Language constructions of business letters: request letter. Business Letters: Requests and Inquiries
STRUCTURE OF THE TEXT OF A BUSINESS LETTER
BASIC RULES FOR COMPOSITION OF BUSINESS LETTERS
Business letters have certain rules for compiling and designing, they are subject to requirements due to their belonging to information and reference documents. When compiling a letter, the author should think in detail about the purpose for which he writes the letter, what he expects as a result of its consideration. He must clearly clarify for himself what the addressee knows about the subject of the letter, what he can rely on as a starting point, and what new information is not yet known to the addressee, for the sake of which the letter is being written. The nature of the argumentation and the composition of the text will depend on the target setting of the letter. The following stages of preparation and drafting of letters can be distinguished:
Let's consider these steps. The study of the essence of the issue involves: the collection of sufficient information on this issue, if necessary, the study of legislation on the merits of the issue, analysis of previous appeals on this issue and the responses received to them. Then they start writing the text of the letter.
The structure of the text of a business letter
Writing the text of a letter is a time-consuming process. An important task in writing a letter is its information saturation, i.e., the inclusion of the necessary amount of information in it. The letter is single-aspect and multi-aspect. One aspect of the letter usually makes up the content of the entire letter, and most often these are letters that do not require a response. The text of multidimensional letters may consist of the following aspects: sections, paragraphs, subparagraphs, paragraphs. The presentation of each aspect must begin with a paragraph. Business correspondence is characterized by a tendency to compose predominantly multifaceted letters. The letter is usually drawn up according to the scheme: introduction, body, conclusion. The introductory part contains: a link to the document, its individual paragraphs, which served as the basis for compiling the letter; a statement of fact, it indicates the purpose (reason) for writing the letter. When referring to a document, its data is indicated in next sequence: document type name, author, date, registration number document, title, for example: In accordance with the Government Decree Russian Federation dated June 27, 2004 No. 620 “On Approval of the Model Provision...” The main part describes the event, the current situation, their analysis and evidence. It is in this part that it is necessary to convince, prove that in the ongoing meeting (conference, round table) it is necessary to participate, that the products produced or services performed are the best, that the request must be fulfilled, etc. The conclusion of the letter is the conclusions in the form of requests, suggestions, opinions, refusals, reminders, etc. The letter can contain only one final part. The main questions of the letter must be clearly formulated and arranged in a sequence that is most optimal for perception. After compiling and writing a business letter, you need to edit it. A business letter almost always begins with an appeal. This small part of the text is extremely significant for the purposes of communication. A correctly chosen appeal not only attracts the attention of the addressee, but also sets the right tone for the correspondence, contributes to the establishment and maintenance of business relations. The importance of the appeal is determined by the author of the letter, the appeal allows you to provide yourself with a listener. The punctuation mark following the appeal deserves special attention. The comma after the address gives the letter a casual character, the exclamation point emphasizes the significance and official style. The writer of the text should take into account the following factors:
1. The public position of the addressee in relation to his own;
2. The degree of acquaintance, the nature of the relationship;
3. Formality/informality of the communication situation;
4. Etiquette permissions in force in this speech group.
When printed, the reference is aligned to the center:
Dear Mikhail Petrovich!
The text of the letter may end with an expression of expectation of the execution of the request (guarantees, representations, invitations, reminders), as well as a politeness formula, for example:
I express my gratitude for the assistance rendered and I assure you that the information you provide will have great importance in the development of mutually beneficial cooperation.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the invitation...
I express hope for fruitful cooperation and active participation in solving problems, in developing and implementing our further program actions.
The courtesy formula is located before the requisite "signature", is printed from the paragraph and separated from the position by a comma. The name of the position is written with an uppercase or lowercase letter, depending on how the position is spelled out in the constituent or regulatory legal documents of the organization. In the event that the letter is issued on the letterhead of an official, then the name of the position is not indicated in the requisite "signature".
In official correspondence, an official business style is used.
Business style is a combination speech means, whose function is to serve the sphere of official business relations.
Features of the business style, the specific features inherent in it, the style norms of this type of language took shape under the influence of the conditions in which business communication takes place. These conditions are as follows:
1. Participants in business communication - mainly legal entities - organizations, institutions, enterprises, represented by managers and other officials acting on behalf of;
2. The nature and content of the information relationships of organizations are quite strictly regulated;
3. The subject of business communication is the activity of the organization: managerial, industrial, economic,
scientific, technical, etc.;
4. The vast majority of management documents are focused on a specific recipient;
5. Most of the situations that arise in the activities of organizations and need writing, refer to repetitive, same-type situations.
The considered conditions of business communication form certain requirements for management information. To ensure effective information exchange in the field of management, information must have certain properties.
She must be:
1. Official in nature, which emphasizes the business basis of relations, they are not personal character, and also indicates a certain distance that exists between the participants in business communication;
2. Address, since a management document is always intended for a specific recipient, official, organization, group of organizations;
3. Relevant, since the document must contain exactly the information that is needed at a given time to make an effective management decision or
other use in management activities;
4. Objective and reliable, since an unbiased, impartial assessment of events, facts, phenomena is necessary for effective management;
5. Convincing, reasoned, since the task of business communication is to encourage the addressee to commit (or not to commit)
certain actions;
6. Complete and sufficient for making a management decision. Lack of information may necessitate
additionally request information, generate correspondence,
lead to unnecessary loss of time and money.
