Business communication via email is an integral part of the life of any modern person: we write to colleagues at work, management, clients, business partners, people who know us, and those who do not know us yet. What is business ethics in electronic correspondence, and how necessary is it for successful business?

Each letter is our business card and a reflection of our business position. And if it is important for us that this business card looks decent, and that the business position contributes to the comfort and productivity of communication, then knowing the basic rules of good manners and following them in daily correspondence is the most important condition for success.

With regard to electronic business correspondence, the same rules and regulations apply that the business community operates in any other forms of business interaction: when communicating by phone, negotiating, etc. In my opinion, the ethics of business email correspondence is based on several unshakable principles:

1. Mutual respect between opponents for each other’s personality and business position.
2. Attention to the business interests of the opponent.
3. Understanding the importance of privacy issues.
4. Punctuality in information exchange.

Let's consider practical tools for implementing these principles

1. Competently and clearly designed “Subject” / “Subject” field

Specifying a subject saves the addressee's time, allowing him to immediately assess the content of the letter he receives and quickly decide on its priority when reading it.

2. Greetings and personal address to the addressee/recipients

Creates trust and gives the letter a personal touch. Ignoring the addressee's name is perceived as incorrectness.

3. Addressing accuracy

Correctly filling out the “To”, “Cc”, and “Bcc” fields is the most important tool for efficient and ethical communication. To avoid mistakes when working with these fields, you need to know their purpose, which is generally accepted in the modern business environment:

• if your name is in the direct addressee field (“To”), this means that the sender of the letter is waiting for an answer to his question from you;
• if several addressees are placed in this field, this means that the sender of the letter is waiting for a response from each or any of the addressees;
• If your name is placed in the "Cc" field, it means that the sender wants you to be aware of the issue, but he does not expect a response from you. You should not enter into the subject of correspondence if your name is in the “Cc” field. If you nevertheless decide to enter into correspondence, then a sign of good manners would be to begin the letter with one of the following phrases: “Let me join the discussion of this issue...”, “Sorry for interfering...”, “Let me express my opinion...”.

Particular attention in terms of ethics belongs to the “Blind carbon copy” field. This is the most “vulnerable” email tool from the point of view of business ethics, because... this field is usually perceived as an instrument of secret control and information. Bcc recipients are not visible to other recipients. Some companies that are sensitive to ethical issues prohibit the use of this tool in corporate correspondence. The exception is mass mailings (for example, invitations). They are sent to a large number of recipients, but the email addresses should not be visible to everyone.

There are companies that treat the “Bcc” field more calmly, adhering to the following universal rules:

• in the “Blind carbon copy” field, recipients (hidden addressees) are placed who should be aware of the correspondence, but their awareness should not be obvious to direct addressees;
• sending a letter with the “Blind carbon copy” field filled in presupposes a preliminary agreement or subsequent awareness of the author of the letter and hidden recipients about the reason and purpose of this form of awareness;
• the hidden recipient should not enter into the subject of the correspondence from the BCC field.

4. Promptness of response

The response time to a letter is one of the indicators of your position in relation to the business interests of partners and clients. Companies have different standards in this regard. An acceptable response/reaction time to a letter is within two to three hours. If, having received a letter and read it, you understand that you cannot answer it within 24 hours, then the rule of good form would be to send the addressee information that you have received his letter and will answer it: "Got a letter. I will answer today during the day" or "Got a letter. Additional information is needed to answer. I will try to answer no later than...”

We offer

5. Correct work with information (volume, language, structure, format)

The nature and peculiarity of the presentation of information in the text of the letter is also a tool and indicator of your ability and desire to conduct correspondence as correctly and respectfully as possible towards your addressee:

• maximum comfort when reading the volume of the letter, which fits “in one screen”, maximum – in the volume of text of one sheet of A-4 format;
• the volume of sent attachments should not exceed 3 MB (larger files may create problems, as they may not pass through the recipient’s mail server);
• It is better to “pack” the sent files in universal encodings: Zip or rar (other extensions may be blocked or cut off during forwarding and create problems for the recipient);
• when responding to a letter from the addressee, the text of your response should be placed at the top (at the beginning) of the letter, and not at the bottom (this saves the addressee from having to “scroll” through the previous text of the correspondence in search of the answer you wrote);
• You should not start a response to the addressee’s letter as a new letter (without saving the correspondence history). Such a response will force the receiving recipient to waste time searching for the original message;
• It is necessary to write in a language that is as understandable to the addressee as possible. In each specific case, the question of the advisability of using professional, internal corporate vocabulary, slang, abbreviations and anglicisms (borrowing from English in any other language) is resolved.

If the use of slang and abbreviations increases the speed and efficiency of correspondence, then the use of slang is acceptable and ethical. Thus, internal correspondence within a company is almost always replete with slang: it is familiar and understandable to all participants in the correspondence and allows you to save time. But in correspondence with external business partners/clients, this is an issue that requires caution.

It happens that you cannot do without terminology. For example, a company provides clients with a product/service such as online advertising, and concepts such as “media-contextual banner”, “keywords”, “negative words”, “ctr” cannot be replaced by anything; they must be introduced into business context and teach the client to operate with them. In this case, it is important for both parties to be patient and willing to explain and learn.

However, there are cases when the use of abbreviations and terms can and should be avoided.

EXAMPLE:

A friend of mine spent 2 days looking for an answer to the question: what is ASAP. She was preparing materials for the publishing house and in her last letter they wrote to her: “ Masha, please send all your materials asap" Masha decided that this was a designation of a format unknown to her, into which the text needed to be “translated.” The time Masha spent on “deciphering” and satisfying the publisher’s request took 2 days. Imagine the Machine’s annoyance when, after 2 days, it found out that behind the mysterious “asap” there was an abbreviation widely used in the English-speaking environment “ as soon as possible» – « as quickly as possible».

ADVICE: do not abuse anglicisms, special terms and in-house abbreviations in correspondence with external clients and partners.

6. Availability of signature and contact information

This is a necessary attribute that should end each of your letters. The following must be placed in the signature block:

1. Your first and last name.

This makes the correspondence personalized, which affects the effectiveness and psychological comfort of communication. Abbreviations should not be used in your signature. Instead of T.L. Vorotyntseva in my signature I will write Tamara Leonidovna Vorotyntseva (or Tamara Vorotyntseva) so that the addressee can understand how to contact me in a reply letter.

1. Indicate your position.

By doing this, you let the recipient understand the boundaries of your authority and professional competence in resolving issues.

1. Contact coordinates (telephone, email, name and address of the company, its website).

By doing this, you will provide the recipient with the opportunity for additional operational communication if necessary.

Summarizing all of the above and having many years of experience in observing correspondence in different companies, I can confidently say the following: ethical standards in the modern business community are not only and not so much nominal attributes of good manners, they are practical tools brought to life that allow make business communication correct, prompt, comfortable and, ultimately, effective.

Pay attention to the training conducted by Tamara Vorotyntseva.

Articles

Business correspondence is an integral part of the image of a company and a business person. Establishing contact, maintaining connections, discussing business issues in writing is sometimes preferable, and often simply necessary, therefore the image created in business correspondence must fully correspond to the external image that is formed by live communication. At the same time, in business correspondence, compliance with the rules and requirements is mandatory not only in general principles, but also in small details and details.

Principles and etiquette of business correspondence

Business correspondence etiquette generally does not differ from the general requirements of business communication. Here are its main principles:

• politeness, respect,
• clarity of goal setting,
• result-oriented and contact-oriented,
• responsible attitude towards other people's time and obligations,
• logical consistency and accuracy,
• factual specificity,
• literacy,
• neutrality of tone, rigor and formality of speech,
• observance of subordination and traditions.

These requirements are not original, but their implementation guarantees constructive interaction with partners and clients.

Letter form and language formulas

A letterhead letterhead is the face of the company, so its mandatory attributes are literacy, accuracy of details, external neatness and modest originality of design.

Whether it is a corner or longitudinal version of the form, the full name of the organization, postal, actual and official address, telephone, fax, email addresses and the address of the official electronic page must be easy to read. The list of details is not strictly regulated, but completeness of data always looks more advantageous.

For reference: Information about the registration of correspondence is also desirable - about the date, number in the list, about the specific executor who prepared the document for sending. If this is a response letter, then a reference to the request letter is necessary.

