurring in future”.

Please accept our sincerest apology for any trouble or inconvenience we have caused you. Once
again, we appreciate your feedback as it will assist us in becoming better at what we do. As with
any business like ours, the greatest advertising we can have is word of mouth from a satisfied
customer. It’s our goal to retain you as a satisfied customer and we hope to serve you again in
future.

For customer inquiries or complaints regarding our service, our procedure for responding to a
complaint is as follows:

For written complaints – a Customer Service Representative (CSR) will read, identify and
research your concern dispatching a service person if needed to obtain any on-site information
needed to resolve the problem. The CSR will first attempt to respond with the results by phone, but
if unsuccessful will respond in writing.

By phone or in person – a CSR will identify your concern and attempt to resolve your complaint
without further research, the CSR will research the concern and if necessary, dispatch a service
person to obtain any on-site information needed to resolve the problem. The CSR will first attempt
to respond with the results by phone, if unsuccessful will respond in writing. If you feel response is
inadequate or you are dissatisfied with the findings, you can review the complaint and the CSR’s
findings with the senior CSR or the Customer Service Manager.

The General Manager closed the meeting and thanked members for their attendance.

Sd….. GENERAL MANAGER: Mr. J

Minutes recorded by Mr. M DATE:______/______/2010

SALES LETTER
A sales letter is a marketing tool that can build your client base and increase your sales. A result-
oriented sales letter requires careful planning and must encompass the principles of effective sales
writing.

Sales Letter And Direct Mail Letter Comparison

A sales letter is similar to a direct mail letter. Both seek to accomplish the following:
* Generate sales by giving a prospect as many persuasive reasons to buy as possible
* Educate and inform potential customers about your company and your products and services
Despite similarities, a sales letter is different from a direct mail letter in these important ways:
• A direct mail letter is almost always a component of a mass mailing, whereas a sales letter
is not. A sales letter can be aimed at as few as one or two prospects.
• A sales letter is a more personalized form of communication. Sales people often use sales
letters to follow-up with prospects after an initial meeting or telephone contact has been
made
• A direct mail letter aims for immediate sales action on the part of the prospect, but a sales
letter often attempts to lay the groundwork for future sales by assisting in establishing a
relationship with the prospect

Businesses That Use Sales Letters

If company sells a relatively inexpensive product or service, such as a magazine subscription or a
carpet cleaning service, a direct mail letter is an appropriate marketing tool. With relatively
inexpensive products company can motivate its customers to take immediate action, such as use a
coupon or fill out an order form.

The more expensive the product or service however, the more personalized sales efforts need to
be to overcome a prospect’s sense of risk. If company sells costly medical products to a hospital
for example, company has to convince the administrators to invest a considerable amount of
money in your organization. Plus, company may need to establish purchase and payment plans
and will have to become actively involved in solving any problems that may arise from use of the
products.

Process of developing a Sales Letter

The process of developing sales letter will follow three major stages:
A. Plan
B. Outline
C. Write

A. Plan
Understand Your Prospect. Think About Potential Customers. What do they care about? How can
your product or service fill a need for them?
Understanding other specifics about how your target market operates their business is important as
well. For example, when are their peak times of business during the day, seasonally? How much of
their sales occur over the phone? Where are their customers located? The better you know them,
the better you will be able to meet their specific needs.

Understand the difference between your product’s features and benefits. After you have a solid
working knowledge of your potential customer’s wants and needs, you must communicate how
your product or service will meet them. It’s important for you to distinguish your product’s or
service’s features from its benefits. While features are valuable and can certainly enhance your
product, benefits are what motivate people to buy. Keep in mind it’s benefits, not features, that
appeal to people’s emotions. Many new sales writers tend to confuse features and benefits. What’s
the difference? A feature is a characteristic of a product or service that automatically comes with it.
For example, the telephone company may offer an automatic switching line to reroute calls to
another location in the case of a power failure. That’s a feature. The benefit to your customer is
that sales won’t be lost. (Features become benefits when you tell the reader in your letter what it
will do for them.)
For example: You’re the manufacturer of an anti-theft car device. Your product is a steering wheel
lock made of a new steel alloy that cannot be cut. That’s a feature. The benefit to the buyer is
added security in knowing that a thief can’t saw through the device to remove it.
In one column, list the features of your product or service. In the other, list the benefits each feature
yields to the buyer.
Your letter needs to communicate how your product’s or service’s benefits will meet at least one
basic business or human need. Saving time and money, and enhancing customer service are
benefits businesses look for when purchasing products and services. Safety, good health, financial
security, the desire for love, status, and success, and appearing attractive to others are all
examples of needs consumers have.
When you write your sales letter, you must communicate what your product or service can do for
the buyer that no other product or service can do. Identifying what is most unique, different, and
helpful about your product will help you write and direct the flow of your copy.
Anticipate your prospect’s major objections and counter them in your sales letter. The best sales
people know in advance, mostly from experience, exactly what obstacles they might encounter
when trying to close a sale.
If you leave your prospective customer with serious questions and objections after reading your
letter, it will be much harder or even impossible, to get them to send for more information, call you
for more information, or grant you an appointment.
Decide what your immediate objective in writing your sales letter is. Ask yourself this question:
“What do I want the prospect to do after reading my letter?” Send for a sample and sales brochure,
call me to schedule a meeting, be interested enough to take my telephone call and schedule an
appointment with me? You need to determine this before you begin writing because you will need
to decide what you’re prepared to offer in order to provide the reader with an incentive to act.
For example, if you distribute a line of hair care products to beauty parlors and you want the owner
of twelve parlors to meet with you, you might offer to supply him with enough of your product to use
on customers free for a month. Or, you could offer a special 10% introductory discount if he agrees
to distribute your line of products. Whatever incentive you offer, limit the time frame you will offer it.
You would let the parlor owner know that the special introductory discount is only available until
August 1. This will create a sense of urgency in his mind.
Make sure the person you’re writing your letter to is the person who makes the decision to buy. If
you’re going to the effort of trying to establish a relationship, you want it to be with the person with
the authority to make decisions. With small companies, it’s usually the owner and president. But
with larger companies, you may have to do some research. You can call the company and try to
get the information from the receptionist.

Essentials questions to be answered while planning to draft a sales letter

1. Does the first paragraph grab my attention?
2. Does it relate to my business needs?
3. Is it easy or hard to put down?
4. Is it enjoyable to read?
5. What do I like best about this letter?
6. What do I dislike about it?
7. How would I improve it?
8. Does this letter make me want to buy? Why or why not?
 B. Outline

Outlines are useful tools for organizing ideas. To construct your outline, take a piece of paper and
write a few sentences for each of the major points.

Headlines
Direct mail letters commonly include headlines because they help grab a reader’s attention.
Remember, a sales letter endeavors to establish a relationship. Some basic principles to follow
when creating headline are:
1. A headline is a short statement, one or two lines at the most, that appears at the top of the page
between the address and salutation. A headline should do one of the following:
a. Immediately tell the prospect what potential benefit they will receive:
E.g. You Can Cut Your Long Distance Expenses By Half.
Or, the headline should imply the benefit:
E.g. Were You Shocked By Your Last Long Distance Phone Bill?

b. Ask your prospect a question they will find compelling:

E.g. Are You Sure Your Car’s Anti-Theft Device Really Works?
What Would Happen To Your Sales If Your Phone Lines Went Down?

2. If you use a headline, it should appear in a larger font, with all the words CAPITALIZED and in
Bold.

Instead of a headline you may choose to use a supporting statement such as a testimonial, product
review, or an endorsement. Whether you choose to use one in your headline or not, you should
use a supporting statement in your sales letter. It’s especially important to do so if your product or
service is expensive. Supporting statements help eliminate risk in a prospect’s mind.
EXAMPLES OF TESTIMONIALS / STATEMENTS FROM SATISFIED CUSTOMERS:
“Island Long Distance has cut our long distance phone bills by 30%! They saved us during our
busiest sales season!”
Endorsements are statements from experts: “Recommended for Use By The American Medical
Association.” Testimonials, reviews, and endorsements should appear as quotations. Text should
be in a slightly smaller font and in italics. Underneath the quote, you should indicate who said it or
what newspaper it appeared in.
Note: Don’t crowd the top of your letter with a headline and too many quotations because it will
appear as an advertisement and not a personal form of communication. You can use quotations in
the body of your letter or at the end.

C. Write Your Lead Paragraph.

Your first or lead paragraph represents the most important sentences of your letter because if you
don’t compel the reader to read, your letter will have no impact. Your first sentence should logically
flow from the idea you created with your headline. Professional writers often refer to the headline
and connecting lead paragraph as establishing the “hook.” It’s called a hook because you must
interest your reader right away with the headline then keep them reading after the first paragraph.

The hook of your sales letter must:

 • Appeal to a business need or human emotion
• Begin selling your main benefit

If your headline was: Do You Know How Many Long Distance Companies Overcharge Their
Customers? Your lead paragraph would answer the question: “A recent survey by the American
Marketing Association indicates that the big three long distance phone companies overcharge their
customers”

From Your Planning Stage, Write Down Any Objections To Your Product And How You Will
Overcome Them.

If you are going to state a product or service’s price in your letter, remember this important point.
Expenses should be expressed over short periods of time and profits over the long term. For
Example: “This service costs you only Rs.50 a week” is better than writing “this service will cost
you Rs.200 a month or Rs.2400 a year.”

For Example: “This service will increase your profits by 25% over the next four years” is better than
writing “this service will increase your profits by Rs.600 a month.”

If you are offering a special discount or bonus to the reader, refer to it after your lead paragraph.
Don’t spell out all the details of your offer yet. You want to build excitement. But it’s important to
refer to it early on in your letter, especially if you don’t mention it in the headline because it will
keep your reader’s interest high.
For example: If you purchase before July 1st, not only can you take advantage of our special
discount, you’ll also be eligible for free freight! Support your product claims with testimonials,
examples, or statistics. These statements will add credibility to your benefit claims. Remember,
businesses and consumers like to have risk eliminated before they buy a product. Spell out the
specific details of any special offer or a discount.

Close.
Write a statement or two for each of the following points:
• Recap benefits
• Restate offer
Ask the prospective customers to act, or let them know what course of action you’ll be taking, such
as, telephoning next week to schedule an appointment. If you want to schedule an appointment
with your prospect, don’t leave it up to them to telephone you. Indicate when you’ll be contacting
them, and then make sure you follow through.

