Letter respected sample. How to write a formal letter to an organization

business document- the main means of carrying out management activities, fixing and transmitting information. With the help of the document, coordination of business activities is carried out, and information is also accumulated. In a large organization, instructions are usually drawn up, which indicate who officially writes documents, who reports to whom and in what cases, who passes information to whom, etc. One of the most important ways to formalize the transfer of information are standard forms (forms). The advantage of the form is that the person filling it out does not need to think about when, how and what information needs to be reported in this case; this saves a lot of time.

The share of correspondence in business life is very high.

Correctly composed meets the following requirements:

  • reliability and objectivity of presentation;
  • completeness of information;
  • brevity of presentation (a business letter should take no more than a page);
  • lack of reasoning and narrative;
  • neutral tone of presentation, but at the same time benevolence, lack of rudeness and irony, pretentiousness, false politeness;
  • the use of means of logical, rather than emotionally expressive assessment of the situation and facts.

There are several types of business letters. So, letters containing a warning, reminder, invitation, confirmation, refusal, letters of cover, guarantee, information, letters of notice and order do not require an indispensable written response. The answer must be written to a letter with a request, appeal, offer, request, demand.

business writing ethics

The disrespect of the author of a business letter, even if it is veiled, is always felt by the addressee, which forms a persistent negative attitude towards the letter and its author, despite the seemingly impeccable methods of persuasiveness of the message.

Especially carefully you need to approach the letter that contains the refusal. You can not start such a letter with a statement of refusal. The first step is to provide convincing explanations. Use the following formulas: "Your request cannot be granted for the following reasons..."; "Unfortunately, it is not possible to satisfy your request..."; “We are deeply sorry, but we cannot satisfy your request…”, etc. The place of this formula is in the last paragraph of the letter. At the same time, one must remember the rule: "When formulating a refusal, beware of losing a friend or customer."

Here is an approximate plan for a response letter that contains a refusal of a request or a rejection of an offer:

  • repetition of the request - the addressee must be sure that his letter is carefully read and the essence of his request is accurately understood;
  • reasons why the request cannot be granted or why the offer cannot be accepted - rational and psychological preparation of the addressee for a subsequent refusal;
  • statement of refusal or rejection of the proposal - the formula of refusal.

Business writing language

Academician D.S. Likhachev, a brilliant connoisseur of the Russian language, wrote in a memo to his young colleagues “On the good language of scientific work”: “A good language is not noticed by the reader. The reader should notice only the thought, but not the language in which the thought is expressed.

Confident writing skills are possible with many years of experience. At first, it is advisable to use the practical advice of experts:

  • simple words should be chosen, but the language should not be impoverished;
  • use more verbs than adjectives: this way the text will turn out to be dynamic and at the same time not pompous;
  • do not start from afar, do not deviate from the topic, do not describe many details;
  • avoid long statements: they are unconvincing, so you should be brief, use a minimum of subordinate clauses;
  • the transition from one phrase to another should be logical and natural, "unnoticed";
  • check each written phrase by ear;
  • use a minimum of pronouns that make you think what they refer to, what word they “replaced” (write specifically, and not “about this”, “that”, “she / it / they”, etc.).

A business letter should be literate and stylistically verified.

Formatting a business letter

A formal letter is always written on the letterhead of the organization.

In the upper left corner of the outgoing letter (that is, sent from the organization), the outgoing number is indicated, which is recorded in the organization's document registration log. The date the letter was written is required. In the upper right corner, the name of the organization (in the nominative case), the position of the addressee and his last name are given. In the lower left corner, the position, surname and signature of the head are placed, and 2 cm below - the surname of the executor of the letter (without initials) and his phone number.

Essentially and visually, the content of the letter consists of sin blocks: about the formula of the letter - what is the essence of the request; o substantiation of the request; about supporting information.

In the response letter, be sure to make a polite reference to his last letter. If this letter opens correspondence with a foreign partner, you need to introduce the organization, describe its purpose and objectives in the field of international activity. This part of the letter is extremely brief, because the basic information about the organization should be given by the booklet attached to the letter (the link to which is obligatory in the letter). Such a letter should be concluded with gratitude for cooperation and / or an expression of hope for such in the future. The proven formula is "Sincerely yours (your name)".

Good writing requires a large vocabulary and the ability to connect them, which requires a systematic and careful reading of fiction and scientific literature. Without constant nourishment with humanitarian knowledge, a full-fledged leader will not take place. This is the conclusion of the eminent management specialist Lee Iacocca: “Years later, when my children asked what to study, my constant advice was that they need to get a good education in the liberal arts ... The main thing is to lay a solid foundation of knowledge in areas of literature, to master oral and written speech well.

In recent years, e-mail has taken an increasing place in business correspondence. Its advantages are obvious: efficiency, availability and ease of use. It should be remembered that electronic correspondence has its own nuances.

Receiving letters

  1. check your mail at least 2 times a day - in the morning and in the afternoon. Otherwise, you can stop the work of other people and delay the resolution of issues;
  2. if you received a letter, it means that someone sent it and for some reason did it. Therefore, the received letters must be read. Of course, spam is not considered here;
  3. if you are a manager, your working day should start by launching an email client that does not unload all day and automatically checks mail. Set up automatic delivery / receipt of mail at least every 10 (and preferably 2 - 3) minutes;
  4. if you are very busy and you have received a letter, evaluate who it is from, the subject and run through it with your eyes - this will help you quickly understand whether the letter requires an urgent response or can wait a little;
  5. The easiest and most effective way to move things forward and not collect mail piles is to respond to emails right away. Therefore, if you are not carrying on a conversation or other activity that does not tolerate interruption, respond to the letter immediately.

