Effective Business Writing: educational manual 9786010426788

Citation preview

Introduction

AL-FARABI KAZAKH NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

A. Sh. Suleimen G. A. Karipbayeva

EFFECTIVE BUSINESS WRITING Educational manual

Almaty «Qazaq University» 2017 1

Effective Business Writing

UDC 811.111 (075) LBC 81.2 Engl-923 S 91 Recommended for publication by the decision of the Faculty of International Relations Academic Council, RISO of the Kazakh National University named after Al-Farabi (Protocol №4 dated 26.05.2017) Reviewers: PhD in Linguistics, Associated Professor, Head of the Foreign Languages Department of the Kazakh National Academy of Arts Zh.S. Kanlybayeva, PhD in History, acting Associated Professor R.E. Sarbayeva

S 91

Suleimen A.Sh. Effective Business Writing: educational manual / A.Sh. Suleimen, G.A. Karipbayeva. – Almaty: Qazaq University, 2017. – 80 p. ISBN 978-601-04-2678-8

This educational manual is based on the curriculum of the English language course «Business Correspondence» and is intended to be used by the students of the Faculty of International Relations. The objective of the manual is to develop communicative and writing skills by analyzing stylistic peculiarities of business correspondence and drafting written business documents. The manual consists of nine chapters, consolidating exercises, a glossary, useful phrases, and samples of different business letters. Publishing in authorial release.

UDC811.111 (075) LBC 81.2 Engl-923 ISBN 978-601-04-2678-8

© Suleimen A.Sh., Karipbayeva G.A., 2017 © Al-Farabi KazNU, 2017

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Introduction

CONTENT INTRODUCTION........................................................................................... 4 Part I. BASIC PRINCIPLES OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION ................ 5 Types of communication .................................................................................. 5 Well-composed business documents ................................................................ 6 Part II. STYLE AND VOCABULARY ........................................................... 13 Basic Concepts of stylistics .............................................................................. 11 Styles and its text samples................................................................................ 12 Part III. PLANNING AND ORGANIZING MATERIAL & CONTENT ............................................................................. 14 Format .............................................................................................................. 14 Structure of The Letter .................................................................................... 15 Traditional and modern rules ........................................................................... 16 Part IV. STRATEGIES OF EFFECTIVE BUSINESS LETTERS .................. 22 Four Basic Rules of Making Commercial Letters. ........................................... 22 PART V. KEY COMMUNICATION PRINCIPLES FOR BUSINESS WRITING ............................................................................ 28 PART VI. MODERN CULTURE OF CORRESPONDENCE ........................ 32 Speech Etiquette............................................................................................... 32 Euphemisms ..................................................................................................... 33 The Role of the Tone ...................................................................................... 35 Part VII. WRITING A LETTER OF A G IVEN PARAMETER ................... 38

How to write a letter? How to Get Started?.................................................. 38 Formatting........................................................................................................ 39 Adjustment of the rough draft. Checklist. ........................................................ 42 Part VIII. ELECTRONIC CORRESPONDENCE ........................................... 43

Some useful tips ............................................................................................. 46 Part IX. CODE OF THE GOLDEN RULES OF BUSINESS LETTERS ....... 51 ATTACHMENTS ............................................................................................ 52 Types of business letters .................................................................................. 52 Letter Samples ................................................................................................. 55 Formula of Business Etiquette ......................................................................... 71 Abbreviations in business letters ...................................................................... 74 GLOSSARY .................................................................................................... 77 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................ 79

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Effective Business Writing

INTRODUCTION

OVERVIEW Information is crucial to an organization and when this information is communicated in writing, the quality of such communications can have a significant impact on business performance and decision making. Effective business writing is concise, accurate, unambiguous, logical and easily understood. This course will help students to develop the skills necessary for successful business writing – requests, emails, notes, faxes, memos or complaints. OBJECTIVES: After completing this course, students will be able to: Write business documents to a professional standard and conforming to acceptable formats; – Present information in an organized, structured way so as to achieve a specific objective; – Use a business-like style and vocabulary, while displaying sensitivity to different levels of reader expertise; – Express ideas with confidence and clarity, supporting persuasive and logical arguments. –

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Introduction

Part I BASIC PRINCIPLES OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee and I will pay more for that ability than for any other under the sun John D. Rockfeller

Types of communication 1. Business communication aimed at the harmonization and unification of people’s efforts to improve relations and achieve a common result. 2. Formal-role communication where content and means of communication are limited by social roles of partners in dialogue: doctor and patient, policeman and traffic offender, controller and passengers and so on. 3. Secular, diplomatic communication, defined by formal politeness. Its peculiarity is that people, in fact, don’t communicate, because they say not what they think, but what they are supposed to say in such situations. Their points of view on this or another issue are irrelevant and don’t define the character of communication. 4. Interpersonal communication where underlying personality structures are disclosed. Spiritual communication is characterized by mutual understanding and it is based on the credibility of the person. Forms of communication: Written communication: messages, letters; handouts (thesis) to strengthen the effect of oral speech; posters. Oral communication: in a personal meeting; a small group of people; a large group of people (lecture); on the phone; radio and 5

Effective Business Writing

television (one-sided communication); tele- and video-conferences; interactive technologies (Internet). Using visual means: television; pictures and illustrations; diagrams; block-schemes, sector diagrams, pictograms and so on. Using other means: signals (body language), symbols (letters of Saks and Indians). QUESTIONS: 1. What are the types of communication? 2. What are the forms of communication?

Business communication The goal of business communication is to organize joint activity to succeed at the assigned task. How can poorly-drafted letters have an impact on business? – Wastes the time of suppliers and clients, – It costs money, – Slows the internal workflow, – Slows the operation of the company as a whole, – It is harmful for the working environment, – Creates a poor image of the company. Why is business correspondence often ineffective? – Lack of interest – lack of understanding the importance of effective letters. – Author-centered approach does not take into account the point of view of the reader, addressee. – Company style is frequently archaic and limiting. Well-composed business documents: – contains a suitable amount of information, – material is presented and structured in accordance with the content, – has no factual errors and misprints, 6

Introduction

– is logically based, – literate in terms of spelling and punctuation, – corresponds to the business style, – designed in accordance with records management standards. How to improve business writing skills is a vexing issue for many businesses. Employees' ability to write clearly and convert complex information into summarized, well-written business documents offers a huge competitive advantage. Although improving business writing skills seems like an easy thing to do, it really isn’t. Many senior executives and leaders struggle with large chunks of data and disparate information. They lack the ability to extract relevant information from mere noise and convert it into a meaningful, result-oriented message. Employees spend too much time planning, writing, and proofreading business documents. Final documents have too many errors. Sentences lack a logical transition of ideas. The end result is a poorly written document that reflects poorly on business and impairs employee productivity. Business writing is both a science and an art. It requires careful planning, meticulous execution, and a critical review. When it comes to business writing, there are certain characteristics that separate a well written email or document from a poorly written one. The science of business writing ensures that key information is extracted and presented well. The art of business writing ensures that both the information and writer are engaging. Improving Business Writing Skills «Science» Factors Business writing skills need to improve your students (employees’) ability to summarize. This means that they should be able to extract relevant information from large chunks of complex data and ideas and present them in a reader-friendly, understandable manner. This ability to synthesize relevant information is one of the most fundamental aspects that distinguishes a good business writer from a mediocre one. Unless your employees are able to summarize relevant thoughts and ideas in a few well-structured 7

Effective Business Writing

sentences, your business document will not be effective in evoking the desired response from the reader, whether it is a sales letter, a performance appraisal, a blog post, an email, a report, or even an appointment letter. We often rely on our ability to summarize at work. We review piles of data to present simple, short, and straightforward answers to a number of questions raised at work. This ability to assess and synthesize what is relevant is necessary to answer these typical types of questions: – Why should we fund a particular project? – Why should we choose this particular vendor for all our procurement needs? – How can we fix this problem? What can we do to prevent it from reoccurring? – Why should we hire you? What do you have to offer our organization? – How do this year’s results compare with the previous year’s results? – What are the various market trends we see this year? – What have we decided in this particular meeting? – How can we achieve this objective? The ability to view the big picture and to quickly understand its significance in relation to a particular event is another important business writing skill. It helps employees convey the right message to the right audience. This skill plays a vital role in improving the accuracy and efficiency of the flow of information across your business. When assessing your employees' business writing skills, make certain information is well extracted and synthesized, relevant to reader needs, and easy to grasp when scanning. If you're happy with these three elements, you can be generally certain the science of business writing is intact. Improving Business Writing Skills «Art» Factors: To assess art of business writing, consider the style and tone. These three factors are crucial: 8

Introduction

Relatable Information A good business document has content that increases audience awareness because the content meets the audience needs. If your sales letters are compelling and make you want to buy your own products, it's because customers are receiving the information they need. Is the information in the document relatable and relevant to the audience? Appropriate Language The content written in all documents needs to be appropriate for the intended audience. For example, all internal reports and memos can be full of technical terms if you are a technical company and everyone on staff understands these terms. But, it would be inappropriate to use highly technical terms in a customer document because a customer wouldn't understand your internal technical terms. Is the information written with words that match audience understanding? Logic There must be cohesion and a smooth transition of ideas - a problem identified with a solution and a proper call for action in all your business documents. Additionally, the document needs to be free from all grammatical and sentence errors so the logical overall order is clear. Is the organization and grammar of a document clear? If your team's business writing ability is weak, it will impact potential revenue and decrease production. Poor written communication may steer a prospect in another direction. It also means your team will require more time than necessary to complete writing tasks. Poor business writing reflects poorly on an organization. Strong business writing abilities influence others on the team positively; conversely, the opposite is also true. Improving business writing skills will save money and time. If your team's writing is weak, you must correct this. 9

Effective Business Writing EXERCISES 1. These requests are all mixed up. In each sentence put the words and phrases in the correct order. a) please / arrange / for ten o'clock / could / an appointment / you b) we / send us / as soon as possible / would / if you / the goods / be grateful / could c) we / without delay / appreciate it / you could / pay our bill / would / if d) confirm / please / you / are the same / could / your prices / that e) we / exactly when / appreciate it / if you / would / could / tell us / you will / arrive 2. Vocabulary test: 1. Dear Mr. Newman (salutation) Complementary close in the text of the letter: – Bye – See you – Yours sincerely – Earnestly yours 2. – – – –

I … from you. look forward to hearing looking forward to hearing look forward to hear am looking forward to hear

3. – – – –

I regret … you that we are unable to meet your requirements. inform to inform informing that we inform

4. – – – –

We … cooperation. very interested in are very interesting in are very interested are very interested in

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Part II. Style and vocabulary

Part II STYLE AND VOCABULARY

Stylistics The rules of stylistic construction are the additional requirements to the text which can be grammatically right, but stylistically wrong. Computer textual reductor, while determining spelling mistakes, usually doesn’t take into account the style of the text. Experience shows that authors who have perfect grammar don’t draw attention to the style. The reverse usually is not observed, i.e. a stylistically competent person doesn’t make grammar mistakes. So, overcoming the grammatical and stylistic errors are two successive stages of mastering the written speech culture. Basic concepts of stylistics Functional style is characterized by selection and combination of words according to the situation and tasks of communication Stylistic colouring – an extra shade of meaning, which is imposed on the ground, the lexical content Stylistic norm determines the relevance of the words and expressions in this context. historically variable and is linked to change of grammatical rules. Stylistic mistake is deviation from stylistic norms, inappropriate use of words in this context Style, tone, and vocabulary use should be in line with your audience and situation. This is not just a matter of appropriateness and content effectiveness, it’s about your flexibility to communicate adeptly with different audiences, to empathize with them, and thus be able to connect at an appropriate and effective wave-length. 11

