Business letter. Business correspondence - examples of letters

Drafting various types of business letters is a necessary part of the work of business representatives. Thanks to such messages, they gain the opportunity to resolve commercial issues in the most accessible, fastest and optimal way.

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What types of business letters are there?

Conventionally, business letters can be divided into several main categories:

• congratulatory letter;
• information mail;
• and so on.

You can mark responses to all these letters, which are also part of official business correspondence and are also written according to certain canons, as a separate item.

Who should act as the author of the letter?

Business letters must always contain a signature. In this case, any employee of the company whose competence includes this function or authorized to do so by order of the director can directly draw up the letter. Usually this is a specialist or the head of the structural unit whose jurisdiction includes the subject of the message. However, regardless of who is involved in writing, the letter in any case must be submitted to the manager for approval, bearing in mind that it is being written on behalf of the company.

General rules for writing business letters

All business messages should relate only to the activities of the company or circumstances related to it. At the same time, regardless of the content, they must obey certain requirements.

First of all, it is a certain structure. The message should always include:

• date of writing,
• details of the sender and recipient,
• polite address address (in the form of the wording “Dear Ivan Petrovich”, “Dear Elena Grigorievna”),

It should be noted that letters can be addressed to both individual employees and entire teams (in this case, it is enough to limit yourself to the greeting “Good afternoon!”).

The letter may be accompanied by various additional documents, photo and video evidence - if available, this must be reflected in the main text.

The letter can be drawn up either on a regular standard A4 sheet or on the organization’s letterhead. The second option is preferable, since it does not require manually entering company details; in addition, such a letter looks more respectable and once again indicates that the message belongs to official correspondence. It can be written in handwriting (letters written in calligraphic handwriting are especially successful), or printed on a computer (convenient when you need to create several copies of a letter).

The letter must be certified by a signature, but it is not necessary to stamp it, because Since 2016, legal entities have been exempted from the need to use seals in their activities.

Before sending, the message, if necessary, is registered in the journal of outgoing documentation, in which it is assigned a number and the date of departure is set.

What to pay attention to when writing a letter

When composing a letter, you need to carefully monitor spelling, adhere to the rules and norms of the Russian language in terms of vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, etc. Recipients always pay attention to how well the thoughts in the message are presented and formatted.

We should not forget that the studies conducted clearly indicate that people are not willing to spend more than one minute reading this kind of letters.

The letter must be written in the correct form, without “spreading thoughts down the tree,” rather short and succinctly, to the point. Each new topic should be formatted as a separate paragraph, which, if necessary, should be divided into paragraphs. In addition, a concise and clear letter will let the recipient know that the author values ​​his time. Here the saying “brevity is the sister of talent” is apt.

What should not be allowed in a business letter

In business letters, a cheeky or frivolous tone is completely unacceptable, as is excessively dry text and banal “clichés.” You should also avoid complex formulations, an abundance of participial and adverbial phrases, and special terminology that is understandable to a narrow circle of specialists.

The letter must not include unverified, unreliable and, especially, deliberately false information.

It must be borne in mind that this type of message is not only part of routine business correspondence, but also, in many cases, refers to official documents that may subsequently acquire the status of legally significant ones.

How to send a letter

Any official message can be sent in several main ways.

1. The first, the most modern and fastest, is through electronic means communications. It is convenient and quick, and also allows you to send information of almost unlimited volume.

   There is only one minus here - if the recipient has a large amount of mail, the letter can easily get lost or end up in the Spam folder, so when sending letters in this way, it is advisable to additionally make sure that the letter has been received (through a simple phone call).

2. The second way: conservative, which allows you to send the message by Russian Post. In this case, it is recommended to use the function of sending by registered mail with return receipt requested - this form guarantees that the letter will reach the addressee, about which the recipient will receive a special notification.

   Typically, sending via standard mail is used in cases where original documents, letters certified by living signatures and seals are sent.

3. You can also send a letter via fax or various instant messengers, but only on the condition that the relationship between the partners is close enough to allow this type of correspondence.

By obeying the rule, I do not choose.

I follow the rule blindly.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

As you already know, from July 1, 2017, GOST R 7.0.97-2016 “System of standards for information, library and publishing. Organizational and administrative documentation. Requirements for the preparation of documents" (hereinafter - GOST R 7.0.97-2016). Experts discuss the shortcomings and contradictions of the new standard. However, in any case, we have to work on it... We’ll tell you how to develop a template for an outgoing letter from an organization in accordance with the requirements of GOST R 7.0.97-2016 and how to protect the document from changes.

WE TAKE CONSIDERATIONS OF THE NEW GOST

One of the articles in the previous issue of the magazine was devoted to the innovations of GOST 7.0.97-2016.

Let's remember those that are important to consider when developing a document template.

Letter template markup. Let's start with the layout of the details, which was given in the last issue of the magazine (Fig. 1).

It clearly shows the boundaries of the zones in which the document details should be located on A4 format in accordance with the requirements of the new standard. We will use this markup as a basis when developing a letter template.

To configure the parameters of margins, indents, and template intervals, go to the tab Page layout(Fig. 2).