Add a post-script. You can use a P.S. to reinforce your offer or benefit. Example: P.S. Don’t forget,
our free freight offer is good only through July 1st!
General Guidelines
1. Keep your sales letter to one or two pages
2. Send your sales letter to the right people
3. Personalize your sales letter
4. Write different versions of your sales letter for different segments of your target market
5. Include an order form with your sales letter
6. Don’t include fancy graphics in your sales letter
 7. Send out a repeat mailing two or three weeks later

Exercise: 2
Write an effective sales letter about a newly introduced lap-top, specially meant for school
students, to heads of all schools in your district. (May / June 2009)
Solution
To
The Principal
PSB Senior Secondary School
Chennai

Sir / Madam,

Back packs of today are not what the students simply used to be. They are now every thing one needs,
for every thing one does, all wrapped up in one convenient easy to use package. No more are they used
only by children to carry their books and pencils back and forth to school. An entirely new generation of
laptops is currently being manufactured for multiple generations of technology users. Present generation
students are not only using them in class but also use them at home. Its great opportunity for students to
familiarize themselves with the technology surrounding them. Before purchasing a laptop, the following
things to be considered:
1. Battery life is important especially if you are carrying your laptop around with you all day. Some
laptops can run up to seven hours on one battery. To stay unplugged longer, buy a supplemental
battery or look for a laptop that can store an additional power pack
2. Laptop screens continue to get not only bigger but better with high resolution color and LCD
features. Bigger screens are nice to look at but they also mean heavier loads, shorter battery life
and a bigger price tag. Middle of the road is a safe at 14.1 or 15.4.
Our product will satisfy you in all the above respects. For further clarification, call us through our mobile:
90000 12345.
Waiting for your reply.

Thank You
Regards

Mr. A
Sales Manager

ENQUIRIES

A letter generated for the interest of the writer, usually a one page letter, it contains details of
background of writer, description of proposed subject, details required and how it will benefit & of
interest to both the parties.
Inquiry letters can be written to anyone about almost anything -- within reason, of course. You can't
expect to inquire about personal matters and get a response about something that is none of your
business. Privacy concerns are very real in our society today, but a respectful inquiry about
something of general interest is proper. Whether you get a response or not is up to the recipient,
but a well-written letter is the first step.

Function
Inquiry letters, when written properly, can open a door you are trying to walk through. Their primary
function is to introduce yourself to a person or organization, and to learn what your next step
should be in the process.

Types
Inquiry letters are typically written as the first step in applying for a grant from a foundation; to
express an interest in a job with a company and to ask for more information about the position; to
express an interest in an area one is considering moving to; to ask for information on a school one
is thinking of sending their children; to companies and individuals for information genealogical
researchers are seeking for their family's histories; or to individuals as the first step when one is
compiling biographical information on a person for a paper for school or for the media.

Time Frame
An inquiry letter should be written long before you actually need the information you are seeking.
You never know what someone's schedule is like at the receiving end of the letter, and your failure
to act promptly does not constitute an emergency for the recipient. Allow plenty of time but do
include in the letter a time by which you would like to receive a response. If you do not hear
anything by that time, you can write a follow-up letter or make a phone call to make certain they
received the first letter.

Features
An inquiry letter should be brief, concise and informative, all on one page. The letter should be
formatted as any business letter. The first sentence should briefly and clearly state your purpose in
writing the inquiry letter. The second statement should introduce you or your organization. The
body of the letter should explain how you or your organization would benefit from what you are
asking for. The last paragraph should thank them for the opportunity to be considered.

Considerations
Some organizations and individuals receive more inquiries than they can ever consider or even
respond to, so not all organizations will respond to your letter. Or if they do, it will be with a form
letter. The most important thing to remember when writing an inquiry letter is that its tone should be
respectful.

Exercise: 3 (January 2007)

Write a Letter to Mr. Proprietor enquiring for a ‘corporate retreat and training center’ for your client
with reference to his advertisement dated December 06, 2010 in “The Hindu’.

Solution
From
ABC Ltd.
P.O. Box: 1274
Denim District
Tamilnadu

December 07, 2010

To
Mr. Proprietor
XYZ Properties Pvt. Ltd.,
P.O. Box: 7413
Denner District
Tamilnadu

Subject: Enquiry for a ‘corporate retreat and training center’ – reg.

Reference: To your advertisement dated December 06, 2010 in “The Hindu’

Dear Mr. Proprietor,

This letter is with regard to your advertisement in today’s newspaper dated December 07, 2010, The Hindu. Our
client looks for a building on the same line. However, before finalizing on this building, company wishes to have
some more information on the same.

Please enclose a brochure or pictures of the place in reply to queries stated below:
1. Is this place accessible throughout the year by road?
2. Our client is interested in using this place as a corporate retreat and training center and hence would be in
need of at least two rooms suitable for the meeting of up to 15 people
3. How many bedrooms does the building have? Our client is in need of at least 15 bedrooms
4. How much would the real estate taxes sum up to on this property?
5. How old is the structure?
6. Is there a facility for a helipad? If not, is there enough area to construct one?
7. Does this place have enough parking area to hold a minimum of 20 mid-size vehicles?
8. Do you provide LCDs and other computer technologies? If so, send the package details

Please send the information by December 30, 2010, so that client and company together can decide upon your
quotations. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Mr. A
Managing Director

ORDERS

Letters dealing with orders and payments for merchandise form a bulk of business activity. As a
result, serious thinking and care should be exercised in drafting these letters. A little carelessness
may result in loss of the customers or good will.
Therefore order letters should be exact, cordial and tactful. They should be definite and complete
that the reader may feel it exactly as the writer wishes. Any error or incompleteness may mean
further corresponding, shipping delays, complicated billing, repacking and loss of business.

An order letter need not be preceded by an inquiry or offer. Information received from catalogue
and advertisement also helps people and parties in placing and sale. Hence it has great
importance.

Proper care should be taken in drafting of the order to ensure efficient handling and to eliminate all
doubts resulting in loss of time and possibly of the market.

The desired facts are as under:

1. Details about what you are ordering.
2. Directions for shipment.
3. Manner of payments.

In order messages, the main idea in the first paragraph we are ordering something. Our
explanatory paragraphs give whatever details the order requires --- about quantity, color, style,
size, price, payment, location, shipment data, place --- plus any specific instructions our reader
might need. The last paragraph invites prompt shipment and dated action, if desired.

Exercise: 4
Write an order to MGT Marketing to order for sports items.

December 09, 2010

Mrs. E
MGT Marketing
B3 Street
Home town
KD District
COMPLAINT LETTERS
Meaning
A complaint letter is written when the purchaser does not find the goods up to his satisfaction. It is
normally written by the purchaser when he receives wrong, defective or damaged goods or
receives incorrect quantity of goods. It can also be written directly to the transit authority when the
goods are damaged in transit. Thus, we may define a letter of complaint as the letter that draws the
attention of the supplier or any other party on account of supply of defective or damaged goods.
Effective complaint letters should be: concise, authoritative, factual, constructive, and friendly.
Good complaint letters have these features: Concise letters can be understood quickly.
Authoritative letters - letters that are well written and professionally presented - have more
credibility and are taken seriously. Factual letters enable the reader to see immediately the
relevant details, dates, requirements, etc., and to justify the action to resolve the complaint.
Constructive letters - with positive statements, suggesting positive actions - encourage action and
quicker decisions. Friendly letters - with a considerate, cooperative and complimentary tone - are
prioritized because the reader will positively respond.
Write concise letters
Organizations receive too many communications these days, especially letters. People in
complaints departments receive more letters than most, and they cannot read every letter fully. The
only letters that are read fully are the most concise, clear, compact letters. Letters that ramble or
are vague will not be read properly. So it’s simple - to be acted upon, first your letter must be read.
To be read your letter must be concise. A concise letter of complaint must make its main point in
less than five seconds. The complaint letter may subsequently take a few more seconds to explain
the situation, but first the main point must be understood in a few seconds.

Structuring the letter is important. Think in terms of the acronym AIDA - attention, interest, desire,
action. This is the fundamental process of persuasion. The complaint letter attempts to persuade
the reader to take action.

Structure your letter so that you include a heading - which identifies the issue and name of product,
service, and person, location, with code or reference number if applicable. Then state the simple
facts, with relevant dates and details. Include also, (as a sign-off point is usually best), something
complimentary about the organization and/or its products, service, or people.

For example:
“I’ve long been a user of your products/services and up until now have always regarded you as an
excellent supplier/organization. I have every faith therefore that you will do what you can to rectify
this situation.”

Even if you are very angry, it’s always important to make a positive, complimentary comment. It will
make the reader and the organization more inclined to ‘want’ to help you.

If the situation is very complex with a lot of history, it’s a good idea to keep the letter itself very
short and concise, and then append or attach the details, in whatever format is appropriate
(photocopies, written notes, explanation, etc). This enables the reader of the letter to understand
the main point of the complaint, and then to process it, without having to read twenty pages of
history and detail.

Authoritative complaints letters have credibility and carry more weight. An authoritative letter is
especially important for serious complaints or one with significant financial implications.
Professional presentation, good grammar, correct spelling, firmness and clarity makes a letter
authoritative. Using sophisticated words (provided they are used correctly) - the language of a
broadsheet newspaper can also help to give your letter a more authoritative impression.

Letter layout - if writing as a private consumer use a letterhead preferably - ensure the name and
address details of the addressee are correct, include the date, keep it tidy, well-spaced, and print
your name under your signature. If you copy the letter to anyone, show that this has been done
(normally by using the abbreviation ‘c.c.’ with the names of copy letter recipients and their
organizations if appropriate, beneath the signature.) If you attach other pages of details or
photocopies, or enclose anything else such as packaging, state so on the letter (normally by using
the abbreviation ‘encl.’ in the foot of the page).
When people read letters, rightly or wrongly they form an impression about the writer, which can
affect response and attitude. Writing a letter that creates an authoritative impression is therefore
helpful.

Complaint letters must include all the facts

Resolving complaints will involve a cost or ‘investment’ of some sort, however small, which needs
justifying. If there’s insufficient justification, the investment needed to solve the problem cannot be
committed. So ensure you provide the relevant facts, dates, names, and details, clearly. Make sure
you include all the necessary facts that will justify why your complaint should be resolved. But be
brief and concise...
For example:
“The above part number 1234 was delivered to xyz address on 00/00/00 date developed ABC fault
on 00/00/00 date...”

