An employee in any field sooner or later faces the problem of writing a business letter. The main question is how to start and how to finish? Many sites offer basic rules and examples, paying little attention to the final part of the documents.

The letter must be perfect in every way. Even the slightest non-compliance with the rules can harm your authority or the prestige of the company.

In a brief form, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the main rules of business letters and will dwell in more detail on the final part of an official letter.

You will need:

The main rules of business letters

1. When writing a letter, remember that you are not expressing your own opinion, but are speaking on behalf of a legal entity (institution, organization or enterprise).
2. It is your responsibility to be clear about the results you want to achieve with this letter and to make effective use of all the text's features.
3. Clearly define the plan of presentation, highlighting the information in the introduction, main part or ending.
4. In the introduction, after the address, we prepare the addressee for perception. This may be a summary of the events that led to the emergence of the document. The main part contains a statement of the essence of the problem with the necessary argumentation (explanation, digital calculations, links to legislative acts).

A more effective and easy-to-understand text, in which, first, the proposal, request or demand is stated, then the argumentation, and there is no introductory part at all.

Part of the ending - applications

Certain documents have appendices that complement, clarify, or detail specific issues. They must be noted at the end of the letter, departing a few lines from the last paragraph.

Application design methods:

1) Applications mentioned in the text, then a note about this is drawn up as follows:

Appendix: 5 pages, 3 copies.

2) Applications not listed in the text must be listed, making sure to indicate the title, number of pages in each application and number of copies.

Appendix: “Certificate of assessment of the cost of unfinished construction”, 2 pages, 3 copies.

3) Sometimes there are several applications. Then they are listed by name and numbered. If there are a large number of applications, a list of them is compiled separately, and in the letter after the text the following is noted:

Appendix: according to the list on ... page.

Attach copies of documents to the letter in the order in which they were numbered in the attachment.

The application is usually signed by the heads of structural divisions. In cases where applications are bound, there is no need to indicate the number of pages.

Politeness and correctness are the basis of the ending

There are various options for constructing the ending. It depends on what was said in the letter.

The most commonly used completion examples:

1) Repeat the gratitude given at the beginning or simply thank you for your help:

Thank you again...

Let me thank you again...

We would like to once again express our sincere gratitude...

Thanks for the help …

2) Express hopes:

We hope that the agreement will be mutually beneficial...

We hope that our offer will interest you...

We look forward to close and mutually beneficial cooperation...

I hope that soon I will be able to meet you in person...

I hope to receive your response soon...

3) Reassurance of the addressee (usually has a psychologically positive effect on the addressee):

We assure you that you can fully count on our support...

We will be glad to cooperate with you...

I would be glad to cooperate with you and look forward to your response...

4) Request:

Please read the materials carefully and respond...

We ask you to urgently inform...

We ask you to take immediate action to improve the situation...

Please call me at any time convenient for you...

5) Repeating the already expressed apology for the inconvenience:

Once again I apologize for the inconvenience caused...

We sincerely apologize for this forced delay in payment...

Parting

1) In official correspondence you can say goodbye in different ways:

Sincerely…

With respect and best wishes...

With sincere respect to you...

We wish you success.

2) If you know the addressee well or successfully cooperate with him, then you can end the letter with friendly phrases (not familiar):

Yours sincerely…

Best wishes…

With gratitude and best wishes.

You can finish the document without using these structures!

English features of ending letters

1. Usually they end an official letter like this: Sincerely Yours (Sincerely yours) or simply Yours(Yours) and a signature, indicating your last name and position under it.
2. To avoid putting your partner in a difficult position or forcing them to make assumptions about your gender, take the trouble to write your name in full, that is, not P.R. Dovzhenko, but Pavel Dovzhenko.

Signature

Officials sign documents within their competence.

The “signature” attribute consists of the job title, initials and surname of the person who signed the document.

Director of the Mramor plant (signature) A.B. Koval

Documents concluded in institutions operating on the principle of unity of command are signed by one official (manager, deputy or employee entrusted with this).

Documents of collegial bodies (protocols, decisions) are affixed with two signatures (the head and the secretary). The order is signed by the manager.

Two or more signatures are placed on documents for the contents of which several people are responsible:

• Monetary and financial documents are signed by the head of the institution and the chief accountant;
• agreements are signed by representatives of the contracting parties.

