A handbook in business letters for high school students

116 Pages·04.109 MB·English

by  Voas, Hollis V

A HANDBOOK IN BUSINESS LETTERS
FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
A Project
Presented to
the Faculty of the School of Education
The University of Southern California
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Science in Education
hy
Hollis V. Voas
June 1950
UMI Number: EP46116
All rights reserved
INFORMATION TO ALL USERS
The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted.
In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript
and there are missing pagps, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed,
a note will indicate the deletion.
Dissertation Publishing
UMI EP46116
Published by ProQuest LLC (2014). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author.
Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC.
All rights reserved. This work is protected against
unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code
ProQuest LLC.
789 East Eisenhower Parkway
P.O. Box 1346
Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346
^ ^ro^i
1 '$0
This project report, voritteri under the direction
of the candidate’s adviser and approved by him,
has been presented to and accepted by the Faculty
of the School of Education in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of Master of
Science in Education.
Date. .........
Adviser
Dean
i i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
1. THE “LOOK"; HOW TO GIVE YOUR LETTER AN
ATTRACTIVE APPEARANCE............................. 1
1. PARCHMENTS How to select your paper . . . . 1
2. YOUR ADVERTISEMENTS How to choose a
good letterhead....................... 2
3. PLACEMENTS How to put the various parts of
the letter in an attractive f o r m ............. 3
4. PARAGRAPHSs How to form the body of your
letter ...................................... 5
5. WORDS AND SENTENCES: How to select words
for constructing good sentences . . . . . . . 6
6. PUNCTUATIONS How to set off words and
phrases .............................. 7
7. TYPING POINTERS: How to insure a good, clean
c o p y ........................................ 8
8. MAILING: How to get your letters ready for
posting ...................................... 8
9. FINAL INSPECTION: How to recheck your letter 9
2. ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES: HOW TO PRESENT YOUR
MESSAGE............................................. 16
1. ORGANIZATIONS How to plan your message . . . 17
2. ATTENTIONS How to get the whole message read 17
3. INTEREST; How to get thoughtful consideration
i i i
CHAPTER PAGE
for your letter.................................. 18
4. CLEARNESS: How to take the reader's point
of vi ew ...........................................18
5. CONCISENESS: How to say all that is necessary. 18
6. CONVICTION: How to make your points emphatic . 19
j
7. PERSUASION: $ow to use effectively the "you"
approach.........................................19
8. VARIETY: How to avoid monotony................. 19
9. STYLE: How to arrange the material attrac­
tively ...........................................20
INFORMATION. PLEASE: HOW TO ASK FOR AND GIVE
INFORMATION...........................................25
1. ROUTINE INQUIRIES: How to request goods or
I
services already prepared by the reader . . . . 26
2. NON-ROUTINE INQUIRIES: How to ask for special
information about goods or services ........ . 26
3. STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL: How to request re­
stricted information 28
4. GOOD INSURANCE FOR ANSWER: How to make it
easier to reply.................................. 28
5'. REFUSAL OF INQUIRY: How to write tactful
letters refusing to give information . . . . . 29
6. REQUESTS GRANTED SERVICE: How to comply with
requests for information 29 '
iv
CHAPTER PAGE
4. BUYING; HOW TO APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE TO THE WRITING
OF LETTERS THAT DEAL WITH BUYING GOODS OR SERVICES . 33
1. ORDERS: How to give complete and exact in­
formation when ordering g o o d s .................. 34
2. REMITTANCES: How to send money through the
mail.............................................. 34
3. ORDER BLANKS: How to fill out a purchasing
form ......................................35
4. LETTERS OF PURCHASE: How to write effective v
letters for buying............................... 35
5. ACKNOWLEDGMENT: How to confirm the orders . . . 35
6. FOLLOW UP: How to write a supplement to the
original order ................... 39
7. SHIPMENTS: How to write letters about the
delivery of g o o d s ............................... 42