To, Cc, Bcc fields

You should understand, remember and correctly use the "To", "Cc" and "Bcc" fields. Your actions on receiving the letter or the actions of the recipient depend on this.

  1. "To whom". If you send a question, you are waiting for a response from the addressee specified in the "To" field. If you are the recipient, you must answer. That is, the letter and the information or questions contained in it are addressed directly to the recipient indicated in this field.
  2. "Copy". Recipients in this box are receiving a letter for information or are "invited witnesses". The recipient in copies should generally not reply to the letter. Moreover, it is considered polite, if necessary, to begin with the phrase “sorry to interfere.”
  3. "Hidden copy". The fact that the letter was sent to the person specified in the "Bcc" field will not be known by the main recipient or those in the copies. This field is also used for mass mailing so that all recipients do not know your address book.

When answering, do not forget about the "Reply to all" button - this will save the recipients of the initial letter in copies and your answer will not pass by them. You can always remove unwanted recipients or add others.

If there are more than two recipients in the received letter in the "To" field, this means that both of these correspondents or any of them must answer. Decide who should answer. However, be careful when sending letters containing more than two recipients in the "To" field: for a letter sent to everyone, you run the risk of not receiving a response from anyone.

Subject field

You should not leave this field empty. The people you correspond with may receive hundreds of emails a day and use this field to quickly assess the importance of email content.

The subject of the letter should briefly reflect the subject of the letter. Headlines like "Question", "Hello!" or empty headlines betray you as a beginner, or lack of basic business writing skills.

"The Importance of Writing"

If the letter contains information about urgent changes, the text of any contract or other information that needs to be paid attention to first of all, use the value "high", this will highlight the letter in the Inbox folder.

  • Don't use "high" importance in vain!
  • A personal letter to a business correspondent or a letter with a funny and not businesslike picture or link, mark the importance as “low”.

Writing a response

  1. Start with a greeting, it's polite.
  2. Speak the same language with the person. This applies not only to the Russian/English language, but also to the form of the text. An informal response to a formal letter is disrespectful to the respondent and a demonstration of one's own low culture.
  3. Do not use transliteration, except when sending emails from mobile devices. If your mail client does not support Russian or corrupts encodings, please attach the reply text in the attachment.
  4. A business letter should be precise, specific and concise.
    • Accuracy– Specify the exact data you are referring to (for example, meeting date, meeting agenda item, date and subject of another email, or file name).
    • concreteness- it should be clear from the letter exactly WHAT EXACTLY is required from the recipient.
    • Conciseness. Whoever thinks clearly, he clearly states, and your addressee sees it. Therefore, it is not necessary to state on three pages what could be written in three sentences. A concise business text is not dryness, but time saving and thought accuracy.
  5. If the letter contains several questions, topics or tasks, structure them and separate them. A continuous “stream of washing” is difficult to read and you can skip, in fact, the main question of the letter.
  6. Respond to the requests in the letter as accurately as possible. The answer to a request or task "Let's do it!" incomplete “We will do it by such and such a date”, “in such and such days”, “after such and such an event” is a more specific and accurate answer.
  7. The text must not contain errors! Misprints are not terrible, but if you write words incorrectly in each letter, it becomes noticeable very quickly and leaves a negative imprint on your image of a business partner.
  8. Never send a letter without reading what you have written! Read your answer and make sure everything is concise, precise, understandable, specific and free of grammatical errors. Check if all the necessary recipients are specified, if they are correctly placed in the "To" and "Cc" fields. Check for grammatical errors.
  9. Quote the text of the original letter.
  10. When fully quoting (if your answer to the whole letter) write the text of the answer at the BEGINNING of the letter, not at the end!
  11. If your answers are point by point, separate the quote with blank lines above and below.

Attachments

  1. Do not attach files in EXE, PIF, BAT, COM, CMD, SCR formats to emails - many email clients or servers block such attachments tightly, and the recipient will never read them. Pack them into an archive (zip, rar) as in a shell and put them in this form.
  2. It is considered normal to send attachments up to 2-3 megabytes without warning. If you want to send a larger attachment, check with the correspondent whether such a file will pass through his server or whether it will fit in the mailbox.
  3. Refrain from attachments of dubious content: firstly, your correspondent may not share your tastes, and secondly, you can cause trouble to a person working in an organization where mail perusal is used.

Electronic signature

  1. Its presence is useful (your contact information is available) and it is a good tone demonstrating your professionalism.
  2. The signature should not exceed 5-6 lines. It must include at least your first and last name. In addition, it is desirable to indicate your phone number, e-mail address, the name and physical address of the company, as well as the address of its website.
  3. Have two options for an electronic signature: for initiative (own) letters with full signature

A business letter should have a clear structure, the advantages of which are:

  • saving your time and time of the addressee;
  • guarantee of reading the letter by the addressee and a correct understanding of its essence;
  • getting a clear, concise answer.

Structure of a business letter

Appeal

It is located in the "header" of the letter and contains the position and full name of the addressee. For official business correspondence, the standard treatment is “Dear”, which is written with a capital letter and in the center of the sheet. And then a lot of options, depending on what they write and to whom. So, in Russia it is customary to address by name and patronymic, in companies with a Western corporate culture - just by name. If you know your partner personally, you can address it like this: "Dear Andrey Petrovich", if you don't know - "Dear Mr. Smirnov". By the way, when addressing a person, the word "mister" cannot be shortened to "mr." And in no case should you write “Dear Mr. Smirnov A.P.”. Either "Andrei Petrovich" or "Mr. Smirnov."