The signatures of several persons on documents are placed one below the other in a sequence corresponding to the service hierarchy.

Director (signature) S.P. Antonyuk

Chief accountant (signature) V.T.Dudko

If a document is signed by several persons occupying the same position, their signatures must be placed at the same level.

Director of the Luch plant Director of the Svet plant

(signature) V.R. Sakhno (signature) L.P. Kotov

The signature begins with the initials (placed before the surname), followed by the surname. There is no need to put the decryption of the signature in brackets!

Seal

To secure legal force, some documents are stamped with a seal: contracts, decrees, conclusions, etc. The stamp must include part of the job title and personal signature.

date

The date is placed below the signature on the left.

An official letter is dated on the day it was signed or approved by the head of the institution.

There is a generally accepted dating order:

1. Date elements are written on one line using three pairs of Arabic numerals in the order of day, month, year;
2. if the serial number of the day or month is the number of the first ten (from 1 to 9), then a zero is placed in front of it: 03.01.15 .
3. Word year, reduction G. they don't put it.

• When finished, check the letter for grammatical errors and make sure there is nothing superfluous.
• Give the letter to a colleague or, if possible, a manager to read. An outside perspective will help identify shortcomings that might otherwise be overlooked.
• Don't forget to include your phone/email address. This is often necessary to quickly resolve the problem specified in the letter.
• In addition to the general universal requirements and design rules, it must be taken into account that each type of document has its own design features.

Remember that not all documents have a complete list of the details listed above, but only a certain set of those that provide the legal force and completeness of this particular type of document.

Good luck with your transactions and the desired answers!

Frequently asked questions and answers

What's nice to write at the end of a business proposal?

Do not use words and phrases at the final stage that can be considered manipulation (“we hope for mutually beneficial cooperation”, “thank you in advance for your answer”, “we will be waiting for your response letter”, etc.).

Should you write “best wishes” or “with respect” at the end of the letter?

Definitely, “with respect”, you need to adhere to a business style of communication.

What do they usually write at the end of a letter if they ask for a quick response?

Nothing like this is written in a business letter.

Should you write “with regards” or “best wishes” in your email signature?

"Sincerely".

How to replace the signature "with respect"?

"With all due respect", "With respect."

How to end a presentation letter?

Thank you for your attention.

How else can you write “I would like to notify”?

“I would like to inform”, “notify”, “inform”, “announce”, “bring to the attention of”.

Is the phrase: “I’ll end my report with words” correct?

In business transactions, there are strictly official documents, drawn up according to a single template or in accordance with accepted norms (for example,), and almost informal ones, drawn up when it is necessary to resolve an unexpected issue, seek help or express gratitude. It is mistakenly believed that the “free” form is easier to use; on the contrary, in order to write a convincing appeal or letter, you will have to put in much more effort than filling out a standardized form.

The second category of documents includes a wide variety of request letters, samples of which can be found below. Competently and clearly composing such a message is sometimes no less important than. Below are examples of letters requesting assistance, step-by-step instructions for creating the perfect document, and tips for sending it to the recipient.

Instructions for writing a letter of request

And messages asking for assistance, for obvious reasons, cannot be drawn up according to a single model: using a unified form, it is simply impossible to adapt to specific circumstances. Indeed, in order for a request to have the desired effect, it is extremely important to take into account the personality of the recipient, his social status, current financial condition and other factors. In addition, the letter should be of a clearly confidential nature: if it is a strictly official document, the addressee, who is in a default position, will most likely prefer to respond with an unsubscribe or simply refuse the dialogue, sending the message to the trash bin.

Important: Throughout the letter, you must maintain a warm and respectful tone. We must not forget that a request letter is not an official demand; it can be easily ignored or rejected by the recipient. Respect alone will not produce results without sufficient motivation, but at least it can hold the reader’s attention, forcing him to reach the end of the text.

Before you start composing a letter of request to solve a problem, defer payments or provide a discount, it makes sense to decide on the addressee. Depending on the circumstances, these could be:

• a private individual - for example, a wealthy investor or an influential scientist;
• individual entrepreneur or owner of a limited liability company;
• a legal entity as a whole, if the sender does not know the name of the director or it does not make sense to him who exactly will respond to the message;
• a public servant of any level - from the mayor of a small town to the governor or responsible head of any structure.