Business style has a set of specific features that distinguish it from other styles of language - scientific, journalistic, colloquial, the language of fiction.
The main requirements for business style are:
The standardization of business speech covers all levels of the language - vocabulary, morphology, and syntax. To date, business speech has accumulated a huge number of terms, turns, formulas. The use of ready-made structures allows you not to waste time searching for definitions that characterize standard situations. Standardization of business speech significantly increases the information content of documents, significantly facilitates their perception, which contributes to the optimization of the workflow as a whole.
The neutral tone of the presentation is the norm of official business communication, which manifests itself in the most strict and restrained nature of the presentation. The neutrality of the tone of presentation excludes the possibility of using in texts expressive and emotionally colored language means (colloquial vocabulary and interjections), figurative means and words used in a figurative sense. The information contained in the text of the letter is official in nature. For this reason, the personal, subjective moment in the documents should be kept to a minimum. From the language of documents, words with a pronounced emotional coloring(words with diminutive suffixes, with suffixes of exaggeration or reduction, interjections).
However, it cannot be considered that the official document is completely devoid of emotions.
The purpose of most documents is to interest the addressee, to convince him, to encourage him to act in the direction necessary for the author. A management document will not achieve its goal if it is devoid of emotional overtones, however, emotionality should be hidden and achieved not by language, but by content. It should be hidden behind an external calm, neutral tone of presentation. The accuracy of the presentation implies an unambiguous understanding of the content of the document.
The clarity and accuracy of the text is determined primarily by the correctness of the compositional structure of the text, the absence of logical errors, the thoughtfulness and clarity of the wording - stable turns, the absence of figurative expressions.
The conciseness of the presentation of the text is achieved economical use language means, with the exception speech redundancy- words and expressions that carry additional meaning.
The requirement for conciseness, or brevity, of the text is directly related to the reduction in the volume of the text. The requirement of brevity makes it necessary to formulate the topic of the document more clearly, use language means sparingly, exclude unnecessary words that do not carry the necessary information, unjustified repetitions and unnecessary details.
The letter must be persuasive, regardless of who it is directed to, contain exact dates, indisputable facts and conclusions.
One of the features of business speech is the widespread use of language formulas - stable (template) turns used unchanged. The following expressions are used to motivate an action:
We inform you that in the period from... to...;
- We inform you that as of...;
- We send you the agreed ...;
- Please consider...
- The audit found that ....;
- Due to the lack of financial assistance...;
- Due to the difficult economic situation...;
- According to your letter...;
- In order to work together...;
- According to protocol...;
- In confirmation of our agreement...;
- In order to strengthen responsibility...etc.
Language formulas are the result of the unification of language tools used in repetitive situations. In addition to expressing typical content, language formulas often act as legally significant components of the text, without which the document does not have sufficient legal force:
We guarantee the return of the loan in the amount of...,
- We guarantee payment. Our bank details...,
- Overseeing the implementation of...
A term is a word or phrase to which a certain or special concept is attributed. The set of terms of a particular field of knowledge or professional activity constitutes terminology, or a terminology system.
The use of terms in a strictly fixed meaning ensures unambiguous understanding of the text, which is very important in business communication.
The terms used in management documentation are industry terminology that reflects the content of the subject area to which the content of the document is devoted, as well as the terms that have developed in the field of documentation support.
The correctness and stability of the use of terms in practice is achieved by using terminological dictionaries and standards that establish a strictly unambiguous system of concepts and terms and contribute to the ordering of terminology. The terms used in the field of documentary support of management are fixed in GOST R 51141-98 “Office work and archiving. Terms and Definitions".
When using the term, it is necessary to ensure that it is understandable to the addressee. If the author of the letter has doubts about this, then it is necessary to act in one of the following ways:
Give an official definition of the term;
Decipher the meaning of the term in words of neutral vocabulary;
Remove the term or replace it with a commonly understood word or expression.
Difficulties in the use of terms are also connected with the fact that the terminological system is in constant change: the content of already existing concepts changes, new ones arise, some of the concepts become obsolete, and the terms denoting them fall out of use.
When using polysemantic terms (synonymous terms), it should be borne in mind that in one document a term can be used in only one of its meanings. For example, the terms "agreement", "contract", "agreement" are synonymous terms, but they differ in the practice of their application. in labor law we are talking O employment contract(contract); in civil - two and multilateral transactions are called contracts; in foreign trade activity, the term “contract” is more commonly used; agreements in a number of other areas are fixed in agreements.
Another feature of business speech. Abbreviations are used in business speech. There are two main types of abbreviations:
1. Lexical (abbreviations) - compound words formed by removing part of their constituent letters from parts of words: CIS, LLC, Ministry of Emergency Situations, Nuclear Power Plant, GOST, GUM, Roskomzem, chief accountant, head, deputy, special forces.
