Justify the following statement: Explain different parts of a business letter. – Secretarial Practice | Shaalaa.com

The different parts of a business letter:

(1) Heading: The heading or head address 13 usually printed in bold capitals at the top centre of the page, but in some cases, it is found either at the left or the right-hand top corner of the page. A letterhead introduces an arm; therefore it is essential that it is clear, elegant, attractive, and well-designed. The heading contains the name, registered office address telephone number, fax number, e-mail Id, web site, Corporate Identity Number (CIN) of the company, etc.
E.g. USHA COSMETICS LTD.
18B, B.S. ROAD, DADAR
MUMBAI 400 028.
CIN U27400MH1954PIC000280
Telephone : (022) 6662 6378
Fax : (022) 6662 6470
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.ushacosmetics.com

(2) Date: The date is usually placed on the right-hand side of the page below the head address. In England, the sequence of the date is the day, followed by the month and the year. e.g., 9th June, 2019. In America, the month comes 6rst. Followed by the day and the year, e.g., June 9, 2019. Letters without a date are incomplete. The date is more important because the letter acts as legal evidence.

(3) Reference Number: In order to have a quick reference to previous correspondence, the sender always gives a certain reference number to each outgoing letter. It is placed on the left side below the head address. Reference numbers usually indicate the subject matter, the serial number of the letter and the year during which the letter was sent. For Instance, ‘Div./343/2018-19‘ indicates that the letter was regarding dividend and under that category, it was the 343rd letter sent during the year 2018-19.

(4) The inside address: The inside address includes the name and the postal address of the addressee i.e., receiver. It is written on the left side of the page below the outward reference number. The inside address is the same as the address on the envelope which contains the letter. For personal names Mr. Shri, Mrs. or Smt. are used and for firms; Messer’ i.e. M/s is used. e.g. Mr. Ashok Narkar, M/s Sumitra Trading Company.

(5) Subject: It is written in brief as “Su It helps the reader to know the subject-matter of the letter without reading the entire letter. The subject line helps to deliver the letter to concerned section and quick filing is also possible. E.g. sub. Grant of overdraft.

(6) Salutation: The salutation refers to an expression of greeting. The salutation is necessary to greet the receiver of the letter. Salutation appears on the left-hand margin below the inside address. e.g. Dear Sir/Madam

OR

Respected Sir/Madam

(7) Body of the letter: The body of the letter is the most important part of a business letter. All the contents of the letter placed in between the salutation and the complimentary close, constitute the body of the letter. It contains the main message to be communicated to the addressee. Usually, it is divided into two or three paragraphs. Each paragraph dealing with a separate point.
1st Paragraph: It is an introductory paragraph. It should be polite, brief, and effective. For instance, “We are extremely thankful for your letter dated _________ ” would be a good beginning.
Main Paragraph: This paragraph contains the main message. It is the heart of the letter. The sentences must be brief, clear, accurate, and above all courteous. The message must be conveyed firmly and effectively. Simple language, clarity, and exactness should be reflected in this paragraph.
Closing Paragraph: It is the concluding paragraph. It must be written carefully so that the desired action is taken by the addressee. For instance “We do hope that you would continue to give us many more opportunities to serve you better and longer”, would be an effective close.

(8) The complimentary close: Just as a letter should begin with the salutation, it should end with a complimentary close. The usual words used are ‘yours faithfully’ or ‘Yours truly’ or ‘Yours sincerely’, etc. These words should be placed below the body of the letter along with the right-hand margin. They should be followed by a comma. If the salutation words are ‘Sir’, ‘Dear Sir’, the complimentary close should be by the words ‘Yours faithfully’.

(9) The signature: The sender of the letter must put his signature and designation below the complimentary close. The signature must be put in the writer’s own handwriting. A rubber stamp signature should not be used. A letter without a signature is incomplete and invalid. Below the signature, the name of the person who signs it should be written with his/her designation. A person who signs the letter is responsible for the matter written in the letter.
e.g. Signature
……………………………..
Name: ………………….
……………………………..
(Designation)

(10) Enclosures: The term ‘enclosures’ denote certain relevant, papers such as order form, cheque, draft or bill, etc. attached to the main letter and put in the envelope. It is customary to mention the names of the documents at the foot of the letter on the left margin of the page under _ the title ‘Enclosures’. It is written in brief as “Encl.”. The sender should arrange the enclosures as per the order in which they are mentioned. The party receiving the letter can verify the same.
E.g. Encl:
(1) Order form
(2) Copy of Board Resolution.

(11) The Carbon Copy Notation (c.c.): When a copy of the letter is required to be sent to other responsible persons, it is shown by two alphabets “C.C.” It is written just below ‘Enclosures’ on the left-hand side. For instance, C.C.: Principals of Junior colleges, Mumbai Division.