WRITING SKILLS CORRESPONDENCE

AND

BUSINESS

Business correspondence is an important skill that managers must have in order to communicate effectively. Business correspondence is an ever evolving field with new tools continually being developed and older tools being re-examined or even discarded as need be. There are a number of key business correspondence tools that a manager may utilize. These include: letters, email, memos, reports among others. Letters There are different approaches and styles that may be taken when writing letters. These different approaches depend on the different purposes, the recipient of the communication among other factors. However, most business letters use the direct approach where the intended communication is laid out in a clear, brief and concise manner. Elements of a letter As previously noted there are very many varied approaches and styles of letter writing. The approach and style used will determine the various elements of the letter. That said, there are certain parts of the letter that may be termed as essential while others are optional. ESSENTIAL Senders Address Date Recipients name and address Salutation Body of letter Close Signature Block OPTIONAL Security heading Reference details Document initials Copy details Attention line Headers/ footers Enclosure details

Memos

Memorandum (short form is memo) may be thought of as unique internally based letters. They main objective is to pass information on a single topic in a brief and concise manner. They may be used to give instructions, issue reminders or can be used as briefing notes. When a business organization designs an official letterhead it often also designs an official memo sheet, complete with a company logo featured at the top of the page. The main elements of a memo are: Memo title- the title is usually the word MEMO or MEMORANDUM, in an appropriate font style centered at the top of the first page. Printed in bold uppercase letters it informs the reader that the document is an internal communication. Memo Heading- this includes the various subsections that could include: o o o o To- it gives the intended recipients From- this identifies the sender Date- this denotes the date of the memo Subject- this field shows the main topic that the memo will address.

Memo Body- The body of a business memo, depending on its subject, can be as short as one or two sentences or as long as several pages. However, the chief reason for undertaking a memo is that it is a fast and brief manner of communicating organizational information and as such should be as short as possible. Though brief it should be clear. Some of the elements that may be utilized include: o Opening- it should state the objective or the main reason for writing the memo in the first place. Summary- may involve a short summary of the subject under consideration if necessary. This section needs to be clear but must also be brief. Discussion- depending on the purpose of the memo this section may be omitted or included. It involves giving a brief overview of the matter under consideration and giving out the senders thoughts on possible action points if need be. Closing- it marks the end of the memo and may seek to give recommendations (if any are required) or the specific action desired from the receivers.