If you do not write to royalty, representatives of religious denominations, presidents and members of parliaments of various countries, consider yourself lucky. For them, there are official conversion formulas, and for each rank there are special ones. Before sending such a letter, carefully check whether the selected appeal matches the status of the addressee. It is much easier to remember how to write to military personnel: “Dear Comrade Colonel,” even if this colonel is a woman. But the appeal "Ladies and gentlemen" is secular, and it is better to use it, say, for an invitation to the opening of a fashion salon. If you are inviting to a business presentation, for example, new drilling rigs, then according to established practice, the common address for everyone is “Dear Sirs”. In this case, it does not matter that women also work in this organization.

Example:

to CEO
LLC "Concord"
Dobrovolsky P.I.

Dear Pavel Ilyich!
or
Dear Mr. Dobrovolsky!

Preamble

Composes the first paragraph of the letter, which sets out its purpose, the reason that prompted you to write it. After reading the preamble, the addressee should understand the essence of the letter. Example: I am writing to you to express my dissatisfaction with the quality of raw materials for the production of furniture that your company supplies to us, and I count on your actions aimed at quickly changing the situation for the better and compensating for the losses caused to us.

Example: During the last month, starting from June 2 of the current year, 10-15% of each batch of your raw materials is defective. These facts were properly documented by our company's specialists. Copies of documents are attached to this letter. The losses of our company in connection with the receipt of defective raw materials amount to about 1 million rubles. We have been cooperating with Concord LLC for five years now, and so far we have had no reason to complain. In this situation, we insist on full compensation for our losses. If necessary, we are ready to conduct a joint examination of the rejected raw materials.

Conclusion

It is necessary for a brief summing up of the entire written and logical conclusion of the letter.

Example: I am sure that you will understand this situation, and in the near future our cooperation will return to normal.

Signature

The letter ends with the signature (position + full name) of the sender, which is preceded by the standard polite form "Respectfully". Options are also possible: “Sincerely yours”, “With hope for productive cooperation”, “With gratitude for cooperation”, etc. When signing a letter, it is important to take into account the rank of the addressee and addressee. A letter addressed to the CEO must also be signed by the CEO, or at least his deputy. At the same time, the signature must correspond to its transcript: the situation when the deputy director puts a slash next to the director's surname and signs with his own name is unacceptable.

Example: Sincerely yours, A.D. Kiselyov, General Director of the Zarya furniture factory

P.S

Postscript (P.S.) - postscript at the end of the letter after the signature - is rarely used in business correspondence. It serves to inform the addressee about an important event that happened after the writing of the letter, or to convey to him information that is indirectly related to the subject of the letter.

Example 1: P.S. I inform you that the percentage of defects in the batch of raw materials received 3 hours ago has increased to 17%!

Example 2: P.S. The head of our department for the reception of raw materials will meet with your specialists at your enterprise tomorrow at 14:00.

Applications

Applications are an optional addition to the main text of the letter and therefore are drawn up on separate sheets - each application on its own sheet. There are no rules for writing them.

Standard phrases for business correspondence

Notices

  • We inform you that the delay in shipment ... occurred due to ...
  • We would like to inform you that the management of the plant has decided…
  • We inform you that your proposal has been accepted.
  • We inform you that we…
  • We would like to inform you that…
  • We would like to inform you that unfortunately we cannot…

Models of expressions explaining motives (The most common phrases at the beginning of a standard business letter)

    According to the protocol...
  • In order to enhance the security of property…
  • In response to your request...
  • In confirmation of our telephone conversation...
  • In confirmation of our agreement…
  • In order to provide technical assistance…
  • Due to the difficult situation...
  • In connection with the joint work…
  • According to the client's letter...

If the author is a legal entity, then the actions are transferred:

  1. From the third person singular, for example:
    • The Zarya plant does not object ...
    • The joint Russian-English venture "Soyuz K" offers ...
    • The Naiv cooperative guarantees…
  2. From the third person plural, for example: The management and the trade union committee of the Zarya plant earnestly ask ...
  3. First person plural:
    • Please…
    • Confirming...
    • We inform…

If the author is a natural person, then the actions are transferred:

  1. First person singular, for example:
    • For your information…
    • Ask…
    • I am informing you...
  2. First person plural, for example:
    • We approve...
    • We have received your telegram...
    • Congratulations...
    • We support…

Request

  • Please check the progress of the work...
  • Please take action…
  • Please provide performance data...

Sending documents or material values

  • Sending machine assembly drawings…
  • We send the documents you are interested in by registered post...
  • We send the contract signed on our part ...

Confirmation

  • With gratitude we acknowledge receipt of your order and proceed to its implementation ...
  • We confirm receipt of specifications for…
  • The Zarya plant confirms the terms of equipment delivery…

Offer

  • We can offer you …
  • We invite you to purchase…
  • We can recommend you…

Invitation

  • We invite you to take part in the discussion of the project ...
  • Please join the discussion...
  • We invite a representative of your company to visit…

Refusal and rejection of the proposal (project)

  • The draft title list sent by you for construction projects in the amount of ... cannot be approved by us for the following reasons.
  • Your proposal (project) was rejected for the following reasons…

Reminder

  • We remind you that according to the joint work plan, you must ...
  • We remind you that in accordance with… You must…
  • We remind you that your payment arrears amount to…
  • We remind you that the deadline for submission of the manuscript expires ...

Guarantees

  • We guarantee payment.
  • We guarantee deadlines.
  • We guarantee the quality of products.

Interpretation of one's own position

  • Our appeals on this issue did not lead to positive results.
  • We have no objections to the design.
  • We cannot deliver the goods to you… for the following reasons:…

Interpretation of the actions of the other party

  • This delay can lead to...
  • It is completely inexplicable why your factory is delaying the dispatch of molds ...
  • Your promises are not kept.

