Letter Writing

TOPIC OVERVIEW 2.1 The Basics of Letter Writing 2.2 The Formal Letter 2.3 Letter Writing Activities 2.4 Formal Replies and Follow-Ups Summary Glossary Test 1 Test 2 References

Letter writing is a basic form of communication. Individuals, organisations, companies and government bodies write letters to each other. Whenever someone in an organisation wants to communicate with a person externally, he/she sends a formal letter if he/she wants to make the communication formal. Letters which are sent internally to people within the organisations are called memos. There are various types of letters. Some are official, while others are unofficially written. Business letters and official letters normally have a formal tone and it is this tone that makes it sound official. People also tend to take letters more seriously when it is written in a formal tone. However, a formal tone does not necessarily mean that you must use difficult words or long and complicated sentences. Formal sounding language can also be simple. It is more important to choose your words and sentences so that they are precise and easy to understand. Use long words and complicated sentences when it is absolutely necessary. You should write a business letter whenever you need a permanent record. This could mean that you want to have a record that says you have contacted someone and that record is the letter you sent. This is also the reason formal letters have reference numbers. You also send a letter when you want to

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record that you have sent some information to someone. These letters are often called cover letters. It is important to remember that you are sending a letter to other business professionals or government officials, so treat your reader with respect. You can do this by using polite words and sentences which include a formal salutation and closing.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to: 1. 2. 3. identify the different types of letters used in business communication; write letters commonly used in business communication; and respond to written business and professional letters.

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MIND MAP

2.1

THE BASICS OF LETTER WRITING

We write letters to each other when we want to: Inform others (the readers) about something. For example, when you are organising a trip for your adventure club, you may want to write a letter to an eco-tourism centre to ask if they will be able to cater for your group. Persuade others to take action/to promote an idea. For example, you found a family badly in need of help. You can write to people who are in a position to help or are supposed to help, to gain their attention. In this case, you may write to your local state assemblyman, Member of Parliament, welfare office, well-to-do individuals or charitable organisations.

ACTIVIT Y What do you

think is the purpose of letter writing?

Propose your ideas. Business letters even function as advertisements at times. For example, your company has come up with a new product. You surely want your clients and your distributors to know about the product, so you send them a letter and enclose pamphlets telling them about the product. Writing formal letters can be challenging because you have to catch the reader s attention and keep it long enough for him or her to read what you wrote and seriously consider it. If you are writing to someone working in an office, bear in mind that the reader also has many other letters to read. The reader may also have limited time to read a large amount of mail.

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You begin writing a formal letter like any other document. (a) First, you must analyse your audience. You do not write to everyone in the same way, sometimes you need to use particular styles or words to make the letter appropriate for the situation and people. The format of the letter, for example, may have to be changed to suit your purpose. Secondly, you determine your purpose. Why have you decided to write the letter? What do you want to achieve through the letter? What do you want the reader to do after reading your letter? You need to consider all these questions. Third, you need to gather information you want to include in your letter. If you want to propose an idea to someone, you need to provide enough detail and explanation so that your reader will be interested. It is also important to get to your point as quickly as you can because beating around the bush will annoy your reader and waste his or her time. If you do this, your letter will probably be thrown out. Fourth, you create an outline. You do this to ensure that your letter reads smoothly and does not confuse the reader. You never want to confuse the reader because this is a sure way to make him or her throw your letter away. Always present your information as clearly as you can.

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e) Fifth, you may want to write a draft. With a draft you can have a clear idea what your letter will look and sound like before you send it. You may want to improve your letter before you send it. (f) Finally, you revise it. It is important that you only send out a letter that you are satisfied with because your letter may be the readers first contact with you or your organisation. That first impression will be very important.

ACTIVITY
In your opinion, why is it important for you to put yourself in the readers place when writing letters? What is the outcome if you dismiss this?

Show empathy for your reader. Always care about your readers feelings or ideas. Try to convey to your reader the feeling that you care about the reader and you are genuinely interested in working with the reader in whatever the letter is about. Put yourself in the readers place; what would you like to hear from the letter writer?

2.1.1

Write Your Letter Persuasively

When you write a formal letter, you are always trying to persuade the reader to do something or to respond to your letter so there are a few things you need to consider: (a) Try to anticipate the readers reaction to your letter. Ask yourself, if you receive this letter, what else would you ask of the writer? Then, write what you think they will want to know. Think of the readers benefit first, yours second. Begin simply by using you more of than I.

