Business documentation.

Business documentation includes different kinds of business letters, faxes, e-mails, memorandums (memos), curriculum vitae (CV).

Business letters include all kinds of commercial letters, Letters of Credit (L/C), invoices, Bills of Lading (B/L), Bills of Exchange or drafts, letters of insurance, orders, letters of shipment, letters of delivery, offers, letters of complaint, replies to those of mentioned above, etc.

A business letter should be as short as possible, intelligible, polite, and its language must be simple.

Rules and traditions of correspondence vary in time but some basic principles of a commercial letter remain unchanged.

A private business letter is written by hand, each paragraph begins with an indented line. But if a letter is sent by an organization it is typed on the form of this organization. In this case it is not necessary to use indented lines.

A letter can be typed on the organization’s form. Any form has its letter-head printed typographically. The letter-head bears the name of organization or firm, sending this letter, its address, address for telegrammes, telephone, fax. If you do not use the form, write your address (as a sender) on the upper right side of the letter. Do not indicate your name here, it will follow your signature. Ukrainian names of foreign trade organizations are not translated into foreign languages. They are written with Latin letters using English transcription. Your telephone number may be written below.

Exercise 1. Answer the following questions.

1. What does business documentation include?

2. What kinds of business letters are there?

3. What rules for business letters writing do you know?

A business letter.

Business letters typically contain the following features (although they may not all appear in the same letter):

• opening and closing greetings

• stating the reference at the beginning of the letter

• requesting

• explaining the reason for writing

• thanking

• enclosing documents

• apologizing

• expressing urgency

• confirming

• ending the letter

Parts of the Business Letter

Heading. The heading consists of three lines in the upper right corner of your stationery or on the left, depending on which form you use. The first line gives your street address or route number. It also has your apartment number, if you have one. The second line gives your city, state, and Zip Code. You may spell out the name of your state, use the standard abbreviation, or use the Postal Service abbreviation. The third line gives the month, day, and year.

Inside Address. The inside address usually consists of four lines. The first line gives the name and possibly the business title of the person who will receive the letter. The second line consists of the name of the company or agency, if any. The third line contains the person's or the company's street address or postal box number. The fourth line gives the city, state, and Zip Code. To be consistent, refer to the state here by the same method you used in your return address.

Salutation. The salutation is the greeting. In it, capitalize the first word and all nouns. If you do not know the name of the person to whom you are writing, use Dear Sir or Madam. Use the name of the reader if you know it, without the initial. If you do not, write Dear Sirs to a company. Dear Sir to a man. Dear Madam to a woman or Dear Sir or Madam if you do not know the sex of the reader. Place a colon after the salutation.

Body. The body of the letter contains the paragraphs that state your business. Leave an extra line of space between the salutation and the first paragraph. Start a new paragraph for each new idea or subject. Leave a line space between each paragraph. Do not break words at the end of a line.

Signature. The signature is, of course, your name. Always write it in longhand, even if you type your letter. Place your signature under the complimentary close, and be sure to write your full name. If your letter is handwritten, print your name under your signature. If your letter is typed, type your name under your signature. Be sure to leave enough space in which to write your name.

WRITER’S NAME AND TITLE (and position in the company, if appropriate ). A man uses the title Mr. The title Mrs shows that a woman is married; Miss shows that she is unmarried; Ms shows only that she is a woman.

Here is some of the language typical of business letters.

1. Opening and closing greetings

If you don’t have a contact name:

Dear Sir or Madam

Yours faithfully

If you know the name of the person:

Dr Mr Jones

Mrs

Miss

Ms

Yours sincerely

If you know the person as a friend or close business colleague:

Dear James

Best wishes/Regards

2. Stating the reference at the beginning of the letter

You can start with either:

Subject: ______________

Reference _______________

Re: _________________

or an expression like:

With reference to ...

I thank you for your letter of 1 July.

Further to our telephone conversation, ...

4. Requesting

I would be grateful if you could ...

I would appreciate it if you could ...

Could you please ...? (more informal)

4. Explaining the reason for writing

I am writing to inform you that/apply for/request, etc. ...

5. Thanking

Thank you for ...

We were very pleased to ...

6. Enclosing document

Where other documents are included with the letter, you can say:

Please find enclosed/attached ...

7. Apologizing

I regret that ...

I am afraid that ...

I am sorry that ...

I apologize for ...

8. Expressing urgency

... at your earliest convenience

... without delay

... as soon as possible

9. Confirming

I am pleased to confirm that ...

I confirm that ...

This is to confirm that ...

10. Ending the letter

I look forward to ...

I am sure that ...

I hope ...

See you soon. (informal)

Abbreviations Used in Letter Writing

The following abbreviations are widely used in letters:

asap = as soon as possible

cc = carbon copy (when you send a copy of a letter to more than one person, you use this abbreviation to let them know)

enc. = enclosure (when you include other papers with your letter)

pp = per procurationem (A Latin phrase meaning that you are signing the letter on somebody else's behalf; if they are not there to sign it themselves, etc)

ps = postscript (when you want to add something after you've finished and signed it)

pto (informal) = please turn over (to make sure that the other person knows the letter continues on the other side of the page)

RSVP = please reply

Here are some examples of business letters of different kinds.

Letter 1. APPLICATION LETTER.

May 28, 2010

The human resources & administration head Inara Lightings, Ltd. Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am writing to explore the possibility of employment as Document Controller in your reputable firm. I am a Computer Science graduate of the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City. I bring with me several years of experience as information systems analyst of leading companies that include Nissan Motor Philippines, Inc.

My strong computer skills, knowledge of modern word processing software, and project management tools are but some of the things that make me an asset to your company.

Attached is my resume for your perusal. Should you require any further information, I can be reached at 632-555-1234 (during regular business hours), or at 632-555-6789 (during regular business hours).

Sincerely, (signed) ANGELA TANAMA

Letter 2. REQUEST LETTER.

Baisy Clifford 3400 Chelsey Road Quantico, FU 78451 Stenley Brothers 6539 71th Street Los Angeles, LA 84733 27th January, 2010

Dear Sir,

We have seen your advertisement in the Business Weekly Journal, and we shall appreciate it if you will send us more detailed description of your cameras. We should also like to know the discounts that you provide.

Our company specializes in distributing cameras in Italy. For your information we may add that our company was established five years ago. If your goods meet our requirements, and we receive a favourable offer, we will be able to represent your cameras in Eatsern Europe.

We are looking forward to your reply.

Yours faithfully,

R. Stenley Export-Import Manager

Letter 3. LETTER OF RESERVATION.

Tangerang, 17th December 2010

The Personnel Manager

Peninsula Hotel

Jl. Jatinegara Barat 112 

Jakarta Timur 10252

Dear Sir,

I should like to book a single room with bath for the nights of 25th, 26th, and 27th December 2010. I expect to arrive in Jakarta about afternoon on 25th December. But, as I am sure you appreciate, flights are often delayed and I may not reach you until much later. I should prefer a room with a view over the sea.

Would you please let me know whether you have a suitable room available and how much my stay will cost.

I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Hendar Sukerja

Exersice 1. Write 2 own letters of any type.