Final words

  • We hope that our request will be fulfilled.
  • We look forward to further cooperation.
  • With wishes of success.
  • We kindly ask you not to delay the answer.
  • Please excuse us for the delay in responding (for a mistake).

Ethical standards of business correspondence

Business correspondence, like any other form of human interaction, is based on a set of ethical rules and norms, the main of which is "CORRECTNESS AND RESPECT FOR THE PARTNER". Even if the purpose of the letter is to express a claim, its text should not contain rude words and incorrect expressions that may offend your counterparty. By taking care of maintaining the dignity of your addressee, you thus preserve your own.

  • start the message with a statement of refusal. First of all, it is necessary to state the motivation for the decision made and make it clear that under certain circumstances it is possible to return to the consideration of the issue;
  • impose on the addressee the expected outcome of the question, for example: “I ask you to study and resolve the issue positively” or “I ask you to approve this candidacy”
  • encourage the addressee to hurry when making a decision with the words “urgently”, “immediately”, “in a shorter time”. Better use the etiquette formulas “I ask you to answer by such and such a date”, “I earnestly ask you to immediately inform about your decision”
  • hint to the addressee at his imaginary inattention, incompetence, introducing into the text of the letter wording like “I suggest that you carefully study ...”.

For the recipient of business letters, the mandatory requirements, from the point of view of ethical standards, are:

  • rejection of the response form, in which the letter of inquiry or letter of offer is returned to the author with the response information posted on them;
  • prompt and clear response to the sending organization. Delay or lack of response may be seen as uncooperative.

Following the ethical standards of business correspondence listed above will not require you to perform a feat and will eventually become easy and familiar. Moreover, it will provide you with a reputation as a tactful person and even teach you how to turn opponents into allies.

General rules for writing business letters

In addition to structure, another important component of a competent business letter is its neat design.

Information mail

Information mail- This is a business letter that informs the addressee of information of an official nature.

The length of an information letter ranges from one paragraph to several pages.

As a rule, newsletters are signed by the head of the organization, and in the case of mass mailing (for example, to all customers of the company), they may not contain a manual signature at all. Often, newsletters are of a typical nature.

An inquiry- a business letter sent to obtain any official information or documents.

In general, letters of inquiry are composed in the same way as letters of request. Letters of inquiry, as a rule, are signed by the head of the organization or an officially authorized official.

The text of the request letter must contain the justification for the need to provide materials or information and the actual statement of the request.

A letter of inquiry requires a letter of response.

Response letter

A response letter is a service letter that is written as a response to a letter of inquiry or a letter of request.

The answer can be negative (letter of refusal) or positive.

In the text of the response letter, the same language phrases and vocabulary that the author used in the initiative letter should be used, provided that the request letter was written correctly in linguistic terms.

You should not include in the text of the response letter a link to the received letter (“To your letter dated _______ No. ___”).

Information about the initiative letter is included in the registration number of the response letter. It is advisable to start the refusal letter with the rationale for the refusal: “In connection with ...”, since a negative answer must be justified, you cannot simply refuse the request without explanation.

Confirmation letter

A confirmation letter is an official letter in which the addressee confirms previously reached agreements, intentions, receipt of information, documents or other materials, etc.

The key language formula of this type of letters is: “We confirm (receipt of documents, preliminary agreement, consent to ...)”.

When confirming a preliminary agreement in the text of the letter, it is necessary to briefly state its essence.

If the receipt of documents is confirmed, they should be named, etc. The confirmation letter may end with a request, wish, offer.

Claim letter

A complaint letter is an initiative business letter, the purpose of which is to express a claim or dissatisfaction to the addressee.

In the conclusion, specific wishes or proposals for correcting the situation should be expressed.

Letter of guarantee

Letters of guarantee are intended to provide the addressee with written guarantees in order to confirm certain promises or conditions, intentions or actions of the author (the sending organization), one way or another affecting the interests of the addressee.

Letters of guarantee are addressed to an organization or an individual. The word "guarantee" may not be mentioned at all in the text of the letter, however, the letter will remain a document containing a guarantee.

The payment for the work performed, the timing of its completion, the quality of the work, the quality of the goods, the timing of its delivery, payment for the products received, etc. can be guaranteed. These aspects can make up the content of the whole letter or enter the text of the letter as its component.

Letters of guarantee are emphatically legal in nature, corresponding in status to documents of a contractual nature. Most often, letters of guarantee are issued to confirm payment.

In this case, it is obligatory to indicate the number of the contract and the invoice according to which the payment must be made.

Letters of guarantee are distinguished by clarity, accuracy and unambiguous wording - since we are talking about providing guarantees to the addressee on behalf of and on behalf of an organization or official. It must indicate the type of operation to be performed.

Such letters may begin with a statement of the essence of the guarantees provided to the addressee, for example: “I guarantee with this letter ...”.

In other cases, a letter of guarantee may contain a statement of the reasons that caused the intention of the author to declare his readiness to provide certain guarantees to the addressee. In this case, the corresponding statement is formulated in the final sentence, for example: "We guarantee payment" or "I guarantee timely and full payment."

A feature of this type of letter is the presence, along with the signature of the author (for example, the director of the organization), the signature of an official who is directly in charge of financial or other issues. If a letter of guarantee is sent as an obligation to pay for a purchase, service rendered, etc., then it must contain the bank details of the paying organization.

The key phrase of a letter of guarantee may include the words and expressions:

  • We guarantee…
  • We guarantee that…
  • The Partner company guarantees…
  • Please send cash on delivery (type of guarantee) to our address ...
  • Guaranteed payment...
  • We hereby guarantee…

Summary

A resume is a type of business letter aimed at the most complete and profitable presentation of a specialist to an employer.