5. SALES LETTERS: HOW TO IMPROVE SALES THROUGH .
WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS .............................. 45
V 1. CREATING DESIRE: How to arouse interest for
the product in the mind of the r e a d e r ..........46
v 2. PERSUASION: How to clinch a s a l e .............. 46
3. ACTION: How to make it easy for the reader
to reply . ......................................47
4. PROMOTION: How to make your sales show a profit 47
5* INTEREST: How to capture and retain attention . 48
CHAPTER PAGE
6. FOLLOW-UP: How to write letters to supplement
the efforts of the sales force..................51
6. CUSTOMER DISSATISFACTION: HO?/ TO WRITE LETTERS
ARISING FROM CLAIMS AND ADJUSTMENTS. . . . ..........54
1. ERRORS: How to write a claim letter to a
company . . . . . . . ............. 54
2. TO ERR IS HUMAN: How to write letters stating
where the seller believes the error lies . . ... 55
3. LET THE BUYER BE SATISFIED: How to write
letters of adjustment ......................... 55
4. BUYER AT FAULT: How to make a tactful
explanation of error ............................ 58
7. I PROMISE TO PAY: HOW TO WRITE EFFECTIVE CREDIT
LETTERS . ................. 63
1. GREEN LIGHT: How to grant credit to a new
customer..........................................64
2. CAUTION SIGNAL: How to request credit ratings . 64
3.. RED LIGHT: How to refuse credit after
investigation ...........................66
4. WELCOME MAT: How to extend credit by letter . . 66
5. BRASS TACKS: How to put terms of sales in
black and w h i t e ................................. 66
8. IN THE RED: HOW TO WRITE COLLECTION LETTERS . . . . 70
1. SPUR TO ACTION: How to collect money by letter. 71
v i
CHAPTER PAGE
2. CERTAIN PROFITS: How to make collection
letters yield big returns ....................... 71
3. HUMAN FACTOR: How to write letters to collect
debts psychologically............................ 72
4. RETALIATION: How to recind credit privileges . 74
5. COLLECTION ADJUSTMENT: How to collect
unearned discounts ............................. 74
6. REMINDERS: How to start the collection cycle . 74
7. A GOOD BEGINNING: How to write the first
letter of the collection cycle................... 75
8. THE GENTLE PROD: How to write the second in
the series of collection letters .............. 75
9. APPEAL TO REASON: How to play your cards . . . 75
's' 10. FAIR PLAY: How to build up the customer’s
sense of p r i d e ...................... 76
11. INDIVIDUAL APPROACH: How to write appealing
self-interest letters . . . ....................76
12. OVERDUES: How to get non-payment accounts
paid in f u l l .....................................76
v 13. FINAL PLEA: How to get action from stubborn
delinquents.......................................77
9. MEET THE AMBASSADOR: HOW TO WRITE LETTERS TO BUILD
UP GOODWILL....................... '..................81
1. PROVEN TECHNIQUES: How to make goodwill letters
v ii
CHAPTER PAGE
click............................................. 82
2. ENLARGEMENT OF CLIENTELE: How to contact
prospective customers . . . . . . . . 84
3. GOODWILL ACTIVATION: How to make new customers 85
4. GREETING SUGGESTIONS: How to welcome new
customers.........................................85
5. HELLO AGAIN: How to make inactive customers
a c t i v e ...........................................85
6. HOLDING ATTENTION: How to retain old
customers.........................................86
7. WE'RE SORRY: How to write letters of apology . 87
8. THANK YOU: How to write notes of appreciation. 87
9. REMINDERS: How to write letters to let the
reader know that he is missed....................87
* 10. SELLING YOURSELF: HOW TO ?fflITE APPLICATION LETTERS
FOR EMPLOYMENT.......................................90
v 1. PLAN: How to write an application letter in
a logical sequence............................. 91
2. EFFECTIVENESS: How to write letters’that will
get the j o b .......... 91
3. JOB WANTED: How to write classified adver­
tisements 94
4. HELP WANTED: How to answer a newspaper
advertisement . . . . . 94
v ii i
CHAPTER PAGE
5. SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: How to enclose
pertinent data......... . .................... 94
6. INTERVIEW: How to make contacts for a job by
requesting a personal appearance . . . .......... 95
7. INTRODUCTIONS: How to write a letter of
presentation ................................... 96
8. RECOMMENDATIONS: How to present your
references........................................96
9. FOLLOW-UP: How to write follow up letters to
an interview or application........................97
BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................. 101