2. Graphic - the abbreviated designations of words used in writing: gr-n, dot, railway, sq. m and others.
Letters should only be used formally. accepted abbreviations, designations and terms. Names of institutions, organizations and positions, titles, units of measurement, geographical names and others must exactly match the official names.
Another feature of business speech is the use of constructions with sequential subordination of words in the genitive or instrumental case:
- We offer you options for solutions (what?) Reconstruction of heating systems, ventilation and sanitary installations of residential buildings and office buildings.
- We fully share the need (what?) for further discussion of specific issues of possible cooperation.
- According to the list of main events for the preparation and holding of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War approved by the President of the Russian Federation (what?) ...
According to the schedule...
Business speech is characterized by the use of phrases with verbal nouns. Extremely active in business speech, instead of verbs, constructions from verbal nouns with the meaning of action are used: to assist (and not to help), to help (and not to help), to clean (and not to clean), to support (and not to support), to make repairs (not repair).
Simplicity of presentation, the predominance of simple common sentences are important for writing. A feature of the business style is the predominant use of simple common sentences, one-part (with one main member - subject or predicate) or two-part (with two main members - subject and predicate) with separate turns (participial, adverbial, separate definitions), introductory words and suggestions like:
- Due to the extremely low efficiency of the use of city property contributed to the authorized capital of the JV "MIO", as well as the insufficient workload of the vehicle fleet and its unprofitability, we ask you to resolve the issue of transferring the city's share to the financial and economic department of the City Hall.
It is advisable to prepare a letter on one issue. If you need to contact the organization at the same time on several heterogeneous issues, it is recommended to draw up individual letters for each of them.
In the text of one letter, requests or other questions can be expressed if they are transferred to one person for execution.
In addition to traditional language formulas, foreign words and phrases are found in business correspondence. In practice, they play the role of language formulas. Some of them are well known, some are less common. It should be borne in mind that the use foreign words gives a slight old-fashioned, but at the same time leaves good impression with a partner who knows these words and allows you to confuse an outside reader.
instructive;
Accompanying;
Warranty;
informational;
Thanksgiving;
congratulatory;
There are also letters of request, letters of inquiry, letters of notice, letters of response, letters of invitation, etc. Each type of letter has its own characteristics in drafting and design.
Invitation letters
Letters of invitation with a proposal to take part in seminars, meetings and other events are usually addressed to the head of the organization, a specific official, but can also be addressed to the entire team. The letters indicate the conditions of participation, the place and time of the events, and, if necessary, the uniform. The letter usually contains the requisite "attachment", which informs the program of the event.
Letters of guarantee
Letters of guarantee are written to confirm certain promises or conditions and are addressed to an organization or individual. Payment for work performed, quality, delivery time of products, payment for goods, rent, etc. can be guaranteed. Such letters use standard expressions: “the company guarantees, we guarantee, we ask you to send cash on delivery (type of guarantee), we guarantee payment, we guarantee the delivery time, we guarantee the quality of the products...”.
The letter usually contains the payment details of the organization that guarantees payment.
It is desirable to coordinate the text of the letter with the legal service. In addition to the signature of the head of the organization, the signature of the chief accountant may be issued. The signature is certified by a seal.
Request Letters
There are a huge number of situations that give rise to requests on behalf of enterprises, organizations, institutions. The text of this letter is usually built in the following form: in the main part of the content, a statement of the reason that prompted the request; statement of the request itself; in the final part, the hope for the expected result is expressed. Requests are usually expressed by the words "please, please";
Please help...;
Please send to our address...;
Please take part...;
Please let me know...;
I ask you to liquidate the debt ...;
Please take action...
The main purpose of this letter is to convince, to prove the need to fulfill the request, therefore, the text of the letter contains convincing evidence, calculations, estimates and other supporting grounds are attached, which are drawn up with the requisite "application".
Response letters
The text of the response letter usually begins with a repetition of the request. Further, the results of the consideration of the request are set out, the refusal is motivated (if this is a refusal letter) and the refusal itself is stated.
The nature of the information in a business letter usually implies the alternativeness of the expected information in the response letter, i.e., in business correspondence, the principle of parallelism operates in terms of content, which is reflected in the language of the response correspondence. It means:
1. The presence in the response letter of a link to the original letter and its subject;
2. The use of the same linguistic means of expression (primarily terminology) in both letters;
3. Comparability of information volumes and content aspects in both letters;
4. Compliance with a certain sequence in the presentation of aspects of the content.
The texts of the response letters must comply with the tasks recorded in the resolutions of the leaders.
The first and main rule - do not delay the answer, do not make your correspondent wait. If circumstances develop in such a way that you cannot answer in fixed time, inform the addressee about this, as well as the deadlines in which you can give a final answer. Be sure to apologize for the delay, while indicating its objective reason.
The response letter indicates the number and date of the document to which the response is given. This information is not included in the text of the letter, but in designated place letterhead or before the heading of a document that is not on letterhead.
Are used the following forms disclaimer statements:
- Your offer is rejected for the following reasons...
The draft agreement on joint actions sent to your address is rejected for the following reasons...