When compiling a resume, you should strictly follow a number of rules:

  1. introduce yourself
  2. Education
  3. experience
  4. Do I need to specify the desired salary level?
  5. Do I need to provide additional information about myself?
  6. Are personal details required?
  7. Tailor your resume to the requirements of the employer
  8. Attitude towards travel
  9. Availability of recommendations
  10. Covering letter

There is not and cannot be a single resume for all occasions, which could be sent to all firms without changes.

Each time, you should first think about what qualities will be valued in a new job, and modify the resume in accordance with them. The information provided in the resume must be reliable. Don't leave blank spots on your resume.

And most importantly - the summary should be short: no more than one - one and a half pages. Your ability to clearly formulate, briefly state is an indicator of a high level of general culture.

The presence of a photo on the resume is welcome.

  1. Confirmation of the fact and terms of work in the organization, brief information about the positions held and duties performed (for a letter of recommendation from a private person, this paragraph indicates during what period of time and in what capacity the author of the letter knows the recommended one). From the list of duties, the qualifications of the recommended person should be visible. If the recommended person occupied various positions, then data on the positions held and the duties performed are indicated for each time interval. Example: Sidorov Vladimir Alexandrovich worked in the company "Vector" from March 12, 1998 to March 16, 2002, including from March 12, 1998 to March 16, 2002 - as a manager of the trade and purchasing department, from March 17 to November 25, 2002 - in the position of senior manager of the same department. His duties as a manager were to organize the supply of components, as a senior manager - to organize the interaction between suppliers of components and production.
  2. A brief description of the professional, business and personal qualities of the recommended and the successes he has achieved during his work in the organization. You should abandon such general words as reliable, competent, conscientious, etc., and focus on specific facts that characterize the recommended in terms of his professional qualities, the ability to cope with certain tasks. Here you can focus on categories such as level knowledge and diligence in the performance of basic duties, the ability to cope with non-standard tasks, ingenuity, initiative, learning ability, ability to adapt in various situations, emotional stability, leadership qualities. Here you can give an approximate comparison of the recommended work with the work of his colleagues, indicate the most significant achievements , projects developed and implemented by him personally. Example: Independently mastered the software, independently and successfully conducted business negotiations, effectively managed subordinates, etc.
  3. Reasons for changing the place of work (leaving the organization, moving to another place). This may be a change in the profile of the organization, the closure of a unit, personnel changes in the organization, a change of residence, etc.
  4. Conclusions. A brief and specific assessment of the competence, business qualities of the recommended person, his creative potential and career opportunities. Recommendations for taking a specific position or positions (in some cases it is desirable to indicate here the degree to which you recommend a person for the position you are looking for: unconditionally, strongly, with some reservations, do not recommend). Example: Sidorov Vladimir Alexandrovich is fluent in technology… (has extensive experience in working with server software… or… can independently work with corporate clients… etc.). I believe that Mr. Sidorov can effectively fulfill the duties of the head of the department, working as the head of the department, deputy head of the computer department of a medium-sized enterprise.
  5. Contact details of the person signing the letter. This point is especially relevant for letters of recommendation drawn up by individuals, since it is quite possible that a new employer, after reading a letter of recommendation, will want to clarify some details.

Press release

A press release is an informational message for the media, the task of which is to draw attention to a certain event (has happened or is to come) in order to maximize coverage of this event in the media.

Press releases are compiled and distributed by the press services of companies and organizations and have certain writing rules:

  • the heading of the document should contain the word "Press release" and the date of its distribution;
  • the title of the press release should clearly reflect its theme, the message of the informational message;
  • in more detail, the essence of the heading of the press release can be disclosed in the subheading (at the same time, its presence is optional);
  • the first paragraph of the press release must contain the following information: what, where and when it happened (will happen);
  • The volume of the press release should not exceed one and a half pages of typewritten text. In this case, it is desirable to limit one page, including the signature and headers and footers of the organization's letterhead;
  • the press release may include quotes from news makers - responsible speakers of the organization;
  • a press release is written on the organization's letterhead;
  • The signature to the press release should contain the full name of the contact person who can provide additional information on the subject of the press release, and his contact details: telephone (preferably mobile), e-mail, ICQ number.

Letter of congratulation

The "Congratulations" format belongs to the category of personal business correspondence.

It is drawn up on a greeting letterhead or postcard, and when it is compiled, a creative approach can and should prevail. This applies to both the text of the letter and its design.

Congratulations can be personal (happy birthday) or mass (for example, Happy New Year).

In the first case, the address to the addressee should be personal - by name and patronymic; in the second case, it can be general, for example, "Dear friends!".

Moreover, in both cases, the sender must personally sign the congratulations (when sending mass congratulations, a facsimile is used).

Personal congratulations

Mass congratulations

Invitation letter

The "Invitation" format belongs to the category of personal business correspondence.

It is issued on an official letterhead or postcard and is intended to notify the addressee of a certain solemn event that he is invited to attend.

The invitation must contain information about the place and time of the event, as well as its name.

The invitation must indicate the acceptable dress code (for example, black and tie), as well as the number of people covered by the invitation.

As a rule, the invitation is nominal, but during mass events it can be depersonalized.

Personal invitation

Bulk Invite

Thank you letter

The "Thanks" format belongs to the category of personal business correspondence and aims to express gratitude to the addressee.

As a rule, thanks are issued on the official letterhead of the organization, but can be issued as a postcard.

The text of the letter of thanks is written in a concise, friendly-formal style with reference to the event that prompted the sender to express his gratitude to the addressee. If desired, other merits of the addressee can also be listed. Gratitude is certified by the sender's personal signature and, in some cases, by the seal of the organization.