Effective Business Writing

Style Nowadays there are 4 main functional styles, each of which is represented by genres. Scientific, official – business, journalistic style: genres refer to literary style. Literary style is contrasted with conversational style, which is used in unofficial, informal communication. Neutral, interstylistic language tools are used in all styles as connecting words. Styles and its text samples Scientific style: «Valence is the ability of words to enter in syntactic relations with other elements of the sentence». Official-business style: «On the appointment of the candidate with higher economic education and relevant experience requirements in this area for a vacant position in your company». Journalistic style: «Alpha and Omega in Medical practice from ancient times is the principle – «do no harm». Genres Genre is a variety of texts and documents, specific to a particular style. Business letter, response, reference and protocol are written in official-business style. They are considered to be official-business genre. Scientific style is used in monographs, books, manuals and essays. Style

Genres

Formal: 1. Scientific 2. Official- business 3. Journalistic

1. Monograph, manual 2. Note, Reference 3. Report, Press release

Neutral words 4. Informal: Conversational

4. Slang, dialect 12

Part II. Style and vocabulary QUESTIONS: 1. What is Stylistics? 2. Name the basic concepts of stylistics and tell their definitions. 3. How many functional styles do you know and what are they? EXERCISES: 1. Match Genres to appropriate Style inputting S, O or J to the gaps: S – Scientific, O – Official-business, J – Journalistic: Eg: Reference O , Monograph S, Press release J Protocol ______, heading_____, Abstracts_____, digest____, position paper____, sketch_____, annotation_____, power of attorney______, a receipt______, Statement ___, announcement_____, lawsuit ____, recall_______, press release______, review _____, scientific thesis_____, title_____, review______. 2. Match the following phrases of complaints formulated in common language with those of formal correspondence: Common (informal) language 1. To get papers

2. To take these goods 3. You will have to pay when the goods are returned to you 4. The goods are rubbish 5. Thrown without care 6. Sell these goods 7. Ship 8. To tell

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Formal correspondence a. We are returning the shipment to your carriage forwards and shall expect a full refund b. merchant vessel c. accept this consignment d. the products are not satisfactory e. to receive documents f. roughly handled g. to inform h. to retail the consignment

Effective Business Writing

Part III PLANNING AND ORGANIZING MATERIAL & CONTENT

Format The external look of the letter Psychologists determined that during the formation of a value judgment on the obtained information by the person, the impact of the message form makes 70 percent, and the remaining 30 is accounted for by the content of the message. Thus, in the preparation of business letters, it is necessary to pay attention to such basic things as the external look of the letter, language and style of the message text, logical structure of the text. Any correspondence sent by representatives of the company are naturally involved in creating the image of the company. And any manager should think about whether the image transmitted via business documents and business letters, is in the desired manner. The external look of the message makes the first impression about itself in a few seconds. Psychologists say that first impressions are formed within seconds and lives over the years. There are many cases when important and interesting proposals were thrown in the trash before being read. Exterior look of the letter as follows: – Paper on which a message is to be printed, – Compliance with design standards (letters and details of their disposition) – Font – Text layout and size. The text will be better perceived by the reader when: – its size does not exceed one page; 14

Part III. Planning and organizing material & content

– – – –

it is divided into paragraphs, and its highlights (ideas) are marke; its paragraphs are separated by single line spacing; it uses bullets and numbers; choice of font size takes into account the fact that less than 11-12 pins will be hard to read, – refuse to use different types of fonts in the text for highlighting key messages, it is better to use a bold font or italics. Structure of The Letter Business letter should be written on the company letterhead or organization that already have the sender company’s information. Exterior look of the form is a kind of company’s calling card, so its design should be taken seriously. Standard business letter in its entirety should be as follows: Address of the sender company is printed on the letterhead in the typographical way Recipient Address Your registration number Date «аttentioп linе» Letter subject Addressing

Registration number of the recipient

Text of the letter Ending of the letter Title Signature Name Surname Enclosure Send the copy Executive, phone number Address of the Sender The letter can be printed on the company’s standard letterhead. In this case, the sender address is repesented as the title line in the beginning of the letter. 15

Effective Business Writing

If address of the sender or company is not printed in the typographical way, this address should be printed at the end of the letter. Undoubtedly you want to get a quick response to your letter. In such case it would be useful to give your phone number, your email address and web page, if available. Recipient’s Address Recipient Address is written on the right side after the address of the sender. LLP Business soft Kazakhstan 050100 Almaty Pushkin Str. 75 Rule 1. Distinction in Traditional and Modern Rules of registration of the recipient's reference details. According to new rules there should be no punctuation in the address, reference details are arranged in reverse order against the traditional rules. Requisite Structure of the «Recipient» can include the post address. Elements of the post address are indicated in the order established by the rules of rendering the postal service. Name, then address are indicated when addressing the letter to the organization, for example: Public Institution Russian Scientific Research Institute of Records Management and Archival Affairs Profsoyuznaya str. d. 82 Moscow 117393 When addressing the document to an individual the names and initials of the recipient should be indicated, and the postal address, for example: To A. Augan Str. Tulebayeva block 5 flat 12 Almaty 500264 Date If you write a letter on a standard form of the company, the date should be on the left. The date of the document is written by Arabic numerals in the sequence: day, month, year. 16

Part III. Planning and organizing material & content

Rule 2. To avoid confusion in dates, the month is written in full letters and never in numbers. November 23, 2017 Registration number The registration number of the document consists of its serial number which can be supplemented by the index under the nomenclature of affairs at the discretion of the organization. To – Title, Name, Surname (Аttепtіоп lіпе) If you know the exact name and title of the recipient, they should be written before the address. First the title is written, then the recipient's name. If you were not able to find the recipient's name, then an indication to whom the letter is addressed, should be placed in the line «Аttепtіоп lіпе». Business Soft Kazakhstan 050004 Almaty, Pushkin Str. 75 For the attention of Program Coordinator Letter subject Title to the text includes a summary of the document. The title should be consistent with the name of the document type. The title can answer the questions: what of (of whom ) ?, for example: «Order on the establishment of the evaluation commission», «On conducting the training workshop»; of which (whom) ?, for example: «Job Description for Leading Expert». Form of address Any letter begins with a reference to the addressee. In this case it is better to find out the name and title of the company to which you are applying. This information can be obtained by calling and asking with whom to contact on this issue, visiting the company's homepage on the Internet, using personal contacts, etc. Check the spelling of the name and position of the employee! 17

Effective Business Writing

Text (Body of the Letter) The letters use the following forms of presentation: – In the first person plural («please send», «send for review»); – In the first person singular («I deem it necessary», «ask to allocate»); – In the third person singular («Ministry has no objection», «VNIIDAD considers possible»). Enclosure Note about enclosure indicated in the text of the letter is drawn up as follows: Enclosure: on 5 pages in 2 copies. The enclosure must have the name and number (Enclosure №1 to ...), title, date and signature. If the letter has an enclosure not indicated in the text, then its name, number of pages and number of copies are indicated; if there are several attachments they are numbered, for example: Enclosure: 1. Regulations on the Regional Office of Lending on 5 pages,1 copy. 2. Rules for the preparation and presentation of documents for the Regional Office of Lending on 7 pages, 2 copies Signature Structure of requisite «Signature» includes: name of the person who signed the document (complete, if the document is not issued on the document form, and short – on the official document form); personal signature; printed full name (initial letters, surname), for example: Vice-President of the Association for Regional Enterprises Personal signature А.А. Borisov Note about the executive includes the initials and surname of the executive of the document and its phone number. The note about the 18

Part III. Planning and organizing material & content

executive is placed on the front or back side of the last page of the document in the left lower corner, for example: V.A. Zhukov 924 45 67 EXERCISES 1. Please input the parts of the Note in correct order: Incorrect

Correct

Salutation Complementary close Signature Address Date Opening lines Address of the Sender Subject matter

2. Beginning a letter. How would you start these letters? a) You want to know the prices of some air conditioners for your office. b) You saw an advertisement in the newspaper yesterday and you want further information. c) You want to know if the company you are writing to organizes holidays for students in Spain. Here are some ways to begin a letter: We are writing to enquire about... We are writing in connection with ... We are interested in ... and we would like to know ... If you are answering a letter, you can start: Thank you for your letter on (date), asking if... (enquiring about...) We have received your letter on (date), concerning ... (enclosing ..). 3. How would you start your reply in these situations? a) A company wrote to you on 23 July. They wanted to know if you sell photocopiers. 19

Effective Business Writing b) A man wrote to you on 18 December. He wanted to get a job with your company. He also sent his curriculum vitae. c) A company sent you a fax on 3 June. They wanted to know if you were going to the marketing conference in London. d) A lady telephoned you this morning. She wanted to know if her order No. 599 had arrived. 4. Ending a letter. Discuss please when can you use these endings. Here are some ways to end a letter: I look forward to receiving your reply/order/products/etc. Looking forward to hearing from you If you gave some information in the letter, you can close: I hope that this information will help you. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any further information. Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions. 4. Letter practice. Here are the main messages from four letters. Choose the correct beginning and ending from sentences (a)-(h) below and then add «Yours sincerely» or «Best wishes». Dear Sir 1...................................................................................................................... We are happy to tell you that the above mentioned company has always paid our bills on time. We have never had any problems with them. 2.................................................................................................................. R. J. Smith Manager Dear Mr Smith 3..................................................................................................................... We sell three kinds of water heaters. The prices are $ 1.45 (50 liters), $ 1.68 (20 liters) and $ 1.74 (25 liters). I will enclose some brochures. 4.................................................................................................................... Bruno van Ods Sales Department Dear Peter 5.................................................................................................................... I am sorry that I was not in the office when you rang, but here is the information that you wanted. The address of our branch in Shanhai is 54 Liu Fang Rd, Jurong Town, China 2262. The manager is Mr. R. Dushford. 6..................................................................................................................... 20

Part III. Planning and organizing material & content Dear Ms Gurson 7.................................................................................................................... I would be very happy to meet you in my office on the day you suggested 1 August at 11 a.m. 8................................................................................................................. S. B. Rever Representative, Central Asia a) Thank you for your telephone call today, enquiring about our prices. b) Looking forward to seeing you, c) Thank you for your letter on 16 February, concerning China’s equipment. d) I look forward to receiving your order. e) Thank you for your telephone call today. f) Thank you for your email on 16 June, concerning your forthcoming visit to China. g) I hope that this information will help you. h) Please feel free to contact me if you need any information about our other branches. QUESTIONS: 1. What is the main idea of the Part III? 2. Comment on the statement: «The external look of the message makes the first impression about itself in a few seconds». 3. Why it is very important to pay attention to the beginning and ending of the letter?