Naturally, a letter sent to a mediocre entrepreneur will be very different in spirit from an official message asking for assistance from the chairman of a state corporation. However, the structure of all request letters is approximately the same; It is enough for the compiler to understand which elements must be present in any letter, which can be varied and which are better to be completely abandoned. This is much more difficult to do than, but still possible. The following instructions will help you understand the situation.

The second issue that needs to be clarified before writing a request letter is the structure of the document. As already mentioned, there is no unified form of message, but the general plan of any business letters is almost the same - it should be followed. An official or semi-formal request for assistance, assistance or services is constructed from the following blocks:

1. "A cap". Consists of the organization’s logo, additional patterns (it is recommended to use your own design rather than stock ones; it doesn’t hurt to hire a professional designer for this) and the name of the sending organization, if the latter is not part of the logo. Contrary to popular belief, it is not necessary to include the state symbols of the Russian Federation, including the flag and coat of arms, in the header, especially if the sender is a private individual, individual entrepreneur or small company that has no connection with government agencies. The presence of a flag and coat of arms is unlikely to influence the recipient’s decision, but (if used ineptly) these attributes will arouse suspicion in the reader about the trustworthiness of the applicant.
2. Introductory part. It includes:
   • official names of the sending company (full and abbreviated) or last name, first name and patronymic of the originator of the request letter;
   • addressee's details, including TIN, OGRN, statistical codes, registration numbers and current account;
   • contact information: full address with zip code, phone numbers, email address, accounts in instant messengers and social networks, etc.;
   • optionally - name or surname, first name and patronymic of the recipient, depending on whether it is a legal entity or an individual;
   • a greeting separated from the main text by a blank line and highlighted by using a larger font;
   • indications of the basis for the appeal (the occurrence of a delay, analysis of the results, the presence of a verbal agreement, telephone conversations, and so on);
   • purpose of a letter of request (elimination of misunderstandings, prompt resolution of an issue or immediate assistance to a person).
3. Main text. The body of the letter should state (as briefly as possible, intelligibly and in literary Russian) the essence of the request: to pay a debt, carry out repair work, provide financial assistance to the shelter or provide a discount. At the very beginning of the text, it is necessary to emphasize that the letter is precisely a request; The easiest way to do this is to use the appropriate derivatives: “I sincerely ask”, “We ask you”, “Our organization asks”, “I am making a request to you” - and others. As already mentioned, a letter of request is not a requirement, much less an order, therefore, from the beginning to the end of the message, it is necessary to strictly adhere to a respectful tone, remembering that the interested person in this case is the sender, not the reader. The only exceptions are messages asking to repay the debt; but even in this case one should not forget about respect for the addressee. It also doesn’t hurt to add a few warm words at the beginning of the letter (if the sender and recipient know each other well) or formal compliments if the originator and recipient have not previously communicated or the interaction took place within a strictly business framework. If one letter contains several requests that are essentially different or related to each other, each of them needs to be given its own paragraph, or even better, create a bulleted list that has a significant visual advantage over continuous text.
4. Conclusion. If the letter has special meaning for the sender, here it is worth once again (briefly and convincingly) to call the reader to action. This can be done either in two or three sentences, which are the quintessence of the main text, or with the help of an attention-grabbing slogan. However, you shouldn’t get too carried away; the request letter must be confidential and not commercial or advertising in nature. It is better that his style be uncomplicated than deliberately verified, instilling in the reader doubts about the sincerity of the sender. This is especially important if the letter contains a request for help or assistance.
5. Farewell and signature. is not always placed. If the purpose of drawing up a document is to achieve assistance or support, it makes sense to use another formula instead of this one, for example, “Thank you in advance,” “Thank you in advance,” “Thank you for your attention,” “Thank you very much for your help,” and so on. Whatever phrase is used, it is certainly and unconditionally separated from the signature itself by a comma, and also, if space permits, by a new line. The punctuation mark in this case has not a functional, but a graphic meaning, making it easier for the reader to perceive the text; the same applies to moving the signature to the next line.
6. Date and stamp. Immediately after the signature at the bottom of the letter, you need to put the date of its composition or, if it was written in advance, the date of sending. Putting a stamp and personal signature is not necessary, but highly recommended: this is another sign of respect for the addressee. Even if the message is sent electronically (although it is recommended to use paper documents), at the end of the page it is worth placing electronic copies of the seal impression (stamp) and the personal signature of the sender or certifying the document with an enhanced electronic digital signature.