Example: Message from the Prime Minister of Great Britain to the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR (April 25, 1942) “I am very grateful to you for your message of April 23. Of course, we will welcome the visit of Mr. Molotov, with whom, I am sure, we will be able to do a lot of useful work. I am very glad that you find it possible to allow this visit, which, I am sure, will be very valuable.

condolence letter

The “Condolences” format belongs to the category of personal business correspondence and aims to express empathy and support to the addressee about some other sad event or loss.

When writing condolences, it is very important to choose the right sincere words that can really support the addressee in his grief.

At the same time, it is important to express your feelings and experiences regarding what happened.

Condolences are issued in a discreet, correct style on an official letterhead or a special postcard and certified by the sender's personal signature.

Business letter- a document used for communication, transmission of information over a distance between two correspondents, who can be both legal entities and individuals.

A manager or a management specialist by the nature of his activity needs to write a lot of business letters.

Business letters include testimonials, resumes, letters of recommendation, reminder and gratitude letters, letters of invitation to interviews or presentations, rejection letters, statements of claim, complaints, etc.

How to write a business letter

  • paper for a business letter should be of good quality, absolutely clean, neatly cut;
  • it is desirable that the form of a business letter be with the logo of the organization, its full name, postal and telegraphic address, telephone, fax, e-mail address and bank details;
  • official business letters are printed on the front side of the sheet, without blots; all pages except the first are numbered with Arabic numerals;
  • the width of the margin on the left side of the sheet must be at least 2 cm, the paragraph begins with a red line with a five-spaced indent from the left edge of the line; the text is printed in one and a half - two intervals; it is desirable to avoid word wrapping;
  • in the upper right corner of a business letter, under the address of the sending organization, the date is put, preferably in full (for example, January 2, 2007);
  • the name of the organization or the surname and address of the person where the business letter is sent is put on the left side of the sheet;
  • below, from the edge of the line or in the center of the sheet, a polite appeal is written; for example, "Dear Ivan Ivanovich"; after the treatment, a comma is required, but an exclamation mark is often put to start the next phrase with a red line and with a capital letter;
  • the business letter ends with words of gratitude for cooperation and an expression of hope for its continuation;
  • the signature is placed on the right side of the sheet, after the final phrase of courtesy, for example, "With respect ...", the name of the signer is printed under his handwritten signature;
  • resolutions on all types of incoming correspondence should be done in pencil or on separate sheets; a business letter is folded with the text inside, and the most important business letters are not folded, for which they are sent in large thick envelopes;
  • a telegraph request should be answered within 3 days, a business letter - 10; if the request requires detailed consideration, then within 3 days you should inform that the business letter has been taken into account and give a final answer within 30 days.
  • accuracy and clarity of presentation of thoughts - short words, short phrases, short paragraphs
  • maximum accessibility of the text for understanding, the use of simple phrases that accurately and unambiguously express the essence
  • literacy
  • correctness

Letters have been written since time immemorial and continue to be written to this day. They serve as a tool for communication between people, helping to clearly state the essence of the interlocutor, which was the reason for writing it. In this article, we will consider several types of business correspondence and learn how to write business letters correctly.

To correctly compose any business letter, you need to be able to clearly state its essence and structure it correctly. Business correspondence is conducted on forms approved by the company with its own logo and address. In the upper right corner, a header is filled in, consisting of the position and name of the head of the recipient company. At the end of the header, a brief information about the sender is written. The next step in writing a letter is writing an appeal. It can sound differently, depending on the degree of familiarity with the addressee. If you know him personally, then you can address him like this: “Dear Sergey Yuryevich!”. If the addressee is a stranger, the appeal may look like this: “Dear Mr. Ivanov!”. It must be borne in mind that in these cases it is unacceptable to abbreviate the word mister or put initials instead of the surname and name. To convey the essence of the letter in a concise form is the task of the preamble. Most often it consists of one paragraph. After reading the preamble, the recipient should already briefly understand the content of the letter. After it begins the main text, which includes several paragraphs. The text should concisely state your thoughts about the situation. It is desirable that the main text does not exceed four paragraphs. The letter should end with a conclusion, which briefly summarizes the results of the letter, puts the date and signature indicating the name and position of the sender. Depending on the reason for writing the appeal, sometimes it is appropriate to end it with the words: “Yours sincerely!”, “With hope for further cooperation”, etc. One of the common types of business letters is a letter of guarantee. In its main text, the author guarantees the fulfillment of this or that promise, announces the deadline for the fulfillment of guarantees and establishes the amount of the penalty that he will have to pay in case of violation of the guarantee obligations.

Can be downloaded here.

Letters of thanks are also one of the types of business, but already from the category of personal ones. They can be issued on the letterhead of the enterprise or a greeting card. The main text should include congratulations to the addressee, indicating the event that served as the reason for writing the letter and listing the outstanding merits of the recipient.

On our website.

Letters of recommendation are most often compiled for an employee of an enterprise on behalf of the head. They contain information about the best qualities of the employee, his merits and achievements. Usually, in such letters, the previous employer is ready to vouch for his employee to the future employer.

Download here.

Not only organizations have to conduct business correspondence. When looking for a job, business etiquette must also be observed. The applicant needs to be able to correctly compose a resume and an accompanying letter, in which an appeal to the employer is written in a short form, the source of information about the desired vacancy, the name of the applicant and his telephone number are indicated.

In business workflow, the request letter format is used very often when it becomes necessary to obtain the consent of the second party or a certain service from it. Ready-made samples and examples for different situations, as well as the rules for writing such letters, you will find in this article.