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Effective Business Writing

Part IV STRATEGIES OF EFFECTIVE BUSINESS LETTERS OBJECTIVE – Why are you writing? What result do you expect? ADDRESSEE – Who is your reader, the target audience? COMPLETENESS – Write, so that it should be easy to understand. LOGIC – List provisions in decreasing order of importance. CLARITY – Who thinks clearly, states clearly. Objective Clarity of the message’s goal is determined by the ability to make clear what kind of answer you expect. What do you want to know? Where? When? With whom? At which level? How? With whose help? Formulation of objectives is inextricably linked with 4 basic rules. Four basic rules of writing a commercial letters Any business letter is written in order to realize or suggest something. This can be not only a car, insurance, marketing program, but also an image or idea. There are special rules for writing letters, the aim of which - to attract the attention of the recipient and stimulate him to action. Each of these rules can be identified in one word: 1. Attention. 2. Interest. 3. Request. 4. Action. 22

Part IV. Strategies of effective business letters

Correctly composed business letters and memos are based on the same scheme. The initial terms attract the reader’s attention, the following one or two sentences stimulate the reader's interest, a request is made in the following two paragraphs, and the last part of the letter spurs the reader to action. EXAMPLE. Overdue bills – it is always a big problem in almost every case. The following is a Letter of Request, in which the company uses a unique approach. Attention Dear ... Believe me, I do not like to write these kinds of letters. And you are probably not pleased to be getting my message, either. Interest Of course, I am speaking about your overdue bills. No one likes to spend time paying their bills. However, I have to ask you, as our regular customer, to check what is to be paid, and your company's debt at the present moment». Request The matter is complicated by the fact that the company is preparing to move to a new calculation technology. We believe that this is one of the most successful of our business decisions, and we expect that it will bring us profit. I would like to have your company participate in this endeavor. However, I can not extend you credit until we arrange some formalities. Action Will you do us a favor ... and make a call to me this week on [date]. Let's discuss your financial situation and see how we could help you, so that your company can take part in a new business venture, which promises to be both interesting and profitable. Looking forward to your call. 23

Effective Business Writing

This informative letter offers the debtor the «carrot» (new business). If the letter remains with no response, another option is sent – more formal and strict. Attention Dear ... Your disregard for your obligations, as well as your company's reluctance to respond to our requests, has forced us to include your company in our list of debtors. Interest This list will be immediately sent to all supplier companies and marketing firms. And they, in turn, will inform other companies with which they are connected. Request I would not like to send such information. However, now there is only one way to avoid this – full payment of all overdue bills. Action – If possible, please, call me immediately. List of firmsdebtors is reviewed and will be sent by [date], so I should get your answer before that date. Some useful Tips – Letters with «good news» should be constructed as follows: a message about pleasant information for the recipient, and then – a brief description of the incident details; the message may be replaced by sympathetic appeal to the addressee. The latter method is appropriate to use when the reason for the letter is not too significant. – «Neutral» letters – also better to start with a benevolent attitude. A short list of parts follows, the essence of which depends on the degree of importance of the letter. 24

Part IV. Strategies of effective business letters

–

«A letter of request», as mentioned above should be made without involvement of the information, not annoying the recipient. The structure as follows: courteous treatment (but not obsequious); «subject» – a succinct statement of the reasons for contact with a particular request, and if necessary – detailed information.

EXERCISES 1. Complete these sentences using phrases for referring and giving good or bad news from below tables.. a) ___________________________ your order for some cupboards. ________________________________we had to increase the prices. b) ___________________________ your application for a post as secretary. ______________________________________that we would like you to start work as soon as possible. c) ____________________________________ your application for a post as secretary. _______________________________________ you were not successful. d) __________________________________ our telephone conversation this morning. ________________________________________ that your car is ready for you to collect. Giving good / bad news: Good news I am

pleased delighted happy

tell inform advise

to

you that…

Bad news I regret I am sorry We regret

to tell to inform

you that…

2. Requesting action. Create sentences with Request. Here are some ways to ask people to do something for you. 25

Effective Business Writing Please could you ... We would be grateful if you could... We would appreciate it if you could ... If it is urgent, add: as soon as possible, without delay, immediately Note: «Please could you...» is the most direct. You can use this when you are asking for something usual. 3. These requests are all mixed up. In each sentence put the words and phrases in the correct order. a) please / arrange / for ten o'clock / could / an appointment / you b) we / send us / as soon as possible / would / if you / the goods / be grateful / could c) we / without delay / appreciate it / you could / pay your bill / would / if d) confirm / please / you / are the same / could / your prices / that e) we / exactly when / appreciate it / if you / would / could / tell us / you will / arrive. 4. What would you write in the following situations? a) You have seen an advertisement in the newspaper for a post as office manager. You want an application form. b) The photocopier in your office has broken down. You want to have it repaired quickly. c) You have moved your office and you want the post office to forward your letters to your new address. d) You want the telephone company to put another telephone in your office. You need it urgently. e) You have written to a company and you want them to reply quickly. 5. Complete the table with the focus phrases from the Complaint: Type Expressing threat

Phrase If there is further repetition of this we will be forced to find an alternative supplier

Expressing regret

Equivalent

Мы с большим сожалением узнали … В случае, если вы не найдете возможности удовлетворить наши претензии, вы не оставите нам иного выбора, и мы будем вынуждены передать дело нашим юристам.

Threat of further legal actions

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Part IV. Strategies of effective business letters 6. Match sentences A together with sentences B to make four separate complaints. A a)Unfortunately one of the machines you sent us was damaged. b) Unfortunately we have not yet received your payment. c) Unfortunately your driver took the goods to the wrong place. d) Unfortunately you forgot to mention the cost of your products.

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B e) Please send us your check before 30 June. f) We would be grateful if you could send us a replacement. g) We would appreciate it if you could collect them and bring them to our offices, h) Please could you send your price list as soon as possible.

Effective Business Writing

Part V

KEY COMMUNICATION PRINCIPLES FOR BUSINESS WRITING

Of course, there is nothing difficult to imagine the reaction of your correspondent to your message, when you know him and his preferences. And what to do if you refer to a person for the first time? Addressee What do they already know? What do they want to know? What do they not need to know? Your audience should be your compass; keeping in mind what the recipient seeks to learn narrows down the possible directions your writing should take. Completeness Completeness of content should meet the following requirements: – Have you said all that you planned? – How much does the content of your letter answer the desires of your recipient in terms of information? – Have you included too much information? Logics Another aspect that influences the perception of a text and the formation of an overall impression about the message and its author logic of text presentation. Any business message can be divided into two parts. The first part of the letter contains facts, events, and the motives that cause you to write your message, and the second- your suggestions, requests and conclusions. 28

Part V. Key communication principles for business writing Logical framework 1st part Facts Events Motivation

2nd part Proposals Requests Orders Conclusions

If you want to comply with this structure, ask yourself: – Is my structure logical ? – Do I omit unnecessary information? – Put the main sentence in the beginning of the abstract so that the reader will know what to expect. Clarity Put yourself in the place of the reader: – You said exactly what you wanted? – Are important provisions clear? – Are your thoughts transparent? – Is the content ambiguous? Writing a business report should follow a specific format; for example, an in-office email could be short and informal, but a customer email or a PowerPoint presentation should follow guidelines of courtesy, clarity and conciseness. EXERCISES 1. Referring. Here are some ways to introduce the subject of the letter. With reference to.... Further to .... In regard to.... _______ I am writing in connection with ... __________________________ How would you start a letter about each of the following? a) an invoice (No. 679) for a photocopier; b) a meeting you had with the addressee on January 16th; c) an advertisement in The Times newspaper; d) an application for a post as secretary in your company; e) a fax order for six typewriters that you received today. 29

Effective Business Writing Note: You should not start a letter with «with regard to». Look at the letter below.

Jakarta Furnishings Mr. Peter LinkManager Intercity Bank PIC 58 Jalan ThamJakarta

7 Dan Dakota Jakarta Telephone 948 73742

Your ref PL/fh/246 Our ref SB/si Dear Mr. Link Order 2789 I am writing in connection with the above-mentioned order for office furniture. We regret to inform you that we are unable to deliver the Linton filing cabinets on time. This is as a result of problems at our supplier's factory. With regard to the lamps and desks, we will deliver the goods before 13 March, as agreed. Our sincerest apologies. Yours sincerely, Mr. Dassen 2. Letter practice. Can you complete these letters? Dear Miss Lory _________________________________________________ I'm writing about the above invoice for $ 1 .456.75. I would like to remind you that it is now three months since we delivered the goods. Please send your payment as soon as possible. ________________________________________________ Mr. Brian Rich Accountant

Dear Ms. Moran Mercedes 500SL Thank you for your letter about ______________________________________________ I have enclosed some information, which I hope you will find helpful. _____________________________________________________________ Mr Launder Sales Representative 30

Part V. Key communication principles for business writing Dear Sirs ____________________________________________________________________ This year the Daily Observer newspaper will print a special report on travel agencies. We were wondering if your company would like to put an advertisement in it. I have enclosed our price list and look forward to hearing from you. _________________________________________________ Ms. Lina Berna Advertising Manager Dear Mr. Jon Thank you for your letter on 12 February. I am happy to say that I will be at the Marketing Conference in Paris next March. I look forward to seeing you there. _______________________________________________ John Williams QUESTIONS: 1. Name the basic rules of writing a Commercial letter. 2. How to check the completeness and logics of your letter? THE TASK: Write down the draft of the Request letter asking the permission to pass the Interview on the position of Legal adviser in International Company.

31

Part VI

MODERN CULTURE OF CORRESPONDENCE Nothing costs so little, yet is valued so much, as courtesy Cervantes

Correspondence culture is inextricably linked with the concept of etiquette. Etiquette – a set of rules of good manners accepted in society and established norms of behavior and communication between people in certain situations. Speech etiquette – a system of formulas that are used to establish contact and maintain communication in the right tone. The formulas of speech etiquette – standard designs, which are regularly used in proper communication. These formulas help to organize the etiquette of a situation in the ritual of official communication. Modern culture correspondence, information and the advertising of goods and services are changing under the influence of the competitive goods and services market. From dry, purely formal appeal with clients, to a more casual style of communication, multiple styles of communication are now accepted. What is desirable when writing a letter to a business partner: 1. Use modern office equipment. Write by hand only correspondence of a personal nature. 2. Use your own letterhead, usually with company logo, its full name, postal and telegraphic address, and telephone number. 3. If possible, it is desirable to use a corporate envelope, on which duplicated details are indicated on the form. It's not obligatory. 4. Save a copy of letters sent. 32

Part VІ. Modern culture of correspondence

5. Before sending the letter, check your spelling. 6. Do not start the letter with the pronoun «I». 7. Postscript (P.S.) is put lower after the signature. Below the postscript come the signature or initials. 8. Postcards are not used in business correspondence. Any letter entrusted to you requires an immediate response. If you can not fulfill the request contained in a letter, then notify the sender immediately. Also always respond, though a long response is not required, to letters of congratulations. 9. If you need to apologize in a letter, it is written by hand. Responding to a letter of apology is necessary. Condolences are also written by hand. If this is not possible, it is better to send a telegram. 10. The general rule for any correspondence - there should be empty space of equal width on both sides. Also a euphemism is a good tool for communication. Euphemism – a synonym that softens the meaning of your words. As events occur, our word choice produces a value judgment when we describe them: «Bad – Good» «Yes – No». That's the way of the human mind. As it has been already mentioned, first impressions are the most long-lasting. This is also true for judgments based on word choice. What is there to do? How do you give the value of the fact, before it has been done by the addressee? Use euphemisms: – not filed for bankruptcy , but ceased operations – not expensive, but valuable – not poor and but of moderate means – not costs but investments – not late, but delayed – not old, but elderly Use Non-Discriminatory Language Make sure that you avoid language that is specific to gender, race, or religion in all business letters, either to other businesses, or to customers. For example, use «workforce» instead of «manpower», or «chairperson» rather than «chairman». Most style guides contain detailed lists of the offensive terms and some suggested substitutes. 33

Effective Business Writing QUESTIONS: 1. What is Etiquette? 2. Why the role of the tone of the letter is so important? 3. Is there any difference between good manners and formal politeness? EXERCISES 1. These requests are all mixed up. In each sentence put the words and phrases in the correct order. a) please / arrange / for ten o'clock / could / an appointment / you b) we / send us / as soon as possible / would / if you / the goods / be grateful / could c) we / without delay / appreciate it / you could / pay our bill / would / if d) confirm / please / you / are the same / could / your prices / that e) we / exactly when / appreciate it / if you / would / could / tell us / you will / arrive 2. What would you write in the following situations? a) You have seen an advertisement in the newspaper for a post as office manager, You want an application form. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ b) The photocopier in your office has broken down. You want to have it repaired quickly.__________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ c) You have moved your office and you want the post office to forward your letters to your new address. _____________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ d) You want the telephone company to put another telephone in your office. You need it urgently_________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ е) You have written to a company and you want them to reply quickly. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 34

Part VІ. Modern culture of correspondence

THE ROLE OF THE TONE It is important that the tone of your letter reflects your true feelings. Tone – a special quality, timbre, or tone of voice modulation, expressing approval, issue, indecisiveness, or other feelings and emotions. Business letters will be more effective if they are written in a polite tone. Politeness is the basis of good style. Harmful viruses that can infect the tone of your letters Briefness

Excessive shortness indicates indifference to the reader.