(b)

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(c) Adjust your language to the reader and use terms and concepts that you think the reader will be familiar with. (d) Write with a positive attitude and show confidence. If you do not sound confident, how can your reader have confidence in you? (e) Do not condescend and talk down to the reader. This makes the reader feel bad and if this happens, your letter gets ignored. (f) Show humility but not too much. Flatter a little but too much will not work and be modest of your achievements but not too much.

(g) Do not preach your ideas and do not make it sound as if you can solve all the worlds problems. (h) Be service - oriented. Yes, business is about making money but make it sound as if you care more about the readers well-being than the money you make out of the business. This way, the reader will trust you more. So, if you are ready, lets write some letters.

2.1.2

How to Write the Introduction

The introduction is the first part of your letter. It includes everything from the letterhead to the first paragraph. (a) The Letterhead or Return Address Your recipient needs to know who sent the letter and where to send his or her reply. He or she also needs to have some idea of the nature of the business you wish to enter with him or her. A person, for example, may be in the clothing business but he or she may also deal with transport companies, insurance companies and many more, so if your potential client knows exactly what business you are in, then he or she can begin thinking of your area of business even before reading your full letter. This may only be a matter of seconds but it may make all the difference. The letterhead is often placed only on the first page. This is easier if you are using a paper with the letterhead already printed but in word processors this might not be so easy to do, so there is no harm in having your letterhead on every page. Your letterhead or return address needs to inform the recipient of several things such as: (i) Your name (if using a return address, letterheads do not often have individual names.) (ii) Your address/your companys address. Make sure this is the address where you receive letters if you have your manufacturing division in a different place. (iii) Your phone number, fax number, e-mail address, telex number and anything that allows the potential client to contact you. Remember, the easier it is for the potential client to contact you, the greater your chances of doing business with him or her.

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Two lines below your address, add the date of the letter. You can also add the letters reference number. This makes it easier for you to refer to the letter at a later date. However, do not number your first page. (b) The Inside Address Your letter needs to have the recipients address. This will tell him/her or the secretary who the letter is for. Normally, the inside address includes: The recipients name and position. The organisations name. The organisations complete mailing address. Please make note of courtesy titles like Professor, Dato, Tan Sri, and Mr/Ms. Malaysians are often very particular about courtesy titles, so do remember to use them. (c) Attention Line There are many people working in an organisation and often you only need to communicate with the right person to get things done. So you need to direct your letter to that person. The problem is, however, that you often need to address your letter to the head of the department. Therefore, what you do is add an attention line below the inside address line. You can either make for the attention of a position, The Personnel Manager, or a person, e.g. Mr. Ahmad Saifullah. (d) Salutations Your letter is directed to a person and it is only polite to offer some form of salutation to the person before you start conversing with him or her. For this you need a salutation. The basic salutations are: Dear Sir or Madam if you have an idea of the person or office you are talking to. Dear Sir, Dear Director General or Dear Mr President when you have a relatively clear idea of the person you are addressing the letter to. You use this even if you are sending the letter to the attention of someone working under the President and does not have a title himself. Ladies and Gentlemen when you are directing your letter to the general public or a group of people. If you are using this salutation, do not use Dear.

(e) The Subject Line Use a concise and precise phrase to describe your business with the recipient. The following is an example: Re: Complaint over vacuum cleaner model XXX231. Bear in mind to be concise.

2.1.3

How to Write the Body of the Letter

The body of the letter is often written single spaced and in three parts, namely the: introduction; middle (sometimes called the body); and

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conclusion.

While the introduction and conclusion are often made up of one paragraph each, the middle can be stretched to two or more paragraphs depending on the content. (a) The Introductory Paragraph This paragraph expresses concisely a couple of things, namely why you are writing to the recipient. For example: Responding to an advertisement. ACTIVITY Following up on a previous meeting or conversation. What do you think Answering to a complaint. is contained in the What you want to see happening or what you would like the Introductory recipient to do. Paragraph? You wish to offer your services to the company. Applying for a job. You want the recipient to do something for you.

When writing your introductory paragraph, please remember that a letter, like a thesis, introduces only one idea per piece.