In a business letter, it is also possible to indicate the genre, which simplifies the formatting of correspondence: information letter, proposal, request, petition, apology, condolences, gratitude.

Letter on the official letterhead of the organization

The first part of the letter is an address, the formula of which contains the name and patronymic of the addressee or a more official version - the word “Mr.”:

• Dear Fedor Fedorovich!
• Dear Mr. Smirnov!
• Dear Mr. Director!

The main part of the letter - informative - contains a short, understandable and succinct message and clear tasks: provide information, clarify information, resolve a supply issue, etc. If the letter contains a refusal, then it is correct to start the first half with a clear and evidential justification. Language formulas may be different, depending on the chosen tone:

• The company asks to consider the issue...
• The President and Board of Directors request to be informed about...
• Please consider the opportunity...
• Please reply as soon as possible...

The final part of the letter is gratitude, apology, assurances that the issue will be resolved as soon as possible, and hope for further cooperation.

Business letters require compliance with official procedures: if the letter requires the signature of a manager, then it must be signed by the manager (at least, his deputy).

Online Business Etiquette and Business Emails

Electronic letters, like paper ones, consist of several important elements that require competent filling out not at all because of speculative rules, but precisely because these elements can be informative and very convenient from a utilitarian and practical point of view. A correct letter guarantees a correct and prompt response, as well as a constructive solution to the issue.

For reference: Companies often have their own email servers and programs, and also develop a corporate style for email formatting and internal rules for correspondence, which usually do not contradict the standard ones, but complement them.

1. Addressee: It is customary to indicate one address in the addressee line.

This indicates not only a respectful attitude towards the interlocutor, but will also protect hime— mailfrom spam, unnecessary mailings and prying eyes.

1. A copy of the addressee's letter is filled out for a specific purpose.

By sending a letter to the main addressee and indicating another in the “copy” section, the addressee informs the second interlocutor about what is happening, but does not require him to respond or directly participate in the correspondence.

1. Subject line: specificity and uniqueness.

Extreme specificity of the topic should help both the addressee and the addressee navigate the topic of discussion and distinguish between many problems and tasks: not just “Report from Katya,” but “Report for May 2015. Draft.” Please note: the name in this case is useless, since the addressee is already clear to the addressee from the name of the email box.

1. The body of the email should contain 3 key elements.

First, a greeting (if this is the first letter of this day, for example) and an address (in each letter). Secondly, a statement of the question: a presentation of yourself (if the letter is the first), a reminder of the tasks to be solved, a description of the problem or its solution. Thirdly, a request or encouragement to action.

1. The email read notification function requires sensitivity.

It should be used if the letter is really important, but there is no way to ask about its receipt by phone, for example. This function usually imposes unclear, vaguely formulated psychological obligations on the recipient, so it should not be abused. A correct and less categorical option is a polite request at the end of the letter to indicate that it has been read.

1. The signature requires conciseness and at the same time capacity.

The wording may contain the standard formula “With respect” or be limited to the last name and first name. The signature, including name, position, organization name and contact information, should not exceed 7 lines. It is advisable to indicate alternative contact information, in addition to the mailbox: telephone,Skype, ICQ, other popular messengers.

1. Attachments: the main thing is to warn and name the files correctly.

Netiquette requires information about the document in the file attached to the letter: about the format, its volume and content. The investment should not be more than 3-5Mb. Its title, like the subject of the letter, should be extremely short, specific and unique.

Normal type of email

The reaction time of a letter in netiquette differs from the time inoff— line. Two to three hours is a comfortable time to wait for a response to an urgent letter. In response to urgent or important emails, sometimes it is enough to warn thate— mailreceived and information taken into account. If the problem requires lengthy consideration, then the addressee needs to inform his interlocutor about the time it will take to answer the question.

For reference: One day is a comfortable time to respond to emails. If there is no response within 3 days, the rules of etiquette allow you to send a second letter or contact the addressee using an alternative communication source - telephone,Skype, ICQ. Silence for 5-7 days or in response to a repeated request can be regarded as an unwillingness to continue business correspondence.

The reputation of a business person and a company consists not only of the efficiency and effectiveness of the business, but also of the little things and nuances of any stage of business negotiations. Compliance with the principles of business correspondence is required from every representative of the company: from a minor clerk to a public relations specialist and the head of the company.

Video: How to write business letters clearly, clearly and understandably

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Business etiquette extends not only to human behavior in society during personal communication between people, but also establishes rules that must be followed in written communication. How to conduct business correspondence correctly and in accordance with the requirements is of interest to everyone who is involved in professional activities or actively interacts with various authorities, resolving their issues, for example, as a consumer of a service.

Advantages of business correspondence over other types of information transfer

Despite the fact that preparing business letters takes time to write, this form of transmitting information has undeniable advantages.

• They can be used to convey important official and confidential information that cannot be communicated orally.
• Created messages can be saved for a long time, you can return to them and re-examine the content.
• A letter can be sent simultaneously to several recipients with the same text, which can significantly save time on preparing and sending letters on the same topic.

Business correspondence is a type of business communication carried out in writing for the exchange of information of an official business nature.

The very concept of formality of correspondence means the presence in it of official or other business information, which for some reason cannot be transmitted to the addressee orally or informally. By sending an official message, its author emphasizes his business attitude to the topic. At the same time, he must either represent the organization, indicating all the relevant details, or act on his own behalf, signing his real last name, first name and patronymic, and providing his location data or contacts for further exchange of information.

Classification of business correspondence

Business messages can be classified in different ways.

Depending on whether the letter goes beyond the boundaries of one organization, there are two types of it:

1. External, sent to a third-party addressee.
2. Internal, used within one organization.

By purpose business message, correspondence is divided into the following types.

1. Information mail.
2. Letter message.
3. Application letter.
4. An inquiry.
5. Letter of offer.
6. Invitation letter.
7. Advertising letter.
8. Reminder letter.
9. Letter of complaint.
10. Letter of guarantee.
11. Letter of recommendation.
12. Etiquette letters.

By initiative all business messages are divided into:

• Initiative letters.
• Letters are answers.

And finally by transmission method information:

• Printed, letterhead letters delivered by couriers or sent by mail or fax.
• Emails.

Information mail

The main purpose of this message is to convey official information, for example, about any change in the activities of the organization, which must be taken into account by the recipient: change of location, details, official in charge of resolving any issue. The letter may explain the application of rules, legal requirements, and organizational regulations. In addition to the information part itself, appendices with documents can be added to it.

Letter message

The content of this type of letter is any information that the addressee needs in order to perform any tasks or functions within the framework of a common cause. The peculiarity of the information sent is that it is equally in demand by both the sender and the recipient. Such a message can also be sent in response to a request from a business communication partner. Unlike a newsletter, it is always shorter in length.

Letter of application

A type of business correspondence that involves sending a request to receive any service or information, for example, about the opportunity to participate in a business event: an exhibition, conference, seminar. As a rule, the letter initiates the recipient to take action to provide the requested information, for example: placing an order or official application, providing details for issuing an invoice for services.

An inquiry

A message sent to obtain additional information or documentation with mandatory justification of the need for the requested information.

Offer

A type of letter in which the addressee is invited to consider the possibility of cooperation, to become familiar with a service or product. A frequently used form for sending a commercial proposal. It can be sent proactively or in the form of a response to a letter of request. The peculiarity of such messages is that they can be sent to several recipients at once. If the letter is sent to a potential client for the first time, it usually contains general information about the company.

This message invites the recipient to a meeting or event. The peculiarity of the letter is that when formatting it, it is allowed to use less formal forms with additional elements that decorate the message. Also, special attention is paid to detailing the address, date, time and route to the meeting location.

Reminder letter

The purpose of this message is to remind you of the obligations given by the recipient as part of resolving any business issue: to pay off a debt, provide a report, schedule a meeting.

Claim or complaint

Complaints are made if one of the parties involved in communication either failed to fulfill its obligations or made mistakes in fulfilling them. A distinctive feature of the claim is the presence of a detailed description of the violated conditions, information on the assessment of damage and demands for compensation or correction of the identified violation. Often this type of letter contains attachments, for example, photographs of damaged goods, copies of documents: contracts, acceptance certificates.