Constructive letters and suggestions make complaints easier to resolve, accentuate the positive
wherever possible. This means presenting things in a positive light. Dealing with a whole load of
negative statements is not easy for anyone, especially customer service staff, who’ll be dealing
with mostly negative and critical communication all day. Be different by being positive and
constructive. State the facts and then suggest what needs to be done to resolve matters. If the
situation is complex, suggest that you’ll be as flexible as you can in helping to arrive at a positive
outcome. Say that you’d like to find a way forward, rather than terminate the relationship. If you
give a negative, final, ‘unsolvable’ impression, they’ll treat you accordingly. Suppliers of all sorts
work harder for people who stay loyal and are prepared to work through difficulties, rather than
jump ship whenever there’s a problem. Many suppliers and organizations actually welcome
complaints as opportunities to improve. So it helps to be seen as a positive and constructive
customer rather than a negative, critical one. It helps for your complaint to be seen as an
opportunity to improve things, rather than an arena for confrontation.

Write letters with a friendly and complimentary tone. A friendly and complimentary approach
encourages the other person to reciprocate - they’ll want to return your faith, build the relationship,
and keep you as a loyal customer or user of their products or services. People like helping nice
friendly people. People do not find it easy to help rough people who attack them. This is perhaps
the most important rule of all when complaining. Be kind to people and they will be kind to you. Ask
for their help - it’s really so simple - and they will want to help you.

Contrast a friendly complimentary complaint letter with a complaint letter full of anger and
negativity: readers of angry bitter letters are not naturally inclined to want to help - they are more
likely to retreat, make excuses, defend, or worse still to respond aggressively or confrontationally.
It’s human nature.

Also remember that the person reading the letter is just like you - they just want to do a good job,
be happy, to get through the day without being upset. What earthly benefit will you get by upsetting
them? Be nice to people. Respect their worth and motives. Don’t transfer your frustration to them
personally - they’ve not done anything to upset you. They are there to help. The person reading the
letter is your best ally - keep them on your side and they will do everything they can to resolve the
problem - it’s their job.
Try to see things from their point of view. Take the trouble to find out how they work and what the
root causes of the problems might be. This friendly approach is essential as well if you cannot
resist the urge to pick up the phone and complain. Remember that the person at the other end is
only trying to do their job, and that they can only work within the policy that has been issued to
them. Don’t take it out on them - it’s not their fault.

In fact, complaints are best and quickest resolved if you take the view that it’s nobody’s fault.
Attaching blame causes defensiveness - the barriers go up and conflict develops. Take an
objective view - it’s happened, for whatever reason; it can’t be undone, now let’s find out how it can
best be resolved. Try to take a cooperative, understanding, and objective tone. Not confrontational;
instead you and them both looking at the problem from the same side. If you use phrases like - “I
realize that mistakes happen...”; “I’m not blaming anyone....”; “I’m sure this is a rare problem...”
your letter (or phone call) will be seen as friendly, non-threatening, and non-confrontational. This
relaxes the person at the other end, and makes them more inclined to help you, because you are
obviously friendly and reasonable.

The use of humor often works wonders if your letter is to a senior person. Humor dissipates
conflict, and immediately attracts attention because it’s different. A bit of humor in a complaint letter
also creates a friendly, intelligent and cooperative impression. Senior people dealing with
complaints tend to react on a personal level, rather than a procedural level, as with customer
services departments. If you brighten someone’s day by raising a smile, there’s a good chance that
your letter will be given favorable treatment.

Returning faulty products

Check contracts, receipts, invoices, packaging, etc., for collection and return procedures and follow
them. When complaining, particularly about expensive items, it’s not helpful to undermine your
position by failing to follow any reasonable process governing faulty or incorrect products. You may
even end up with liability for the faulty product if the supplier is able to claim that you’ve been
negligent in some way.

For certain consumer complaints it’s helpful to return packaging, as this enables the organization to
check production records and correct problems if still present. If in doubt, phone the customer
services department to find out what they actually need you to return.

Product returns for business-to-business complaints will initially be covered by the supplier’s terms
and conditions of sale. Again take care not to create a liability for yourself by failing to follow
reasonable processes, (for example leaving a computer out in the yard in the pouring rain by way
of incentive for the supplier to collect, is not generally a tactic bound to produce a successful
outcome). Use recorded and insured post where appropriate.

Where should you send letters of complaints?

If the organization has a customer services department at their head office this is the first place to
start. The department will be geared up to dealing with complaints letters, and your complaint
should be processed quickly with the others they receive because that’s the job of a customer
services department. This is especially the case for large organizations.
Sending initial complaint letters to managing directors and CEO’s will only be referred by their PA
staff to the customer services department anyway, with the result of immediately alienating the
customer services staff, because you’ve ‘gone over their heads’. The trick of sending a copy letter
to the CEO - and showing this on the letter to the customer services department - is likely to have
the same effect.

You can generally find the address of the customer services department on (where appropriate)
product packaging, invoices, websites, and other advertising and communications materials
produced by the organization concerned. Local branches, if applicable, will also have the details.

Exercise: 5 (May / June 2010)

Your organization has recently acquired a batch of 30 computer systems with printers. Seven of
the systems and three of the printers are not working properly. Write a letter of complaint to the
suppliers stating the problems and requesting them to take back the faulty products and replace
them with new products.
From
V.R
System Administrator
ABC Systems Limited
Chennai – 600 020

December 09, 2010

To
The Manager, Marketing
DELL Computers
Chennai – 600 018

Subject: Complaint on non-functioning of seven systems and three printers

Reference: To the purchase of 30 computers and printers made on December 05, 2010

Sir,
This is to bring to your kind attention that, seven systems and three printers out of 30 computers and
printers purchased on December 05, 2010 do not function well. The management is highly
disappointed and expects solution at the earliest time possible. An exchange of these faulty systems
and printers with an equivalent or better model at no additional cost is appreciated. Otherwise,
company demands refund of the amount paid for these faulty equipments.

We look forward for timely response in this regard. Please call us for further queries.

Sincerely,
Sd…..
V.R
CLAIMS
Encl: AND
Copy ADJUSTMENTS
of the purchase receipt
CLAIM LETTERS

• At the beginning of your letter, indicate that you are making a claim and specify the type of
claim you are making (e.g., an insurance claim).
• State the policy number, if applicable.
• Describe the specific circumstances or details of the claim (for example, that a product is
defective or the details of an accident). Give all relevant facts concerning the claim.
• Indicate the amount you are claiming or what action you would like the reader to take and
the date by which you expect the action to be taken.
• Refer to any documents you are including with your letter, including claim forms, repair
estimates, warranty, or records or receipts. Ask if there is any other information or
documents or forms you need to send.
• If you are using some of the enclosed documents as evidence to substantiate your claim,
specifically mention the content of the documents and illustrate how they support your
claim.
• Indicate by when you would like to receive a reply to your letter and include contact
information that will allow the person to easily reach you.
• You may want to thank the reader for his/her (anticipated) help before ending your letter.

Claim Letter Tips

• Remain courteous and respectful. Even if you feel you have been wronged, maintain a
professional, though assertive, tone at all times.
• Send your claim letter within the prescribed time period so that the claim will be valid.
• If there are any necessary forms, etc., that you need to fill out or send, include them with
your letter for faster approval.
• Clearly state what it is that you hope to accomplish in sending your claim letter.

Exercise: 6
Write a letter to General Insurance Company to claim for damages to roof tiles of your
building, caused by the recent storm
Solution
December 15, 2010

Mrs. T
Claim Officer
General Insurance Company

Sub: Claim for damages to roof tiles of the building – reg.

Ref: Policy number – CRT/345/678/HY

Dear Mrs. T,

Further to telephone conversation had on December 12, I have enclosed the completed claim
form with regard to my buildings insurance claim. As discussed with you on the phone, I am
now writing to recover the costs of replacing 4 roof tiles which blew off during the recent storms
we have experienced.

As you requested, I obtained price quotations from 3 different companies, all of which I’ve
enclosed with this letter. The cheapest quote offered to me was Rs. 2,400 from Johnson
Roofing whom I subsequently asked to carry out the work. I have enclosed this invoice also.

Therefore, in accordance with the terms and conditions of my insurance policy, I would be
grateful if you could send me a cheque for the said amount of Rs. 2400 to reach me within 30
days of the date of this letter. If you require any additional information, please do not hesitate to
contact me.

Thank you in anticipation of your co-operation.

Yours sincerely,
Sd…………..
M.H
Plot # 001, 3rd Street
Cross main road
X Square
Tamilnadu

Enclosure
1. Claim form number 12345
2. 3 price quotations received from 3 different companies
3. Invoice of Johnson roofing
ADJUSTMENT LETTERS
An adjustment letter is a response to a written complaint. The objective is to inform the reader that
their complaint has been received. It is also a legal document recording what decisions were made
and what actions have or will be taken.
Keep in mind that your reader has been inconvenienced. This is a prime goodwill building
opportunity. Everybody makes mistakes and when a business owns up to one it goes along way to
renewing the customer's confidence in a continued business relationship.
The scope of your adjustment letter should reiterate the relevant facts of the claim. When the
customer is right, include a forthright admission to that effect and extend a sincere apology. When
the customer is not right, explain the reasons clearly and with every courtesy.
Counter any negativity that may be in the complaint letter with a positive approach. Be gracious
and emphasize the corrective steps being taken. Explanations for why the situation occurred are of
less importance than the solution.
Exercise: 7: Write an adjustment letter to rectify an incorrect shipment
Better Auto Spares Makers Ltd.,
5555 Widget Avenue
Silver City, TN 804567

December 15, 2010

Mr. JD
General Manager
JD Manufacturing Company
2525 E. 34th Street
Green City, TN 806312

Sub: Rectification of incorrect shipment – reg.

Ref: To your complaint letter dated December 13, 2010

Dear Mr. JD,

Please accept my apology for the incorrect shipment of Auto Spares and the delay in
reshipping the order. It was our mistake. The 300 auto spares (Ref. # XT111) that you originally
ordered were shipped out freight free today. You should receive them tomorrow via DHL
Couriers. We value your business and trust that you will find this action satisfactory.

In addition, as there is no excuse for the delay and inconvenience, I have instructed our
accounting department to credit your account in the amount of Rs. 13,680. This reflects the
10% discount routinely applied to orders larger than Rs. 2,50,000.

