Writing Business Transaction Letters

1. A business letter should be brief, concise, clear, courteous and tactful. To get the best letters possible, use the writing process. Start by focusing on your purpose for writing the letter and the results you want from it. Think about your reader's needs.
2. Prepare an outline or plan. It doesn't have to be more than a few scribbles on a scrap of paper that list the points you want to be sure to include.
3. Write a rough draft of the letter and allow a "cooling off" period before you revise it. Business letters are not a place to vent your anger, but rather a way for you to present a reasoned and logical argument.
4. Revise the letter by arranging the details effectively and reworking sentences and paragraphs until your message is as brief and clear as possible.
5. Check the mechanics of your writing and prepare the letter for mailing. Knowing how to write a correct and effective business letter is one of the best skills any employee can have, no matter what his/her work assignment is.

1. The introduction, the body, and the conclusion. The introduction consists of the heading (the sender's return address)
2. Date (the month, day, year on which the letter was prepared)
3. Inside address (the name and address of the receiver)
4. Salutation (a greeting like Dear Ms.)
5. The body of the letter contains the message the writer needs to convey
6. Conclusion consists of a complimentary closing (like Yours truly or Sincerely)
7. Signature (sender's name written in pen)

A business letter, unlike a friendly letter, must have a heading.

Heading

1. On the first line, write your apartment number, postal box, rural route number, and your street address (whatever applies to your address).
2. The second line gives your city, town, or village, and the province name, and postal code.
3. On the third line, write the month, the day and the year you are writing the letter.
4. Never write your name as part of the heading of a letter.

Addressee Address

1. Placed at the left margin, two spaces below the heading.
2. Contains the receiver's full name, title, and address.

Salutation

1. Placed two spaces below the inside address.

2. If you don't know the person, use his/her full name and title in the salutation.

3. If you do know him/her well, use his/her full name and title in the inside address and his/her first name in the salutation.

4. In situations where you don't know whether the reader is male or female, use:

   • Dear Customer Service Representative
   • Attention: Billing Department

Body

1. Begins two spaces below the salutation.

2. Single space within paragraphs and double space between them.

3. The body of many business letters contains three paragraphs:

   • The first paragraph should state the problem or situation clearly.
   • The second paragraph should explain in specific detail the reason for writing.
   • The third and final paragraph should make a specific request for action and close with courtesy.

Conclusion

1. All letters end with a brief phrase showing respect called the complimentary closing.

   • Placed two spaces below the body.
   • Only the first word of this closing is capitalized.

2. Five spaces below this, the writer's typed signature (and title, if appropriate) should appear.

3. The sender of the letter should write his/her signature between the complimentary closing and the typed signature.

Example

Shaurimoyo Shop
P.o.Box 543
Mbinga
17th April, 2007

Ref.No.041/SS/MB

Habari Leo Magazine
P.o.Box 7888
Dar es Salaam

Dear Sir or Madam

I would like to place a personal advertisement in your newspaper on the 20th June 2005. Please find enclosed my advertisement and also a cheque covering the cost.

Please contact me at my above address if you have any queries or you can phone me at 0774232212

Yours faithfully,

Mary Juma
Marketing Manager