Innovations of the standard. When developing a letter template, it is necessary to take into account those changes in the design of documents that are introduced by the new GOST R 7.0.97-2016:

■ The standard fixed the preferred typefaces and font sizes: Times New Roman No. 13, 14; Arial No. 12, 13; Calibri No. 14. It is allowed to use fonts that are similar in style, as well as smaller fonts.

■ The page number is placed in the middle of the top margin of the document at a distance of at least 10 mm from the top edge of the sheet.

■ Organization codes OKPO, OGRN and INN/KPP are now included in the “Reference data about the organization” detail.

■ GOST distinguishes the details “Emblem” and “Trademark” (previously there was one detail “Emblem of the organization or trademark (service mark)”). They are placed either in the middle of the upper field of the template above the attribute “Name of the organization - the author of the document” (at a distance of 10 mm from the top edge of the sheet), or on the left at the level of the attribute “Name of the organization - the author of the document”.

■ The “Note about the artist” detail can be placed in the footer of the template, and in a smaller font size.

CREATE A LETTER TEMPLATE

Let's try to create a template for a longitudinal form of an outgoing letter from an organization. Let's give a step-by-step algorithm.

■ Step 1. Set the field sizes:

Left margin - 20 mm;

Right margin - 10 mm;

Top margin - 20 mm;

Bottom margin - 20 mm.

■ Step 2. We enter information in the details “Reference data about the organization”(props 08) and insert the image of the emblem. We use Arial font, number 12.

In the details we indicate the full and short name of the organization (in accordance with the charter), the postal address of the organization (you can additionally indicate the location legal entity, if it does not match the postal address), telephone and fax numbers, address Email, address of the organization’s website, OKPO, OGRN, INN/KPP.

Above the “Reference information about the organization” attribute we place the “Emblem” attribute (prop 02) (in our example, an image of the sun).

So, we filled out the details “Background information about the organization” and inserted an image of the organization’s logo. In our example it looks like shown in Fig. 3.

■ Step 3. Protect the “Reference information about the organization” attribute from editing. The easiest way to prevent users from making any changes is to insert it into the email template as a picture.

To do this, using the standard MS Word “Scissors” tool, we will cut out the picture we need.

Finding this tool is easy: click on the icon Windows in the lower left corner of the screen or press the key Windows on the keyboard - a window will open where we write “scissors” in the search bar (Fig. 4).

Open this program by clicking the mouse and in the window that appears, click the button Create(Fig. 5).

Now we insert the drawing into the future template according to the location of the details indicated in the diagram (Fig. 1).

■ Step 4. Insert the fields for filling in the details “Date of document” (10), “Registration number of document” (11), “Link to registration number of document (12) - all according to our diagram (Fig. 1).

These details are located below on the left under the “Reference information about the organization” detail and look as shown in Fig. 7.

Let's start with the field for the “Document Date” attribute. First you need to activate the tab Developer. In MS Word 2013, to do this you need to do the following: click File, Further - Options. In the window that opens, select the option Customize your feed. Setting up the feed Main Tabs, or rather, put a tick next to the tab Developer and press OK(Fig. 8).

Now move the cursor to the line where the “Document date” attribute should be entered. Next in the tab Developer open the menu Controls and in the block Tools from previous versions press the button Field (form controls)(Fig. 9).

The added field will look like this:

Similarly, we add fields for other template details: “Document registration number”, “Link to document registration number”, “Addressee”, “Title to the text”, “Text”, “Note about the executor”, etc.

■ Step 5. Set the parameters of the text fields. If you double-click on any of the added fields, a dialog box will open Text Field Options. In it we set the necessary parameters for the texts of the details (Fig. 10).

For most of the fields in our template, we boldly indicate the data type “Plain Text” (Fig. 10). You can fill in the “Default text” line - the text placed here will be automatically inserted into the field when preparing a letter in this template. Also, if desired, set the text format (uppercase letters, lowercase letters, etc.). We can also limit the length of the text placed in the field.

Text field parameters for the “Document date” attribute. For this detail, you must specify the data type “Date” (Fig. 11).

We set other parameters for the “Date” attribute field: if necessary, fill in the “Default Date” line - the specified date will be automatically inserted into the field. We also select the date format (traditional - dd.MM.уууу).

■ Step 6. Sign the text fields of the template. In the template, all text fields will appear as gray rectangles. However, it is important for us that the user who opens the letter template understands without hesitation where and what information should be reflected. In other words, you need to sign these fields. This is also easy to do. Move the cursor to one of the fields, enter a hint text in the field and move on to the next field (without pressing the key Enter).

Ultimately, the template of our letter will turn out as shown in Fig. 12.

■ Step 7. Add tooltips. To make it easier to work with the letter template, you can add tooltips to the fields. To create a tooltip, select the field to which you want to bind it and open the tab Insert. Further in the section Links choose Bookmark(Fig. 13).

In the dialog box that opens, in the field Bookmark name enter the name of the bookmark (without spaces) and press Add(Fig. 14).