- We're sorry, but our firm cannot accept your offer...
Thanksgiving letters
Recently, letters of gratitude have become widely used in business correspondence.
Thank you letters are the rules good manners relationships between partners. In partnerships, you need to be able not only to ask, but also to thank for the services rendered, for the joint holding of any events, for sending congratulations, for organizing a reception, etc.
The letter can be issued on the form of a letter or on the form of a colored form) of a letter of thanks. In the event that the letter is issued on letterhead, it is registered in in due course. A letter drawn up on the form of a letter of thanks is not subject to registration; a stamp can be affixed to the requisite "signature". Since the letter is personal in nature, it is not recommended to make out the requisite "performer" in it. The texts of the letters use a typical form of presentation:
- I express my gratitude ...;
- Sincerely grateful...;
- We gratefully acknowledge...;
- Thank you...;
- Thank you for...
cover letters
Cover letters are compiled to inform the addressee about the direction of any documents. The text of the letter consists of two parts: a message about the sent material and clarifying information (attachments). Usually the text of the cover letter is very short, fits on A5 format and does not have an independent heading. Cover letters usually begin with the words:
- Sending information...; - We are pleased to offer (recommend) you...;
- We are offering to you...;
- We are sure that you will be interested high quality products..;
- We inform you that...;
- We would like to inform you that...;
We look forward to further cooperation...
Business correspondence is an integral part of the life of almost every person. It is in this form that it is most convenient to contact the authorities, colleagues, and various organizations. A letter of request is one of the most common types of this kind of communication, because each company may need the opinion of an expert in any field, assistance from various financial or administrative structures. This article will discuss how exactly you need to write a letter of request, as well as an example of this type of appeal.
Letter structure
Of course, the content and structure of a business letter depends on who writes it and to whom it is addressed. So, for example, the head of an organization, referring to his subordinates or long-term partners, can write a shorter letter, but in order to enlist the support of higher organizations or ask for help from various specialists, you often need to write a more lengthy request. It is necessary to interest the addressee and convince him to support you. Let's start with the longer version.
Introduction
First of all, you need to compose a “header” of the letter, in which you indicate the name of your organization and its details, as well as information about who you are sending the letter to. It could be like certain person(for example, the head of a company) or a group (employees of a department of your company or your partners). This is followed by a greeting: if you are addressing specific person, you must address by name: "Dear Ivan Petrovich!". If you write to the team, then the appeal “Dear colleagues!”, “Dear employees of the department!” Is possible.
Reason and purpose of the request
First you need to justify why you are contacting this particular person. Accordingly, you can start the letter with the following phrases:
- You are an outstanding expert in…
- You have always been involved in the affairs of our organization ...
- Your department is leading...
- You can solve the most complex issues in the field of ...
- Over the years, positive experience has been accumulated between…
- due to the fact that…
- in order to resolve the situation...
- for business development...
- for achievement best results V…
- to resolve conflicts...
Statement of request
Finally, you must actually state your request. The text itself should be concise, but contain Full description what exactly you need so that the addressee does not have any questions. Also, the request must be specific, that is, if you are asking for a service, you need to indicate the exact cost or quantity, desired dates, etc.
It is advisable to start the request with the following words:
- Please help us resolve this issue...
- I am asking you to...
- Please inform/send/report to me...
- I ask for your consent to…
Then you can write what benefit the addressee will receive if your request is answered positively or explain the importance and necessity of resolving your issue.
Letter example:
Dari Dobro LLC Center for Assistance to Large and Low-Income Families
to CEO
JSC "Chitaina" Ivanov A. G.
Dear Alexander Gennadievich,
Your company always takes part in the affairs of our organization, and has been helping in various promotions for several years. Due to the fact that on August 20, 2016 we are holding an event aimed at helping families prepare their children for school, we hope for your help. All children have the right to a happy childhood, and poor families, like no one else, need participation and support.
We ask you to take part in our "Get your child to school" campaign and consider allocating school supplies for it. We need stationery for 50 children from low-income families.
Of course, if you agree to help us, we, in turn, promise you to advertise your company's products at our action. Let's bring joy to children together!
Sincerely,
Director of the organization Vasilyeva N.I.
Letter of request- one of the most common options for business correspondence. Among entrepreneurs, such letters are used when representatives of one organization turn to another with a request for a service. Such messages can be applied in absolutely different situations, for example, if you need to get information about products, see product samples, meet a business traveler, agree on some actions, etc.
Rules for writing a letter of request
We bring to your attention for downloading a general template for such a document:
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A letter of request, for obvious reasons, does not have a standard form, but, despite this, it is a form of an official document. That is why, when compiling it, it is necessary to adhere to certain norms, established rules record keeping and business ethics. Before proceeding directly to the basic rules for its compilation, it should be noted that it can be addressed both to a group of people (for example, managers, employees of the accounting department, lawyers, etc.) and to a specific addressee.