Warranty

The sender of such a letter guarantees the fulfillment of the conditions given by him when concluding the contract: a promise to return the goods, deliver them on time, pay the bill or complete the work within the agreed time frame. A letter of guarantee can be used as a response to a complaint.

A special form of business message in which its author makes a recommendation to a third person or organization, thereby providing its characteristics. Letters of recommendation are especially common when applying for a job or recommending a company to other clients, containing a description of the quality of the services it provides and the features of cooperation.

Label

A specific type of business messages sent upon the occurrence of specific events that are important to the recipient. This category of letters includes letters of congratulations on holidays and significant events, letters of gratitude for completing work or participating in a project, letters of condolences. Whatever the reason for writing a message, it is always a sign of attention to the recipient.

Business letter etiquette defines several basic requirements for the content of messages.

1. Addressability.
2. A clear statement of the purpose of the appeal, which should be clear from the very beginning of the message.
3. Brevity and conciseness. The letter should not be lengthy, otherwise it will not be read to the end, or studied inattentively, or not read at all.
4. Structured and logical presentation of information. There should be no haphazardness, no jumping from topic to topic, all parts of the letter should be connected with each other.
5. The specificity of the information provided, thanks to which the recipient will not need to think about anything and should not have additional questions to clarify the written text.

• Respectful address to the addressee.
• Formal speech that does not contain vernacular.
• Neutrality and lack of emotional content of the information provided.
• Text that is easy to understand and does not contain terms that are unclear to the recipient.
• Prohibition on the use of emoticons.
• No errors or typos.

Nuances of business correspondence

1. When preparing business letters, it is important to consider some features of written business communications.

The rules of business correspondence allow the use of standard phrases.

For example, you can greet the recipient as follows:

• Hello, dear Pyotr Semenovich!
• Good afternoon, Elena Petrovna!

In conclusion, you can use formulations such as

• Sincerely…
• With thanks…
• With best wishes...

When replying to a letter, you can start it like this:

• In response to a message received...
• According to your request...
• Thank you for your interest in our organization.

2. You should not actively use bolding or underlining text in order to draw special attention to it, or use this technique in doses.

3. Emoticons are not used in letters to recipients with whom a trusting relationship has not been established, or the period of acquaintance is short. They are excluded if the letter is of a purely official nature.

Structure of a business letter

The ethics of writing business letters prescribes the use of a certain structure of a business message.

The main sections of the letter include:

1. Introduction stating the purpose of the appeal.
2. The main part with the information that needs to be conveyed to the addressee.
3. The final part with a conclusion or summary of the text of the letter and information about what result the author of the message expects to receive.
4. Final phrase and signature.

Design rules

Official correspondence must be formatted in accordance with the requirements for business letters. Today it is very rare to have official messages written by hand; in most cases they are created using a computer.

Letters must be printed on the official letterhead of the organization, which at enterprises exists as a ready-made template.

At the top of the letter, information about the organization is indicated: name, postal address of location, telephone, email address, bank account details, website Internet address, logo and, if available, the company slogan. This information can be placed either in the left corner of the form, or longitudinally at the very top of the sheet.

On the left side of the form, before the beginning of the main text, the registration number and date of registration of the message are indicated, and on the right - the name of the organization and the surname, initials and title of the position of the person to whom the message is sent.

Example corner placement:

It could be like this:

After the main text part, information about attachments to the letter, if any, is entered. At the end of the entire text block, the signature of the person from whom the information is sent is placed.

If the letter is written on several sheets, they must be numbered.

As a result, the completed form may look like this:

Samples of business letters

When preparing business letters, you can use ready-made examples to get an idea of ​​how different types of messages are created and minimize the time for their preparation.

Ready-made samples allow you to obtain information both about the design and the wording used when writing them.

Message reply

According to the requirements of etiquette, every business letter received must be answered. However, you need to consider not only the requirement to provide an answer, but also the need to get it quickly. Therefore, it is important to choose the right way to send a message. If prompt receipt of response information is required, then the best option would be to send a letter by e-mail or using fax.

The standard response time for a business letter according to the rules of business correspondence is from one to three days. If a response is not received within this time period, the sender may have the impression that either his message was not read by the recipient, or he is not ready to correspond. In the event of a delay in response, etiquette allows for the possibility of making an additional call to ensure that the letter has been delivered.

Business correspondence within the organization

Internal correspondence in an organization has its own characteristics and depends on the document flow requirements established in the company.

Some enterprises conduct official internal correspondence, registering all letters in special journals. In other organizations, only internal orders are taken into account, and other messages are sent by email without registration.

Regarding internal correspondence, all rules governing the exchange of messages with external recipients remain the same.

Features of internal communications include:

• Less strict enforcement of rules in messages.
• The presence of special forms of letters that are not used in external communications, for example: electronic reports or explanatory notes.

E-mail correspondence: what to pay attention to

In modern reality, most business letters are sent by e-mail, and therefore the rules of business etiquette formulate requirements for conducting electronic business communication.

1. If messages are not sent from corporate servers, you need to be careful when writing your email address. The name of the email address must be official, and it is better not to use all frivolous options, for example: “krasotka_mary”, “supercar” and the like.
2. It is always necessary to fill out the field with the subject of the letter, formulating it as briefly and succinctly as possible.
3. When you write a reply, you can quote the original message so the recipient can see what questions they wanted answered. This rule is not strict; it is applied depending on the accepted standards of business correspondence at the enterprise or the established rules of communication with a specific recipient.
4. It is acceptable to use the capabilities of email programs to request a read receipt. It is not always necessary to use this option, especially if the letter is being written to be addressed outside the organization, since the recipient in this case is required to send such a notification, which may irritate him. It is better to use wording in the text of the message asking for notification of receipt of the letter: “Please confirm receipt.”
5. The signature in an email has its own characteristics. It should be more detailed than when issued on the organization’s letterhead. In business correspondence, it is customary not only to sign the letter, but also to indicate next to the signature the name of the organization, position, contact phone number and website of the organization. In essence, this signature format replaces the header of a printed form. The capabilities of email programs allow you to create a signature template and use it with automatic substitution in each message you send.
6. Applications are sent as attachments to an email message, and the names of the attached files can be listed in the text.

Knowledge of the rules and their application in a business letter allows the sender to create a reputation as a business person and a reliable partner who is attentive to the information sent to its addressees.

Business document— the main means of carrying out management activities, recording and transmitting information. With the help of the document, business activities are coordinated and information is accumulated. In a large organization, instructions are usually drawn up that indicate who officially writes documents, who reports to whom and in what cases, who transmits information to whom, etc. One of the most important ways to formalize the transfer of information is standard forms (forms). The advantage of the form is that the person filling it out does not need to think about when, how and what information needs to be provided in this case; this saves a lot of time.

The share of correspondence in business life is very large.

Correctly compiled, it meets the following requirements:

• reliability and objectivity of the presentation;
• completeness of information;
• brevity of presentation (a business letter should take no more than a page);
• lack of reasoning and narration;
• neutral tone of presentation, but at the same time goodwill, absence of rudeness and irony, pretentiousness, false politeness;
• the use of means of logical rather than emotional-expressive assessment of the situation and facts.

There are several types of business letters. Thus, letters containing a warning, reminder, invitation, confirmation, refusal, letters of cover, guarantee, information, letters of notification and order do not require an obligatory written response. The answer must be written to a letter with a request, appeal, proposal, request, demand.

Business Writing Ethics

The disrespect of the author of a business letter, even if it is veiled, is always felt by the addressee, which forms a persistent negative attitude towards the letter and its author, despite the seemingly impeccable methods of persuasiveness of the message.

You need to be especially careful when reading a letter containing a refusal. You cannot begin such a letter with a statement of refusal. First, convincing explanations must be given. Use the following formulas: “Your request cannot be granted for the following reasons...”; “Unfortunately, it is not possible to satisfy your request...”; “We deeply regret, but we cannot satisfy your request...”, etc. The place of this formula is in the last paragraph of the letter. In this case, you must remember the rule: “When formulating a refusal, beware of losing a friend or customer.”

Here is a sample plan for a response letter containing a refusal of a request or rejection of an offer:

• repetition of the request - the addressee must be sure that his letter has been carefully read and the essence of his request is accurately understood;
• the reasons why a request cannot be granted or why an offer cannot be accepted are the recipient’s rational and psychological preparation for subsequent refusal;
• a statement of refusal or rejection of a proposal is a refusal formula.