Sincerely,
Sd……………….
FT
Customer Service Representative
NOTICE
A notice is written by an individual, a group, an organization or a body to draw the attention of the
readers to a certain issue that needs immediate attention or active participation.
Points to remember
• Notice to be within a text box.
• All the relevant details to be given.
• A captivating heading needed.
• The name and the designation of the writer to be given at the end.
• Adhere to the word limit
Exercise: 8
Put up a notice on the school notice board, asking the Group Captains and the Vice-captains to
meet at the auditorium to discuss about the Athletic Meet of the year with the Principal and the
Vice-Principal. You are George Page, the School Prefect. (Write in less than 50 words)
Solution
GREYFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOL
NOTICE

December 15, 2010

ATTENTION: GROUP CAPTAINS AND VICE-CAPTAINS

The Group captains and vice-captains have to assemble in the auditorium at 3p.m. today for a
discussion on the Annual Athletic Meet of the year with the Principal and the Vice-Principal.

For further enquiries contact the undersigned.

Sd………..
George Page
School Prefect

TENDERS

A tender is an offer to do work or supply goods at a fixed price. Getting goods or services is also
known as 'procurement'. Tenders are also known as 'bids'. When government 'puts out a tender' or
'invites bids' this means government asks the public for price offers to do work or supply goods.
Government then assesses who to choose based on the prices offered and the nature of the
person or company making the tender.
The tender or bid process is designed to ensure that the work to be done for government is given
out in a fair way. There are a number of policies (known as 'procurement policies') that guides
government on how to make decisions on which tender to accept. Although price is very important
in the decision on which tender or bid to accept, it is not the only factor taken into account.
Once government accepts a tender, it is binding on both parties. This means that the person or
company that won the tender has to provide the goods or services in the manner agreed to and at
the price offered, and government must pay the agreed price at the agreed time. In other words,
once accepted, a tender is a binding contract.
Exercise: 9: Sample Tender

Office of DGAF/DG-2S
‘M’ Block, Ministry of Defence
New Delhi-110001

Sealed Tenders are invited by office of DGAF, Ministry of Defence for and on behalf of the
President of India from manufacturers for the items and from reputed manufacturers / Suppliers
for the supply of under mentioned stores

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sl. T/E Qty Time & Date fixed for Tender
No. Brief Description of No. opening of tender Cost
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTES
1. Intending Tenders may obtain tender enquiry set from reception office of ‘L’ & ‘M’ Block of this
office on payment as shown for each item (non refundable) against Demand Draft from a
Nationalized Bank in favour of PCDA (HQ), New Delhi payable at New Delhi, between 1500 to
1600 hrs. Tender will not be sold on the day of tender opening.
2. The Draft should be valid for at least six months and should not have been purchased prior to
the date of publication of this advertisement.
3. The Tender form are non- transferable and purchaser reserves the right to accept or reject any
offer at any stage without assigning any reason thereof.
4. Tender must be submitted in prescribed form along with the requisite amount of earnest money
(EMD) as indicated in the tender enquiry. No exemption for submission of EMD is available to firm
registered with any agency. EMD will be returned to unsuccessful bidders only after purchase
decision.
5. Two bid system will be followed. Tech Bid and Price Bid to be submitted along with all
certificates/documents as per instructions in tender sets. Incomplete and conditional tender will be
rejected.
6. Representative of firms should always carry an authority letter from authorized Signatory of the
firm with seal. Authorized Signatory will only be eligible as per rules governing depending on type
of firm i.e. Pvt Ltd, PSU, Partnership firm etc for collecting tender sets.
7. Indian agent quoting imported store must submit valid DGS & D Registration for subject items
along with the tender, valid as on the date of tender opening failing which their tender will be
ignored straightaway.
8. Visit us at Web Site: - www.mod.nic.in

Dy. Director General

For DGAF
‘M’Block,
New Delhi-1100011
CIRCULARS

Messages that announce sales, special events (such as conferences, meetings, formal parties or
other celebrations), and special awards are all good-news messages. Messages announcing minor
changes in policy also fall into this category, but messages announcing major changes in policy are
usually handled as persuasive messages.

Because many announcements imply an invitation, they are written in much the same way as
invitations. The principal differences are that invitations are more exclusive (usually going to fewer
people at a time) and have the promise of greater benefit for the reader. Announcements are less
special and need to be more persuasive. Because announcements typically go to groups of people
at a time, they are typically printed and use various persuasive strategies to catch attention.

LETTERS OF APPLICATION

The Application Letter is used when applying for a job when the job announcement calls for a
resume. It contains the following features:

1. Addressed to a person (not “To whom it may concern”)

2. Short and to the point
3. Begins with a strong opening statement
4. Tells how your skills, accomplishments, and /or talents will benefit the company
5. Reiterates how you meet the job requirement as specified in the job announcement
6. Asks for a personal interview

Tips for writing cover letters

1. Write a separate letter for each job inquiry

2. Type letters on A 4 size white paper
3. Use correct sentence structure, spelling and punctuation
4. Keep short and to the point
5. Include resume (if requested)
6. Keep a copy in your file

Suggestions for writing a cover letter

Paragraph 1 : Tell why you are wiring it

Paragraph 2: Describe your ability briefly

Paragraph 3: Ask for an interview and provide a closing sentence

The cover letter should meet the standards of your resume. It should be neat, concise, properly
spelled, and grammatically correct. An appropriate example can be seen on the following page.
Exercise: 10 (June 2010)
Write a letter of application to response to the following advertisement
Raj informatics is looking for a dynamic team manager for its Chennai office. Incumbent should be
an MBA from a reputed institute and should have a minimum of two years experience working with
10 – 25 member teams. Send your application with your resume to the HR manager, Raj
Informatics, Arignar Salai, T. Nagar, Chennai – 17

From
Mr. AB
104, Major Residency
Rd No. 10, Banjara Hills
Chennai – 600 034
Phone: 12345678

December 15, 2010

To
The Human Resources Manager
Raj Informatics
Arignar Salai, T. Nagar
Chennai – 600 017
Phone: 23456789

Dear Sir,

Sub: Recruitment of team manager – reg.

Ref: Your advertisement in Deccan Chronicle dated December 14, 2010

With reference to your above advertisement, I wish to submit my candidature for the same as
per details given in succeeding paragraphs.

I am aged 25 years and possess a MBA degree from Anna University which I obtained in the
Year 2007. Thereafter, I have worked as a team manager in WIPRO at Madhapur,
Hyderabad from June 2007 to December 2009. I am enclosing a detailed resume for
consideration.

Thank You.
Yours truly,
Sd………..
AB
Enclosure
1. Resume with passport size photograph
2. Copy of experience and salary certificate of previous employer
3. Copy of MBA degree
RESUME

Meaning: “is a personal data sheet preferably one page long. The page should stress the impact of
your experiences, skills and abilities to support a specific job objective”

Prerequisites

1. Resume should get you pass the initial screening

2. No one size fits all
3. Be relevant, positive, specific, accurate, brief and error free
4. Look good and use nouns to describe specific skills for a specific position
5. Avoid fancy type set, colored paper, double columns, technical jargons

Types of Resume

Functional Resume Chronological Resume Hybrid Resume

Highlights strengths Lists work history from the most Is a combination of functional
and Accomplishments recent employment describing & chronological resumes
Duties and responsibilities of each job

Career Objective: Statement related to the job or career you are interested in

Summary: Brief creative description mentioning your good points and how they can benefit an
employer. It relates directly to your objective

End of Resume: Most resumes end with statement ‘References available upon request’

References: People you have contacted and who will have a favorable opinion of you viz.

1. Employers
2. People with titles: Doctors, Teachers, Religious leaders
3. People who know your character: Land lord, Friends, Relatives
RESUME
KARTHICK VISWANATHAN
P.O. Box – 477, Broadway Post Office
P.C. – 611 011, Chennai
+ 91 – 44 – 25431021
karthick@yahoo.com

OBJECTIVE

A suitable position in the office administration field

SUMMARY

Bachelor in Business Administration. Skilled in word processing – MS Office package. Recognized

as a self-starter with the ability to learn quickly

EDUCATION

• Alpha College of Arts and Science, Bachelor in Business Administration, 2008

• Government Higher Secondary School, Higher Secondary in Accountancy,

Commerce and Economics, 2005

ON THE JOB TRAINING

May 2008 to July 2008 ABC Ceramic Tiles, Chennai

• Bar coder: Input informational data. Prepared catalog merchandise labels for
mechanized scanning systems. Performed routine work with accuracy

• Mail Clerk: Received incoming correspondence. Checked, sorted and distributed

to designated departments

• Packer: Sorted and packed merchandise for shipment. Inspected for damages,
replaced and replenished inventory

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Received BEST STUDENT AWARD in Alpha College of Arts and Science,

2008

• Won the QUIZ Competition held in Inter-College activities at Alpha College,

2007

References available upon request

 BA 9205, COMMUNICATION SKILLS
UNIT - V
BUSINESS PROPOSALS AND REPORTS
PROJECT REPORTS: CHARACTERISTICS
• Reports communicate information which has been compiled as a result of research and
analysis of data and of issues.
• Reports can cover a wide range of topics, but usually focus on transmitting information
with a clear purpose, to a specific audience.
• Good reports are documents that are accurate, objective and complete.
• They should also be well-written, clearly structured and expressed in a way that holds the
reader’s attention and meets their expectations.
• The true value of the research may be assessed through a report since the written report
may be the “only tangible product of hundreds of hours of work.
• Rightly or wrongly, the quality and worth of that work are judged by the quality of the
written report - its clarity, organization and content.”
• Often reports are structured in a way that reflects the information finding process and the
writing up of the findings: that is, summary of the contents, introduction or background,
methods, results, discussion, conclusion and/or recommendations.
• The inclusion of recommendations is one reason why reports are a common form of writing
in industry, as the informed recommendations are useful for decision making

SCOPE AND STYLE OF REPORTS

The scope and style of reports varies widely. It depends on three key factors: the report’s intended
audience, the report’s purpose and the type of information to be communicated; for example,
technical reports communicate technical information, so the degree of technicality in the report will
depend on the reader’s familiarity and understanding of technical concepts

TYPES OF REPORTS
1. Technical and Business disciplines with an applied focus such as Engineering, Information
Technology, Commerce, Accounting and Finance, will set report writing assignments that simulate
the process of report writing in industry. Assignments are set in the form of a problem or a case
study. The students research the problem, and present the results of the research in a report
format to an imaginary client.