(b)

Body/Middle of the Letter If the introductory paragraph introduces one idea, then the body of the letter supports that idea by giving it more detail and justification. If you are applying for a job, this section is where you provide some details about yourself. Although you do not provide your full details here, you will do that in a Curriculum Vitae that you submit together with your letter. When you write your letter, you might want to take a moment to consider how your letter reads and looks. (Try using a list when you wish to convey steps in a process, phases, procedures, details and such).

(c)

How to End Your Letter The last paragraph or conclusion of your letter is where you drive the message through. Clearly state courteously what you would like to see happen. Remember to express your gratitude to your recipient even if you do not know if he or she will respond positively to your message. Then, add a salutary close, Yours sincerely or just Sincerely. Sign your name and end it with your name and position if you are writing for an organisation.

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2.2

THE FORMAL LETTER

Before going into the finer points of letter writing, it is best that we see what a full-fledged formal letter looks like.

ACTIVITY

Figure 2.1 is a sample of a formal letter but note that this letter is slightly different because it does not have a title line. This is acceptable although it is better to have a title. That way, your reader will know what to expect in the content of the letter.

What are the occasions which call for a formal letter to be written? Can you name a few?

Maghribi Plastics International SRP Building, Madinah Road, P.O. Box 10452, Jeddah 21433
Email: support@mpi.com

May 24, 2003 Mr. Ahmad Saifullah General Manager The Masyar Square, Al-Waleed Road, P.O. Box 45672, Jeddah 20093 Dear Sir, Re: Required product details It was a pleasure talking to you on Monday. As promised, I have compiled a folder of information about my company as well as samples of our work. I think the package comprehensively sums up what we do. We specialize in manufacturing plastic-based products for general consumer purposes and food related purposes. We have worked with dozens of organisations to supply them with various products both from our general product line and custom-designed for the organisation. For example, we gained a contract to supply tumblers and plastic plates for school canteens for the entire country. From our conversation, I understand that you are preparing to host a nationwide sale of plastic products in your hypermarkets and you require various products in large quantities. I believe that we are more than capable to fill your order to your satisfaction. We can also suggest items and designs that are not yet available on the open market for your consideration. Your company has a reputation for supplying reliable and lasting products. We believe that it will be our responsibility to help you maintain and enhance that reputation. You can be assured that your reputation is as important to us as our own. I will call you on Monday to set up an appointment. At that time I would be delighted if we could discuss the nature of your requirements. Should you require an earlier meeting, I will be more than willing to accommodate. Sincerely, Rasyid Bukhari

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Sales Manager
Figure 2.1: Sample of a formal letter

2.2.1

The Form of the Formal Letter

Before we go into writing, here is a simple plan sheet that you can use to plan out your letters.
What you want/why you are writing. _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Some details about your message. _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ What you wish to see happen. _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________
Figure 2.2: Plan sheet

2.2.2

Writing Formal Letters in Different Settings

Formal letters serve many purposes. Here are some formal letters for different purposes. Using these letters as your guide, create your own letters for the same purpose but write them in your own words. (a) Job Finding: Letter of Request or Enquiry

What you want/why you are writing. I want to apply for a job a product designer. I learnt about the job from my lecturer from the information you supplied. I want to know if you have any job vacancy.

Some details about your message. I am seeking employment information for my students who will be graduating soon. My students have recently graduated with Diploma in Graphic Design. They have competed in design competitions both locally and abroad, and some have done well, winning various prizes.

What you wish to see happen. I hope you will reply soon. I hope you can send me the information soon. They will be graduating in March and will be looking for jobs after that. Thank you for reading and considering.
Figure 2.3: Plan sheet for Letter of Request or Enquiry

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Dear Sir or Madam, Enquiring for job vacancies. I am a career peer-counsellor at the Carpenters Industrial College and I am writing to ask if there is any vacant position in your organisation. The career guidance club at our institution is having a job drive to help our new graduates look for jobs, and this will be a yearly affair beginning this year. For this purpose, we are contacting reputable institutions such as yours to gather information on vacant positions that you might have. We are especially interested in positions in the design departments because our students will be graduating with diplomas in the various design-based disciplines like graphic design, industrial design and multimedia design. I would be very grateful if you could forward information on any vacancy, hopefully by the end of February because our career bazaar will be held in early March. Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated. I am looking forward to working with you in the future. Thank you. Yours sincerely, Mohammed Farazi Career counsellor.
Figure 2.4: Letter of Request or Enquiry

(b)

Job Finding: Letter of Application

What you want/why you are writing. I want to apply for a job as product designer. I learnt about the job from my lecturer from the information you supplied.