Business letter language

Academician D.S. Likhachev, a brilliant expert on the Russian language, wrote in a memo for his young colleagues “On the good language of scientific work”: “Good language is not noticed by the reader. The reader should notice only the thought, but not the language in which the thought is expressed.”

Confidence in writing is possible with many years of experience. At first, it is advisable to take practical advice from experts:

• you should choose simple words, but not impoverish the language;
• use verbs more than adjectives: this way the text will be dynamic and at the same time unpompous;
• do not start from afar, do not deviate from the topic, do not describe a lot of details;
• avoid long statements: they are unconvincing, so you should be brief and use a minimum of subordinate clauses;
• the transition from one phrase to another should be logical and natural, “unnoticed”;
• check each written phrase by ear;
• use a minimum of pronouns that make you think about what they refer to, what word they “replaced” (write specifically, and not “about this,” “that,” “she/it/they,” etc.).

A business letter must be literate and stylistically correct.

Formatting a business letter

An official letter is always written on the organization's letterhead.

In the upper left corner of the outgoing letter (i.e. sent from the organization) the outgoing number is indicated, which is recorded in the organization's document log. The date the letter was written must be indicated. In the upper right corner are the name of the organization (in the nominative case), the position of the addressee and his last name. In the lower left corner are the position, surname and signature of the manager, and 2 cm below - the surname of the executor of the letter (without initials) and his telephone number.

Essentially and visually, the content of the letter consists of sin blocks: o the formula of the letter - what is the essence of the request; o justification for the request; o Supporting information.

In your response letter, be sure to make a polite reference to his last letter. If this letter opens correspondence with a foreign partner, you need to introduce the organization, describe its goals and objectives in the field of international activities. This part of the letter is extremely brief, because the basic information about the organization should be given in the booklet attached to the letter (a link to which is required in the letter). Such a letter should end with gratitude for cooperation and/or an expression of hope for such in the future. A proven formula is “Sincerely yours (your name).”

Good writing requires a large vocabulary and the ability to connect them, which requires systematic and careful reading of fiction and non-fiction. Without constant feeding with humanitarian knowledge, a full-fledged leader will not emerge. This is the conclusion of the eminent management scholar Lee Iacocca: “Over the years, when my children asked what to study, my constant advice was that they need to get a good education in the humanities... The key is to build a strong foundation of knowledge in the field of literature, to master oral and written speech well.”

It is impossible to imagine the activities of a business person without working with documents. Economists have calculated that some categories of management employees spend from 30 to 70% of their working time on drawing up official documents and working with them.

Behind every document there are people; it indirectly expresses the relationship between them, so it is no coincidence that the sphere of business relations has its own fairly strict requirements for the preparation of official documents and the conduct of business correspondence, which are included in business etiquette. Good relationships in the team, with business partners and, ultimately, the success of the business largely depend on a correctly drawn up order and a correctly written letter.

One of the Western businessmen once remarked: “Everyone who does business must remember that the written word is your face and the face of your company. A word used inappropriately can ruin a trade and destroy an employee’s trust in you. Writing a letter or memo is just as important as writing a cost estimate.” Ron Tepper, author of the popular US book “How to Master the Art of Business Writing,” notes that good business documents are works of art. And masterpieces, as we know, are not created in a few minutes.

Writers of effective messages and business papers devote a lot of time to their documentation. People who are fluent in style and the art of business conversation often find themselves helpless when faced with the need to draw up this or that document. The reason for this is the formalized nature of official documentation, which requires conciseness, clarity, and monosyllabic language. Documents should not be overloaded with words or unnecessary speech patterns. Maximum information with a minimum of words is an immutable rule of their composition.

The formalization of official documentation allows you to quickly and clearly understand the essence of the issue, avoid wasting time on its preparation and reduce paperwork. Like any formality, which is one of the signs of etiquette, it is of a contractual nature. On the one hand, this leads to the fact that the rules for drawing up official documents and conducting business correspondence are enshrined in official documents, for example in GOSTs, and, thus, become uniform for all business entities, and on the other hand, they can differ significantly from such rules adopted, say, in Japan or France.

According to the rules of business communication adopted in the United States, a businessman writing a message to a client must use some personal moment: a football game, children, school, a mutual friend mentioned in the conversation. In our domestic business practice, such familiarity is considered unnecessary. At the same time, the general principles of business communication through documentation are practically uniform throughout the world.

REQUIREMENTS FOR DRAFTING OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS

All official documents can be divided into instructive and administrative (instructions, decisions, orders, orders), reference (summaries, acts, protocols, statements), operational (official letters, notes, telephone messages, etc.) and organizational (charters, regulations, instructions ).

Among administrative documents, the most common is order. It must be accurate, clear and comply with the law. Its content is included in the title and formulated in the prepositional case, for example: “On control over the quality of incoming products.”

The introductory (stating) part of the order sets out the facts or events that served as the basis for issuing the order: “In accordance with the decision...”, “In pursuance of the order...”, “In addition to the order...”, “In order eliminating the noted deficiencies...” In the administrative part of the order, non-specific expressions such as: raise, increase, strengthen, improve, take measures should be avoided. The items containing such tasks are vague and almost impossible to verify.

Orders on personnel have some features and are drawn up separately from orders on general issues. They may omit the stating part. In the administrative part, as a rule, first there are paragraphs about appointment to a position, then about transfer, dismissal from a position, change of name, etc. The presentation of the content of such orders should be uniform, which facilitates their use for reference purposes. Each point of the order begins with a verb: assign, transfer, release, announce (gratitude or reprimand). These words are written in capital letters. Then, on a new line, the surname, first name and patronymic of the person in question, his position, and the structural unit to which he is assigned are indicated.

Orders and instructions must be expressed in such language as if they were read aloud. You should not abuse excessive scientificism, use artificial lengthening of speech, you should try, while observing the formality of the language of the order, to avoid the rigidity of presentation of the material. And of course, an offensive or rude tone of the order is unacceptable. Orders are, as a rule, brought to the attention of all employees of a given institution, company or department, with the exception of special cases when it is announced only to interested persons.

A large place among official documents is occupied by business letters, which are compiled for a variety of reasons. A clear, well-written letter is one of the most effective means of achieving business success. What is the purpose of business letters? They perform two functions: they provide communication between business partners and store information about this connection.

When writing a business letter, it is important to comply with the following requirements:

• the performer must clearly understand the message he wants to convey or the question he wants to clarify, and know exactly how to express it in an understandable and concise form;
• the letter must be simple, specific, logical, without ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations, so that the addressee can understand its content;
• the letter is written on only one issue. The text of the letter is divided into paragraphs, each of which should address only one aspect of the issue;
• the letter must be convincing, with sufficient argumentation;
• the letter is written in a neutral tone of presentation, not allowing for emotional expressiveness;
• the volume of a business letter, as a rule, should not exceed two pages of typewritten text, but the executor should in no case sacrifice politeness of tone for the sake of brevity;
• a letter with spelling, syntax and stylistic errors makes a bad impression and irritates the recipient.

It should be borne in mind that the perception of a letter largely depends not only on the content, but also on the envelope and the company’s letterhead. Business letters are written on special forms that meet standards and have an established set of mandatory elements (details) arranged in a certain order.

name of the department to which the organization belongs (full or abbreviated); name of the organization (firm, enterprise, institution), which is given in full and abbreviated form; postal and telegraph address; telephone and fax number; bank account; date of; document index; link to the index and date of the incoming document;

name (name) of the addressee; title to the text; text; mark about the presence of the application; signature; last name, first name, patronymic and telephone number of the performer.

A business letter is the only official document that does not include its title. It is not allowed to arbitrarily shorten the names of organizations, although official abbreviations are not only permitted, but also necessary, for example, as a requisite for a business letter. The date of the letter (its signing), indicated in the upper left corner, is a search feature and is used when referring to a letter.

The link to the letter to which the response is given includes its index and date and is located below the index and date of the outgoing document. This detail is only available on letterhead. Comparison of the dates of sending and receiving letters gives an idea of ​​the degree of efficiency in handling correspondence and business politeness. Sometimes in letters there are expressions like “To your number... from...”, which are often placed in the text of the letter itself. The words “our” and “your” are not recommended to be used, and a link to the letter should be included in the form, for example: “To No._from_”.