Bookmark added. Now we need to “link” it to the hint. To do this, press the key combination CTRL+K. A new dialog box will open Inserting a hyperlink, in which in the section To tie s: select Place in document and indicate our bookmark. Next, in the same window, click on the button Clue(Fig. 15).

A dialog box will open Hyperlink tooltip. Enter the hint text. In our case, this is the phrase “Enter the date of the document.” Click OK(Fig. 16).

After that appearance the fields will change a little. Now, when you hover the cursor over it, a tooltip will pop up (Fig. 17).

In the same way we add hints to the remaining fields.

WE LIMIT EDITING THE TEMPLATE

As for protective measures, they are also necessary here, but there are, as always, nuances.

We are interested in how to introduce restrictions on editing the template - allowing users to only enter data into the form fields.

To limit editing, in the tab Review select a team Restrict Editing. A panel of the same name will open on the right (Fig. 18).

Here we set restrictions for users who will work with the template.

Put a tick in the box Editing restrictions and only allow data entry into form fields (Fig. 19).

Let us add that such a restriction on editing also allows you to fix the location of the details in the letter form.

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 shapes. 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) ...”

Business writing is one of the main communication tools in any business. A well-written business letter will help create a positive impression of the company. And one illiterately written letter can destroy your entire reputation. We have already written about the rules of business correspondence, now let's look at specific examples of business letters.

Samples of business letters

There are many types of business letters - business proposals, letters of claim, letters of gratitude, letters of refusal, cover letters, letters of guarantee, information and so on. The principles of their compilation are practically no different from each other. Take a look again to avoid mistakes.

Examples of thank you letters

Example of a letter of guarantee

Sample response letter

This is a clear example of what a polite letter containing a refusal can be:

Example of a newsletter

Example of a letter of complaint

Examples of letters in English in business correspondence

Unfortunately, not everyone has a high level of English proficiency. And often managers are somewhat lost when they need to write a business letter to English language. If even in Russian people cannot always understand each other in correspondence, then what can we say about a foreign language? The best way out in this situation is to search for similar letters and use suitable phrases from them in your letter. Here are three examples of business letters in English: a letter of gratitude to the client, a letter clarifying the terms of the transaction, and a letter of response to the purchase offer. Each file contains a version of the letter in English and its translation into Russian.
Download a letter of gratitude to the client in English.
Download the letter with the terms of the deal in English.
Download the letter of response to the purchase offer in English.

Structure of a business letter

A clear structure is an essential characteristic of a business letter. It will help the recipient quickly understand the meaning of what is written and reduce the time it takes to read it. A business letter consists of the following main parts:

1. Heading (subject of the letter). The title of the letter should contain its brief purpose or essence. You cannot use any abstract phrases here. It should be clear to the recipient what the letter is about based on the title alone. For example, “About changes in prices for the supply of products” or “Business proposal for trade cooperation with company XXX.”

2. Greeting. The greeting “Dear + First Name and Patronymic!” is considered traditional in business letters. However, it is not necessary to use the name. You can also address the addressee through his position: “Dear Mr. Director!” However, keep in mind that calling by name somewhat reduces the psychological distance and emphasizes the well-established business relations. If the letter is addressed to a group of people, then it is acceptable to write “Dear ladies and gentlemen!”, “Dear partners!” and so on. Using the abbreviations Mr., Ms., or initials is perceived as disrespectful, so try to avoid it.

3. Statement of the purpose of writing the letter, its essence, and main idea. This is the main part of the letter. Here you write directly about the very reason for writing the letter.

4. Your proposals for solving this problem, recommendations, requests, complaints. Business letters almost always require a certain reaction from the addressee (except for purely informational letters). Therefore, it is important to describe not only the problem itself, but also offer your own options for solving it. If you write a complaint, then ask to take appropriate measures; if you make an offer of cooperation, then describe its possible options. In short, the recipient of your letter must not only understand “what” you want from him, but also understand “how” you propose to implement it. Then it will be a real business letter.

5. Brief summary and conclusions. At the very end we can summarize all of the above. However, it is not always possible to do this very briefly. In this case, it’s not worth writing in several sentences what you already described in the first two paragraphs. Remember that a business letter's best friend is brevity. Therefore, in most cases it is enough to limit yourself to the phrases “I hope for successful cooperation”, “I am waiting for your answer on this issue” and so on.

6. Signature. A business letter is signed with the position, first and last name of the sender with the traditional phrase “With respect.” Other options are also possible: “With Best wishes", "Sincerely yours" and so on, depending on the closeness of your contact with the recipient. The phrase “With respect” is the most universal, so if you are in doubt about how it would be more appropriate to subscribe, then use this phrase and you definitely won’t miss.

It would also be a good idea to add options for contacting you in your signature: other email addresses, work phone numbers, Skype. The benefit of this is not only that the recipient, if desired, will be able to quickly contact you in a way convenient for him, but also that this way you will demonstrate your openness and readiness to communicate with the recipient.

And don’t forget that an official letter is first and foremost a document. Therefore, by neglecting the rules for drawing it up, you irrevocably ruin the reputation of your company and yourself as a specialist.