Like any other document, this letter must contain introductory part, namely:
- information about the sending company making the request and the company to which it is addressed;
- the reason for the appeal (“because of the delay”, “in connection with receipt”, “based on the results”, etc.);
- references to the basis (“based on an oral agreement”, “based on negotiations”, “based on a telephone conversation”, etc.);
- the purpose of the appeal (“to resolve the issue”, “in order to avoid conflict”, “in order to eliminate violations”, etc.).
Followed by main part relating directly to the request. It must be expressed using any derivative form of the verb “to ask” (“we ask you”, “we make a request”, etc.), and since such a message is, in any case, a petition for some kind of service, it should be written in a respectful manner. It is good if the request is preceded by a compliment (“knowing your great opportunities”, “admiring your organizational talents”, etc.).
If the letter contains several requests at once, then they must be indicated in separate paragraphs or paragraphs.
The unspoken rules of correspondence between organizations state that a response to a multi-stage request can also be sent in one message, with separate comments on each item. It should be noted that this type of correspondence reduces the amount of workflow and, therefore, reduces the time for reading and processing such letters.
If the letter implies a response to certain period, then this must be indicated as correctly as possible in the text of the message.
Send and receive letters, as a rule, secretaries of the organization (in large companies Whole departments do this. After compiling or reading, they pass them on to the head of the enterprise for review. Exceptions are messages marked "confidential" or "personally in hand" - such letters are sent directly to the addressee.
Instructions for writing a letter of request
Since this message is part of corporate correspondence, the author must first be indicated, namely: the name of the sending company, its actual address and telephone number for communication. Then you need to enter data about the addressee: also the name of the enterprise and the specific recipient. Further in the middle of the line, you can immediately indicate that this is a request letter (but this is not necessary).
The next part of the letter deals directly with the request. Previously, it is desirable to substantiate it and only then express the very essence of the request. At the end, the letter must be signed (it is better if this is done by the head of the company or an authorized, trusted person), as well as the date the document was created.
How to send a letter
The letter can be poisoned email or via fax - this is fast and convenient, however, conservative sending via the Russian Post will allow you to formalize the letter in a solid and attractive way. For example, you can make a request in writing by hand in beautiful calligraphic handwriting or print the text on good, expensive paper.
Attention to such trifles will make it clear to the addressee how respectful the opponent is towards him, and will once again emphasize the importance of the request. The only thing to remember is that letters through regular mail take a long time, so the message must be sent in advance so that the document is delivered to the recipient on time.
After sending a letter
This message, like any other document, must be registered in the journal of outgoing documentation. Similarly, the recipient of the letter registers the arrival of correspondence. In case of misunderstandings occurring in business relations, fixing the fact of sending and receiving letters will help to quickly sort out the situation.
Examples of drafting letters of request with explanations
So, we figured out that a request letter is a letter that contains a request to the recipient. The purpose of the text is to encourage the recipient to perform an action that is beneficial to the sender. The letter should contain a formulated request, its justification. It is desirable to formulate the request in such a way as to justify why it should be beneficial for the recipient to comply with the request. The sender must not only know the rules for composing the text, but also take into account the psychological nuances. Next, consider specific templates-examples, depending on the situation.
Letter of request for the allocation of funds
The letter is drawn up in the event that it is necessary to obtain the allocation of funds from the state, sponsors, individuals.
From the NGO "Help for Pensioners"
Member of the Legislative Assembly
Ivanov I.I.
Hello Ivan Ivanovich. I am a representative of the non-profit organization "Help for Pensioners". We are engaged in helping single pensioners: we bring food, help with cleaning and repair.
Our organization has been in existence for 5 years. Previously, we coped with the financing of activities ourselves, however, due to the expansion of NGOs, the funds began to be insufficient. We need money to rent premises, pay salaries to employees, and purchase equipment.
At a recent meeting of the Government, the president mentioned the difficult situation of pensioners and noted that the situation needs to be urgently changed. In this regard, I ask you for 200,000 rubles for the needs of the NGO Help for Pensioners.
Sincerely, Petrova A.A.
Explanation:
The above text is written according to the rules. He has:
- The name of the NPO and an explanation of its activities.
- Request for money, explanation of their need (money is needed for rent and salaries).
- Mention of the President. It is necessary to justify the benefits of sponsorship for the official. What is the MP interested in? In career growth. The help of the organization will help to achieve this goal.
The specific amount of funds that a commercial organization needs is also indicated.
Letter of request for the supply of goods
The letter is usually sent to the partners of the company. In the text, it is desirable to justify the mutual benefit for both companies.
Head of AAA
Ivanov I.I.
From the head of the BBB company
Petrova B. B.
Hello Ivan Ivanovich. We would like to order a set of products from your company (specify). We got interested in your product at a regional exhibition.
If you agree, please let us know the terms of delivery and terms convenient for you. We guarantee timely payment. We hope this will be the beginning of mutually beneficial cooperation.
Our contacts: (specify).
Sincerely, Boris Borisovich.
Letter of request for a discount
Typically, such texts are sent to the company's suppliers. For example, an organization organizes exhibitions. She has a supplier - a printing house that supplies brochures, stands, booklets and more. The cost of services is quite high. The crisis came, and it became difficult for the company to pay for the goods of the printing house. This may well be a reason to ask for a discount.