The name and address of the recipient of the letter (addressee) is indicated on the upper right side of the letter form, slightly below the line with the date and outgoing number. The name of the organization, its structural part, company or the surname and address of the person to whom the letter is sent is indicated here. When sending a letter to an official, the name of the organization is indicated in the nominative case, and the position and surname - in the dative case. Initials are written after the surname. Punctuation marks in the internal address may be omitted. The name of the organization, the name and surname of the person to whom the letter is addressed should be written as they are given in correspondence emanating from this organization or in the directory.

If the letter is sent to a private person, then the postal code and address are indicated first, and then the surname and initials of the recipient in the dative case. If the letter is addressed to several persons, then each surname is written on a separate line. If the recipient of the letter has an academic or any other title, it should be indicated before the last name. Abbreviations like “t.”, “gr.”, “g.” or “Mr.” is not used in this case. For example:

Candidate of Legal Sciences, Associate Professor V.I. Petrov

Colonel I.D. Stepanov

The letter should not contain more than four addressees. When sending a letter to more than four addresses, a mailing list is compiled and only one addressee is indicated on each letter.

The header is placed before the text of the letter, on the left, and contains one phrase, which should reflect the main reason for sending the letter and an indication of what it is about. You should not try to state the content of the letter in the title; it should be short and succinct. The title usually begins with the preposition “O” or “Ob” and is not highlighted with quotation marks. For example:

About the purchase of a batch of shoes from the Marco company

After the header comes the text of the letter. Since official letters have legal significance, their content and style must meet certain requirements. Typically the letter consists of two parts. The first sets out the facts and events that made it necessary to write this letter, the second contains specific requests, proposals, decisions, recommendations, etc.

An expert in the field of business writing, American R. Tepper, believes that correctly composed business letters follow the same pattern. Starting lines attract attention, the following one or two sentences encourage interest reader, then expresses himself in two paragraphs request, and the last part makes the reader of the letter act.

Although the language of official documents is a set of clichés, cliches, and standards that seek to minimize the subjective-emotional factor, every business letter, in addition to the content itself, has a subtext, which is expressed by the word “tone.” By the small strokes of the letter, the choice of words, stylistic turns and simply by the design, one can judge the author of this letter.

The use of standardized verbal expressions allows not only to eliminate the unnecessary emotional tone of the letter, but is also an expression of business politeness, as it eliminates unnecessary stress on the addressee when reading the letter, as well as ambiguity and inaccuracy of wording. The formalization of the language of a business letter also helps its author or executor, reducing the time and effort required to draft the document. We can say that the language of official correspondence is a set of forms in which new content is added each time.

An official letter is not a literary work, although it requires compliance with the rules of language and has its own business “beauty”. As it is written in one of the French manuals, business letters are not intended to arouse the admiration of the reader, but to convince and win him.

If there is an attachment to the letter, then a mark about it is placed in the lower left corner of the letter. The word “Application” is printed and underlined on the red line. On the right is a list of attached documents indicating the number of copies and sheets.

Each name is located on a separate line. For example:

Application: 1. Minutes of the meeting on the financial activities of the company at Yul. in 1 copy.

2. List of measures to stabilize the economic situation of the company for 3 pages. in 1 copy.

If the name of the application is given in the text of the letter, then the mark indicates only the number of sheets and copies, for example:

Application: for 5l. in 3 copies.

The letter ends with a signature, which includes the name of the position of the person who signed the letter, a personal signature and its transcript. The name of the institution is not indicated so as not to repeat what is already indicated on the form. In the signature, the initials are placed before the surname. For example:

Director of JSC (signature) I. P. Karov

Two signatures are placed in cases where it is necessary to confirm the validity of the first signature or when we are talking about issues that require confirmation of their correctness by a specialist. For example, in letters on financial and credit issues sent to financial and banking institutions, the signature of the chief accountant is affixed. In such cases, the signatures are located one below the other in the sequence corresponding to the position held. For example:

Director of the company (signature) A. I. Petrenko

Chief accountant (signature) S.E. Viktyuk

Sometimes it becomes necessary for a letter to be signed by several officials holding the same positions. Then the signatures are placed at the same level. For example:

Director of the joint stock company "Phoenix" (signature) M.S. Sandpiper

Director of the company "Selena" (signature) Ya.L. Ivanov

What to do if the official whose signature is printed on the letter is absent? Such a letter can be signed by the person performing his duties or his deputy. Often in such cases, the signature is supplemented with the preposition “for” or simply a slash. The rules of business etiquette do not recommend this, since it is unclear to the addressee who signed the letter and whether the signatory has the necessary authority. Therefore, it is required to indicate the position and surname of the person who signed the letter, for example: “Acting.” or "Deputy"

The last detail of a business letter is a note about the performer. The author of an official letter and the executor are not always the same person. The author is responsible for the legal side of the letter, and the performer is responsible for the technical side, which is why there is a requirement to make a note about the performer in the letter. This note includes the name of the letter writer and his business telephone number. The mark is placed on the front or back of the letter in the lower left corner. Unlike the signature of an official, the initials are placed after the surname of the executor, for example:

Viktorova L.N. 105 17 10

The above rules apply to all official letters. But depending on the purpose, there are several types of business letters, each of which has its own characteristics and must meet the requirements for it.

So, letters of request in form they resemble a statement with which each of us has repeatedly applied to various institutions. They can be written in the first person singular (“I ask...”), in the first person plural (“We request...”) or in the third person singular if the speech is on behalf of the institution or its body (directorate, administration , manuals). It is also possible to address in the third person plural, when the request is made by several institutions or bodies, for example: “The small enterprise “Vector” and the Joint Stock Company “Sphinx” are asking...” In such letters, since they are related to the interest of the authors of the letter in fulfilling the request , special business courtesy is required.

A letter sent in a branded envelope with a beautifully printed address gives the shareholder a feeling of importance and respectful attitude on the part of the Fund’s management towards the ordinary shareholder, which, in turn, increases his trust in this company.

Cover letters are necessary when they contain some additional explanations to the documents attached to them. If such a letter is written only to put the address, date and index on it, then it increases the flow of papers, since these details can be written in the document itself. But the covering letter should not be underestimated: confirming the fact of sending any documents within a certain period, it is a reliable means of monitoring compliance with the discipline of official correspondence and the safety of sent documents.

To confirm received documents and materials, and sometimes a telephone conversation, they are sometimes written confirmation letters. It is advisable at the beginning of such a letter to briefly state the contents of the letter being referred to, so that the addressee can understand what is being discussed. They may end with a request, suggestions, comments or instructions. Business courtesy requires sending a confirmation letter in a timely manner, without waiting for a reminder letter.

Reminder letter should be sent when it is not possible to obtain the required answer through telephone conversations or personal contact. It usually consists of two parts: a reminder to fulfill certain obligations or requirements and the measures that will be taken if they are not met. Preparing such a letter requires special delicacy so as not to cause a negative reaction from the addressee.

In turn, the receipt of a reminder letter should be regarded by the addressee as a sign of disrespect for the business partner. When such a letter comes from a higher organization, it is implied that subordinates are negligent in their duties or management is not confident in the precise performance of these duties by these subordinates. If the author of the reminder letter is not sure that the addressee received the letter addressed earlier, he repeats the text of the previous letter verbatim. In this case, the note “Secondary” is placed in the field of the letter and emphasizes the fact of the reminder.

IN notification letter something is communicated or asserted. Usually it is a response to a request and begins with the words: “We inform,” “We notify,” “We bring to your attention.” One of the most common types of such letters is informational letters. If the facts stated in them are of little significance, they can be signed by an assistant or secretary. Often, information letters are sent to advertise the activities of companies and organizations and their products.

In the practice of business communication, widespread circular letters, the purpose of which is to deliver information of the same content to several addresses. Typically, circular letters are sent by the governing organization to inform its subordinate enterprises on a particular issue or to give appropriate instructions. These letters may be purely informational in nature regarding the business issues of the company. If there are a large number of addressees, they are not included in the internal address of the letter; instead, the heading “Circular Letter” is written. The circular letter is signed by the head of the company or organization, and on issues of financial and accounting activities, accounting and reporting, also by the chief accountant or the head of the financial and accounting service.