Advice: if it is important for the addressee to receive a response to a letter of request within a certain period of time, it is necessary to mention this in the main text: for example, “We are waiting for your response no later than...” or “We hope to receive clarifications by...”. Otherwise, the recipient, who is not bound by any obligations in relation to the document, may delay the response, which will create additional difficulties for the sender.

When sending a letter of request for help or repayment of a debt, it should be noted that in organizations, the processing of incoming correspondence is handled by a secretary or an authorized person. Therefore, an applicant who wants his message to be read directly by the head or director must make a note on the envelope “Personally in hand,” “Confidential” or “For consideration ... (last name and initials of the addressee).” However, if the document contains a request that does not affect personal, commercial or industrial secrets, there will be nothing disastrous if the message is first read and registered by the secretary, and only then it is transferred to the director or manager.

Some tips for writing a message asking for help:

1. The letter must be written in good Russian, without errors or typos. This is not only a sign of the sender’s literacy, but also evidence of his respect for the recipient. If the author of the document did not bother to re-read the text, it is at least unreasonable to talk about the sincerity of the warm words he used towards the recipient.
2. If it is not possible to use letterhead (for example, it simply does not exist), you should at least try to choose an attractive font, using different sizes and styles. A letter of request should not only be convincing, but also pleasing to the eye - otherwise the addressee may not be patient and stop reading in the middle, without getting to the point.
3. Remembering that a message asking for help or assistance is not a strictly official document, when writing it you should try to avoid bureaucratic language and overly long sentences. The easier it is for the recipient to read the document and understand the essence of the request, the more likely he is to respond and take the necessary measures.

Mistakes when writing a request letter

To finally understand the rules and features of writing request letters, you should consider a small example containing errors typical of inexperienced authors:

Dear A. D. Valensky!

We ask you to donate to our Fund for the Protection of Wild Urchins in the Moscow Region any amount, starting from 500 thousand rubles. We are waiting for your response no later than August 25 of this year. Our current account is 1234567890.

Petrov L.M., Deputy First Chairman of the Foundation.

List of mistakes made in the letter and examples of correct solutions:

1. “Dear Valensky A.D!” Correct option:“Dear Andrey Denisovich!” (mentioning the first and patronymic works better for the recipient than coldly formally addressing the last name).
2. The letter of request completely lacks friendly words and compliments. Correct option:“We know that you have been working for a long time and productively to restore rare populations of hedgehogs and have your own small zoo, and are also a laureate of the state award “Let’s Help Hedgehogs” for 2009, 2011 and 2015.”
3. There is no convincing argument in the example. Correct option:“You not only conduct independent research and communicate with leading experts in the field of hedgehog eugenics, but also actively help various environmental organizations, and have also repeatedly stated your desire to sponsor any actions related to the creation of a favorable emotional environment for these mammals.”
4. “We ask you to donate...” When writing to one person, especially in a business letter, and especially if it contains a request, it is necessary to write the pronoun “You” with a capital letter. Using a different spelling is a clear sign of disrespect or at least inattention of the compiler, which is completely inappropriate in such a message. Correct example:“We ask you to donate.”
5. The main part of the request letter contains either too little or too much specificity. The essence of the Foundation’s work should be described in more detail, but at the same time provide the reader with the opportunity to independently choose the amount of the donation. There is no apparent need to indicate the specific date of receipt of the response: its mention must either be justified or excluded from the body of the letter. Correct example: « In connection with your interest in the problem, we sincerely ask you to make a donation to our Foundation, which since 2009 has been collecting information about the size of hedgehog populations in the Moscow region and the conditions of their existence, as well as developing projects for relocating disadvantaged animals to more comfortable places. You can make a transfer to our bank account 1234567890 or, by contacting our representative, choose any other convenient way to help hedgehogs. If it is not difficult for you, please respond to the letter no later than August 25 of this year: already at the beginning of September we are launching a large-scale and expensive project, in which you can also participate.”
6. The above letter of request and conclusion are also missing. Correct example: " We hope for your understanding and sympathy. We are always ready to answer any questions you may have and take into account any comments you may have. Healthy and happy hedgehogs are the future of our ecology!”
7. There is no final formula of politeness in the message asking for a donation. This, like most other blunders, indicates either the sender’s inability to compose a business letter (how then can he be trusted with money?), or his clear disrespect for the addressee. Correct example:

Thank you in advance for your assistance!