Some details about your message. I recently graduated with a Diploma in Graphic Design. I have competed in several design competitions and won a gold medal for product design in Thailand last year. I designed a self-heating mug. Details are included in my curriculum vitae enclosed.

What you wish to see happen. I hope you will reply soon. I look forward to hearing a positive reply from you. Thank you for reading and considering.
Figure 2.5: Plan sheet for Letter of Application

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Dear Sir / Madam, Application for the position of product designer In reference to the job vacancies you advertised at the Carpenters Industrial College career bazaar, I would like to apply for the position of product designer. I believe that while I am a recent graduate, I do have some valuable experience that will enable me to be an excellent addition to your design team. I recently graduated with a diploma in graphic design, and the course includes product design modules. Moreover, I have competed in several design competitions and won a gold medal in a product design competition in Thailand last year, in which I designed a self- heating mug. Details of this prize and other prizes that I have won are included in the enclosed curriculum vitae. I am looking forward to a positive reply from you. Thank you for your kind consideration and time. Yours sincerely, Khalid Abdul Zahir Figure 2.6: Letter of Application

(c)

Job Finding: Letter of Refusal

What you want/why you are writing. I thank you for your offer. I want to apologise but I cannot accept your letter.

Some details about your message. I think it is a generous offer. I regret that I cannot accept it.

What you wish to see happen. I hope your organisation will prosper. I hope to someday have some dealing with you. Figure 2.7: Plan sheet for Letter of Refusal

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Dear Sir, Refusal of position offered. It is with deep regret that I have to inform you that I have to turn down the position you offered in your recent letter. I wish to express my deepest gratitude for your offer but I have accepted an offer from a different organisation that appears to suit my preferences better. Finally, I hope your organisation will continue to prosper. Thank you Yours truly, Yusoff Al-Khamani Figure 2.8: Letter of Refusal

(d)

Doing Business: Letter of Sales

What you want/why you are writing. I wish to offer you my products because I was told that you are expanding your business.

Some details about your message. We make plastic products for food handling. We have supplied and made food - related and catering - related products for clients both locally and internationally.

What you wish to see happen. I hope to hear from you soon. I hope you will be interested in our products. Figure 2.9: Plan sheet for Letter of Sales

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Maghribi Plastics International SRP Building, Madinah Road, P.O. Box 10452, Jeddah 21433
Email: support@mpi.com

MYYY 1/3/05

1 March 2005 The General Manager Mummy Yummy Catering Sdn. Bhd. No 15, Kawasan Perindustrian Haji Leman Jalan Reko 43000 Kajang Selangor D.E. Dear Sir/Madam Plastic products for your catering business We have been informed that you are in the process of expanding your catering business to new heights. In anticipation of your expansion needs, we are proud to offer you our products and services. Your reputation as one of the best catering services in the Ulu Langat area is as important to us as it is for you. Because of this, we are pleased to offer you our extensive range of food-grade plastic products. Should our range of products does not suit your needs, we will be more than pleased to offer you our assistance in designing food-grade plastic products tailored to your specific needs and designs. We are also pleased to inform you that our products are of internationally recognised quality as our present list of clients includes both international and local entrepreneurs in the food manufacturing business. Your reply is greatly anticipated and your consideration greatly appreciated. Thank you. Yours truly, Sallehuddeen Abdul Majeed Senior Sales Manager
Figure 2.10: Letter of Sales

(e)

Doing Business: Reply to Letter of Sales

What you want/why you are writing. Thank you for writing to us. We are indeed expanding.

Some details about your message. We are thinking of having signature items like the bunga telur cases which can be given to clients.

What you wish to see happen. Hope you can send a representative for further discussions on the matter.