Sarcasm

Most people do not like to be the object of this form of wit, which makes fun of your words, distorting their meaning

Irritability

It manifests itself in such remarks as «You should know this».

Anger

Angry shouts cause anger

Suspicion

Cynicism. «I am not quite sure…»

Insults

Intentional abuse is rare, but quite common unintentional abuse occurs – especially in employers' responses

Accusations

It is obvious that charges and courtesy are difficult to reconcile.

Arrogance

«In such a large company like ours ...» am instructive, didactic tone grates on the ear, and therefore any explanation must be soft and delicate.

Overconfiden The recipient has not yet made a decision and may be offended if ce the letter contains the suggestion that he take any action. The line between self-confidence and overconfidence is very delicate

35

Effective Business Writing

The tone of a letter is very similar to good manners. It comes from a desire to understand others and show respect for them. But what is the difference between good manners and formal politeness? They are a combination of warmth and tact. Kindheartedness is the warmth and friendliness that you show to the reader, and tact is sensitivity and carefulness in choice of words. EXERCISES 1. Apologizing. Use one of the phrases from below to write the Letter of apology. We must apologize for... We apologize for... We are extremely sorry for... Notes: – Use the «-ing» form after these phrases. e.g. We are extremely sorry for losing your order. – You can also say «We are extremely sorry that...» e g. We are extremely sorry that we lost your order. Usually, it is polite to give the reason for the problem and then apologize again at the end of the letter. Please accept our apologies once again. We hope that this has not caused you any inconvenience. With apologies once again.e.g. See the letter below: Dear Mr. Muron, Thank you for your letter dated 17 May concerning your order for five of our drills. We must apologize for the delay in shipping this order. This was due to unforeseen circumstances. However, your order is being dealt with and will be sent without further delay. Our apologies once again. Yours sincerely, Edmund Urlund Export Manager 2. Requesting information. The Order / Request. If you want specific information, use one of the phrases from below: Please could you We would be grateful if you could give us some further details about, We would appreciate it if you could let us know (about/if)... We would like to know (about/if)...inform us (about/if)...

36

Part VІ. Modern culture of correspondence What would you write in these situations? a) You wrote a letter to someone and they have not replied. You want to know if they received the letter. b) A businessperson is going to your country. He wants you to get a visa for him. You need all of his passport details (his nationality, date of birth, where his passport was issued, and when it expires) c) You want to know about the same businessperson’s flight (flight number, date and time of arrival). 3. Choose the correct Equivalents # 1.

Words Request

2.

Apology

3.

Claim

4.

Cover letter

5.

Commercial proposal

6.

Fundrising

7.

Complaint

8.

Congratulations

9.

Rejection

10.

Memorandum

Equivalents (appropriate phrases) a. Is an internal letter used for communication within an organization. They are an organization's internal version of the business letter. b. Can be written for just about any situation in which the sender needs to advise someone who has applied for something that their application was not accepted. c. Are written for a wide variety of business and personal positive situations. They should be short and to the point, but genuine, sincere, and believable. d. A statement claiming compensation for losses due to shortage in weight, sent by the poor quality of the goods. e. They are used by community groups or public organizations to solicit donations of money or resources to support some sort of worthy cause. f. Is written with the objective of purchase requests, to send information about products or services, business information, or any other business issues. g. Are composed in the case of delivery of documents to the recipient that require further explanation on their execution. h. An addressee is reasonably required to pay damages, caused by a violation of contractual obligations. i. Usually contains a summary of reasons suddenly disturbing preliminary agreements. j. The recipient asks to make any definite action or to terminate it, but does not require a response letter.

37

Part VII

WRITING A LETTER OF A GIVEN PARAMETER

How to write a letter? How to Get Started? 1. It is necessary to understand the range of tasks involved in writing a letter – the topic, the needs of the recipient, the date of writing, the volume of messages, the amount of required information, as well as the mode of transmission (e-mail message, fax, post, courier). 2. Then it is necessary to determine the range of text that you can use as a model. Get copies of these texts for further work. 3. Make the necessary changes – name of the recipient address, greeting, final phrase (etiquette frame), and finally, your signature. 4. The next step is to bring the bulk of your writing according to the formal requirements of this type of written correspondence (information request, invitation, etc.). 5. Formulate what you want to write as a few simple offers. The structure of the letter should be clear and reasonable, so your logic is clear. 6. Choose a cliché, corresponding to a given type of letters, insert them into the text and adapt (adjust logically, grammatically and stylistically). 7. Rephrase the proposal to change the word order, synonyms, reflect your thoughts more clearly. 8. Make a revision of the text in accordance with official style – delete colloquialisms and slang on one hand and complex terms on the other (but not at the expense of the meaning!). 9. Now you can write the introduction and conclusion. The introduction includes your objectives and reasons for writing the 38

Part VІІ. Writing a letter of a given parameter

letter. In the conclusion, you have to sum up all your findings, identify prospects, make comments and suggestions. 10. Read over your draft. Identify grammatical, stylistic shortcomings and inaccuracies to be corrected. 11. Follow rules of courtesy, avoid conflicts, do not make too many harsh statements. 12. Print the final version. Take a little break. Read the text again with a fresh look. Use Formatting Wisely Every piece of writing should be properly formatted to maximize efficiency. Use headlines, bullet points, numbering and other formatting features (bold, italics, different colors) to ensure the reader can skim and scan with ease through your text. But don't overdo it! Too many distracting visual elements take the focus off your message. This applies to all types of writing. Whether it's an email, a report, or a presentation, formatting helps your writing become clear and user-friendly. When possible, substitute text with visual presentations, graphics or charts. EXERCISES 1. Write down the draft of a Cover letter to your potential employer. What style would you prefer? 1. Standard, conservative style This is ideal for sectors such as business, law, accounting and retail. For more creative sectors, a letter like this might be less appealing, and could work against you. Dear Mr. Conrad, Please find enclosed my CV in application for the post advertised in the Guardian on 30 November. The nature of my studies has prepared me for this position. It involved a great deal of independent research; requiring initiative, self-motivation and a wide range of skills. For one course, [insert course], an understanding of the [insert sector] industry was essential. I found this subject very stimulating. I am a fast and accurate writer, with a keen eye for detail and I would be very grateful for the opportunity to progress to market reporting. I am able to take on the 39

Effective Business Writing responsibility of this position immediately, and have the enthusiasm and determination to ensure that I do it successfully. Thank you for taking the time to consider this application and I look forward to hearing from you in the near future. Yours sincerely 2. Standard speculative letter This may vary according to the nature of the organization and the industry you're applying to. Dear Mr. Brown, I am writing to enquire if you have any vacancies in your company. I have enclosed my CV for your information. As you can see, I have had extensive vacation work experience in office environments, the retail sector and service industries, giving me varied skills and the ability to work with many different types of people. I believe I could fit easily into your team. I am a conscientious person who works hard and pays attention to detail. I'm flexible, quick to pick up new skills and eager to learn from others. I also have lots of ideas and enthusiasm. I'm keen to work for a company with a great reputation and high profile like [insert company name]. I have excellent references and would be delighted to discuss any possible vacancy with you at your convenience. In case you do not have any suitable openings at the moment, I would be grateful if you would keep my CV on file for any future possibilities. Yours sincerely 3. Letter for creative jobs We've used the example of a copywriter but you can adapt it for your profession. The aim of a creative letter is to be original and show you have imagination, but understand what the job entails. Balance is essential: don't be too wacky, or it will turn off the reader. Dear Ms. Green, – Confused by commas? – Puzzled by parenthesis? – Stumped by spelling? – Perturbed by punctuation? – Annoyed at the apostrophe? (And alliteration?) Well, you're not alone. It seems that fewer and fewer people can write. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of people who can read. So they'll spot a gaffe from a mile off. And that means it's a bad idea, unless you're 100% sure of yourself, to write your own materials. (Or to let clients do it for themselves.) To have materials properly copy written is, when one considers the whole process of publishing materials and the impact that the client wishes to make, a minor expense. Sloppiness loses clients and customers. 40

Part VІІ. Writing a letter of a given parameter There is an answer: me. Firm quotes are free. You can see some of what I do on my multilingual website at [insert web address]. If you'd like, I can get some samples out to you within 24 hours. And, if you use me, you'll have a guarantee that you can sleep soundly as those tens of thousands of copies are rolling off the presses. Don’t count on luck! With kindest regards 2. Complete the table with the focus phrases from the Order/Request: Type Focusing attention

Phrase

Equivalent Мы хотели бы обратить ваше особое внимание

Offering Expressing hope

We can offer you… We hope you will be pleased with the…

Placing orders

Мы прилагаем официальный заказ на товар

QUESTIONS: 1. How to get started writing a letter? 2. What does a letter effectiveness depend on? 3. What is the structure of a cover letter?

41

Effective Business Writing ADJUSTMENT OF THE ROUGH DRAFT. CHECKLIST Main points

Explanation

Aim

The clear purpose of the message. Make it clear what kind of answer you expect. What would you like to know?

Addressee

What does he want to know? What will be his reaction? Do not say everything you know.

Plan

Make first draft. You can change the order of sections, paragraphs. Underline. Define the terms. Location of headings, subheadings, numbering, clean spaces, graphs, pictures, applications must be easy to read. Divide the text into manageable chunks. Details given in the Attachment.

Style

Read outloud, spend time editing: remove repetition, get rid of jargon and other stylistic errors. Check the length of paragraphs and sentences. Short words, sentences, and paragraphs are preferable.

Editing

Remove incorrect words and cliches.

Tone

Be sure of the letter tone. Is it the right choice? The tone should be natural and direct. Similarly, does it reflect your friendly disposition and courtesy? Soften it or make it more strict if necessary. The conclusion must be positive.

Grammar

Check spelling and punctuation. Spelling errors can cause the surprise or mistrust of the reader, distracting from your message. Use active verbs rather than passive. Use direct word order. Keep your subjects and predicates.

Format

Is the selected format attractive? Is it pleasing to the eye?