Deputy First Chairman of the Foundation

L. M. Petrov.

Samples of request letters

Although request letters are written in free form, it will be useful for the writer, especially one who has not previously had such experience, to become familiar with samples of the most common messages.

About the allocation of money

If you need to seek help or benefits from an investor, sponsor or lender, you should issue a letter requesting funds.

About delivery of goods

Sometimes it is necessary to ask the supplier to shift the delivery time of goods in one direction or another or to place an order for a new batch as soon as possible.

About deferred payment

About rent reduction

If the landlord decides to raise the rent, or some time after the contract was signed, the tenant realizes that he could spend less, you can try to rectify the situation by sending a letter to the other party asking for a reduction in the rent.

About providing discounts

It is not always the seller of a product or service who offers regular or especially profitable customers participation in a discount program. Sending a letter asking for a discount will help achieve fairness while maintaining excellent relationships between the parties.

About debt payment

From time to time, even the most respectable borrower or client forgets about the next installment or the obligation to pay for a purchase. A letter asking for payment of the debt will help to gently point out his inappropriate behavior.

About assistance in resolving the issue

If the issue is not purely financial and a citizen or organization needs comprehensive assistance, they can get out of the situation by writing and sending letters to several influential recipients asking for assistance in resolving the issue.

Features of sending a request letter

There are several guidelines for sending formal messages asking for help or assistance:

1. It is better to use paper versions of the document rather than electronic ones, sent by courier or registered mail via Russian Post. This approach will show not only the sender’s special interest, but also his willingness to go to the extent of receiving a response to certain expenses, which will certainly create a positive impression on the recipient.
2. In some cases, it makes sense to write a letter by hand(of course, in handwriting that is easy to read and pleasing to the eye) and on good paper. This method is unlikely to be suitable for mass mailings, but it will definitely help to interest a specific recipient.
3. Letters must be registered in the journal of outgoing documents of the sending organization, and upon receipt - in the journal of the recipient's incoming documents. If correspondence is between private individuals, there is no need to register messages.

Let's sum it up

A letter asking for help should be written correctly and as briefly as possible. To design a document, it is better to use a letterhead, and if this is not possible, at least choose attractive fonts. It is better to send the finished letter by courier or by mail.

The message must contain a preamble, a few warm words addressed to the recipient, the rationale and essence of the request. In conclusion, you should use traditional politeness formulas: “Thank you in advance” or “With respect.” It is recommended to verify the document with the signature of the manager and the seal or stamp of the organization, and if sent by e-mail, with scanned images of the signature and seal impression or with an electronic digital signature.

By using business correspondence not only coordination of business activities occurs, but also the collection of necessary information for a given organization, which will be in demand during various reporting audits. Therefore, first of all, the tasks of administrative employees include the correct maintenance of business documentation, for which various internal instructions and forms are developed. The advantage of a standard form is the fact that a person fills it out automatically, thereby saving his and the company’s time.

Business correspondence should contain:

Reliable and complete information;
- brief summary due to the lack of narration;
- neutral tone of address, but in a friendly manner;
- a logical chain, and not an emotional assessment of the stated facts.

How to write a business letter?

The most important thing is to decide what type of business letter is suitable for a given situation. There are several types of it:

Reminder;
- confirmation;
- refusal;
- covering letter;
- invitation;
- warranty;
- informational;
- letter of notification and order.

As a rule, business letters that contain a request, proposal, appeal, request or demand require a response.

Rules for writing a business letter.

The tone of a business letter carries a very important emotional load, since veiled disrespect will still appear despite impeccable communication techniques. You should be especially careful when writing a business letter containing a refusal. In this case, you should not state the refusal at the very beginning of the letter. In the first part of the message you should provide convincing arguments in favor of your point of view; for this you can use formulas such as

- “Unfortunately, we cannot satisfy your request”;
- “We are deeply sorry, but it is not possible to satisfy your request,” etc.

When refusing, it is important to remember that our task is to refuse, but not to lose a customer, partner, etc.

So, the basic rules for writing a business letter:

To correctly understand the essence of the letter, it is necessary to repeat the request addressed to the addressee several times in the text;
- in the refusal letter it is important to indicate the reasons why this request cannot be satisfied;
- rejecting an offer is a refusal formula.