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Figure 2.11: Plan sheet for reply to Letter of Sales

MUMMY YUMMY CATERING SDN. BHD. NO 1 - 5, KAWASAN PERINDUSTRIAN HAJI LEMAN JALAN REKO 43000 KAJANG SELANGOR D.E. Tel: 03-87632587 Fax: 03-87302588 Email: mummyyummy@kajang.com.my

10 March 2005 Plastics 1/M/05 Mr. Sallehuddeen Abdul Majeed Senior Sales Manager Maghribi Plastics International SRP Building, Madinah Road, P.O. Box 10452, Jeddah 21433 Dear Sir, Plastic products for expansion plans Firstly, I wish to thank you for your interest in our business and our expansion plans. You have been correctly informed, we are indeed in the process of expanding our services. Your offer is therefore, very timely. We are in the process of looking for a food-grade plastic product manufacturer who can supply us with several items that will be crucial to our future plans. Our management has closely examined the product brochures you sent and found several items that we would need for your services. In addition there are items that we would like to have but they are not included in your product list. Therefore, we would be very grateful if you could send a representative to discuss the matter with our production staff. We await your reply. An urgent reply would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Yours truly, Mr Matthieu Chauvinc Chief Production Manager
Figure 2.12: Reply to Letter of Sales

(f)

Doing Business: Letter of Complaint

What you want/why you are writing. The first shipment from your factory was more than satisfactory but the second one has problems. Hope you can rectify the matter.

Some details about your message. The first shipment of bunga telur cases was fine but the second one was different. The opening of the cases was smaller than specified and it was harder to fit the eggs into the cases. In some cases the eggs would not fit at all.

What you wish to see happen. Please take urgent action because we need to use the cases in two weeks time.

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Figure 2.13: Plan sheet for Letter of Complaint

MUMMY YUMMY CATERING SDN. BHD. NO 1 5, KAWASAN PERINDUSTRIAN HAJI LEMAN JALAN REKO 43000 KAJANG, SELANGOR D.E. Tel: 03-87632587 Fax: 03-87302588 Email: mummyyummy@kajang.com.my

20 March 2005 Sallehuddeen Abdul Majeed SENIOR SALES MANAGER Maghribi Plastics International SRP Building, Madinah Road, P.O. Box 10452, Jeddah 21433 Dear Sir, Product not to specification

Plastics 20/M/05

I thank you for your prompt reply to our previous communications and for your prompt delivery of the first batch of the plastic cases that we jointly designed. However, we regret to inform you that the second batch you recently delivered has deviated from the agreed specifications and thus rendered the cases problematic. The second batch of the plastic cases are exactly to specification on the outside but the opening of the cases are not to the requirement measurement. This makes it difficult for us to insert the boiled eggs into the cases, thus greatly slowing down production. I would be grateful if you could look into the matter as soon as possible because we will need cases very soon, as our present supply of bunga telur cases is already running low. Anticipating your urgent reply. Thank you, Yours truly, Ms. Sherezade Chintamani Kadeer Chief Production Manager.
Figure 2.14: Letter of Complaint

(g)

Doing Business: Replying to a Complaint

What you want/why you are writing. Apologise for fault in product. Have taken action.

Some details about your message. The problem caused by calibration on new manufacturing machine. Have rectified and made another batch of product. Sent the product and will take the defective product off your hands.

What you wish to see happen. We value your business and hope you will continue to do business with us. Figure 2.15: Plan sheet for replying to a complaint

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Maghribi Plastics International SRP Building, Madinah Road, P.O. Box 10452, Jeddah 21433 Email: support@mpi.com MYYY 4/3/05

30 March 2005 Ms. Sherezade Chintamani Kadeer Chief Production Manager. Mummy Yummy Catering Sdn. Bhd. No 15, Kawasan Perindustrian Haji Leman Jalan Reko 43000 Kajang, Selangor D.E. Dear Madam, Problems with the second consignment of bunga telur cases. I thank you for your letter informing us of the problems related to the second batch of bunga telur cases sent to your account. We deeply regret the matter and have taken action on it. The problem was caused by inaccurate programming of our new production machinery which we bought soon after sending you the first batch of products. We have rectified the matter and are pleased to inform you that we have already dispatched a replacement batch of bunga telur cases to your warehouse. We will also take back the faulty cases. We will also not be billing you for the replacement. We hope the new cases will be satisfactory to you. Your needs are important to us and we look forward to continue catering to your needs. Thank you, Yours truly, Sallehuddeen Abdul Majeed Senior Sales Manager

2.3

LETTER WRITING ACTIVITIES

In this section you will be writing letters based on the given plan sheets. This activity can either be done during tutorials or on your own time and the results discussed with your tutor.