42

Part VІІІ. Electronic correspondence

Part VIII

ELECTRONIC CORRESPONDENCE

Do you know who invented e-mail? Who invented this very icon «a with tail», @ which separates in the Internet address of the domain name from your own, «the person and machine»? This genius is Ray Tomlinson. And this historic discovery, made by a 62-year-old American, happened in 1972. At that time he, the young hacker, decided to create the e-mail messages, and he needed the icon for address which did not yet exist in any proper name. There is «a with a tail» from the code font English stenographers and denotes «at» – that means the prepositions «in» or «at». There is, however, a more romantic version: in medieval Spain this symbol indicates a measure of wine, something about two liters. Another interesting fact is how representatives of different nationalities call the sign @. A typical way, almost all have come up with this cute and really lively sign and give it an «animal» designation. Russians call it «dog» or «doggy». The Germans – «monkey's tail». Temperamental Balkan peoples – Serbs and Croats – called it «maddened a», and the Turks gave it the romantic name «Rose». Finns and Swedes call this sign «cat» or «cat's paw» (Finnish «miukumauku»), the Slovaks and the Czechs – a herring, Greeks – a duckling, Thais – a worm. Israelis compared it with twisted cookie-snail or strudel, French and Hungarians – called it a «snail». Chinese – a mouse. And, finally, the English referred to it as «dog»,«laughter», ie, a smile. E-mail is the abbreviation for electronic mail. It is one of the services allowed by the internet. E-mails can be sent either through special programs (E-mail client) installed on your terminal device (PC, tablet, notebook, smartphone, …) or using webmail services available on the internet (Gmail, Yahoo, Yandex, etc.). 43

Effective Business Writing

E-mail in practice: E-mail is essentially similar to the classic mail in electronic form. Each user can set up one or more e-mail addresses (e.g. [email protected]). The mail is then always sent from one particular e-mail address to another. Using e-mail messages, you can send and receive text messages, but also attach various files (documents, images, pictures, videos, links, and more). Organizations use e-mail for regular communication, exchange of business correspondence, or sending of business and marketing communications (see direct mailing). Business correspondence, led by e-mail has its own rules and specifics (see Netiquette). The advantage of electronic mail is speed – the recipient receives the message almost immediately, regardless of where in the world it is located. Another advantage is that the sender if he wants, can get information about delivery (in case the e-mail address of the recipient does not exist, the message returns back to him). He can also get information about reading the e-mail message. E-mail can also be signed by the electronic signature and also encrypted so that it can be read by the addressee only. Last but not least, sending e-mails has almost no costs. The disadvantage of electronic mail is in overload of regular communication by e-mail messages. People use e-mail more than necessary, resulting in a large number of messages and inefficient time spend by reading and writing e-mail messages. E-mail messages are also used for sending commercial communications. A major problem is also spam. Netiquette What is Netiquette? Netiquette is an unformal collection of rules and principles of decent human behavior on the Internet when using a computer, tablet or phone. Five ways to improve your business Netiquette (e-mail etiquette) 1. Use the appropriate salutation messages and themes. A simple «Hello Mishka!» or «Misha» is perfect when you communicate with colleagues or customers with whom you are familiar. However, use a more formal greeting when you write a letter to new clients or 44

Part VІІІ. Electronic correspondence

employees occupying higher rung positions in your company. As for the subject of the message, do not leave it empty, write a short and informative subject of your message. 2. Avoid using capital letters. In the world of electronic posts all that is written in capital letters is perceived as yelling, and most readers perceive this as rudeness. Use capital letters only when trying to attract attention to some idea. 3. Check and check again before you send your e-mail. Make sure that the address in the «To»: ("To») is written correctly, and you are sending an email to those whom you want to send information. Maybe we should put in e-mail addresses only after we complete the rest of the message, in order to avoid potential disputes? Do not send messages which contain spelling, syntax or grammar errors. Most email programs have built-in features that allow you to check your spelling and grammar. Use them. 4. Ask permission from the authors of the message before forwarding their emails to other recipients. You should always ask permission from the authors of the message if you want to send their message to someone else. Although the letter seems harmless to you, it may contain information that the author of the letter did not mean to show to anyone else. 5. Remember, certain situations still require direct, non-virtual communication. Email template: Rejection Letter Center Sd

23.11.2016

to: Irina Wirts, Dear colleagues, Thank you for applying for the «Academic Writing» seminar within the framework of the UK-Kazakhstan Newton – Al-Farabi Partnership Programme. We regret to inform you that your application has not been successful with the application board. We have received a large number of applications and the selection was very competitive. 45

Effective Business Writing

Please follow our information distribution about upcoming activities. Best regards and thank you again for your interest in NewtonAl-Farabi Partnership Programme. Best Regards, Donald Redinsky Conclusion It might seem like a lot of work, but it’s worth it to focus on these five points and polish up your business writing skills. The benefits of doing so are many; you’ll find it easier to communicate your thoughts and people will be more likely to understand and consider your ideas. SOME USEFUL TIPS Finding the correct tone in English. The level of formality you write with should be determined by the expectations of your audience and your purpose. For example, if you are writing a cover letter for a job application or a college academic essay, you would write in a formal style. If you are writing a letter to a friend, writing something personal, or even writing something for a humorous or special interest magazine when informal writing is expected, you would use a more informal style. Formality exists on a scale – in the example below, a letter of application to a known colleague can result in a semi-formal style. Here is an example: Formal (Written to an unknown audience): I am applying for the receptionist position advertised in the local paper. I am an excellent candidate for the job because of my significant secretarial experience, good language skills, and sense of organization. Semi-formal (Written to a well-known individual): I am applying for the receptionist position that is currently open in the company. As you are aware, I have worked as a temporary employee 46

Part VІІІ. Electronic correspondence

with your company in this position before. As such, I not only have experience and knowledge of this position, but also already understand the company's needs and requirements for this job. Informal (Incorrect): Hi! I read in the paper that ya'll were looking for a receptionist. I think that I am good for that job because I've done stuff like it in the past, am good with words, and am incredibly well organized. The first example demonstrates the proper level of formality for a business letter. Here is a quick tip. In general, a good rule to remember is that formal writing is a bit longer. For example: INFORMAL: Thanks! FORMAL: I appreciate … What To Avoid In A Formal English Business Letter Here are some things you should avoid in a formal letter: – Emojis – as much as I love these because they «humanize» writing, they don’t belong in anything formal. – Exclamation points – These make you sound like a teenage cheerleader. – Acronyms like LOL or ICYMI – these are often inappropriate (in the case of LOL) or better spelled out (in the case of ICYMI). They are also easily misunderstood (I knew someone who though LOL meant «lots of love» instead of «laughing out loud». – Idioms– It’s always better to write what you need to say plainly and directly. Idioms are also cultural and easily misunderstood or misused. – Anything that sounds too friendly or intimate. Example: Nice chatting with you yesterday! Instead, write, «It was good to talk with you yesterday». Instead, keep your focus on: – Meeting your audience’s needs and expectations. Remember, the receiver of your letter might not be your only audience. Other people, particular those above your intended receiver, may also see your letter. 47

Effective Business Writing

– Direct, simple language. – Strong, appropriate grammar.

Know weaknesses and proofread carefully.

your

grammar

Format Use block formatting. Every item is left aligned, with no indented paragraphs. There is one line of space between each item/paragraph. Sequence – Sender’s Address – The first item should be the sender’s address without the sender’s name. – Date – Make sure to use the date format common to your audience and always spell out the month. – Receiver’s Address – Here you need to include the receiver’s name, title, and company, as well as the address. – Salutation – Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms. Last name: (Ex. Dear Ms. Jones:) – Body text – This is where you include the bulk of your content. Make sure to start with the main point of your communication in the first paragraph, then include more details in the second paragraph, and close with an action eliciting conclusion in the final paragraph. – Closing – Sincerely or Best regards followed by a comma is appropriate for most formal situations. (Ex. Best regards,) – Four lines of space to sign your name. Your First and Last Name EXERCISES 1. Write down the phrases of Request Letter Parts of Request Letter Salutation Complementary close Beginning Body

Request formulas

48

Part VІІІ. Electronic correspondence 2. Choose the correct Equivalents. You can find some definitions in the Glossary. #

Words

11. Agreement 12. Exequatur

13. Letter of Credence 14. Letter of Recall 15. Full Power

Answer

Equivalents (appropriate phrases) k. Protection from arrest and extradition given by a state to political refugees l. A formal paper from the head of one state to the head of another recalling diplomatic agent m. A brief account of one’s previous career and qualifications n. An official recognition of a consul by the head of the receiving state o. Approval of a treaty (convention) by a formal confirmation , signature, etc.

16. Asylum

p. The approval of an ambassador or a minister by the government of the receiving state

17. Curriculum vitae

q. A formal paper from the head of one state to the head of another, accrediting diplomatic agent as one authorized to act for his government

18. Diplomatic agent 19. Status quo

r. The existing state of affairs s. A member of diplomatic staff of the mission

20. Ratification

t. A special written authorization to a negotiator, entitling him to conduct or conclude and sign a treaty on the part of the state concerned

3. Find the phrases for the delievery confirmation: 1. We acknowledge receipt of your letter on 16th February 2017. 2. Thank you for your letter on 19th March. 3. I am writing on behalf of Mrs. Leading, who requested me to make contact with you. 4. Please acknowledge your receipt of this letter. 5. Mr. Smith asked me to get in touch with you concerning your new system. 6. We received a delivery this morning of the samples we requested. 49

Effective Business Writing 4. Three persons wrote the same official letter. There are some mistakes. What will be the most attractive letter from your point of veiw? Kate Dear Sir/ Madam Thanks for

Matthew Dear Mr. Smith Thank you for

Please find enclosed

We are pleased to enclose Should you require a copy, we shall Want you more information

If you want, I can send you Should you require any further information Just call

I can send it

Can you

Could you please

I’ll see you on Friday

I look forward to seeing you Friday, then Yours faithfully

Yours sincerely

50

Akhat Dear Aigerim I would like thank you for Attached is I shall be pleased to send you a copy If you require any further information Please do not hesitate to contact us I would be grateful if you could We look forward to seeing you on Friday Best regards

Part ІХ. Code of the golden rules of business letters

Part IX

CODE OF THE GOLDEN RULES OF BUSINESS LETTERS

Your letter at first sight should make a respectable impression. Prepare a database of letters, which you consider exemplary. You will only need to adapt the source text to the current time and ready to receive mail. A formal business letter should be written as personal, to one person alone, the recipient, as addressed. No cold, formal phrases! The whole world's business is built on personal relationships, and they must be constructed! All the achievements, benefits of your company, product, service, your personal achievements should be named without exaggeration. Any information can be easily checked. The letter should be both informative and concise, and take no longer than one page. Remember, no more than one page will be read. Please note that the maximum time for which your email may attract attention, is 30 seconds. Read the letter in 30 seconds and make sure that it produced a good impression in that time. When writing any letters you should always be guided by the formula: КІSS = Кеер It Short and Simple The letter should be finished with a direct indication of what you expect from the company. It is the final sentence that will be remembered most. For highlighting particularly important information within reasonable limits use the service functions of your editor – different fonts, underlining, bold, and italics. Read your letter out loud, consider which paragraphs and sentences can be removed, what kind of information is missing. Read the letter to an independent expert, talk to intelligent people. Put 51