IN letters of guarantee certain promises or conditions of activity are confirmed. As a rule, wages for the work performed, the timing of its completion, work in the specialty, living space, and the quality of the work can be guaranteed. These warranties may appear in a separate letter or as part of a letter. Letters of guarantee make a good impression if they are written in a polite, friendly tone that expresses goodwill to the addressee.

A lot of space in business correspondence is occupied by letters of request and responses on them. Request letters are written if it is impossible to resolve any issue in person or by telephone. They usually consist of two parts. The first part sets out the essence of the question, the second formulates the actual request to which an answer is expected.

When drawing up a request, references are made to regulatory materials, decisions, agreements, instructions from higher authorities or previous letters. If this is a commercial request, then usually in this way the buyer turns to the seller with a request to provide detailed information about the product or services and (or) send an offer for the supply of goods. It indicates the name of the product and the conditions under which the buyer would like to receive the product, for example, the quantity and quality of the product, its model, brand, price, delivery time and payment terms.

Business etiquette requires an unconditional response to requests and in the shortest possible time. The response must reflect all points of the request, although they may be presented in a different order than in the request. It depends on the opinion of the other party, the degree of production significance of the issue raised. If the respondent is unable to respond to all points of the request, his letter should indicate that these points will be mentioned in a subsequent letter. If the seller cannot immediately satisfy the buyer’s request, he sends him a letter in which the customer is informed that either the request has been accepted for consideration, or the possibility of supplying the goods of interest to the buyer is being clarified, or a refusal to supply the goods is given.

The response to the request may indicate a change in the conditions imposed by the buyer, for example, the requested quantity of goods, model, delivery time, etc. The letter may also contain a promise to send a proposal for the supply of the product of interest within the specified time frame. Such a proposal is called an offer. Applies if the seller can satisfy the buyer’s request and supply the goods he needs. The offer usually indicates the basic terms of delivery of the goods (quantity, quality, price, delivery time, terms of payment, etc.). If the buyer agrees with this offer, he confirms its acceptance to the seller, which results in the issuance of an order or the conclusion of a contract. In case of disagreement with any terms of the offer, correspondence is established between the seller and the buyer or personal negotiations are held until agreement is reached.

The most important requirement of business etiquette is the need to keep your word and strictly adhere to your obligations. If these obligations are not fulfilled for any reason, claims and a demand for compensation for losses in the form of a complaint are presented to the company supplying the goods.

Complaint may contain requirements for replacing low-quality goods with high-quality ones or marking them down, additional delivery of the missing quantity of goods or return of the amount paid for the missing quantity of goods, discounts from the total cost of the consignment of goods, termination of the contract and compensation for losses due to violation of its terms.

The complaint must be submitted in writing by registered mail, accompanied by all documents confirming the violation of the contract and having evidentiary value for both parties. If the claims are accepted, the response to the complaint must be sent in writing by registered mail or fax, and in case of refusal - by registered mail with all documents justifying the refusal attached.

The fact of receipt of a business letter is indicated by the incoming number, which is placed in the upper left corner, and the fact that the letter has been read is indicated by the incoming number. resolution manager, including an instruction or relation to the information, a number and a signature. It is placed at an angle on the left side of the letter, for which margins of at least 5 cm wide are left on the first page, and at least 2 cm wide on subsequent pages. The attitude towards information is usually expressed with the words “Agree”, “Disagree”. It’s not uncommon to come across a vague “I don’t mind.” When you see such a resolution, and often they follow one after another, you get the impression, most often not without reason, that the official is trying to evade responsibility. I don’t mind, but see for yourself, the specific decision is yours, and the responsibility for it will fall on you.

Resolutions containing instructions can be either general or specific. General instructions are expressed in the words “For management”, “For execution”, “For information”. Specific instructions are formulated in the imperative mood or indefinite form of the verb and are addressed to subordinate persons (one or more), for example:

“Nikiforov F.S. Ensure the goods are shipped urgently." However, the imperative tone of presenting a resolution is unacceptable when it is addressed not to subordinates, but to subordinates. After the instruction, the manager can express his personal attitude to the state of affairs: “Sidorov P.N.!

Please look into it and report back. In my opinion, you should pay attention to the selection of personnel for the support group.” The word “please” softens the commanding tone of the resolution and gives a hint of respect for the performer.

At the same time, a resolution addressed to a subordinate is actually an order, an instruction containing prescriptive actions. Therefore, it is not enough to limit ourselves to general remarks, especially in the form of questions like “Your opinion?”, “Your thoughts?” and so on. It is more correct in such cases to write: “Please report your opinion on this issue” or “Please report on the possibility of resolving the issue.” The tone of the resolution should be friendly, without insults or humiliation. Humor is necessary in business relationships, but it has no place in resolutions that are in the nature of a legal imperative. A resolution is not just an order. It is an indicator of leadership style; it can be used to judge the degree of efficiency, competence, and character of the official. Therefore, you should pay attention not only to the content of the order, but also to its form: style, language, tone, design.

A number of letters (letters of confirmation, cover letters, some information letters) do not require a detailed resolution. In such cases, it is customary to limit ourselves to specifying the performer. It is not recommended to write “For information”, “For information”, “For execution”, “For management” when the name of the performer appears. If the letter contains several questions, then the resolution of the manager who has read the letter can be multiple, i.e. consisting of several resolutions on each or some of the issues raised in the letter. The ability to impose a correct, clear, concise resolution indicates not only the high business culture of the official, but also contributes to faster passage of documents, resolution of issues contained in them and, ultimately, to the success of the business.

STYLE AND DESIGN OF OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS

The text of the official document cannot be confused with any other text. This suggests that over the years of the existence of official documentation, she has developed her own style, subject to certain rules that are part of business etiquette.

A specific “coloring” is given to such documents by the use of formulations and linguistic cliches that have developed in domestic office work, such as: “to relieve oneself from one’s position...”; “entrust control over execution...”; “payment is guaranteed...”; “in pursuance of the decision...”; “we, the undersigned, have drawn up this act in that...”; “This certificate has been issued

(to whom) in that (subject of the certificate), for presentation (where)”, etc. The presence of such stamps facilitates the process of drawing up official documents and provides them with the necessary information content, facilitates, and “standardizes” the process of perceiving documents. This also determines the need for laconicism, precision of wording, and unambiguity of the semantic content of official documents.

Western office management experts, on the contrary, believe that when composing business letters one should avoid cliches like: “according to our agreement”, “hereby I am sending you”, “according to your request”, “in connection with the above”, etc. The language of business letters should be as close to conversational as possible.

Business etiquette requires that documents be reliable, evidentiary, objective, and convincing. Accuracy in the selection of facts and assessments of the situation is especially necessary in documentation reflecting conflicting issues in the sphere of business relations. If, for example, a refusal of a request is being prepared, it should be written in a friendly tone with convincing explanations so that the continuation of the business relationship remains possible. Therefore, you should not start the letter with a refusal; first you need to explain what caused it.

Although documents are usually written in a neutral tone, the style of the document itself can be regarded as friendly or rude, polite or tactless, etc. Even F. Bacon argued that conducting a business dialogue in a friendly tone is more important than using beautiful words and placing them in the correct order. Often in documents, behind the external neutrality of tone, harshness and disrespect for the addressee are visible. However, one should not go to the other extreme - competing in excessive politeness. A misconception about business politeness leads to the appearance in documents of expressions such as “Please do not refuse the courtesy...”, “Be so kind...”, etc.

As experts note, modern business documentation is more likely to be characterized by dryness than by excessive politeness. Western style is somewhat softer in this regard. Thus, R. Tepper advises businessmen to use a set of “magic words” in business letters and notes that ensure success. He considers these words: amazing, inspiring, amazing, enchanting, sizzling, hot, stunning, unforgettable, attention-grabbing, impressive, captivating, stunning, tantalizing, awe-inspiring, etc. The domestic style of business letters is not yet characterized by the use of such “magic” words.

In business circles in developed countries, it is customary to use manuals on business documentation, which have a special section dedicated to etiquette and containing a list of special idioms that give the document a polite connotation, but due to their formality have turned into a kind of “etiquette cliche.” It seems that phrases like “Thank you for your timely response” or “We are grateful to you for fulfilling our request” not only do not clog up official documentation, but also serve as an important factor in maintaining good business relations.