2.3.1

Using Your Plan Sheet

You will be given a plan sheet for each activity. Write the appropriate letter based on the plan sheets.

2.3.2

How to Add Substance to Your Plan Sheet

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When you write your letters, particularly in the business world, your letters will always need a distinct purpose. More importantly, your letters will inevitably be trying to convince someone to do something, often something they initially did not want to do. Techniques of persuasion can be varied and some can be complex but at the simplest, it means making some things clear in your letter. These things include: (a) The actual reason you are writing: This means informing the recipient of what it is that you really want from him or her. This needs to be made very clear because unless the recipient quickly understands what you expect from him or her, they will probably ignore the letter. Some of the things you are asking may be an imposition and your recipient would need to be convinced into doing what you want. The best place to begin convincing someone is by making your requests clear. You do this firstly by giving your recipient all the details they require and to present the details in a way that makes it attractive to them. The second way of making your request clear is to state the aim of your request. This may be a little different from informing the recipient what you want (see above). Here, you state clearly the things that you want. For example, the model of the actual products you require. You have mentioned what you want earlier but by stating the actual thing in detail here, you make your request more concrete and thus easier for the recipient to deal with.

(b)

(c)

The following is an example of this form of letter planning.

What you want/why you are writing. I want to start a motorcycle club in my town. The club will be dedicated to people who own and ride Arab - made motorcycles. I am writing to ask for assistance from Automobile Association Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Some details about your message. There are a large number of motorcycle users in your town. Numbers growing, particularly those who ride Arab - made motorcycles. Some problems with maintenance of motorcycles because very few mechanics in the small town. Also some problems getting spareparts. What you wish to see happen. I want AAKSA to assist in the following ways, (a) do occasional motorcycle repair and maintenance classes in your town and (b) help by putting your club directly in touch with sparepart wholesalers and producers.

2.4

FORMAL REPLIES AND FOLLOW-UPS

People write formally because they have business with you. That business may take many forms; they may already be your clients, they may be prospective clients or partners, or they may be unhappy clients. In any situation, a good reply to their letters may make all the difference in your business. This section will take you through some common replies to these kinds of letters.

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To reply to business letters, you need to follow some basic steps. Make sure you understand what your client requires. Think of ways you can fulfill their request, if at all. Express your plan or ideas in clear, precise and easily understood language.

2.4.1

Writing and Replying Formal Letters

Letters are really a conversation between two individuals, institutions and organisations. This part of the topic presents you with three letters that go back and forth between two companies. Each letter will be accompanied by a content sheet for your use to plan your answer to the letter. The next letter in the exercise is a sample of a reply to the letter before it in this exercise. Read each letter, then plan and write your reply. After you have done that, you should look at the next letter to see an example of how the task can be done.
Maghribi Plastics International SRP Building, Madinah Road, P.O. Box 10452, Jeddah 21433
Email: support@mpi.com MYK 4/3/05

30 March 2005 Ms. Sherezade Chintamani Kadeer Chief Production Manager Mummy Yummy Catering Sdn. Bhd. No 15, Kawasan Perindustrian Haji Leman Jalan Reko 43000 Kajang, Selangor D.E. Dear Madam, Introduction to new line of catering products. I am glad to inform you that we have successfully launched a new line of products designed specifically for the food industry. Our new line of plastic products includes a whole range of plastic based utensils, appliances and recyclable disposables that will make a caterers life easier and business better. For your perusal, I am enclosing a copy of our brochure highlighting this new line of products. The products listed in our new line includes several items that I firmly believe you will find of great interest because these products have been re-designed to suit our customers needs. These products were re-designed based on customer input and feedback including from your organisation. I hope that you will find our latest products interesting and I look forward to serving your future requirements. Looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you. Yours sincerely Sallehuddeen Abdul Majeed Senior Sales Manager.

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Figure 2.17: Letter 1: Writing formal letters

Now plan your reply to the letter in Figure 2.17 in the following content sheet.

What you want / why you are writing.

Some details about your message.

What you wish to see happen.

The letter in Figure 2.18 is a reply to the letter in Figure 2.17.

YUMMY MUMMY SDN. BHD. NO 15 KAWASAN PERINDUSTRIAN HAJI LEMAN JALAN REKO 43000 KAJANG SELANGOR D.E.