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the letter away for some time, take a look at it «with a fresh eye» later. Your business letter under any circumstances should not compromise neither you nor your company, nor your recipient. Make sure your letter could not be used against you or your business! ATTACHMENTS 1. Types of business letters 2. Letter Samples for Analysis 3. Formula of Business Etiquette 4. Abbreviations in Business Correspondence TYPES OF BUSINESS LETTERS 1. Letter of notification. It is sent for politeness, in gratitude for quick answer as an expression of willingness to cooperate, etc. or as an informational message. Under these kinds of letters it is enough to put the signature of the referent. 2. Letter of Reminder. It is sent in cases when using telephone conversations or personal contact cannot get the desired results in time. The purpose of this letter – to tactfully remind about the need to fulfill certain obligations taken on. 3. Letters of Acceptance (Letter of Confirmation). Acceptance letters, are used for both personal and business situations. The most well known of these is the personal job acceptance letter. However, on the business side, there are a number of situations in which formal letters of acceptance are also appropriate. These are almost always written in response to some sort of formal application received from an applicant. It is the guarantee of previously given promises or already negotiated terms. This letter is an expression of politeness and respect for the addressee. 4. Letter of Claim – like an official warning. It should contain the grounds for the claim, the claim itself and specific requirements. The Claim Letter claims an addressee is reasonably required to pay damages, caused by a violation of contractual obligations. 52

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5. Letter of Refusal – a response to a claim. Being written correctly, it helps to maintain normal relationships with a customer or a partner, despite a refusal. Begin this letter with the most positive information: for example, a transfer order with which you agree. And then you need to explain the reasons for the refusal. The end of the letter should also be positive. 6. Letter of Apology usually contains a summary of reasons suddenly disturbing preliminary agreements. In some cases, such a letter is sent after a preliminary notification by telephone. 7. Letter of Guarantee – is a special form of writing, which is sent as an obligation to pay for the purchase, services rendered, etc. It must indicate the course of action to be undertaken. The letter ends with the phrase «Payment is guaranteed» with indication of own bank details. This letter requires two signatures – one of the director, and one of the chief accountant. 8. Circular Letters that are sent to all subordinate institutions. They are mostly administrative in nature.Their aim – to send one piece of content to multiple destinations. Such letters are sent within the organization and it is usually signed by the head of the general affairs. 9. Letter of Request. The request is articulated clearly, if possible giving an explanation. It is worth emphasizing personal interest and to express thanks in advance for execution of the request. In the Letter of Request, the recipient asks to make any definite action or to terminate it, but does not require a response letter. In the letter of request a recipient is encouraged to reply to this email in which he should clarify the question or verify a particular fact. 10. In the Reminder Letter the recipient is prompted to act. He must do something, but has not executed it yet. 11. Congratulations letters are written for a wide variety of business and personal situations. They should be short and to the point, but genuine, sincere, and believable. The opening sentence should state the reason for the congratulations, the second paragraph should elaborate briefly, as appropriate, followed by a short closing sentence. 53

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12. Advocacy letters – letters in which any questions, data, facts posed earlier are reported, explained, or clarified. 13. Letters of Rejection are used for many different situations. In addition to the common job rejection letter, letters of rejection can be written for just about any situation in which the sender needs to advise someone who has applied for something that their application was not accepted. Letters of rejection letters should be kept brief and to the point without getting into details as to why the applicant was not accepted. 14. Cover letters are composed in the case of delivery of documents to the recipient that require further explanation on their execution. They indicate the type of document, reason for sending it, what to do with it, and terms of execution. 15. Complaint – lat. – disapproval, murmur – 1) complaint, protest, objection, 2) a statement claiming compensation for losses due to shortage in weight, sent by the poor quality of the goods. 16. A Commercial letter (Contract Letter) is written with the objective of purchase requests, to send information about products or services, business information, or any other business issues. A commercial letter has the job of passing information between two companies, or a from a company to an individual, in any of which cases a commercial letter needs to follow a formal format. 17. Corporate Letter of Reference in which one company recommends another company. Similar to the other types of «reference letters», this one is also addressed in a general fashion, with «To Whom It May Concern». A company is providing a reference letter that one of its main long-time clients can use with it's prospective customers. 18. A Business Memorandum is an internal letter used for communication within an organization. They are an organization's internal version of the business letter. Memos can be written on any subject. Most organizations use pre-printed memo paper for their memoranda. Normally, when an organization communicates externally it uses a business letter, not a memo. 19. Fundraising letter (Donation letters) can be written for many different situations. Most often, they are used by community 54

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groups or public organizations to solicit donations of money or resources to support some sort of worthy cause. 20. Follow-up letters are most often used in business situations to continue contact with a potential client or buyer after some sort of initial contact was made. 21. A Collection letter is a standard business letter that is sent to customers after they have failed to pay their outstanding balance in accordance with the standard billing cycle. Most companies have a series of collection letters that they send over a few weeks, each one promising increasingly severe consequences, unless the unpaid balance is settled immediately. LETTER SAMPLES Commercial Proposal

Dear User, We hope you are enjoying the free trial to Wiley Journals that has started on July 1, 2015 and was organized in cooperation with your Library and «National Center for Scientific and Technical Information». The free trial will expire on December 31, 2015. Please make sure that you take advantage of it. Simply follow the link: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/browse/publications Very useful information can be found in our users guide, following the link below: http://media.wiley.com/assets/7255/48/WileyOnlineLibraryQRG 2014.pdf If you need any additional training please feel free to visit following free tutorials: http://olabout.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-390244.html 55

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To facilitate the publishing and research processes, we offer a number of online features and tools to assist researchers. http://olabout.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-404512.html We hope that you will enjoy your free trial and find access to journals of your interest – a must have tool for your work and research. Sincerely, The Wiley Team

Contract Letter May 25, 2016 Mr. Mishel Moran President and CEO Jonson Structures Inc. 505 Granville Street, 12th Floor Vancouver, British Columbia Canada V6C 2R6 Dear Mr. Moran: Re: Notice of Intent To Conduct An Audit Further to our recent phone conversation, this is to formally advise you that the Olympic Construction Committee has decided to request an audit of the accounting practices of Jonson Structures Inc. The audit will commence immediately and will be performed on behalf of the OCC by Taylor & Hanson Auditing Services Inc. of Vancouver. As you know, this audit was prompted by some serious invoice/work order discrepancies that were noted during a number of our transaction-sampling mini-audits that were conducted over the past six months. When briefed on the results of these mini-audits, the OCC decided that an immediate audit of Jenson’s accounting practices and procedures with respect to invoicing was warranted. The audit will be conducted in full accordance with the OCC’s contract administration and control policy which is an addendum to 56

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all of our construction contracts. Among other things, that policy states that «…all outstanding invoices submitted by the company being audited will be held in abeyance until such time as the results of the audit are known.» Also in accordance with the policy, «… depending on the results of the audit, it will be at the Committee’s sole discretion to determine when, and to what degree, any payments will be made to cover any outstanding invoices.» We look forward to your complete cooperation with the auditors so that the audit can be conducted quickly and concluded as soon as possible. If you have any questions about the audit process please feel free to contact the Project Senior Auditor, Janice Gonzalez, at 604-4594111. Sincerely, Jordan Granston Chairman, OCC Accountability Committee

Reference and Recommendation Letter 209,Dostyk str. 050000, Almaty, Kazakhstan

20 October, 2016 To whom it may concern: Letter of Reference for Ms. Zarina Abdullina Dear Sirs, This is to verify that I personally know Ms. Abdullina, who we are proud to employ in the position of Accountant in our Almaty branch. Zarina joined us in 2010 with her primary responsibilities being to assist our Chief Accountant in various aspects of office support and 57

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accounting. Very soon after joining our team, Zarina proved her excellent skills in performing various tasks, both accurately and within deadlines required. It is fair to note that she has a natural talent for prioritizing her tasks effectively, even when working under pressure and being simultaneously involved in a number of projects. Our company always benefits from her ability to cope with complex situations. From the very first days of her employment Zarina showed her outstanding abilities to learn new things. Asking for new responsibilities and first executing them under some guidance, she very soon was capable of identifying those gaps in her knowledge that she needed to fill. Her plan of study was a very effective combination of on-job-coaching, selfinstruction, and professional courses from one of the most prominent institutions of Kazakhstan. In such a short time, Zarina has made serious professional growth in her accounting skills. Her current duties and responsibilities are now of a more profound nature than those she started out with. In her 3 years with us, Zarina was never involved in any kind of interpersonal disputes. With her excellent communication skills she is always able to make positive contact with people of various nationalities. I always witnessed her being very sensitive and tolerant to the opinions and beliefs of others, but nevertheless she is capable of presenting her point of view and positively contributing to any discussion. I personally understand and appreciate Zarina’s willingness to make a further step in her career development. I sincerely hope that she will benefit professionally from the opportunity of a prominent western education. We, as a company, will very much miss Zarina in her absence, and will look forward to her return in a new role after her education is completed. Should you have any additional questions in regards to Zarina, I would be very much pleased to meet with you in person or communicate via email: wiley@ wiley.com.

Sincerely, Brad Smith General Manager Wiley

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Corporate Letter of Reference 2905 Peel St. Suite 1508 Montreal, QC H2C 2M3 To Whom It May Concern: Customer Reference – Litho Arts Inc. Litho Arts has been one of our top customers for the past 12 years. Accordingly, I have no hesitation in recommending them as a company with which to do business. In addition to doing business with his company for many years, I have known the president and founder of Litho Arts, Glenn Ralston, for over 25 years. We were classmates and teammates at McGill University in the late 1970s. Knowing him for so long I am quite comfortable in vouching for him as a great individual as well as a concerned and active citizen in this community. As far as a company to do business with, Litho Arts Inc. is one of the best that we have ever dealt with. Its practice has always been to pay our printing invoices within the 30-day time limit. We did significant amounts of business, especially during the past 5 years, and I cannot recall a latepayment situation involving that company. Billing disputes were rare, and those only required some minor additional documentation for clarification and resolution. Fairmont was one of the best companies that I have ever dealt with from a change-order and work scheduling perspective. We maintained close communication with the company's production people and they always kept us apprised of their upcoming workload. Thus, scheduling jobs on our presses was never a problem. In addition, Fairmont's graphics people always provided us with high quality finished artwork, and it was unusual for additional changes to be made after the plates had been produced. Based on our experience, any printing company should be very pleased to be the one that Litho Arts selects to do business with. Sincerely,

Gordon Manning President and CEO 59

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Congratulation letter June 25, 20xx Belinda Asher 620 Mayview Ave. Pineville, WV 24874 Dear Belinda: On behalf of everyone here at Deerwood Resorts Ltd., I would like to sincerely congratulate you on your recent graduation from Mountain State University with your M.B.A. (Marketing). I must say that I was not surprised to read of your success in the newspaper. During your first of four summers as an employee at our Lakeland Family Resort I noted how bright you are and how you have a very quick mind for business. Combine those attributes with your relentless work ethic and commitment to quality customer service, and it is obvious that you have a wide-open future ahead of you. I can only hope that your experience working with us contributed in some small way to your success. On behalf of the management and staff at Deerwood Resorts I wish you all the best in your future career and life endeavors, whatever they may be. Yours sincerely, Bruce Atkinson President and CEO Memorandum (meeting follow-up letter) July 20, 2016 Mr. Sidney Giles Manager, Customer Support Inter-Office Solutions Inc. 289 Luxor Station Rd. Cedar Springs, IL, 34985 Dear Sidney: 60

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This is further to our meeting of last week at which we agreed to hold a series of meetings over the next two months to review your experiences with the pilot implementation of the 1to1 Customer Relationship Management Program. As discussed at that meeting, the objectives of our review sessions will be to: – Review and assess the overall effectiveness of the program; – Identify and document strengths weaknesses of the program; – Propose customer-focused solutions to address areas of weakness; – Develop an approach and action plan for Phase 2 of the project; – Determine the staff members who will make up the Phase 2 Team. As agreed, meetings will be held every second Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. until noon, and the location will alternate between our two offices, the first one to be convened here at Inter-Office on August 14, 20xx. Fred Johnson of your CRM group is to act as the meeting co-ordinator and recording secretary throughout the process. As discussed, at the end of the process, Deborah Buxton will draft the summary report for review by the steering committee. As you requested, a copy of her c.v. has been enclosed. I trust I have covered all of the points that we discussed. If you have any questions or would like to add anything please give me a call at 745-9878. We look forward to seeing you at the August 14thmeeting. Sincerely, Marilyn French Senior Consultant Encl.