Language of business correspondence.

It is important that the reader of business correspondence grasps only its essence, and not the language in which it is written. It is in this condition that lies the mastery of the rules of writing a business letter, which is developed over many years of experience.

It should be remembered that in a business letter:

It is necessary to use simple words without impoverishing the content;
- use verbs more often rather than adjectives - this will make the text of the letter dynamic;
- stay close to the meaning of the address, without going into details and reasoning;
- do not use long sentences, as they distract the reader’s attention;
- the transition between phrases should be logical and invisible;
- use as few pronouns as possible.

A business letter is distinguished by literacy and style.

Preparation of business correspondence.

When writing a business letter, remember that the top part (1/4 of the A4 sheet) should remain free for the letterhead. Also in the upper corner of the letter the outgoing number and date are indicated, which are recorded in a special journal of outgoing mail.

In the lower left corner the position, surname and signature of the manager are indicated, and at the very end of the sheet the surname of the executor of the business letter is indicated with his telephone number for additional information.

Thus, a business letter consists of three parts: the essence of the request, its rationale and supporting information.

When replying to a letter, you should refer to the last letter of the given addressee in the first part of the content. If there is foreign correspondence, then for better clarity it is necessary to attach a booklet to the letter, the link to which will be indicated in this letter. It is very important to end such a letter with gratitude for your cooperation and the phrase “Sincerely yours (name) ...”

A business letter is one of the main ways of communication between business representatives. It differs from ordinary personal correspondence in its restrained style, the use of established cliches and cliches. There are various types of this document, for example letters of request, claims, appeals and others. Each of them pursues its own goals and has its own design rules. Well-written letters will help strengthen your image and emphasize professionalism. Use our recommendations and it will be easier for you to establish relationships with business partners. After reading this article, you will learn the rules of correspondence and will be able to familiarize yourself with a sample letter.

Types of business letters

An official letter allows you to exchange information, send proposals, appeals, share opinions, and express complaints. There are several types of business letters.

Commercial. They are needed for negotiations before concluding a deal. Also, using this type of official letter, you can resolve current organizational issues. Such documents can act as evidence in the proceedings of an economic dispute, so their preparation requires special care.

Non-profit. This category includes official letters containing an invitation, congratulations, request, gratitude, condolences, information, recommendations, confirmation of receipt of an order, and warranty obligations. They always have a specific addressee, but pursue a non-commercial goal.

Not requiring an answer. This category includes a business letter containing a notice, information, guarantees, confirmation, refusal, warning, statement, reminder, order, etc.

Requiring an answer. These are letters of request, official requests, appeals, demands or proposals. There is no strict example of how to write a letter of appeal, but the text has a clear structure: a statement of facts, an explanation of the reason, etc. A link to the document on the basis of which the request will be fulfilled is also provided.

Regulated and unregulated. To write a regulated document, you will need a sample letter. It is compiled according to an established, unchanging template. Unregulated options allow for a simple statement of facts in accordance with business etiquette.

By recipient type Circular and conventional options can be distinguished. Their difference is in the number of recipients. Circular business documents are sent to a group of people, and ordinary documents are sent to one.

Most often you have to write letters of request, samples and examples of which you will find below. They are used by individuals, officials, company directors and ordinary employees. It is this type that usually causes difficulties. Below we will talk in detail about drafting a letter of request, consider the features of the structure and provide a sample letter.

Structure

Break the text into paragraphs, use subheadings and lists, this will make it easier for the reader to understand the essence of what you have written. Depending on the purpose, several parts of the document are distinguished.

Title. Every formal letter sample begins with a subject line. It should immediately reveal the purpose so that the content of the business document is clear at first glance. For example, request, request, invitation, etc.

Greetings. More often they use the address “Dear”, first name and patronymic. You need to put a period or exclamation point at the end. Business communication through a position (director, manager, colleagues) would also be correct. The main thing is to attract attention and encourage you to read the text to the end. Calling by name is more personal and helps to establish contact with the reader. Do not use the abbreviations “Mr.,” “Ms.,” as they may be considered disrespectful.

Main part. State the essence and purpose of the appeal, clearly explain what you want from the reader. This could be a request for a discount, cooperation, or a meeting. Choose wording that matches the topic. For example, a request letter should contain the phrase “I ask you to provide...”. Do not forget that the petition must be written with respect for the addressee. If the text contains several requests, list them under different paragraphs. Avoid strict requirements. At the end of your message, you can add a call to action, such as providing something.