2. Field reports are common in disciplines such as Law, Industrial Relations, Psychology, Nursing,
History and Education. These types of reports require the student to analyze his or her
observations of phenomena or events in the real world in light of theories studied in the course.
Examples of field reports are a Court observation report, an observation report of a child or a
patient for Developmental psychology or Nursing, a History site report, and a teaching observation
report for Education.

3. Scientific reports (also called laboratory reports) are another kind of report. They are common
in all the Sciences and Social Sciences. These reports use a standard scientific report format
describing methods, results and conclusions to report upon an empirical investigation.
Reports are classified based upon the organisation’s business requirements viz.

i. Routine/Periodic/Progress reports. These are the most common types of reports written at
regular intervals. These may be weekly reports from the
sales/production/operations/customer service personnel. The reports facilitate monitoring
of work and decision making.
ii. Informational reports. These are reports that examine business situations and provide
factual information.
iii. Justification reports with recommendations. Often managers have to justify a decision that
arises out of the facts gathered and relevant to the problem. In such cases, managers offer
recommendations based on the analysis and interpretation.
iv. Situational reports. Managers are also expected to submit reports about their office trips,
conferences, and seminars to keep the organization informed about what they have gained
from these activities. Such reports do not follow a formal order. Since they are informal in
nature, letter or memo format is generally used.
v. Feasibility report. All business projects may not appear profitable. Therefore, based on
analysis and interpretation of cost, benefits, disadvantages, and future possibilities,
managers have to point out whether it is feasible to proceed with the project.
vi. Research reports. Research reports are backbone of an organization. Decisions about
growth depend much on research that has continuously carried out. Often, business
houses commission research studies that must examine the real problem objectively and
completely.

DEFINING A BUSINESS REPORT

A business report is an orderly and objective communication of factual information that serves a
business purpose. The objective quality of a report is its unbiased approach. Reports seek truth.
They avoid human biases. The basic ingredient of reports is factual information. Factual
information is based on events, records, and data and alike. Not all reports are business reports.
Research scientists, medical doctors, ministers, students and many others write them. To be
classified as a business report, a report must serve a business purpose.

STRUCTURE OF A PROJECT REPORT

1. Where should I begin?
2. Who is my audience and what will they expect?
3. Purpose of the Report
4. The preliminary investigation
5. Statement of the Problem
6. Purpose
7. Significance of the Study
8. Research Questions and Hypotheses
9. How to write research questions
10. How to write testable research questions
11. How to convert research questions into hypotheses and null hypotheses
12. Review of Literature
13. Methodology
14. Population and sampling
15. Instrumentation
16. Procedure and time frame
17. Analysis plan
18. Validity and reliability
19. Assumptions
20. Scope and limitations
21. Results
22. Description of the sample
23. Analyses
24. Conclusions and Recommendations
25. Concluding Remarks
26. Discussion
27. Recommendations
28. Advice for avoiding human errors
29. References
WRITING BUSINESS PROPOSALS / PROJECT PROPOSALS
Characteristics
1. Writing a proposal for a sponsored activity such as a research project or a curriculum
development program is a problem of persuasion.
2. Proposals for sponsored activities generally follow a similar format, although there are
variations depending upon whether the proposer is seeking support for a research grant, a
training grant, or a conference or curriculum development project
3. Answer the following questions.
1. What do you want to do, how much will it cost, and how much time will it take?
2. How does the proposed project relate to the sponsor’s interests?
3. What difference will the project make to: your university, your students, your discipline, the
state, the nation, the world, or whatever the appropriate categories are?
4. What has already been done in the area of your project?
5. How do you plan to do it?
6. How will the results be evaluated?
7. Why should you, rather than someone else, do this project?

Structure of Business Proposals

Typical parts of a business proposal are:

Title (or Cover) Page, Abstract, Table of Contents, Introduction (including Statement of Problem,
Purpose of Research, and Significance of Research) Background (including Literature Survey),
Description of Proposed Research (including Method or Approach), Description of Relevant
Institutional Resources, List of References, Personnel Budget
1. The Title (or Cover) Page.
Format for the title page is specified, and some provide special forms to summarize basic
administrative and fiscal data for the project. Generally, the principal investigator, his or her
department head, and an official representing the University sign the title page. In addition, the title
page usually includes the University’s reference number for the proposal, the name of the agency
to which the proposal is being submitted, the title of the proposal, the proposed starting date and
budget period, the total funds requested, the name and address of the University unit submitting
the proposal, and the date submitted. Some agencies want the title page to specify whether the
proposal is for a new or continuing project. And some ask to which other agencies the proposal is
being submitted.
A good title is usually a compromise between conciseness and explicitness. Although titles should
be comprehensive enough to indicate the nature of the proposed work, they should also be brief.
One good way to cut the length of titles is to avoid words that add nothing to a reader’s
understanding, such as “Studies on...,” “Investigations...,” or “Research on Some Problems in....”

2. The Abstract
Every proposal, even very brief ones, should have an abstract. Though it appears first, the abstract
should be written last, as a concise summary (approximately 200 words) of the proposal. It should
appear on a page by itself numbered with a small Roman numeral.
To present the essential meaning of the proposal, the abstract should summarize or at least
suggest the answers to all the questions mentioned in the Introduction above, except the one about
cost. Certainly the major objectives of the project and the procedures to be followed in meeting
these objectives should be mentioned.

3. The Table of Contents

Very brief proposals with few sections ordinarily do not need a table of contents. Long and detailed
proposals may require, in addition to a table of contents, a list of illustrations (or figures) and a list
of tables. The table of contents should list all major parts and divisions (including the abstract,
even though it precedes the table of contents). Subdivisions usually need not be listed.

4. The Introduction
The introduction of a proposal should begin with a capsule statement of what is being proposed
and should then proceed to introduce the subject to a stranger. The introduction should be
comprehensible to an informed layman. It should give enough background to enable him to place
your particular research problem in a context of common knowledge and should show how its
solution will advance the field or be important for some other work. Be careful not to overstate, but
do not neglect to state very specifically what the importance of your research is.
5. The Description of Proposed Research. The comprehensive explanation of the proposed
research is addressed not to laymen but to other specialists in your field. This section is the heart
of the proposal and is the primary concern of the technical reviewers.
1. Be realistic in designing the program of work. Overly optimistic notions of what the project
can accomplish in one, two, or three years or of its effects on the world will only detract from the
proposal’s chances of being approved. Proposal should distinguish clearly between long-range
research goals and the short-range objectives for which funding is being sought.
2. If your first year must be spent developing an analytical method or laying groundwork, spell
that out as Phase 1. Then at the end of the year you will be able to report that you have
accomplished something and are ready to undertake Phase II.
3. Be explicit about any assumptions or hypotheses the research method rests upon.
4. Be clear about the focus of the research. In defining the limits of the project, especially in
exploratory or experimental work, it is helpful to pose the specific question or questions the project
is intended to answer.
5. Be as detailed as possible about the schedule of the proposed work. When will the first step
be completed? When can subsequent steps be started? What must be done at each stage and
what can be done at the same time?
6. Be specific about the means of evaluating the data or the conclusions. Try to imagine the
questions or objections of a hostile critic and show that the research plan anticipates them.
7. Be certain that the connection between the research objectives and the research method is
evident.

6. The Description of Relevant Institutional Resources

This section details the resources available to the proposed project and, if possible, shows why the
sponsor should wish to choose this University and this investigator for this particular research.
Some relevant points may be the institution’s demonstrated competence in the pertinent research
area, its abundance of experts in related areas that may indirectly benefit the project, its supportive
services that will directly benefit the project, and its unique or unusual research facilities or
instruments available to the project.

7. References
If a list of references is to be included, it is placed at the end of the text proper and before the
sections on personnel and budget. The items should be numbered and should be in the order in
which they are first referred to in the text. In contrast to an alphabetical bibliography, authors’
names in a list of references should not be reversed. The style of the bibliographical item itself
depends on the disciplinary field. The main consideration is consistency; whatever style is chosen
should be followed scrupulously throughout.

8. The Personnel Section

This section usually consists of two parts: an explanation of the proposed personnel arrangements
and the biographical data sheets for each of the main contributors to the project. The explanation
should specify how many persons, at what percentage of time and in what academic categories will
be participating in the project. If the program is complex and involves people from other
departments or colleges, the organization of the staff and the lines of responsibility should be made
clear.

9. The Budget Section

The budget should be worked out with the appropriate project representative. Sponsors
customarily specify how budgets should be presented and what costs are allowable. The budget
section may require not only the tabular budget but also a budget summary and explanation or
“budget justification” if the budget is complicated or if all its details are not made completely clear
by the text of the proposal.
Typical divisions of the tabular budget are personnel, equipment, supplies, travel, and indirect
costs. Indirect costs are shown as a fixed percentage of the total direct costs.

10. The Appendices

Some writers are prone to append peripheral documents of various kinds to their proposals on the
theory that the bulk will support their case. Reviewers almost never read such appendices, and
may resent the padding. The best rule of thumb is: When in doubt, leave it out. If two or more
appendices are included in a proposal, they should be designated Appendix A, Appendix B, etc.

Why Proposals Are Rejected

Assuming that funds are available, that geographical distribution is not a criterion, and that political
considerations are not present, the success of a proposal will depend both on the quality of the
project itself and the quality of its presentation in the proposal. Different reviewers, of course, will
weigh merits and defects differently.