A complete list of recommended expressions is hardly possible. As the language is rich, so are the forms of expression of politeness, despite the dryness, formality and rigid stylistic framework of business documents. And the point is not only in words, but also in the form of constructing phrases, tactfulness in the presentation of facts and requests, neatness of design and clarity of style, and finally, even in a kind of business “ceremonial”, i.e. rules for drawing up, signing, passing and implementing documents.

Thus, it is unlikely that the addressee, even one subordinate to the authors of the document, will gladly accept a letter in which one feels disdain for him: “We are sending you a revised draft of the charter... We ask you to consider and approve.” The neglect here is manifested in the fact that the authors of the letter do not admit the possibility that the document may not be approved. In this case, the error can be eliminated if in the letter after the words "Please consider" add a phrase “and in case of a positive decision...” or delete the word “consider”, leaving simply: “Please confirm.”

“Ceremonial” is also recommended to be observed in the practice of signing business papers. It lies in the need to comply with the official level when signing documents. In particular, a response to a letter signed by the director must also be signed by the director, and not by his deputy. But a response to a letter signed by the deputy director may be signed by the director.

An unpleasant impression of the document is left by its carelessness. You should carefully read the document to eliminate possible errors and typos. Often there is an incorrect construction of the text, a disproportionate arrangement of its parts, and there is no breakdown into paragraphs, which significantly complicates the perception of the text. In official documents, one should combat the incorrect use of words and terms, inappropriate or unjustified use of foreign words, unnecessary or incomprehensible abbreviations for the addressee, etc. It must be remembered that there are officially established requirements for the preparation of documents. In particular, in addition to those requirements that have already been mentioned, the following can be noted.

In documents drawn up on two or more pages, the second and subsequent pages must be numbered, and the number “1” should not be placed on the first page. Page numbers should be placed in the middle of the top margin of the sheet in Arabic numerals at a distance of 10-15 mm from the top edge.

Details (organization name, address, etc.), consisting of several lines, are printed single-spaced. In this case, the components of the name of the addressee, the approval stamp, the mark on the presence of the application, the approval stamp should be separated from each other by 1.5-2 line spacing. Asami details are separated from each other by 2-4 line spacing.

The name of the document type is printed in capital letters. The transcript of the signature is printed at the level of the last line of the job title. If a document is signed by several officials and their signatures are located one below the other, the names of positions and the transcript of the signatures are separated by 2-4 line spacing.

The date in official documents can be formatted in any of the following ways: 05/20/95 or 05/20/1995. There is no dot after the numbers indicating the year. Depending on the purpose of the document, it is possible to list date elements in the following sequence: year, month, day of the month. A verbal and digital method of recording dates in acts, official letters, orders, protocols, and other documents containing financial information is also allowed. For example: January 17, 1995 or 01/17/95.

When writing a date in a document that will be used by foreign partners, you must remember that in the UK the date is written first, then the month - 10/7/95 corresponds to July 10, 1995, and in the USA - first the month, then the date, i.e. . 10/7/95 corresponds to October 7, 1995, so the date in such documents must be written in words and numbers. In the Russian-language version of the document it will look like July 10, 1995, and in the English-language version - depending on the country - either 10 July 1995 or July 10,1995.

If the text uses numbers, you should know how to write them. For example, the number 159,000 in the text of the document looks like this: 159 thousand. This notation greatly facilitates the perception of numbers.

A single-digit number is written as a word, not a number, for example: the goods were delivered in three containers. If a single-digit number is accompanied by a unit of measurement, it is written as a word: three meters of fabric are required for one product.

Multi-digit numbers are usually written in numerals. But if a number is at the beginning of a sentence, it should be written in words.

For example: Twelve days spent on preparatory work(Tyu: 12 days were spent on preparatory work).

If the document must be approved, then the approval stamp is located in the upper right corner of the sheet and consists of the word “I approve”, the title of the position of the person approving the document (including the name of the organization, if it is not included in the details of the form), personal signature, its transcript and dates, for example:

APPROVED by Director of the commercial center “Success”

• (personal signature) M.A. Vogt
• 20.03.95

If a document is approved by a resolution, decision or order, then the approval stamp is drawn up as follows:

APPROVED

(name of the document in the instrumental case)

The approval stamp is placed below the “signature” detail or on a separate approval sheet. This stamp consists of the word “Agreed”, the name of the official with whom the document is being agreed, including the name of the organization, personal signature, its transcript and date, for example:

AGREED: Minister of Railways

Copies of documents are certified by affixing the inscription “True”, the name of the position of the employee who certified the copy, his personal signature, its transcript and the date of certification, for example:

Correct: 06/17/95

Inspector (personal signature)

K.L. Vinogradov

On copies of outgoing documents remaining on file, the date of certification and the position of the employee who certified the copy may not be indicated.

Experienced managers are not in a hurry to immediately send it to the address after preparing the document, if, of course, time allows. This is done in order to re-read it again, correct it if necessary, and only then send it. The perception of writing is influenced by many factors, including irritation, fatigue, and haste. After some time, the text and its content may make a completely different impression on the sender, which will force him to work on the letter more carefully.

A business letter to a foreign partner should be written, as a rule, in the language of the addressee or, if difficult, in one of the most common foreign languages ​​in the addressee’s country. When sending a letter to an Algerian colleague and not finding specialists in Arabic, it is better to write it in French, whereas in Egypt you will be grateful for a letter in English. By presenting your message in Russian, you risk, at best, receiving a delayed response and creating difficulties for your partner. In the worst case, the content of the letter will be distorted and, as a result, will not achieve its goal. It is entirely acceptable to write two texts of a letter - in Russian and a foreign language.

The address on the envelope is written in the language of the recipient country or in English. This feature should also be taken into account: in foreign postal correspondence it is customary to first write the position and surname of the addressee, then the name of the company, street, house, city, and only at the end the country.

Of course, each organization develops its own traditions in the preparation of documents, but it is necessary to ensure that, despite all the differences, the document is clear, specific, evidentiary, objective, written in compliance with the rules of style and beautifully designed, and its content meets business requirements. politeness.

CORRESPONDENCE WITH FOREIGN PARTNERS

Business letters can be formal (formal) or informal. The latter are usually exchanged between people who know each other well. Such a letter (or just an appeal) can be written by hand, while an official one must be printed (except for some special cases, as will be discussed below); the author of an informal letter may not write in the address "Dear Mr. Smith" A "Dear Bill." The recipient's address is written only on the envelope. The sender's address is both on the envelope and on the page with the text (in the upper right corner). Both informal and formal letters should be without marks, on a clean, neatly trimmed sheet.

Those who typically type informal letters on a typewriter or computer should forego this wonderful technique when it comes to sending a thank-you note, invitation, congratulations, or condolences. And, of course, in all cases the letter must be signed by hand.

In developed countries, much attention is paid to the formal side of official business correspondence. The absence, for example, of a traditional compliment at the end of a letter significantly changes the tone of the message and can seriously offend the addressee. Business correspondence etiquette must be strictly observed if you do not want to spoil relations with foreign partners.

First of all, you need to remember the following rules:

1. It is customary to write business letters on printed letterheads of the company (organization, institution). The form contains the name and address of the sender. This information should be easy to read and at the same time designed by a professional designer. The recipient's opinion of your company depends, among other things, on the appearance of the form, the level of printing performance, and the quality of the paper.

Details on the form intended for correspondence with foreign partners must be in English (can be duplicated in the state language). In addition to the full address of the company, telephone numbers, telex and fax numbers must be indicated. Business letters should be written only on the front side, be it letterhead or a plain blank sheet of paper.