Head of the company "Vostok"
Ivanov I.I.
From the head of the company "West"
Petrova B. B.
Hello Ivan Ivanov. Our organization was affected by the financial crisis. The number of contracts concluded with us decreased by 20%. Unfortunately, the crisis affected not only us, but also our clients. People cannot pay for our services in the same amount as before. Therefore, we have provided a 25% discount on tickets.
Due to the difficult financial situation, our company asks you for a 15% discount for the remaining six months of cooperation under the contract.
We have sent letters asking for a discount to all our suppliers. If 20% of our partners provide us with profitable terms, our company will stand in difficult times and will not close. We've already been given a discount by the landlords and the telephone company.
Sincerely, Boris Petrov.
Explanation:
The letter contains the following important points:
- Explanation of the need for a discount.
- indication exact size discounts, terms.
- An indirect indication that if the printer does not provide a discount, the company will terminate the contract.
The text must be written in such a way that the letter is read to the end and agreed to the proposed conditions.
Letter requesting a rent reduction
Rent "eats" the budgets of most organizations. Its reduction allows the company to stay afloat in difficult times. The letter should be sent to the landlord.
Head of Plus
Ivanov P.P.
From the head of the company "Minus"
Petrova I. I.
Hello, Petr Petrovich. Our company was affected by the financial crisis. The purchasing power of consumers has decreased, business revenues have decreased. In this regard, we ask you to reduce the rent by 10%.
For all the time of our cooperation, we have never delayed payments. We hope that you will make concessions to us and we will keep our business relationship. We guarantee timely payment of the rent, despite the difficult financial conditions.
Sincerely, Ivan Ivanovich.
Explanation:
In the letter, it is important to mention that the company has previously fulfilled its obligations in full. The landlord must be sure that the landlord will continue to make payments. The recipient must also understand that if he does not agree to the proposed terms, the tenant will refuse his services.
Letter of request for debt payment
Debts very often arise in the interaction between companies. If the organization is set to continue cooperation with the counterparty, which has a debt, a letter of request is sent.
Ivanov I.I.
Sidorova P.P.
Dear Ivan Ivanovich, we ask you to pay off the debt to our company in the amount of 200,000 rubles. All this time, we continued to cooperate with you, hoping for continued business relations. However, we are now forced to suspend the provision of services due to the lack of payments.
The amount of your debt is 200,000 rubles. Please pay by March 1, 2017. If the debt is not repaid, we will be forced to resolve the issue in court.
Sincerely, Petr Petrovich.
Explanation:
The letter must include the following items:
- The exact amount owed.
- The date by which the debt must be paid.
- Actions the company will take if payments are not received.
The text can mention a long-term successful cooperation with the organization. It should be a request, not a demand. The request is made according to a different template.
Letter of request for deferred payment to the supplier
The organization supplied the company with a batch of products, but did not pay for it. A debt has formed, but the debtor has no funds to pay. In this case, it makes sense to write a letter of request for a delay.
Head of the company "Where is the money"
Sidorov P.P.
From the head of the company "Money is about to be"
Ivanova I. I.
Dear Petr Petrovich, we have not paid the debt of 200,000 rubles. We do not shy away from our debt, but now we cannot make payments in full due to the difficult financial condition.
For 2 years we have maintained successful business relations with you, we have not missed the deadlines for payments. Today we ask for an installment payment. Our company is ready to pay the debt in two stages:
- We will deposit 100,000 rubles by March 1, 2017.
- 100,000 rubles will be paid before April 1, 2017.
We promise you timely payments. Thanks for understanding.
Sincerely, Ivan Ivanovich.
Letter requesting payment for another organization
The debt of the company can be paid by another organization. Of course entity will not pay shares just like that. Usually a letter of request is sent to the debtor of the company or another person who has obligations to the company.
To the head of the company "Money is about to be"
Ivanov I.I.
From the head of the company "Where is the money"
Sidorova P.P.
Dear Ivan Ivanovich, you have a debt to our company in the amount of 300,000 rubles. Our organization also has a debt to another company in the amount of 200,000 rubles. We ask you to pay our debt to the creditor in the amount of 200,000 rubles. In return, we will provide you with an installment plan for the balance of the debt that you requested earlier. Thanks for understanding.
Sincerely, Petr Petrovich.
Letter of request for assistance in resolving the issue
Any company can face complex problems that cannot be dealt with without outside help. A letter of request for assistance can be sent if necessary, for example, holding events. The request is sent to commercial organizations, state structures.
Director of AAA
Petrov B. B.
From public organization
"We give good"
Dear Boris Borisovich, I am a representative of the public organization "Giving Good". We are engaged in organizing and holding holidays for children from the orphanage.
We ask for your help in organizing food supplies for the holiday. Of course, at the event we will mention you and your company. The celebration will be attended by representatives of the legislative assembly, the public.
You can contact us by phone XXX
Sincerely, Ivan Ivanovich.