Your suggestions. You can give a way to solve a problem or satisfy a request. If the letter is in the nature of a complaint, end it with possible options for resolving the situation. If possible, indicate why it is beneficial for the recipient to listen to you.

Bottom line. You can end your letter of request or appeal with a brief conclusion. It may also contain a reminder or warning. At the end of the document, sign with a transcript. Traditionally, letters containing requests, appeals and other business correspondence end with the phrase “With respect…”, “With best wishes…” and others. Choose the appropriate one depending on the context.

The maximum size of a letter of request or appeal should not exceed 1–2 pages. In a business letter, you should express yourself as clearly as possible and not allow variations in interpretation. An official occasion requires strict subordination. The tone of the letters is neutral, without personal assessments. If you are making a request to the recipient, it is acceptable to give an unobtrusive compliment. For example, use the phrase “You, as an expert in this field...”. This will give you a better chance of achieving your goal.

Examples

Here is a sample of an official letter, drawn up according to all the rules. You can use it as a guide when drafting similar business documents.

The letter of appeal is given below.

Each person may be faced with the need to write this document. Following our recommendations will allow you to master the intricacies of correspondence with your superiors, colleagues and business partners. Use this tool wisely and it will help you succeed.

Good day, friends.

Once while corresponding with his future partner from Ireland, one of my acquaintances used words and phrases like hereby And acknowledge receipt of in your messages. He was quite embarrassed when they met in Russia, and John (that was his partner’s name) joked (very delicately) about his excessive officialdom. Their further communication led to the fact that my friend’s business style became more natural, and with his help John began to understand the different semantic shades of Russian obscene language...:)

Today I will be happy to tell you how to correctly compose a business letter in English. You will become familiar with both the basic principles and rules of business correspondence and some of its nuances. Let's look at the main types of letters, the structure common to all, as well as the typical phrases often used in them. Perhaps, after reading this article, you will not become an ace in writing business messages, but you will definitely increase your level.

Contents:

Nowadays, proper formatting, proper construction and a well-chosen style of business writing are very important. By the way you conduct business correspondence, your partner creates the first impression about your professionalism and the solidity of the company you represent.
Let's take a look at some of the features of preparing such messages.

Basic types of business letters

• Congratulations –
• Offer -– sent to your potential business partner with your terms and proposals for cooperation.
• About hiring -– notifies you that you have been hired.
• Statement -– contains your resume and your offer as an employee.
• Refusal -– a businesslike “turn-and-go” response to your statement or proposal.
• Complaint -– contains a complaint or claims about the quality of the purchased product or services provided.
• Letter of apology –- This is a response to a letter of complaint.
• An inquiry -– sent when it is necessary to obtain information about a service or product.
• Letter of response to a request –– it actually contains the requested information.
• Letter of gratitude -– here, it seems, everything is clear.

There are also a huge number of types and subtypes of business messages ( Order, Response to Order, Invoice, Statement etc.), and it will take more than one article to pay attention to the majority.

Kind regards is an excellent and serious guide from a foreign author, a communications specialist, who has collected in this book her and others’ experience of conducting business correspondence in English. There you will find many live examples and tips.

Business correspondence in English is also a popular book. There are many samples, even more common clichés, as well as a lot of advice and recommendations from the authors. As they say, study and apply!

Steep online course in business English from Lingualeo - after completing it, you can gain confidence both in correspondence and in conversation on business topics. By the way, you can try it for free before purchasing.

General principles

Graphic design must comply with the following:

1. All sentences start from the same vertical line.
2. The text is divided into paragraphs without red lines.
3. To simplify perception, we divide the written text into semantic blocks of approximately equal size.
4. The white space should evenly surround the text. Don't put one or two lines of text at the top of the page if the letter is small. Do not print to the bottom edge of the sheet and do not narrow the margins; if the message is long-winded, it is better to use the second page.

By style:

1. Do not use colloquial abbreviations in correspondence - write You are instead of You"re, etc.
2. Do not solve two problems at the same time in one letter - it is preferable to write two letters.
3. Decide which tone will be more appropriate - formal or relaxed.
4. It is necessary to take into account those rules that we do not have, but have a specific meaning for them, national and territorial characteristics.