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Fundraising letter (Sample donation letter, a high school is requesting donations from parents and businesses to support one of its community action programs).

March 18, 2016 Contact Name Company Name Address Line 1 Address Line 2 Dear Mr. Tramp, According to the experts, involving students in community volunteer activities is one of the most effective ways to engage them in something meaningful during their after school time. Our experience has shown this to be true; and that is why at Valleycrest H.S. we put a great deal of emphasis on our Students In Action (SIA) program which actively promotes student involvement in numerous volunteer activities throughout our community. This letter is requesting your financial support for a very important annual SIA event. Each year we hold a Volunteer Appreciation Night where we recognize and honor the many student volunteers who have served in our community during the past year. Those students have worked as volunteers in many different capacities from, serving meals to the homeless, to entertaining senior citizens in old-age care facilities, to running household errands for housebound seniors and citizens recovering from surgery. Theses are just a few examples of the many ways in which our SIA students have served our community over the past year. Volunteer Appreciation Night is the one time during the year when we briefly put the spotlight on those doing the giving; as an expression of gratitude for their selflessness throughout the year. Accordingly, we are requesting the financial assistance of [Company Name] to help cover the costs directly related to holding that event. Your contribution would be used to offset such costs as: room rental, DJ fees, food and drink, prizes, etc. An amount in the area of $xxx would be an appropriate contribution by your company. Any surplus funds remaining after all bills are paid will be donated to the [Name of Community] United Way fund. Your support for this important annual event would be greatly appreciated by everyone involved. If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact [Contact Name] at 999-9999. Email inquiries can be sent to [email protected].

Sincere regards, Marilyn Crandle SIA Volunteer Co-ordinator 62

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Follow-up letter March 15, 2015 Ms. Wendy Todd 891 Fourth Ave. Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Dear Ms. Todd: This is just a quick follow-up note to thank you for dropping in at Downtown Toyota and entering our «Miles of Smiles» contest. Your entry has been processed and is entered in the draw which will take place on April 10, 20xx. I enjoyed our brief chat about the various models of Toyota cars that might be of interest to you. Your observation about the low interest rates we are offering on our lease financing was absolutely correct. As you said, it is the period of economic prosperity the economy is now experiencing that allows us to offer such low rates. As I mentioned, when the time comes for you to trade in your current vehicle, I would be very pleased to brief you on the entire line of Toyota passenger vehicles so that you will be able to make an informed decision about which vehicle best suits your needs. Any time you would like to discuss your personal transportation needs, please give me a call at 234-7865. In the meantime, I would ask you to please accept the enclosed key chain as a small token of your visit to Downtown Toyota and your entry into the «Miles for Smiles» draw. At your service, David Chen Senior Sales Associate

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Letter of Acceptance December 15, 2016 Mr. Sid Treadway 350 Drummond Street W. Perth, ON K7H 2K1 Dear Mr. Treadway: Re: Mortgage Application – 457 Cornelia Lane, Perth, Ontario This is to advise you that we have completed our review of your recent application for a homeowner's mortgage on the above-noted property and have approved it for a total loan amount up to $175,000. The initial term of the mortgage is 5 years, at an annual fixed interest rate of 5.75%. You will have the option of taking out lowcost mortgage life insurance when you sign the papers. You will soon be contacted by Susan Laurent of my office who will set up an appointment with you so that you can sign the final papers and formalize the agreement. We thank you for your interest in working with our mortgage department and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship. For any additional information regarding the terms of your mortgage, please do not hesitate to contact me at (xxx) 865-2595. Sincerely, Sharon Wycliffe Senior Associate, Homeowner Loans Letter of Rejection March 15, 2015 Ms.Ruzanna Bragg 891 Fourth Ave. Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Dear Ms. Bragg: 64

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Further to your recent loan application, this is to advise you that we will not be able to extend credit to you at this time. After a thorough review of your application and the supporting documents you supplied, we have concluded that your current financial situation precludes this institution from extending further credit to you at this time. When your financial picture changes and your current level of risk-exposure becomes lower, we would be happy to reconsider your application. On behalf of Meridian National Bank I thank you for your ongoing business and trust that we will continue to serve you in the future. If you have any questions about the details of your loan application review please feel free to contact me at (219) 882-1753. Yours truly, Tad Wallis Business Loans Manager Letter of Invitation January 20, 20xx Mrs. Belinda Huffman 1541 Aberdeen Ave. Montreal, QC H3C 1L2 Re: Private Preview Showing – Spring Collection 20xx – Ticket No. 12-0127 Dear Mrs. Huffman, As one of our longtime valued customers we would like to invite you to our special Private Preview Showing of our Spring Fashion Collection for 20xx. The showing will take place at our downtown store at 4550 Sherbrooke St. West, Monday evening, February 19, 20xx from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Limited free parking will be available in our parking garage on the Mountain Street side of the store. 65

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In addition to the continuous fashion show that will be running all evening long, there will be a number of spring merchandise draws, as well as a door prize for a $2,000 unlimited shopping spree. So, don't miss out on the fun! For entry into the show and to be eligible for any of the draws you will be required to produce this original invitation with your ticket number printed on it. In order that we may plan for snacks and refreshments appropriately, if you plan to attend, we ask you to please call Danielle Laporte at (514) 982-7593 and advise her by February 12th. Please note: If Danielle doesn't hear from you by Friday, February 10th we will assume that you are not attending the show and we will issue your ticket number to someone else. Everyone here at The Fashion House looks forward to meeting you and sharing our Spring Collection with you at our Preview Private Showing. Yours sincerely, Rhonda Sugarman Show Co-ordinator Collection Letter August 16, 20xx Mr. Dylan Macdonald 150 Armstrong Ave. Georgetown, ON L7G 5S4 Hand Delivered By Courier Dear Mr. Macdonald: Final Notice: Invoice 279-04 - May 10, 20xx - $1,755.68 You have repeatedly ignored our written requests for payment of the above-noted invoice and you have not contacted us with any explanation. 66

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Consequently, unless we receive payment in full by the end of the business day, August 30, 20xx we will have to take the unpleasant step of turning your account over to a professional collection agency. We would rather not be forced do this since it will result in damage to your personal credit rating. To prevent us from taking the final step of turning this matter over to a collection agency, could you please make payment in full by the end of the business day, Friday August 30, 20xx. We urge you to please give this matter your full attention now, before it's too late, and send your payment to us immediately. Sincerely, B. R. Egan Accounts Receivable BRE: st cc: M.S. Brandon, Credit Manager Letter of Apology June 28, 2016 Ms. Rebecca Winston 2595 Dewdrop Circle Unit No. 29 Birmingham, AL 35233 Dear Ms. Winston: The purpose of this is to convey to you my sincere apologies for any inconvenience you may have experienced last month with respect to the installation of your Internet high speed service. I just returned from vacation this week and found your file in my in-basket. As soon as I reviewed your case it was clear that somehow your May 20th request for a change in service had somehow slipped through the cracks. The only possible explanation I can give is that we have recently had a number of key staff changes which might have resulted in your letter being overlooked. 67

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Consequently, I have directed our Installation Group to contact you by the end of this week to set up a time convenient to you when they could go to your house and install your new router and make the necessary adjustments to your software. Because of this serious oversight, and as a testament to our appreciation of you as our customer, we are going to provide you with your first three months of high speed service free of charge. Therefore, your account will not be billed until October of this year. Ms. Quinlan, let me assure you that what happened in your case is not typical of CableNet's level of customer service. We continue to be committed to providing you and all of our customers with the highest standards of service in the industry. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to call me at 205754-9785. Yours in service, Paul Cordero Manager, Customer Solutions Letters of apology (samples of clichés) Please excuse us for this unfortunate mistake. We assure you that this is quite a rare event in our invoicing work. We hope that this mistake does not affect our partnership and will not affect our mutually beneficial cooperation in the future. Thank you for drawing our attention to this mistake. We are confident that this unfortunate misunderstanding will not affect our long term partnership and mutually beneficial cooperation. Your complaint regarding the discounts is sufficiently substantiated. Please excuse us. We will transfer this amount into your account. Certainly we acknowledge the mistake and are sincerely puzzled about the damage to our goods, as our supplies are always checked for quality. However, we assure you that it is an extremely rare mistake. As we work with you on an ongoing basis (for a sufficiently long period of time), it seems to us that you know us well enough to set up a long-term partnership. 68

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We apologize for our error in calculation. The discount, which has been wrongly deducted, will be immediately transferred to your account. An error occurred due to unforeseen circumstances related to the reorganization of the telecommunication services in our area and the changing of our phone numbers. Error in delivery is the result of an inaccurate transfer. We apologize for this.We're a little late with the payment, because in recent years there were delays with the collection of funds owed to us. If you need some-or additional information, please contact us. We apologize for the delay of the delivery and assure you that we will continue to pay special attention to your orders. Production problems have made it impossible to execute your order at an earlier date. Thanks for the reminder about this unpaid bill. It was properly registered. Moving to our new office in accounting led to a delay in the posting of our payments. Thank you for your understanding. Please accept my apologies. Invoice December 15, 20xx Mark Burton Editor – Aviation Digest 345 Gilchrist Ave. Suite. 508 Chicago, IL, 60611 Dear Mark Burton: Re: Invoice 03-139 – Article on Civil Aviation In India Please regard this as an Invoice for English editorial services provided while researching and writing a feature article on the state of civil aviation in India titled «Flying High In India: Young High Fliers Spread Their Wings». I understand that the article is for inclusion in your January 20xx issue of Aviation Digest Magazine. 69

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The work was performed between November 12, 20xx and December 14, 20xx. Final copy (4,800 words) was submitted to you by e-mail on December 13, 20xx. English Editorial Services – 35.0 hours at $60. per hour = $2,100.00 Expenses (LD, faxes, copying – as per attached receipts) = $170.50 State Professional Services Tax (Reg. No. 1426-94, at 8%) = $181.64 Invoice Total (payable with in 30 days of invoice date) $2,452.14 Thanks very much for this work. Please don't hesitate to contact me should you require my services in the future. Sincerely, Christopher Drew attach.