Summarizing
Let's combine all the rules for writing a letter of request. First you need to introduce yourself, tell about your activities. But the introductory part should not be drawn out. Our goal is to encourage the recipient to read the letter. If the text is too long, the recipient is unlikely to read it to the end. Then you need to start presenting your request. Accuracy is required: indication of terms, amount of funds. It is important to understand that the recipient must feel the benefit. Therefore, the letter must indicate why it would be beneficial for the organization to comply with the request. At the end, you need to say goodbye politely and without fawning.
A cover letter is a type of business letter that is needed to describe the package of documents sent to the addressee if these documents do not contain the address part.
Thus, information load covering letter does not carry, but performs three important functions:
- confirms the fact of sending;
- provides a list of sent documents and instructions for handling them;
- Thanks to the registration data, it allows you to determine the due date.
Like most business letters, a cover letter is issued on company letterhead and receives the sender's outgoing registration number. We have analyzed the rules for formatting official letters in detail more than once in the magazine, so now we will focus on the features of a cover letter.
A detailed analysis of a business letter with many samples of its composition is in the article " Making a business letter »
Speech patterns
The basis of a cover letter is a list of attachments. The text of the document is short and conditionally divided into two parts:
- message about sending documents,
- request for a timely response (acquaintance, approval, return of a signed copy, etc.).
The first part usually starts like this:
- “In fulfillment ... we send you ...”,
- "We're sending you..."
- "We present to you..."
Next, you can specify the purpose of sending documents: "to agree", "for familiarization", "for signature", "for filling"(if we are talking about a survey form or questionnaire). We recommend using the clichés “sending to you” or “sending to you”, because You can submit something only for review, but not for signing or approval.
The second part may contain the following words:
- “Please sign, seal and send one copy to our address...”,
- “We ask you to consider and send to our address within the time period established by law ...”,
- “I ask you to send one copy of the duly executed…” to our address.
Props "Mark of the presence of applications"
As we have already determined, the main thing in a cover letter to documents is attachments. That's why Special attention we will devote to the issue of registration of this props. Regardless of how the application will be drawn up, the practice of business appeal requires a complete listing of the documents attached to the letter, indicating the number of copies and the number of sheets in each of them. Without this information, the cover letter will lose all meaning.
So, when the documents to be sent are already reported in the text of the letter, it is not worth listing their names again. It is enough to specify the number of sheets and copies. See example 1.
Example 1
A fragment of text and a note about the presence of an application (the name of the application is indicated in the text of the letter)
If the application is not indicated in the text of the letter, in addition to the quantitative data, you must specify its name. If the package includes several documents, the annexes are numbered. See example 2.
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Example 2
A fragment of text and a mark about the presence of an application (the name of the application is indicated in the mark about its presence)
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Although GOST R 6.30-2003 says that when listing several applications in the mark about their availability the generalizing word before the colon is in singular"Appendix:", in such cases, we still recommend writing it in plural"Applications:", as we showed in Example 2.
Firstly, it is correct from the point of view of the rules of the Russian language. And secondly, the developers of this GOST themselves later “corrected” when they began to give explanations regarding its application in their methodological recommendations. See quotes from these two documents below. But many stubbornly continue to write the word "Appendix:" in the singular, even if it is followed by a list of several documents. Don't do it, and we've explained why.
Document Fragment
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GOST R 6.30-2003 “Unified Documentation Systems. Unified system of organizational and administrative documentation. Documentation Requirements »
3.21. ... If the letter has an attachment not named in the text, then indicate its name, number of sheets and number of copies; if there are several applications, they are numbered:
Document Fragment
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Organizational and administrative documentation. Documentation requirements. Guidelines for the implementation of GOST R 6.30-2003
3.16. ... If the letter has an application that is not named in the text, then indicate its name, the number of sheets and the number of copies, if there are several applications, they are numbered:
Discrepancies are also found regarding how to write the word "application" in the text of the letter: with a small or large letter, with or without the “No” sign. The fact is that you can indicate the name of the attached document in the text of the cover letter in different ways; compare yourself, looking at Example 3: in the second case, it is appropriate to indicate in brackets that the document is an application, and in subsequent cases we show how this can be done in different ways. All options are correct, it is just important to adhere to uniformity in the letter. And even better, in the instructions for the office work of your organization (or other local normative act dedicated to such issues) choose and fix one option, then there will be uniformity in all documents and there will be less confusion among performers.
Example 3
Various ways specifying the name of the application in the text of the letter
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For a bound application, the number of sheets can be omitted (Example 4).
Example 4
Description of the bound application
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When there are so many applications that it is more convenient to list them on a separate sheet (it will be called “Inventory of attachments to the letter from ... No. ...”), it will be enough to refer to such an inventory in the letter (Example 5).
Example 5
If there are so many applications that it is more convenient to list them in a separate inventory
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If you attach to your letter another letter that has its own attachment, you need to inform the addressee about this (Example 6).
Example 6
The letter attachment has its own attachment
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Finally, if your letter is addressed to several organizations at once, and the attachment is addressed to only one of them (others receive a letter only for information), this should also be said (Example 7).
Example 7
Attachment is sent to only one email recipient out of several
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A mark on the presence of attachments is made below the text of the letter and above the signature. Typically, these distances (indents) are made the same and equal to approximately 2-3 line spacing (this is well shown in the sample design of the whole letter in Example 9).