The tradition and rules for writing a letter of request have developed exclusively in practical document management - i.e. at the legislative level, no forms or instructions have been approved. However, in general, the following structure should be followed:

  1. As usual, the “header” is filled in first, which indicates the full name of the sending organization with the corresponding contact details, as well as the name of a specific employee (usually the director of the company) and the name of the receiving organization.
  2. This is followed by the text itself, which consists of a description of the situation and the rationale for the request. The text should be as short as possible - usually 1-2 paragraphs are enough. It is important to specifically and unambiguously state your request so that the interlocutor understands the essence of your appeal well.
  3. This is followed by a signature, a transcript of the signature and the date of compilation.

Thus, it is drawn up according to the standard version for such documents - the form is given below.

The finished sample can be used as an example of this.

NOTE. The decision to indicate or not to indicate the name of the document (i.e., write in the middle “Request Letter”) is made by the sender himself. As a rule, this is necessary in cases where it is appropriate to emphasize the nature of the document and the purpose that one company is trying to achieve from another.

Since in this case we are talking about the fact that one company is counting on some service or even a concession from its partner, of course, writing a letter, its design, and even sending it should be taken very seriously. Any detail can make an impression, so it is better to take into account even the nuances that are insignificant at first glance:

  1. First of all, it is better to send it using physical mail - the usual Russian Post or even better a private organization that delivers correspondence door to door and much faster. A message in electronic form, or even more so transmitted by fax, is often perceived more impersonally as spam.
  2. In addition, the physical way the document is issued (i.e., as a regular postal item) allows you to make a favorable impression due to more expensive paper, an envelope, a stamp, and other means of registration.
  3. To write the text, a letterhead is always chosen - this allows you to give the request more formality.
  4. In the text, it is better to avoid obvious bureaucraticisms - i.e. set words and expressions that are commonly used in the business environment. They literally "dry" the story and make a generally negative impression. They are easy to replace with more original options - for example, "Please consider" to "I hope for your understanding and assistance in resolving this issue."
  5. Finally, it is worth adhering to the traditions of business correspondence in general, i.e. the text is predominantly written in a formal business style. Lyrical digressions, too complex syntactic constructions, double (in meaning) phrases should not be. Care should be taken to make it very easy for the interlocutor to perceive the message - both in terms of understanding and psychologically.

ADVICE. If it is possible to write the text by hand, it is better to use this method. A handwritten letter allows you to distinguish it from the background of all the others. However, it is better to entrust the writing to a specialist who knows the techniques of calligraphy.

Varieties

Depending on the specific situation, there are different types of letters. Most of the requests are related to financial issues, such as a discount, a reduction in the payment for a service, or a deferment. A smaller part of the letters of request is devoted to assistance in resolving any other issues. The most common cases and ready-made examples of letters are discussed below.

About the allocation of funds

Asking for money, even for charitable purposes, is a pretty serious request. Therefore, when drawing up, it is important to describe the situation as specifically as possible and, moreover, clearly indicate what exactly the money is required for, and for what reason it cannot be taken from another source.

When compiling, you can take such a sample as a basis.

From NGO "Rainbow"

Member of the Legislative Assembly

St. Petersburg Miloshnikov I.N.

Dear Ilya Nikolaevich! Welcome to the director of the non-profit organization Raduga.” Our organization was founded in 2012 and throughout all these years has been continuously providing financial assistance to children suffering from acute forms of leukemia. The main direction of our activity is the purchase of appropriate medicines and the implementation of complex operations.

All these years, the main source of financing for our activities has been the enterprise LLC “…”. However, in April of the current 2017, the volume of funding dropped sharply, and at the moment we cannot carry out charitable actions in the same volume.

According to our data, the annual budget of the fund, taking into account private donations, should be 10 million rubles. Thus, due to the termination of financing, it is necessary to cover the difference in the amount of 8 million rubles. annually. We look forward to your cooperation, as it is not possible to find sponsors at the moment.

Sincerely, Svetozarov V.K.

About the delivery of goods

Here it is important to demonstrate your interest and desire to cooperate. Therefore, you need to find the right words so that the interlocutor is imbued with trust and makes an appropriate decision. As a basis, you can take such a sample.

General Director of LLC "…"

Nekrasov N.K.

From the director of the company LLC “…”

Elizarova V.M.

Greetings, Nikolai Konstantinovich! At the regional agricultural exhibition, which was held in May this year, our company became interested in the samples of machinery and equipment that were offered by you.

We would like to start cooperation with you with the delivery of a trial batch of goods (the full list is attached as a separate document to this letter). We guarantee timely payments for goods and services. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Our contact details:

Sincerely, Elizarov V.M.

About the discount

Currently, this is a fairly common type, since economic conditions have deteriorated in many ways. As experience shows, convincing the counterparty to provide a discount is especially good in such cases:

  • if the companies have been cooperating for a long time, for example, more than a year;
  • if purchased immediately a large number of goods.

to CEO

Avantage LLC Filippov G.V.

From the director of Veres LLC

Alexandrova K.N.

Hello, Gennady Viktorovich. We are pleased to note the fact that our companies have been cooperating for more than 2 years. We express our gratitude to you for the consistently high quality of your services, as well as for your assistance in resolving a number of current issues.

We believe it is not a secret for you that over the past year the economic situation in our market niche has deteriorated significantly. Unfortunately, at the moment we are experiencing a certain lack of income, which is associated with a decrease in quarterly profit.

In connection with these circumstances, We hope for your understanding and consent in providing a 10% discount on services that will be provided in the next 2018 calendar year. Of course, such a measure is temporary, and we are committed to full-fledged cooperation on mutually beneficial terms in the event that the economic situation stabilizes.