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FORMULA OF BUSINESS ETIQUETTE Stereotypes and clichés (by type) Useful phrases /Stereotypes and clichés 1. Address: Dear Sir! 2. Start the phrase: Please, we kindly ask, offer, propose, inform, explain, put in prominence. For representation of a company: Our company was created (formed) in the year .... Its founders are the ... company's annual turnover is ... The company specializes in ... (by, in) The firm makes sales ... The company produces ... Formula introducing the state of affairs: I want (need) – to inform you ... to make you aware .... to discuss with you here, that ... I must (must) - inform you ... Expression of Commercial offers Our company (the company): – Is ready to supply ... – Can deliver ... – Is ready to sell ... – Can purchase in large and small batches ... – Looking for a partner (for, stselyu) ... – Intends to establish a company for the production of ... – Plans to build a ... – Plans to open stores selling ... – Offers services (in consulting, audit ...) Conflict prevention: It is in our interests ... This is equally important for you and for us ... Our interests coincide in solving this problem ... 71

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I hope we are equally interested in finding a way out of this situation ... What if ... we give up our mutual claims? Refer to a third party to get out of the situation? Let us imagine ... What if we assume ... On the one hand, I agree with your arguments, and, on the other hand, Of course, you are right, but as a professional you have to understand that ... Specifying the form of the transaction: The company is ready to discuss foreign exchange transactions. The company proposes to use barter contracts. The company is ready to consider variants of barter and compensation transactions. We propose concluding with a mutually beneficial contract. Clarification of the content of the transaction (the contract): Which contract would you like to conclude with? Do you want to sign a contract? How long does the contract run? Which type of contract are you more satisfied with: long-term or short-term? Specify the amount of the contract. We are primarily interested in who will finance the supply contract. Expression of apology: We apologize for ... Please accept our apologies for ... Thank you that you informed us of the problems that you have with our products. Request expression of: Could you... We want to appeal to you with a request ... If it is not a burden (not difficult) ... I would be very grateful (grateful), if ... We look forward to your help in ... on your part it would be very kind , if... 72

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Expression of approval and consent: We are quite satisfied with your conditions. This point of our objection is not ... I think that we can agree on, and ... I fully share your point of view on ... Your conditions are generally acceptable for me I want to express my sincere gratitude for the fact that you took the time to participate in our discussion. I think you'll be happy with your decision. Formulas expressing gratitude Thank you for your interesting question (answer) Thank you for asking me this question I am pleased to answer your question Glad to know that you are interested in this issue I am pleased once again to dwell on this question ... Paraphrasing As I have understood you... I understand that you claim ... In other words, you think ... If I understood you correctly, you are saying ... Could you tell further ... .. comment, to explain in more detail. In other words, you think that ... If I understand you correctly, then ... This is the problem as you understand it… What you say could mean ... Formulas of the transition from one thought to another (introductory words) Now, I would like to say next ... Consequently,... It seems to me, we can conclude that ... I think, in conclusion, we can say that ... So, summarizing the above, it should be noted that ... Speech cliches, finishing the conversation Summarizing So, in conclusion, I would like to sum up the results of these ... Let's summarize our agreements In conclusion, I would like ... I 73

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believe that we have discussed all of our questions I think that ... the problem can be considered, solved. Thanks for the offer, we will discuss the possibility of participation in the conference. Thank you for the offer, and we gladly accept it. Your main ideas, as I understand it, are... If to summarize what has been said, then ... Well, you think that ... to summarize what you said ... So far we have considered ... To summarize what you said, if I understand you correctly, can mean the following ... Summing up, I would like to stress ... Sincerely, Sincerely, Best regards. ABBREVIATIONS IN BUSINESS LETTERS In business correspondence a number of abbreviations are used, some of which are only suitable for informal communication, some even for electronic communication only (e.g. emoticons). In formal business letters, a clear, formal writing style should be used, however, there exist some instances in which the use of abbreviations is appropriate to save both space and time. Formal widely used abbreviations: – ASAP – as soon as possible; – attn – attention: to show that a letter is for the attention of a particular person; – BYOB – bring your own bottle: used on invitations to show that you should bring your own beverage to a party or get-together; – cc – used on a business letter or e-mail to indicate that a copy of a given letter is being sent to the person mentioned; – c/o or c/ – care of: used in the address on a letter or parcel that you are sending to someone at another person’s house; – encl. – enclosed or enclosure: used at the top or bottom of a letter to show that an attachment has been included in the letter; 74

Part ІХ. Code of the golden rules of business letters

FAO – for the attention of: written in front of someone’s name on a document, letter, or envelope to show that it is intended for them; – FYI – for your information: written on a business letter or e-mail to show that it is being sent to someone for their information only; they are not expected to reply or take any action; – pp – on behalf of – written in front of someone’s name when you are signing a letter for them; – PPS – written before a note at the end of a letter, after the PS note; – PS – postscript: used for introducing some additional information at the end of a letter after you have signed your name; – PTO – please turn over: used at the bottom of a page to indicate that there is a second page (informal); – RE – used in business letters to introduce their subject matter; – ref. – reference: used in a business letter when you are giving the numbers and letters that show exactly which document or piece of information you are writing about; – RSVP – used on written invitations to ask the invited person to confirm their attendance. Abbreviations in titles: – Mr. – Mister – used when adressing men; – Messrs. – used when addressing two or more men, as in Messrs. Smith and Wesson; – Mrs. – Misses – used for women if you are sure that they are married and for those who do not prefer another title; – Ms. – used for women, regardless of their marital status. Usually the safest bet; – Dr. – Used with addressees who you know have earned a doctorate, not only in medicine. Abbreviations in time and date: – a.m. (am) – ante merediem = before midday – used with a 12-hour clock; –

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Effective Business Writing

p.m. (pm) – post merediem = after midday – used with a 12-hour clock; – BC – Before Christ – used to denote years prior to the birth of Jesus of Nazareth; – AD – Anno Domini – used to denote years after the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Other often used abbreviations in business letters: – a/c – account; – appar. – Apparently; – bus. – business; – cf. – compare (Latin: confer); – comm. – commerce; – Corp. – Corporation; – dt – date; – e.g. – for example (Latin exampli gratia); – et al. – and other people (Latin et alii); – etc. – and so forth (Latin et cetra); – i.e. – in other words (Latin id est); – ibid. – in the same book, chapter, page, etc. (Latin ibidem); – Ltd. Limited; – nb. – nota bene; – NOO – not on original; – P&P – postage and packing; – pdd – probable date of delivery; – PIN – postal index number or Personal Identification Number; – SAE – stamped (self-) addressed envelope; – yr – year; – ZIP (code) – Zone Improvement Plan (used in US addresses after the state designation to assure delivery). –

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GLOSSARY

Addressee – a person or organization to whom a letter, parcel, etc., is addressed Adjustment – Lat. making amendments – the correction of errors, partial change. Agrement – The approval of an ambassador or a minister by the government of the receiving state Ambiguity – the possibility of interpreting an expression in two or more distinct ways Asylum – Protection from arrest and extradiction given by a state to political refugees. Cliche – fr.sІіshe – speech stereotype formula, standard, formulaic phrases. Communication (from Latin sommunicatіo – Message, communication) – is a process of communication, a two-way process of receiving and transmitting information from one person or group of persons to another person or group of people by various means. Context – (lat. sontextum- close link) is the segment of the written text, which gives the ability to precisely set up background information for speech. Correspondence – (c + lat.cor-respondege respond) – correspondence between individuals or institutions; media reports; collection of mail. Credence (letter) – A formal paper from the head of one state to the head of another, accrediting diplomatic agent as one authorized to act for his government. Curriculum vitae (CV) – A brief account of one’s previous career and qualifications. Diplomatic agent – A member of diplomatic staff of the mission. Distant communication – communication over long distances; due to temporal and spatial framework. Enclosure-something, esp. a supporting document, enclosed within an envelope or wrapper, esp. together with a letter. Emoji are ideograms and smileys used in electronic messages and Web pages. Emoji are used much like emoticons and exist in various genres, including facial expressions, common objects, places and types of weather, and animals. Exequatur – An official recognition of a consul by the head of the receiving state 77

Effective Business Writing Etiquette – a set of rules of good manners accepted in society and established norms of behavior and communication between people in certain situations. Euphemism – a synonym that softens the meaning of your words. Font size – size of type Full Power – A special written authorization to a negotiator, entitling him to conduct or conclude and sign a treaty on the part of the state concerned. Image – Eng. іtage is the image, likeness, performance – generated image (person, firm, objects), designed to produce an emotional or psychological impact on someone in order to promote or advertise. Interoffice Memoranda – are used to record facts, decisions or opinions to which reference may be necessary later, to make or respond to proposals or to convey information. Each memorandum should normally deal with one subject only. Memorandum – lat. That which be remembered – І. Commemorative information, notes for memory, event recording, observation of a specific object, especially for further use or reflection. 2. Report or explanation of written information of any institution. Netiquette is an unformal collection of rules and principles of decent human behavior on the Internet when using a computer, tablet or phone. Non-verbal communication (communication) – body language, posture, facial expressions, transmitting information through visual and sensory cues. Public Relations – public relations, media; the creation of a public image. Paronyme – Greek. raga - near + onima – name – or a different single-root or many rooted words of similar sound and meaning. (Problem – problematic, the traveler – travel company-campaign). Partner – English. – a participant in a game – a companion, an owner. Paraphrasing – the transfer of someone else’s words into your own words in order to clarify information. Pleonasm – t. rleonasmos – excess – containing unambiguous words (the month of April, his own autobiography, the first time to meet). Precedent – Lat. sitting in front – case that occurred earlier. Ratification – Approval of a treaty (convention) by a formal confirmation , signature, etc. Recall (letter) – A formal paper from the head of one state to the head of another recalling diplomatic agent. Status quo – The existing state of affairs.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Адаир Дж. Эффективная коммуникация. – М.: ЭКСМО, 2003. 2. Акишина А.А., Формановская Н.И. Этикет русского письма. − М., 1988. 3. Алешина И.В. Паблик Рилейшнз для менеджеров и маркетеров. – М., 1997. 4. Бороздина Г.В. Психология делового общения: учеб. пособие. – М., 1998. 5. Введенская Л.А., Павлова Л.Г. Культура и искусство речи. – Р.-на- Д., 1996. 6. Венедиктова В.И. О деловой этике и этикете. – М., 1994. 7. Гойхман О.Я., Надеина Т.М. Основы речевой коммуникации. – М., 1997. 8. Деловая переписка на английском и русском языках. 4000 фраз и выражений. – Будапешт: ПАННОНАРТ, 1996. 9. Делопроизводство в Республике Казахстан. – Алматы: І_ЕМ, 2002. 10. Ивакина Н.Н. Профессиональная речь юриста: учебное пособие. – М., 1997. 11. Клюев Е.В. Риторика. – М., 1999. 12. Кузин Ф.А. Имидж бизнесмена: практическое пособие. – М., 1996. 13. Кузин Ф.А. Культура делового общения. – М., 1997. 14. Льюис К. Деловые культуры в международном бизнесе. – М., 2000. 15. Матвиенко Е.А. Судебная речь. – Минск, 1972. 16. Пиз Аллан Язык телодвижений. – М.: Ай кью, 1996. – 258 с. 17. Розенталь Д.Э. Голуб И.Б. Секреты стилистики. Правила хорошей речи. – М., 1996. 18. Слепович В.С., Деловой английский. – Минск: ТетраСистемс, 2002. 19. Теппер Рон, Как овладеть искусством делового письма. – М.: ЮНИТИ, 1997. 20. Холопова Т.И., Лебедева М.М. Протокол и этикет для деловых людей. – М.: ИНФРА-М, 1995. – 366 с.

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Educational edition

Suleimen Ainash Shaktayevna Karipbayeva Gulnar Alipbayevna EFFECTIVE BUSINESS WRITING Educational manual Computer page makeup and cover designer N. Bazarbaeva The website used for front-page designing https://ru.pinterest.com/ IS No.11002 Signed for publishing 16.06.17. Format 60x84 1/16. Offset paper. Digital printing. Volume 5 printer’s sheet. Edition 80. Order No.3608 Publishing house «Qazaq University» Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 71 Al-Farabi, 050040, Almaty Printed in the printing office of the «Qazaq University» publishing house

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