4. Letter Form: There are three popular forms for business letters:

4. Letter Form: There are three popular forms for business letters:

 Full block form
 Modified block form
 Modified block form with indented paragraphs
5. Principles of Business Communication:
 Conciseness. Most business people are very busy. The wordy letter not only is put
aside because of the time factor, but its very wordiness makes comprehension
difficult. Therefore, whenever you write a business letter, cut every possible
sentence and word. Say only what needs to be said. However, don‟t make your
letter so concise that it sounds curt or abrupt. Retain the friendly tone.
 Completeness. Check your letter to be sure it contains all the necessary
information. For the reader to have to request information that should have been
included is costly to both parties (and not just in monetary terms). Use a system
for organizing to ensure completeness (see sections on Drawing up the Tentative
Outline and Outlining Methods).
 Courtesy. Be sure to include a “Please,” “We appreciate,” or “Thank you very
much” in your letter. A few words of courtesy do not violate the principle of
conciseness; rather, they add to the communication.
 Correctness. Everyone has a tendency to focus on errors. To most people, errors
are a reflection of a firm‟s inefficiency. Edit carefully for errors in spelling,
sentence structure, price quotations, and the like.
 Clarity. Here again, careful editing will eliminate possible ambiguities. If there is
any possibility that a statement may be misconstrued, take it out or rewrite.
 Logical organization. Logical organization is one of the keys to all effective
writing. In a message as brief as most letters are, logical organization is vital. The
effective letter writer must organize the points to be covered and their logical
order in an outline noted on the letter he or she is replying to. Others make up the
outline on a piece of scratch paper. Any system of organization that works for you
will do. Whatever the method used, the important factor is making up the outline,
carefully reviewing it, and using it as a guide for writing the letter.
 Attractiveness. The letter, like a package for a product, should “look good.”
Paragraphs should be brief and well balanced. White spaces should be generous:
wide margins and adequate space between sections should be the rule. The entire
letter should be centered on the page, and topic headings should be used if they
facilitate comprehension.
 Natural tone. The tone of the letter should be friendly, natural, and sincere.
Hackneyed, archaic, and obsolete phrases, words, and expressions should be
avoided. Such expressions help build an image of a stodgy,, old-fashioned
organization that may be “behind the times.” Here are some examples of
expressions to avoid:

1. as in the above
2. advise
3. as per
4. as indicated
5. attached hereto
6. attached please find
7. beg to state
8. beg to remain
9. contents noted
10. enclosed please find
11. hand you herewith
12. hereby acknowledge
13. hoping to hear
14. permit me to say
15. pursuant to
16. wish to state
17. take this opportunity
 Tact. Avoid words or phrases that might antagonize or embarrass the reader. The
careful choice of words is essential if one is to get the decoder‟s cooperation. At
times it is necessary to convey unpleasant ideas, but the words chosen by the
writer to accomplish that objective should permit the reader to save face and
accept the idea.