Writing the Proposal

1. Find a sponsor that is interested in funding your idea.
2. Write a Letter of Inquiry
3. Write the Narrative
4. Special considerations: cost sharing, significance, expertise, dissemination, planned activities,
peer evaluation and chances for Funding
ILLUSTRATION: SALES PROPOSAL
Writing a sales proposal is a very important step in gaining a new client, or selling to a current one.
To effectively sell a proposal, you need to structure the document logically, clearly, and
persuasively. Most sales proposals are structured as follows:
1. Executive Summary
2. Description of Proposed Product or Service
3. Benefits to Prospective Customer
4. Value Proposition to Prospective Customer
5. Conclusion

APPRAISAL REPORTS
Appraisal reports describes the findings of an appraisal engagement. Reports may be presented in
the following formats: restricted, summary, self-contained

EXAMPLES
1. Real estate appraisal report: a written explanation of a property's value, including the
data and reasoning used to derive that value, based on the findings of an appraiser.
2. Insurance appraisal report: Written estimate of the extent of damage and the cost of the
repairs, based on the findings of an appraiser
PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL REPORT
The Employees are one of the most valuable assets and need to be cared of properly and for their
achievements they must be appreciated for motivation in order to make them working with peace of
mind and entire satisfaction of their future career.
There is a saying "No Pain No Gain" and it becomes true in case while, being immediate boss, say
supervisor, you are given a chance to assess the performance of your subordinate and honest
opinion for promotion in next grade and or reasonable rise in salary. Without a structured appraisal
system, there is little chance of ensuring that the judgments made will be lawful, fair and accurate.
This is really a matter of great responsibility while one declares some remarks or makes statement
for the subordinate, in terms of his performance and future benefits. By the time certain
approaches were introduced for performance evaluation of staff, including the personality and
professional behavior, the coordination and the communication skill and so on.
With the passage of time human resource department considered responsible for introducing the
techniques for performance evaluation and device a structured system in this regard. In many
organizations the appraisal report consists of two portions, one is handed over to appraisee that
works like open book paper, while second is kept confidential and used by the supervisor
afterwards. The appraisee is asked to fill in and return to the supervisor. This modern approach
works great as a fair judgment is possible for the supervisor by knowing one's judgment about
itself. The supervisor may set an informal or sometimes formal meeting with the appraisee, if deem
necessary and discuss his point of view and his expectations.
A wise supervisor, never makes the appraisee realized that what he intends to do afterwards. It
can impact in both ways, negative - making the other depressed before any solid action or positive
- making him optimist. Then the last leaf is filled in by the appraiser for recommendations. To keep
the system free of personalities' factor, including personal liking, disliking etc, a good appraisal
always bound the appraiser to justify for giving below the average or excellent grade.
Being the appraiser one thing must be remembered that always give unbiased opinion. Though
professionalism is the need of time while in job but never forget that humanitarian amnesty is also
important equally. Further, there is always somebody, above your position who is evaluating your
performance.

PRODUCT APPRAISAL
A growing business has to undertake a constant appraisal of its existing product lines. No product
runs for all time to come and no product line is perfect eternally. Changes in the business
environment, in customer tastes and preferences, as also the extent of competition building up, all
exercise some pressure on the product policy of a firm.

A given product might have lost its market acceptance; it may be facing the threat of functional
obsolescence due to new or improved or substitute product; or it might have lost its profitability.
Another product may be poor in quality, damaging its own sales as well as those of related
members of the line. And yet another might have been through with the useful part of its life cycle
and entered the stage of decline. Such instances will come to the fore only if there is a continuous
appraisal of each product line and each of the members in the line. And, all such instances call for
sound decisions. The decisions may include withdrawal of an existing product, stricter quality
control in respect of another, giving an independent brand name to a product, which so far went
under an umbrella brand, improving the utility of a product by adding a new feature to it, or
introducing a new product altogether. Product line appraisal is thus a dynamic task.
Tasks in Product Line Appraisal
Suppose HLL has to under take product line appraisal. It has to evaluate each product line VIZ.
”bath soaps, fabric wash, foods, beverages, cosmetics, etc. It has to address issues like:

Soaps line faring, achieving its sales targets, maintaining its share of the market, line carrying too
many members/brands, making it unwieldy. The other points are whether there is too much
competition among the brands in the line? Is such competition good for the total health of the line?
The other considerations are faring of the individual members/brands in the line, achieving the
respective targets in sales/market share/profits and the best performing brands in the line and the
weak ones. Whether positioning of the different products/brands in the line is proper and how the
recent launches have fared.

It must also be scrutinized about the line pruning or it can take more additions/extensions/variants.
The line stretch to new price slots/markets segments can also be analyzed. A detailed assessment
of the health, viability, profitability, and consistency of the line and its members takes place.

For most firms, the most dynamic part of marketing strategy revolves around product lines. The
firms keep taking decisions concerning the product lines; sometimes they lengthen the line in
different ways, sometimes they deepen the line, and at other times, they may shorten and prune a
line. They may also attempt some rejuvenation and re-launches of some line members.

Increasing the Line Length

Most firms start with just one product line and one or two items in that line. Over the years, the line
grows, as the firm keeps adding more and more products/brands to the line to capture new
marketing opportunities. More product lines also enter the scene, as the firm decides to expand to
more new businesses. It is a direct outcome of the long-term corporate growth strategy of the firm
handled at the corporate level.

PROCESS AND MECHANICS OF REPORT WRITING

What is a report?
A report is the conventional method of presenting precise information. A report may be used to
convey an assessment of any situation or the results from qualitative and/or quantitative data
analysis. A report has clearly stated aims. It is tightly focused on the subject of investigation. A
really effective report will also be compelling and stimulating to read.

Sections of Report
Generally, a report will include the following sections:
1. Title page
2. Abstract
3. Table of contents
4. Introduction
5. Body
6. Recommendations
7. References
8. Appendices
1. Title page
The title page of the research report normally contains four main pieces of information: the report
title; the name of the person, company or organization for whom the report has been prepared; the
name of the author and the company or university which originated the report; and the date on
which the report was completed. You might also include other information on the title page such as
contract number, a security classification such as CONFIDENTIAL, or a copy number depending
on the nature of the report you are writing.
Specimen
BUSINESS PROCESS MAPPING FOR STRATEGY AND ENTERPRISE

MANAGEMENT OF TELECOM SERVICE PROVIDERS

submitted to

Dr. David
Department of Management Studies
Anna University, Chennai-600025

May 7, 2006

By
S. SELVADEVAN
(2555506)
2. Abstract / Executive Summary
An abstract is “an accurate representation of the contents of a document in an abbreviated form”.
An abstract can be the most difficult part of the research report to write because in it you must
introduce your subject matter, tell what was done, and present selected results, all in one short
(about 150 words) paragraph. As a result, you should usually write the abstract last.
You will need to write an abstract when your dissertation for a higher degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) is
accepted, when you submit an article for publication, or when your report will be disseminated to
an audience that needs a summary of its contents.
An abstract serves an important function in a research report; it communicates the scope of your
paper and the topics discussed to your reader and, in doing so, it facilitates research. Abstracts
help scientists to locate materials that are relevant to their research from among published papers,
and many times scientists will only read a paper’s abstract in order to determine whether the paper
will be relevant to them. Considering your audience and their needs will help you to determine what
should be included in your abstract.
The most common type of abstract is the informative abstract. An informative abstract summarizes
the key information from every major section in the body of the report, and provides the key facts
and conclusions from the body of the report. A good way to develop an informative abstract is to
devote a sentence or two to each of the major parts of the report. If space permits, you can provide
contextual information such as background of the problem and the significance of the research. If
you summarize information that you borrowed from other writers, you do not have to repeat the
citation in the informative abstract. You should, however, include key numerical facts to make the
informative abstract brief. Readers will not be surprised to see numerical data in an informative
abstract.
3. Table of Contents
Most reports will contain a Table of Contents that lists the report’s contents and demonstrates how
the report has been organized. You should list each major section in your Table of Contents.
Sometimes you may want to use additional descriptive headings to indicate your materials,
methods or conclusions.
4. Introduction
Introductions serve as a place for you to catch your reader’s attention, and they also help to place
your project in its context.
Contents
The introduction prepares readers for the discussion that follows by introducing the purpose,
scope, and background of the research. The audience for your report largely determines the length
of the introduction and the amount of detail included in it.
You should begin your introduction at the top of a new page, preceded on the page only by the
report’s full title. The title is followed by the word Introduction, which can be either a center or side
heading. Most introductions contain three parts to provide context for the research: purpose,
scope, and background information.
i. Purpose
It is very important to consider the purpose of your research and your report in the introduction. If
you do not completely understand what the purpose is, there is little chance that the reader will
understand your purpose either.
ii. Scope (Definition of terms)
Refers to the ground covered by the report and will outline the method of investigation used in the
project. Considering the scope of your project in the introduction will help readers to understand the
parameters of your research and your report. It will also help you to identify limiting factors on your
research and acknowledge these early in the report. Scope may also include defining important
terms.
iii. Background Information
Includes facts that the reader must know in order to understand the discussion that follows. These
facts may include descriptions of conditions or events that caused the project to be authorized or
assigned and details of previous work and reports on the problem or closely related problems.

5. The Body of Your Report

The body is usually the longest part of the research report, and it includes all of the evidence that
readers need to have in order to understand the subject. This evidence includes details, data, and
results of tests, facts, and conclusions. In general, the body of the research report will include three
distinct sections viz.

i. Results: Presenting data

In the results section of your report, you will talk about what you discovered, invented, or confirmed
through your research, and you will present your experimental data, observations, and outcome.
Focus on the facts of your research in the Results section and present them in a straightforward
way. The most common way to organize information in a research report is chronologically.
Most scientific reports will use some type of figure and/or table to convey information to readers.
Figures visually represent data and include graphs, charts, photographs, and illustrations. Tables
organize data into groups.

• Tables or lists are simple ways to organize the precise data which points themselves in
one-on-one relationships
• A graph is best at showing the trend or relationship between two dimensions, or the
distribution of data points in a certain dimension (i.e., time, space, across studies,
statistically)
 • A pie chart is best at showing the relative areas, volumes, or amounts into which a whole
(100%) has been divided
• Flow charts show the organization or relationships between discrete parts of a system. For
that reason they are often used in computer programming
• Photographs are best at presenting overall shapes, shades, and relative positioning, or
when a ‘real-life’ picture is necessary, as in the picture of a medical condition
• Illustrations are best when they are simple, un shaded line drawings

All tables and figures should:

- be self-contained—they should make complete sense on their own with out reference to the text
- be cited in the text—it will be very confusing to your audience to suddenly come upon a table or
figure that is not introduced somewhere in the text. They will not have a context for understanding
its relevance to your report
- include a number such as Table 1 or Figure 10—this will help you to distinguish multiple tables
and figures from each other
- include a concise title—it is a good idea to make the most important feature of the data the title of
the figure
- include clear and proportionate labels so that readers will understand your table or figure

ii. Results: Interpretation of Data

Usually, this section is combined with presentation of data, will be called “Results” or “Discussion.”
Sometimes, presentation of data and interpretation of data may be split into separate categories,
with presentation called “Results,” and interpretation called “Discussion.”