13 April 2005 Sallehuddeen Abdul Majeed Maghribi Plastics International SRP Building, Madinah Road, P.O. Box 10452, Jeddah 21433 Dear Sir, New line of plastic products. I have indeed received your brochure and I have shown it to our board of directors. They have expressed great interest in your new products. They believe that several products in your new line-up will serve us well in our endeavour to serve our clients better. The board of directors has instructed me to request that you send us some samples of your products so that they could be further examined before a decision can be made on our order. We are particularly interested in the following items: 1. High grade ceramic serving plate sets. 2. Hot food containers. 3. Heat resistant plastic serving tools. It would also be helpful if you could send a representative to help us with our further enquiries. I will be looking forward to your reply. Thank you.

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Yours sincerely Sherezade Chintamani Kadeer. Chief Production Manager Sdn. Bhd.
Figure 2.18: Letter 2: Requesting for information

You received this letter in Figure 2.18 from clients interested in your products. Now plan how you will respond to the letter in the following content sheet and write your reply letter. The following letter in Figure 2.19 is an example of a reply to the letter in Figure 2.18.
What you want / why you are writing.

Some details about your message.

What you wish to see happen.

Maghribi Plastics International SRP Building, Madinah Road, P.O. Box 10452, Jeddah 21433
Email: support@mpi.com MYK 4/3/05

25 April 2005 Ms. Sherezade Chintamani Kadeer Chief Production Manager Mummy Yummy Catering Sdn. Bhd. No 1 5, Kawasan Perindustrian Haji Leman Jalan Reko 43000 Kajang Selangor D.E. Dear Madam, Introduction to new product line. I am very glad to hear of your interest in our new line of products and I am looking forward to catering to your product requirements as before. Because we understand the value of urgency in your line of business, I have taken the liberty of sending you a selection of products from our latest line that may interest you. I will also be more than happy to entertain any queries and requests that you and your organisation might have. Our representative will be contacting yours to obtain a date for a meeting, at your convenience. Looking forward to working with you. Thank you. Yours sincerely

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Sallehuddeen Abdul Majeed Senior Sales Manager.

Figure 2.19: Letter 3: Responding to requests

You received the letter in Figure 2.19 from your plastic suppliers. Now you need to write a letter outlining your specific needs and plan a meeting between them and your managers. Use the following content sheet to help write your letter.
What you want / why you are writing.

Some details about your message.

What you wish to see happen.

SUMMARY This topic has exposed you to some basic skills in letter writing, including techniques for enhancing the letters that you will write. Letter writing is still an important skill even in this age of electronic communication. This is because even newer forms of communication like the e-mail including those formatted in HTML and XML, are letters at heart. These later forms may convey far more than their predecessors did but their basic function has not changed; they are all essentially media for getting information from one source to one or more recipients. As such, the learner would do well to hone his or her letter writing skills because it will provide them with the foundation for skills they will need in using the later modes of delivered communication.

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G L O S S A R Y Calibration If you calibrate an instrument or tool, you mark or adjust it so that you can use it to measure something accurately. A client of a professional person or organisation is a person or company that receives a service from them in return for payment. A consignment of goods is a load that is being delivered to a place or person. If something is defective, there is something wrong with it and it does not work properly. An entrepreneur is a person who sets up businesses and business deals. Someone or something that is persuasive is likely to persuade a person to believe or do a particular thing. If you rectify something that is wrong, you change it so that it becomes correct or satisfactory. A reputable company or reliable and can be trusted. person is one that is

Client

Consignment Defective Entrepreneur Persuasive Rectify Reputable Salutation Warehouse

Salutation or a salutation is a greeting to someone. A warehouse is a large building where raw materials or manufactured goods are stored until they are exported to other countries or distributed to shops to be sold.

TEST 1 You are the secretary of a local town board. You received a letter of complaint from a resident about the sewerage problem in his housing estate. He needs your help to rectify the problem. Write a letter of reply and state the action that you plan to take to solve the problem. TEST 2 A housing developer has written a letter to the district Tenaga National director demanding a refund of a certain amount of money accrued to him because Tenaga has over-charged him in the amount of RM10,000 for building the housing estate sub-power station. How would you as a director reply to the letter? REFERENCES Adelstein, M. E., & Pival, J. G. (1984). The writing commitment (3rd ed.). San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Pubs.

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