Components

And now we will analyze the so-called skeleton of a business letter, its structure and arrangement of elements:

• Heading(a cap):
  A) The sender's address is in the upper left corner. If the letterhead is branded, then the address has already been entered.
  B) The recipient's address is on the left, below the sender's address. Format: from smallest to largest (Name, house number, street, city, zip code, country).
  IN) Date - three lines below the recipient's address or in the upper right corner. Format: day/month/year. No commas are used.
• Greetings(appeal), or how to start a letter.
• the main idea(the main text of the message) - in the central part of the letter.
• Final phrase(expression of gratitude and further intentions).
• The final formula of politeness; Signature; First name, last name and position of the sender.
• The attachment– indicates that the letter contains additional materials (advertising booklet or brochure).
• May contain P.S., initials of the performer.

Here is a sample business request letter with translation into Russian:

John Stewart
1304 Sherman Ave.
Madison, Wisconsin

Lemann & Sons
3597 43rd Street
New York, NY 12008

With reference to your advertisement in Business Weekly Journal could you please send me a more detailed description of your monitors.
I would also like to know about discounts that you provide.

Yours faithfully,

Translation:

From: John Stewart, 1304 Sherman Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin
Attn: Lehmann & Sons, 3597 43rd Street, New York, NY 12008
May 24, 2015

Dear Sirs,

With a link to your advertisement in the business weekly
could you please send me a more detailed description of your monitors.
I would also like to know about the discounts you provide.

Sincerely,
John Stewart
Sales Manager

Now let's take a closer look at the elements

The address or greeting should look like this:
Dear Sirs, Dear Sir or Madam- if you do not know the recipient's name
Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms[last name] - if you know the recipient's name
Dear Frank, - if the person is familiar to you
Dear sales manager– if only the position is known (in this case, sales manager)

The politeness formula before signing looks like this:

Kind regards, - Sincerely…

Yours faithfully, - Sincerely yours (if you don’t know the addressee’s name)

Yours sincerely, - Sincerely yours (if you know the name)

Now you have a general idea of ​​how to write messages to business partners and various companies.

Standard Expressions

Here are some typical phrases as an example:

It is very kind of you to- it's very kind of you

We apologize for- We apologize for

Please let me know- Please tell me

According to- In accordance with

In case- When

As you requested- At your request

Until now- Still

With reference to your...- Regarding your...

Unfortunately- Unfortunately

We enclose– We are enclosing

We are sorry- We regret

How to end a business letter? A few more polite phrases:

Thank you for responding to my offer— Thank you for responding to my proposal.

We look forward to hearing from you soon— We hope to receive your response in the near future

And at the end before the signature:

With best regards- Best wishes

With respect- Sincerely

With thanks for your cooperation– With gratitude for your cooperation

With best wishes- Best wishes

Are you tired of theory yet? Then a little practice!

This time a letter of refusal (such a letter must be written in a correct and delicate style):

Mr Robert Brown
General Manager
KLM Co Ltd
32 Wood Lane
London
Great Britain WC37TP

John Stewart
1304 Sherman Ave.
Madison, Wisconsin

Thank you for sending us your resume.
We are sorry to inform you that your candidature does not suit us.
kind regards,

Translation(translate the address and date yourself):

Dear Mr. Stewart

Thank you for sending us your resume.
We regret to inform you that your candidacy is not suitable for us.

Sincerely,

Robert Brown

CEO

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You will begin to understand business English, speak it and write excellent business letters that will impress all your partners and colleagues.

This is what you dream about, right?

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Emails

Everyone's favorite e-mail messages account for about 80% of business turnover. It differs from ordinary correspondence in being more specific and concise. They try to use unnecessarily long phrases avoid In addition, they use acronyms (phrases formed from the first letters of a phrase), as IMHO. Electronic correspondence is characterized not only by personal messages, but also by mailing lists (the BCC field is used when confidentiality is required). Well, the main difference is that most people prefer to refrain from transmitting confidential information by email.

Of course, in the era of “OK Google!” You don’t have to look for difficult ways and simply paste the typed text into an online translator. You will most likely be understood, but you are unlikely to achieve a favorable impression. Remember, the quality of your business correspondence is an indicator of the quality of your company.

Thank you for reading my article to the end. Advise your friends to read it on social networks! Who knows, maybe someone needs this information here and now!

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Bye everyone! Take care of yourself!