BTC                                        Business Technology Curriculum

 

 

 

Composing Effective Correspondence

Objectives:
  • Identify the characteristics of an effective business letter and memo.
  • List essential parts of a business letter.
  • Describe and demonstrate use of mixed and open punctuation.
  • List major parts of a memorandum.
  • Explain the function of business letters and memorandums.

Materials:

Teaching/Learning Activities:

  1. Discuss the five C's.

  2. Discuss the important elements of a standard business letter, memo, and envelopes.

  3. Discuss both formatting and content of business writing documents.

  4. Provide students with copies of samples of the appropriate business letters and memos.

  5. Provide students with copies of the scenario for preparing letters and memos.

Instruction:

  • The five C's of effective business writing.
    • Clear
    • Concise
    • Correct
    • Courteous
    • Complete
  • Elements of a Business Letter.
    • Letterhead
    • Dateline
    • Inside Address
    • Salutation
    • Body
    • Complimentary Close
    • Signature Block
    • Writer’s Identification
    • Reference Initials
  • How do we handle a second page with a letter?
    • In the upper left hand corner of second page create the second page header with the following in this order:
      • Name of person to whom the letter is addressed
      • Subject of the letter
      • Date
      • Page number
    • Then triple space before starting text for the second page.
  • Discuss and show block and modified block style letters
  • Discuss and show the difference between open and mixed punctuation
  • For a single page letter, the text should be vertically centered.  This can be done by looking at how much white space is left at the top and how much is left at the bottom and simply evening it out by adding or deleting lines.
  • Memos always start at the top of the page and follow the memo format.
  • The four elements of a memorandum are:
    • To
    • From
    • Date
    • Subject
  • Elements of Memos.
    • It is an informal method of corresponding.  You never use a title.
    • Do not use a salutation or closing.
    • Use block style format.
    • Triple space between subject line and body of memo.
    • Type the typist’s initials, enclosure notation and copy notation in the same locations as a typed letter.
    • Insert the document filename after the last line in the document (after double spacing) or in the footer.
  • Envelopes.
    • Always single space.
    • Abbreviate all states.  Do not use periods.
    • Leave at least six lines.
    • The postal service prefers uppercase.

Student Activities:

  1. Students will complete a letter and memo based on the scenario.

Assessment:

  • Letter and memo.