UNIT 1

INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS WRITING

Correspondence is essential in establishing and confirming transactions in commerce, it reflects you or your business. Therefore what is written and how it is expressed is as much a part of business education as accountancy and economics.

Definition of a Business Letter

The business letter is the basic means of communication between two companies. It is estimated that close to 100 million Business Letters are written every workday. It is a document typically sent externally to those outside a company but is also sent internally to those within a company.

Purpose of a Business Letter

The first question for any writer should be, "Why am I writing?" "What is my goal or my purpose for writing?" For many writing contexts the long–range purpose of writing is to communicate to a particular audience. In order to communicate successfully to your audience, understanding your purpose for writing will make you a better writer. Purpose is the reason why you are writing. You may write a grocery list in order to remember what you need to buy. You may write a laboratory report in order to carefully describe a chemistry experiment. You may write an argumentative essay in order to persuade someone to change the parking rules on campus. You may write a letter to a friend to express your excitement about her new job. Notice that selecting the form for your writing (list, report, essay, letter) is one of your choices that helps you achieve your purpose. You also have choices about style, organization; kinds of evidence that help you achieve your purpose. Focusing on your purpose as you begin writing helps you know what form to choose, how to focus and organize your writing, what kinds of evidence to cite, how formal or informal your style should be, and how much you should