By general rule, if the document has attachments, then a mark is made on it about their presence below the text and above the signature, and on the attached documents (for each in the upper right part of the first sheet) it is written which attachment to which document they are (with the designation of the application number, if they several), as in Example 8.
Example 8
Application number and data of the main document on 1 sheet of the application
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But the cover letter has an accounting function of the documents sent, acting as a kind of inventory of attachments to the envelope, but the documents named in such a letter as attachments are actually sent. If the letter had a different function (for example, it was an offer, making an offer to sign an agreement and listing the conditions of the proposed cooperation), then the letter would be the “key” document in meaning, and the attached documents would only help it fulfill its function. But we are talking about a cover letter, and in this case you should not “spoil” the forwarded documents with information about the “inventory of the envelope” - i.e. You don't need to mark them like this!
Signing and registering with the sender
The signatory of a business letter is the same official as in ordinary business correspondence (as a rule, either the head of the organization or an authorized top manager). If we are talking about sending primary accounting documents, the chief accountant can also sign the letter.
So that the recipient of the letter does not later turn to his signatory with all clarifying questions (indicated by the number 1 in Example 9), the performer should also be indicated in this document (ibid., see number 2).
Before sending the cover letter, you need to assign an outgoing number (indicated by the number 3).
And the addressee will assign his incoming number to him when registering the fact of receipt of the document, while the date of receipt and the incoming number can be indicated on it (handwritten or with a stamp, as in Example 9 - see number 4).
Example 9
Covering letter
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Example 11
Cover letter form for individual applicants
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Surprise for applicants - individuals
The need to write a cover letter for documents applies to everyone, regardless of whether it is an organization or individual. Meanwhile, when the organization comes a common person, no letter to his documents, as a rule, is drawn up. It’s a pity, because it would be more convenient for you not to memorize and somehow fix it yourself, but to have the information written by the visitor: from whom, what documents, to which of your employees and why to transfer. If you systematically deal with individuals, especially on a number of typical issues, and at the same time receive documents from them that your organization must then do something with, then we recommend that you develop a cover letter form for such cases and ask him to fill out each such visitor. See sample form in Example 11.
You will register the completed form and give a copy of the letter with the incoming number to the applicant, and send the package of documents received from him along the appropriate route. Then, having called to inquire about his documents, the person will no longer ask about the “cottage in Malinovka”, but about a certain letter with a unique index.
Please reply within a specified time
Many organizations like to immediately set the deadline for the addressee in their cover letters, and the methods can vary from polite “Please sign the documents and return them within ten days” to imperative "The response time to the letter is 5 working days". Is it worth it to write like this? And how do we react to such conditions?
Recall that according to the rules of business circulation. This landmark should be remembered if there is no other deadline in the cover letter.
Only a superior, controlling organization or any government agency, binding on you normative document. The parties themselves can also agree and document the voluntarily assumed obligations:
Example 10
The deadline for responding to a letter can be set in the contract.
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The agreement provides for a mandatory pre-trial procedure for resolving disputes and disagreements. The Party, which considers that its rights under this Agreement have been violated, is obliged to send a written reasoned claim to the other Party. The Party that received a written reasoned claim is obliged to consider it and give a written reasoned response within 10 (ten) calendar days from the moment you receive it...
When companies of equal status are communicating (if no one above them has previously or they themselves have not set the rules for interaction), you can ask to speed up the answer, but this requires a good reason. For example: "Please send the completed questionnaire within fourteen days, since before 01.10.2013 we must provide a response to the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation ". Orders in such cases are incorrect, including from the point of view of business etiquette.
Storage of cover letters
A cover letter becomes unnecessary as soon as the contractor picks up his applications and makes sure that they are complete. From now on, work will go on over them, and the letter should be marked as completed and placed in the file.
The question often arises as to how to store cover letters and attachments to them: separately or together? Typically, an attachment to a letter is placed in a special case reserved specifically for this kind of documents. There is no place for cover letters in it: acts of work performed, invoices, contracts and many other documents are stored separately and often for different periods of time.
This point should be taken into account when compiling the nomenclature of cases. Some companies (with a small amount of document flow) create one “Cover Letters” file and put all letters of this kind in it, regardless of what was attached to them. Others have to create several files from cover letters and place them in the nomenclature of the cases of structural divisions. Then, for example, the sent agreement will go to the “Service Agreements” file, and the cover letter to it - to the “Cover Letters to Contracts for Core Activities” file.
It also happens that the letter remains in storage in the company, but the attachment does not. This applies, for example, to draft documents (as in Example 9). The draft regulation is not yet a document and will most likely be corrected more than once, it is not necessary to keep it.
As you can see, there is nothing complicated in writing a cover letter, but it can save not only your documents, but also time.
A slight difficulty, as usual, may occur when the company implements the rule to draw up and submit for shipment along with a package of documents a properly executed cover letter. But this problem is solved quite simply by setting this rule in local regulations. And the benefits of it are difficult to overestimate.
Footnotes
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