In this section you will interpret your results and your research as a whole and discuss the
relationship of your findings to earlier research. You need to write persuasively in this section as
you convince readers that your interpretation of data is logical and correct. Arrange your evidence
in the order that best highlights your main point, cite authorities that have come to similar
interpretations under similar circumstances, and consider the superiority of your conclusions to
opposing viewpoints.

It is also very important to identify the nature and extent of any limitations of research in this
section of report, especially if results are inadequate, negative, or not consistent with earlier studies
or with your own hypothesis. Do not try to defend your research or minimize the seriousness of the
limitation in your interpretation.

iii. Conclusions
The conclusion is important because it is last chance to convey the significance and meaning of
research to reader by concisely summarizing findings and generalizing its importance. It is also a
place to raise questions that remain unanswered and to discuss ambiguous data.

6. Recommendation writing

You may or may not need to include a section titled “Recommendations.” This section appears in a
report when the results and conclusions indicate that further work needs to be done or when you
have considered several ways to resolve a problem or improve a situation and want to determine
which one is best. You should not introduce new ideas in the recommendation section, but rely on
the evidence presented in the results and conclusions sections. If you find that you need to include
a recommendations section you have another opportunity to demonstrate how your research fits
within the larger project of science, and the section can serve as a starting point for future dialogue
on the subject. It demonstrates that you fully understand the importance and implications of your
research, as you suggest ways that it could continue to be developed. Do not include
a recommendations section simply for the sake of including one; this will waste your readers’ time
and take up unnecessary space in your report.

7. References
It is important to include a References section at the end of a report in which you used other
sources. Informal or short reports may not have a references section or only a short one while
more formal reports will likely have reference sections, sometimes very lengthy ones. If you
included a section on the background of your research topic or discussed other theories and
models related to your research, you will need a references section.

Information to include on your reference list:

1. author’s name and initials
2. date of publication
3. title of the book, paper or journal
4. publisher
5. place of publication
6. page numbers
7. details of the journal volume in which the article has appeared

References should be listed in alphabetical order of the authors’ names. Make sure that your
references are accurate and comprehensive.

8. Appendices

An appendix contains additional information related to the report but which is not essential to the
main findings. This can be consulted if the reader wishes but the report should not depend on this.
You could include details of interview questions, statistical data, a glossary of terms, or other
information which may be useful for the reader.

PROCESS OF REPORT WRITING

Four stages of report writing are
a. preparation
b. planning
c. writing
d. pre-submission editing

(a) Preparation
To fail to prepare is to prepare to fail. The time spent at this stage of producing the report is vital.
Careful preparation is an investment. It allows you to make the best use of the time available.
During this period you should decide WHAT you are writing and WHY, before resolving HOW to
write your report. Establish the broad focus of your report first with reference to the specification
and the assessment objectives and then with reference to the generalization. Undertake some
individual background reading using the suggested bibliography. Use a search engine to look for
more possibilities. This enables you to define the subject and your aims more precisely. When you
have completed your reading and feasibility study, review the key issues and research methods
that will be used within your report. Make a note of them.

(b) Planning
i. Setting your Objective
It is vital to establish precise objective. You must first be absolutely sure of the purpose of your
report. Only then can you even begin to think about what you are going to write and how you are
going to write it.
ii. Assessing your Readership
The next stage is to identify and assess your readership. In many cases, you know who will be
reading your report and the detailed content, style and structure can then be matched to their level
of knowledge and expertise
iii. Deciding What Information you will Need
Planning is essential. It saves time and promotes clarity in collecting the information you require, in
organizing the material and in writing the report.

(c) The writing process

There are three main factors to consider at this stage to give report a sound framework, clear style
and an attractive appearance:
i. Structure
Give a form and shape to report. A basic structure helps the reader digest the report. It also helps
you to write and organize your material logically. A structure implied the assessment criteria, but
your report should have the following:
a. report cover sheet, title page and contents;
b. executive summary/abstract; [on front cover]
c. introduction and definition of the question or issue;
d. sources of research information used, methods of collection & analysis & their limitations;
e. analysis and interpretation;
f. evaluation and conclusion;
g. bibliography and appendices.
ii. Language
The strength of good technical writing lies in being able to write with: objectivity, clarity, accuracy,
criticality and appropriateness.
Other important things to remember.
(a) Keep sentences short and simple. Long complex sentences slow the reader down and confuse
and impede understanding. The same applies to paragraph.
(b) Poor spelling automatically detracts from your work and will annoy the reader. Use a dictionary
and you can also check the final document using the spell checker on a PC.

iii. Presentation
Report must look good in addition to reading well. Adequate headings and numbering make it
easier for the reader to comprehend what you are saying. The presentation of statistics is often
more informative and eye-catching if they are shown visually, for example by using graphs, pie
charts or histograms.
Layout is important. This is the relationship between print and space on the page. This applies
whether it is hand-written or word processed. A crowded page with dense blocks of print and little
space looks unattractive and is off-putting. Always ensure that there are:
(a) adequate margins;
(b) either double or 1.5 spaced lines;
(c) headings that stand out clearly from the page.

(d) Pre-submission editing

Put yourself in the reader’s shoes and be highly critical of what you have written. Proof-reading is
vitally important.
(a) The report must be checked in great detail, for grammar and spelling errors.
(b) Ask yourself whether you could have expressed yourself in a better way. If so, change the
sentence or the paragraph.
(c) Assess whether the structure of the main body of work is really the most suitable one to present
your material, ideas and arguments.
(d) Is each paragraph structured well? Make sure every idea or piece of information has a separate
paragraph.
(e) Are all the maps and diagrams included in the correct place and integrated into the text (as
figures)?
(f) Are all the references in the text included in the bibliography with full format details?
(g) Does the report fulfill the stated aims and assessment objectives?
(h) Is your argument watertight and easy to follow?
(i) Does your conclusion make your argument all the more convincing?
(j) Does your executive summary/abstract convey the key points of the report?
(k) Finally, assess the layout and general appearance of the document.

VISUAL AIDS IN BUSINESS REPORTS

Visual aids are important in business reports. They make reports more exciting and interesting to
read.
The Purpose of Visuals: Visuals can improve the professional quality and readability of business
documents.
1. Visuals arouse reader’s immediate interest.
2. Visuals increase reader’s understanding by simplifying concepts.
3. Visuals are especially important for non-native English speaking and multicultural audiences.
4. Visuals emphasize key relationships. Through their arrangement and form, visuals quickly show
contrasts, similarities, growth rates, downward and upward movements and fluctuations in time,
money and space.
5. Visuals condense and summarize a large quantity of information into a relatively small space.
The saying, “A picture says a thousand words,” is true.
6. Visuals are highly persuasive. A visual can display, explain, and reinforce the benefits and
opportunities of plan we are advocating.

Characteristics of Effective Visuals

Visual aids are useful when selected and presented correctly. Here are suggestions for choosing
effective visuals.
1. Use visuals only when they are relevant for our purpose and audience
2. Consider how a specific visual will help readers
 3. Use visuals in conjunction with, and not as a substitute for, written work
4. Help the reader connect the visuals to the text
5. Insert Visuals Appropriately
6. Identify and cite the sources of visuals
7. Use high quality visuals

Kinds of Visual Aids

The two types of visuals are tables and charts.
1. Tables
Tables are parallel columns or rows of information that present data in categories to show changes
in time, distance, cost, employment or some other distinguishable or quantifiable variable. Tables
are used so that readers can identify the numbers exactly.
Tables have two basic structures: the box head and the stub. The box head is the label across and
the stub is the label down. Common and understandable units are used and rounded numbers as
well
2. Charts
i. Pie charts are used for audience to measure area. A pie chart is a circular chart divided into
sectors, illustrating relative magnitudes or frequencies. In a pie chart, the arc length of each sector
is proportional to the quantity it represents. Together, the sectors create a full disk. A chart with one
or more sectors separated from the rest of the disk is called an exploded pie chart.
Example: pie chart

Example: An exploded pie chart

ii. Bar Charts

Bar charts are easy to understand and useful. They are used to compare one item to another, to
items over time, and to show correlations. Horizontal lines are used for long labels and vertical or
horizontal bars are used for short labels. Horizontal and vertical axes are labeled.
There are many different types of bar charts: pictogram/histogram, grouped bar charts, segmented
bars, or deviation bar charts.
(If all the values were arranged in descending order this type of bar graph would be called a Pareto
chart.)
Example: Segmented bar chart

iii. Line Graphs

Line graphs are easy to interpret. Line graphs take statistical data presented in tables and put them
into rising and falling lines, steep or gentle curves. They are used to compare items over time, to
show frequency or distribution, and to show correlations. Line graphs visually portray data that
changes, such as cycles, fluctuations, trends, distributions, increases and decreases in profits,
employment, energy levels and temperatures. A simple graph has a horizontal and a vertical axis
that intersect to form a right angle. All axes are labeled. When time is used as a variable, it is
usually put on the horizontal axis.
Example: Line chart

iv. Dot Charts

Dot charts are used to show correlations and other large data sets. Horizontal and vertical axes are
labeled and dots are usually small.

v. Radar Graphs
Also called spider or star graphs, these complex-looking visual aids compare data between sets.
They are interpreted by reading each individual value or by reading the items on each axis.

vi. Gannt Charts

Gannt charts, or time charts, show separate events that have a set starting and ending point.
These kinds of charts are excellent for planning the use of resources, such as time. Gannt charts
can show multiple sets of data. Each data set can represent one or more tasks. The data sets can
be delineated by the use of separate colors. The data can be laid out as a horizontal set of boxes
that describes the range for the data in terms of starting to end values.

vii. Photographs
Good photographs are cropped for best results to eliminate distracting backgrounds & have no
markings. Their chief advantage is realism & clarity. Photographs of “before & after” are especially
effective. As easy & convenient are photographs to use, they must be presented with care.

viii. Maps
Maps are used for locations or to compare items in different locations. A large scale map displays a
lot of social, economic, or physical data (such as population density, location of retail businesses,
hills, freeways, or rivers) for a small area. States, provinces, or countries are labeled. Job
requirements will dictate how detailed maps should be. Architectural maps are extremely detailed,
showing the location of pipes, telephone cables, and easement lines.

