Routine Letters and Goodwill Messages

Routine Letters and Goodwill Messages
1. Importance of business letters
Business letters are important because they require a permanent record, need to be kept confidential and it is necessary to have a persuasive, well-considered presentation. Communicators incur dangers if the information to be sent is misdirected, forwarded or retrieved by an unintended audience.
2. Analyzing the Structure and Characteristics
The business letters are divided into three parts:
a. Opening: Must elaborate the meaning, expressed explicitly
b. Body: Explains purpose’s nuts and bolts
c. Closing: a polite ending of the letter
3. Direct Requests for information or Action: Before writing any request letters, the writer must ask himself if it’s worth to write a letter by considering his time and workload. The opening should contain a clear question or a polite request. In the body, the writer must explain to explain his purpose and give details about it. In the closing, he must state what is to be done and show his appreciation.
4.
Order letters: This type of letter is written with the purpose of ordering supplies, merchandise or services.
How to write an order letter: In the opening, the writer should let the reader know that is a purchase letter and include the most information possible about his order and write them as clearly as he can like in a list. The closing, should include the means of payment and the place of delivery for the merchandise and also your appreciation.
Direct Claim: Used to identify or correct a wrong. You should open your letter with a clear problem statement and if it’s possible, the way that they can remedy the situation. In the body of your claim letter, the writer should try to explain and justify your request by providing the most possible details that can help your reader understand your need. The letter should be closed with a summary of the action requested and ended with a goodwill statement.
5. Direct Replies
Direct replies are addressed to customers. Subject lines are used so that the reader recognizes the letter at first sight. The writer should open directly about the topic that the readers want. The first sentence should contain the information about the readers’ requests. The Information should be also arranged in proper order. Arrange the information so that the readers with have an easier time to locate the information that they want. Using Headings and numbers are ideal for organizing the information. The writer must focus on the positive news rather than the negative news if ever there is a problem with the request. Although the negative news should also be present in the letter, the writer should begin and end the letter with the positive news.
6. Good Will messages
Goodwill messages should always be short, specific, sincere, spontaneous and short because the reader might not have a lot of available time. Always mention what the writer is thanking for either for, a favor or a gift. However, for sympathy letters, the writer must be sensitive in his choice of words and demonstrate understanding of the situation. In case of death, the writer should express their condolences for the deceased by parsing them in their own personal way and incase of misfortune, the writer must understand the impact of misfortune to the person.
7. Adjustments
An adjustment letter is the favourable response that a company or a business gives to a claim. This means that when a customer requests for example an extended warranty on a product it is approved by the company. A business makes adjustments due to two reasons. First, customers are protected by law for recovery of damages and secondly the business wants to keep its clients and a good reputation in order to prosper. An adjustment letter has three goals. It has to rectify a wrong if it exists, regain the confidence of the client and to promote future business. A good adjustment letter must contain five important points. The opening words have to be those of good news in order to set a certain positive mood. Secondly, it has to explain the reasons why the product has failed or why something went wrong since companies always want to back up their products. It could include an apology but depending of the situation, certain studies have advised against it. Even if the letter does not contain an apology, language must be verified in order to be sensitive and respectful. Finally, a letter of adjustment has to close positively by expressing that the problem is solved and that business relations shall continue.

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