Sincerely, Alexandrov K.N.

About rent reduction

In this case, the rationale for your request in the letter will be approximately the same as discussed in the previous example.

to CEO

Avantage LLC Filippov G.V.

From the director of Veres LLC

Alexandrova K.N.

Hello, Gennady Viktorovich. In the financial year ended in 2016, our company suffered losses that exceeded expectations by 10%. We are forced to state that our company was affected by the financial crisis. This translates into a decrease in client flow by 15-20% of owners.

In this regard, we hope for your consent to provide a 10% discount on rent. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that we are fairly large tenants and, at the same time, during the entire period of our five-year cooperation, we have not allowed a single delay in payment, and also filled out all the other terms of the contract. We proceed from the fact that this measure is temporary, therefore we are ready to continue paying the fee in full as soon as the market situation stabilizes.

Sincerely, Alexandrov K.N.

About deferred payment

In this case, it is important to acknowledge that you really did not make the payment on time and explain in detail the reason. Of course, you need to accurately specify the terms of repayment of the entire amount.

Director of LLC "Gruzodar"

Vakulov N.Yu.

From the Director of Parabolia LLC

Aksakova T.G.

Hello, dear Nikolai Yuryevich. In September 2017, we did not make another payment for your services in the amount of 100,000 rubles. We officially notified you about the impossibility of making a payment one month in advance. At the moment, we explain that the company has found funds for the payment. We ask you to provide an installment plan for two months: October and November (50,000 rubles each).

We do not shy away from our financial obligations and debts and draw your attention to the fact that for all 3 years of our cooperation we have never violated the contract. We hope for your understanding and look forward to further mutually beneficial cooperation.

Sincerely, Aksakov T.G.

Please pay for another company

Such requests may arise when one company undertakes to fulfill the financial obligations of another company under certain conditions. As an example, you can use this template.

IP Blagodarov A.K.

from IP Inina A.A.

Hello, dear Anatoly Konstantinovich. As you know, you have a debt to me in the amount of 100,000 rubles. During the past financial year, I also had a debt to 3 companies in the amount of 50,000 rubles. I suggest you pay my debt in full. For my part, I guarantee the provision of installments for the entire balance of your debt for a period of 6 months.

Sincerely, Inin A.A.

About assistance in resolving the issue

Finally, if you need to solve a specific issue, you can write the following text:

IP Nikanorov V.R.

From the director of Good Solutions LLC

Abdulova V.N.

Dear Vladimir Romanovich, I am the head of a charitable organization that organizes New Year's holidays for children from low-income families. As we learned from open sources, you sell confectionery products. We ask you to organize the supply of New Year's gifts in the amount of 1000 pieces for 20 events.

For our part, we guarantee to express written and verbal gratitude to you and leave positive feedback in all organizations, according to your wishes.

Sincerely, Abdulova V.M.

Instruction

Start by specifying the position and name of the addressee. For example: "To the Chief Engineer of OAO Polad Ivanov S.S." Then write appeal at the top of the letter. It usually begins with the word "Dear". Next comes the full name and patronymic of the addressee. You can also write "Dear Mr. Ivanov" without giving his name. The appeal should be located exactly in the middle.

Write a preamble to your letter of appeal. State clearly and concisely the reasons and purpose for writing this letter. The addressee from this paragraph should understand the whole essence of the letter. For example, start like this: "I am writing to you about the unsatisfactory quality of the bearings that you send us during ... to...".

Fill in the body of the letter. As a rule, it consists of two to four paragraphs, in which concerns are expressed about the problem set out in the preamble. Also in this part, state all your thoughts on this issue and on a possible solution to the problem. Indicate what specific actions the addressee should take in order to resolve this issue in the near future. Use clear deadlines, numbers, and sentences.

Write a conclusion. In this part, formulate the results of the entire letter of appeal. Example: "I am sure that you will resolve this unpleasant situation, and in the near future our cooperation will be the same as before."

Put an official signature, which consists of the title of the position, as well as your full name. This is usually preceded by: “Respectfully”, “Yours sincerely”, “With the hope of further cooperation”, etc. Choose according to the situation.

Make a postscript or postscript. This small section is located just below the signature. It is quite rarely used in letters of this format, but still sometimes it has a place to be. The postscript informs the addressee about some significant event in the life of the organization of the author of the letter. For example: "P.S. I inform you that the percentage of defects in the batch of raw materials received 2 days ago has increased to 19%!

Sources:

  • sample letter of appeal

A few years ago, the ability to express your thoughts on paper was regarded as an invaluable gift. Today, this is not such an important quality, because it is so easy to negotiate, and just talk over the phone. But still, in some areas, the ability to write remains an important aspect. Business communication is impossible without correspondence, for example, many have to write letters about cooperation, which determine whether it will take place. That is why it is very important to correctly and correctly compose such letter.

Instruction

The letter must be written on the letterhead of the organization. It’s great if the heading of the letter is printed in colored ink, since from the point of view of psychologists, this attracts the attention of the reader.

It is known that some organizations introduce registration of incoming and outgoing correspondence, so the next step is to write the registration and date of the outgoing message.

Specify below: to whom this business is addressed letter, and you need to complete it with an indication of the position or department. Remember that no abbreviations are allowed.

After that, in the center in the middle, in bold and highlighted type, write an appeal, for example, Dear Sirs! Then proceed to the appeal, it must be written correctly, for example, “you, you, you” must be capitalized.

After that, indicate the reason for writing a commercial proposal, for example, it could be a past relationship or a discussion at a meeting. Next, proceed to writing the proposal itself, you do not need to write large proposals with a detailed analysis of further commercial ones. You can put all this information in applications, while referring to them in the text.