ix. Flow Charts

Flow charts show movement. They display the stages in which something is manufactured,
accomplished, developed, or operated. Flow charts can also be used to plan the day’s or week’s
activities. A flow chart tells a story with arrows, boxes, and sometimes pictures. Boxes are
connected by arrows to visualize the stages of a process. The presence and direction of the arrows
tell the reader the order and movement of events involved in the process. Three or four stages
minimum should be shown. Flow charts often proceed from left to right or from top to bottom.
Computer programming instructions tend to be written this way.

x. Organizational Charts
Organizational charts picture the chain of command in a company or agency, with the lines of
authority stretching down from the chief executive, manager or administrator to assistant manager,
department heads or supervisors to the workforce of employees. Organizational charts inform
employees and customers about the makeup of a company and the various offices and
departments through which orders and information flow in the company or agency. Organizational
charts are also useful for coordinating employee efforts in routing information to appropriate
departments.

xi. Drawings
Drawings can show where an object is located, how a tool or machine is put together, or what
signals are given or steps taken in a particular situation. By studying the drawing and following the
discussion, readers will be better able to operate, adjust, repair, or order parts for equipment.
Drawings are especially helpful when giving instructions. Drawings have two advantages over
photographs: (1) as little or as much detail as necessary may be included in a drawing and (2) a
drawing can show interior as well as exterior views, which may be important when the reader must
understand what is going on under the case, housing or hood.

xii. Computer Graphics

With computer graphics software, writers can locate, create, edit and position in documents visually
all of the kinds of visuals discussed above. Raw data is plugged into the computer software (or
data already stored in the database or from a spread sheet program.) The computer then plots the
data into the correct chart, graph or table.
 EXERCISE: 1 ( January 2010)
Draft a project proposal to a funding agency for carrying out a study on the effect of global warming
on your town. Think of relevant details and present.

Answer
Project proposal to a funding agency for carrying out a study on the effect of global warming
Introduction
As issues related to climate change and global warming starts to occupy large spaces on our tables, it is
high time that we also made preparations to address them in a holistic manner. Many NGOs are not yet
ready to equip themselves with information on climate change either because they still believe it is too
scientific or because it can easily divert their current work strategies. While it is important to remain focused
on issues of interest, it is also necessary to keep our eyes and ears open to the world.

Project rationale
It is important to justify the importance of implementing or proposing a project to address climate change
and global warming in the most convincing manner; therefore the project rationale should be an analysis of
the problem related to climate change in our area. For example, we may be working in area with 70% forest
cover but recently due to continuous deforestation activity, we have observed change in the weather.
Besides, this may have also caused soil degradation and droughts in the area nearby, affecting agricultural
crops and livestock and causing food security problems for the people. If this situation has been observed, it
is important to carry out quick research through interaction with stakeholders: the community, village
councils, governmental agencies, private sector and other organizations working in the area. If the problem
has been discussed with them, it is also possible to arrive at a solution like planting trees. This should be
carefully documented in the project rationale of the proposal.

See the problem around you

Discuss with the community and other

stakeholders

Seek a solution from them

Write it down
Cause and effect relationship
In defining the problem, it is important that we are clear about the cause we are trying to address. Sometimes,
causes and effects can become very confusing and we may just end up addressing the effects while the
cause continues to remain the same. For example, deforestation can lead to loss of livelihood for the
communities due to land degradation, but here it is not just enough to address livelihoods by introducing new
sources of income for the people because the actual cause of the problem is climate change. Therefore, it is
necessary for us to delve deeply into the problem and reach to a cause that can be practically addressed.

Defining the Project Goal and Objectives

Once we have the project goal and objectives at hand, next we need to define our project goal and objectives.
What are we trying to achieve? The goal can be reducing the impact of climate change since any goal is just a
contribution of the implementing agency to something that is also targeted by other entities such as
government or other agencies. Objectives need to be specific. For example, increasing plantation in the
project area or enhancing the understanding of climate change issues. As usual, objectives have to be
SMART viz. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time bound. Do not confuse objectives with
activities

PROBLEM: Deforestation and poor awareness of community about climate change impact

OVERALL GOAL: Reducing the impact of climate change on the environment and the
livelihood of the communities

OBJECTIVES: Increase in the plantation of trees, Improve community livelihoods, Create

awareness on climate change issues within the community, and sensitize governmental
agencies and private sector on climate changes

Strategies and actions

A strategy will build up a plan for the activities that need to be done to achieve the objectives. It can be
building the capacities of the community in planting trees and maintaining forest cover to maximize their
livelihood generation or it could be raising awareness on global warming. In this context, activities can be
organizing training programs, education classes, awareness workshops, meetings and other dissemination
activities.

Results
Activities can lead to results – both expected and unexpected. We need to list them clearly in our proposals.
We expect positive impact over the community through our actions and in this case, it could be a drastic
increase in the forest cover, improvement in water levels, better generation of agricultural crops, and
improvement in livestock and better food security for the people. But negatively speaking, there may also be
unavoidable risks such as natural disasters.
Sustainability
Sustainability is all about projects or project activities continuing even after the end of the support. This
involves community empowerment to ownership to institutional building and management. Community Based
Organizations (CBO) are one of the best means for creating sustainability of the intervention. Training
program should focus on strengthening the management capacities of the community so that they can
collectively manage the operations without any outside support. Local governmental agencies can also take
over projects as another way of sustaining the work or NGOs can seek funding support from new donors to
further the process for another few years so that the community becomes fully empowered.

Gender and climate change

Earlier, it was believed that climate impacts equally on men and women. However, studies reveal that women
representing the poor and disadvantaged sections of the society suffer to a high degree from the
consequences of climate change. Besides they have also better coping strategies to adapt to climate change
and hence, they need to be considered as crucial mediums to address the problem in question.
In a male dominated society, women have little access to information. Therefore, they may not be aware
about the impact of their activities on the climate despite possessing responsive behavior. Women carry out
traditional farming and firewood collection; they may reach a point of land degradation, scarcity of forests and
natural disasters.
Gender-sensitive strategies have to be outlined during the planning and implementation of the projects.
Focusing empowerment approaches over women can help bring about results. Women activists can become
strong forces to address the issues and save their livelihoods
EXERCISE: 2 (January 2010)
Assume that you are the deputy manager looking after home loans of your bank. Write a report to
your managing director about the outcome of various schemes introduced to attract customers
interested in home loans. Use a table or chart appropriately.
Answer
Introduction
Home loans work like any other debt. Loans are money that we borrow from a bank or a private lender. We
must repay our debts with interest. However, unlike other types of loans, home loans are different in several
respects. Owning a piece of land or property is a life time dream for every individual. There are many home loan
providers in the market. There are different types of home loan viz.

a. Home purchase loan

b. Home construction loan
c. Home equity loan
d. Home improvement loan
e. Home extension loan
f. Land purchase loan

The customer’s choice between the fixed rate and floating rate of interest on a home loan is an important
decision. As interest rates increases, fixed rate tends to be more popular with customers, as they offer stability.
However, the disadvantage is the customer does not get the benefits of lesser interest rate, in case market rate
goes down. Floating rates are more suitable for the customers as they get the benefits of the lesser rates when
market rate drops. Additionally, the recent study shows that there is no sign to decrease in the interest rate.
Since last few months, there is a huge change in the home loan market. Almost all banks and financial
institutions have introduced their dual rate home loan schemes to attract customers. The scheme is combined
with fixed and floating rates. Under this scheme, customer gets the opportunity to lock their interest rate at
specified rate for the first few years of the tenure and at the end of tenure, the rate is shifted to prevailing
floating interest rate in the market.

This scheme seems to be more attractive because customer gets the benefit of lower fixed rate of interest. At
present, fixed rates are more popular in the market. Large number of customers is getting attracted towards
dual rate scheme, as they get more benefits. The fixed rate can be anywhere between 8% and 9% for the first
2 or 3 years. Some companies offer fixed rate for 5 years, but interest rate can be slightly higher after 2 or 3
years. For instance, some leading home loan providers rates of interest are mentioned below:

Home loan provider Rate of interest

1st year 2nd year 3rd year
1. SBI easy home loan scheme 8% 8.5% 9%
2. LIC Housing Finance 8.9% 8.9% 8.9%
3. Punjab National Bank 8.5% 8.5% 8.5%
 BA 9205, COMMUNICATION SKILLS

QUESTION BANK

PART-B

UNIT-I
COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS

1. Identify and explain the important barriers to effective communication. How will you
overcome such barriers? (May/June 2011)
2. Explain in detail the process, model, types, importance and modes of communication
(Nov./Dec. 2011)
3. Discuss in detail the techniques of effective communication (May/June 2010)
4. What are the main objectives of downward communication? How can downward
communication be made effective? (Nov./Dec 2010)
5. Discuss the various types of informal communication inside the organization. (May/June
2012)

UNIT-II

NON-VERBAL AND INTER-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION

1. Why do non-verbal messages play such a critical role in communication? Cite examples of
how facial expressions attach emotional meaning to our messages. (May/June 2011)
2. What is non-verbal communication? What are the various types of non-verbal
communication? (Nov./Dec. 2011)
3. Explain the role of body language in communication? (May/June 2010)
4. “The face is the index of the mind” – Discuss (Nov./Dec 2010)

UNIT-III

ORAL COMMUNICATION

1. Discuss the role of non-verbal communication in interviews. (May/June 2011)

2. Explain the verbal and non-verbal barriers to communication. (Nov./Dec. 2011)
3. What are Presentations? Discuss the use of audio-visual aids for improved
presentations. (May/June 2010)
4. What is listening and suggest suitable measures to become a good listener?
(Nov./Dec 2010)
5. How do you conduct the interview? List out the guidelines for interviewee’s
presentation for the interview. (May/June 2012)
 UNIT-IV

BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

1. What is a circular letter? Discuss its objectives and situation under which circular
letter may be sent? (May/June 2011)
2. Discuss the contents of resume for the post of Professor in a reputed university.
(Nov./Dec. 2011)
3. Importance of Business Correspondence (May/June 2010)
4. Explain the Principles of business writing (Essential Qualities of a Good Business
Letter) (Nov./Dec 2010)
5. Explain the Parts of a Business Letter (May/June 2012)

UNIT-V

BUSINESS PROPOSALS AND REPORTS

1. Explain the structure/Contents of a project report. (May/June 2011)

2. What is a report? Explain the sections of report. (Nov./Dec. 2011)
3. Explain the process of report writing. (May/June 2010)
4. Explain the importance and kinds of visual aids in business reports. (Nov./Dec
2010)
5. Explain the ‘Qualities of a good Report’. (May/June 2012)