• 2. If the letter takes up more than one page, then at the end of it they write: “to be continued” (“continued over”). In international business practice, the text is usually kept on one page.
• 3. Arabic numerals are used for numbering; the number is not placed on the first page.
• 4. The letter must be typed on a typewriter or computer. The width of the field on the left side is at least two centimeters (to make it more convenient to hem). The text is printed in two or at least one and a half spaces. The paragraph begins with a red line - five spaces from the margin. It is customary to write an address to the addressee without a paragraph. Word hyphenation should be avoided.
• 5. Corrections in the text of the letter, even the most accurate ones, are not allowed.
• 6. It is advisable that the letter in the envelope be folded no more than once (with the text inside). For particularly important letters, select an envelope of such a format that the page remains unbent. You can place all the details on the form on the envelope, including your brand name. Large envelopes in which letters are sent unfolded should be made of thick paper so that their contents do not wrinkle during mailing.
• 7. Funeral envelopes (with black lining inside) should be used for their intended purpose.
• 8. It is customary to make resolutions on received correspondence only in pencil. If it is in ink, then the resolution should be on a separate sheet, which is pinned to the letter.
• 9. A response to a telegraphic request must be given within three days. To the letter - before the expiration of ten days. If it is not possible to give a detailed, comprehensive answer on time, then you should inform within three days that the letter has been taken into account, and give a final answer no later than thirty days later.

A business letter consists of a title, date, name and address of the recipient of the letter, an introductory address, an indication of the general content of the letter, the main text, a final politeness formula, and a signature. The structure of the letter also allows you to include a link to specific persons and information about the availability of copies.

HEADLINES

The heading of a business letter is the name and address of the sending company (printed on company letterhead).

If you are printing a letter on a blank sheet of paper, then write your first and last name in the upper right corner, below them - the number of the apartment, house, name of the street and district; even lower - the name of the city, postal code, name of the state.

The date is placed on the right, two intervals below the heading. Abbreviations of dates (06/25/2000) are not allowed in international correspondence. The month and day of the year must be written in full, for example: June 25, 2000. The date indicates the day the letter was sent, not written.

RECIPIENT'S NAME AND ADDRESS

This part of the letter repeats the addressee's details indicated on the envelope.

The addressee's data is written on the left, two spaces below the link (if there is one). Before the surname of the person to whom the letter is addressed, his initials are written, and one of the abbreviations must be placed before the initials: "Mr" ("Mister" in English - "Mg.") or "Mrs" ("Madam" in English - “Mrs.”). Words "mister" And "madam" always written in abbreviation.

If the addressee has a title or rank, then instead of addressing, for example "To Mr. W. Smith" should be specified: "Prof. V. Smith." In Germany the formula is: "mister + title or rank + surname". It is impolite to ignore noble titles, military and academic ranks. The lower academic titles - bachelor and master - are rarely used.

Sometimes (in the USA - extremely rarely) instead "Mg." after the recipient's full name is placed "Esq." (“Esquire” - “Esquire”), as a sign of respect.

If there are several titles or ranks, only one of them is used. It is advisable to write the most honorable ranks and titles, such as colonel, general, academician, president, etc. in full, especially on the envelope.

The second line contains the addressee's position.

In the third - the name of the company.

Below is the recipient's postal address: house number, street name, city, state (county, province, district, prefecture, etc.), postal code and name of the destination country. If the addressee has a mailbox, then instead of the house number and street name, the mailbox number is indicated. The order in which address data is written must be strictly observed.

Sometimes a private letter to a person whose address is unknown is sent to the address of the company where he works.

Mark "Private" after the surname means that only the person to whom it is addressed can open the letter. In the USA in this case they write "Personal". Mark "Confidential" means that the letter can also be printed by the recipient's personal assistant or secretary.

OPENING ADDRESS

The opening address duplicates the surname (or first and surname) indicated in the address. If the addressee's name is unknown and was not indicated above, you can use the following (strictly official) address options: Sir, Madam, Dear Sir, Dear Madam. If the sender of the letter personally knows the addressee or wants to establish friendly relations with him, he should write like this: “Dear Mr...” (“Dear Mr.”).

An introductory statement in a letter addressed to two or more men, a company (organization, institution) looks like this: "Sirs" or "Gentlemen" "Sirs" more popular in the UK "Gentlemen"- in USA. If the letter is addressed to two or more women or to a company (organization, institution) consisting entirely of women, the address "Mesdames" in the USA the address can also be used "Ladies".

The appeal in the letter that you are going to send to Germany must be structured according to the formula: “Dear Mr. Professor + last name.”

The introductory address is followed by a comma (in Europe) or a colon (in the USA).

INDICATION TO THE GENERAL CONTENT OF THE LETTER

It is written under the introductory address, starting from the spruce edge of the sheet (not counting the margin), and, unlike the address of the recipient and the introductory address, does not end in the middle of the sheet. An indication of the general content of the letter is indicated by the abbreviation of the word “Regarding” (“Reference”) - (“Re:”). For example: Re: "In response to your letter dated June 10, 1998."

Currently, a different form has become widespread: an indication of the general content is written in capital letters under the address or underlined. For example:

Dear Mr. Smith,

About your proposals for the delivery of diagnostic equipment.

MAIN TEXT

Printed two spaces below the previous information, without a paragraph. Recently, the all-block style has become quite widespread, in which a new paragraph is not indicated by a retreat of 5 characters, but is separated from the previous one by 3-4 intervals (instead of the traditional two).

The first paragraph of the letter must contain an introductory compliment. If this is your first time writing to this addressee, it is appropriate to start with the phrase that he is a well-known manufacturer in his field. In a response letter, an introductory compliment may express gratitude for the correspondence received. A common compliment in correspondence between long-time partners is an expression of gratitude for assistance in some matter.

The main points follow. The main text should end with a compliment. This could be a traditional expression of hope for further cooperation: “Take this opportunity to once again accept our assurances of our readiness for further mutually beneficial cooperation”, “We look forward to the prospects for our further cooperation” and so on.

In the English version of the main text, names, addresses, addresses, every word of the original name of the company (organization, institution), every word of the title of the position, the names of the objects of correspondence (agreement, project, etc.) are written with a capital letter. The use of abbreviated forms of modal and auxiliary verbs is not allowed.

FINAL PART

It should be placed on the right, two spaces below the main text. The final formula of politeness should be consistent with the greeting. If the letter begins with an appeal "Dear Sir" or "Dear Madam" then in conclusion you need to write "Yours Faithfully"

Opening addresses "Dear Mr." And "Dear Mrs." the final phrase corresponds “Yours sincerely” “Yours sincerely.” If the letter begins with an informal address, e.g. "Dear William" then it ends with a friendly phrase, for example: “With best regards”, often combined with the expression "Yours sincerely".

In the US, unlike in the UK, business letters often end with this expression: “Truly yours”, “Yours very truly”, “Very truly yours”.

signature

The signature should be under the final courtesy formula, on the right side of the sheet.

In Germany, unlike most countries in the world, it is customary to put the final politeness formula on the left and, accordingly, the signature is also placed on the left side of the sheet.

Between the autograph of the author of the letter and the final politeness formula, sometimes, depending on the specific circumstances, the name of the sending company is placed. There are four spaces for signatures. It is usually written in black ink with a fountain pen. The author's first and last name is printed below the signature. Even lower is his position. A postscript may be printed at the bottom of the letter. Its designation is well known - “ P.S.." A postscript is added to inform the recipient about important events that occurred after the body of the letter was written. In some cases, a postscript serves to emphasize an important point. Postscript is recommended to be used only in exceptional cases.

Sometimes the structure of the letter includes various kinds of instructions. For example, a reference may be placed between the headings (sender's name and address) and the date. The reference includes the initials of the letter writer and/or the initials of the typist. The link usually contains alphabetic and/or numeric designations of the sender's department or sector, case number, etc. In the US, the link is placed in the lower left corner of the sheet.

An indication of specific persons may be inserted between the recipient's address and the opening statement. Such an indication is used in a letter addressed to a company (organization, institution) if the sender wants the letter to be read by a specific person or department in this company. An indication of specific persons is expressed by the phrase: “Attention of Mr...” or “For attention of Mr...”). Referring to specific individuals can look different, for example: For attention of Mr. Smith piece Attention: Mr. Smith or Attention: Sales Manager or Attn.s Mr. Smith or Att.; Mr. Smith.

If the letter is sent with an attachment - any materials or documents, then in the lower left corner of the sheet, under the designation of the position and author, an indication of the attachment is placed.

The word “Application(s)” is written first. (“Enclosure^)”). To the right of it, on the same line, specific applications are indicated, for example:

Appendix: 1. Agreement

There are quite a few types of application notation used:

Enclosure(s) Two enclosures

Enc.(s) Encs.(2)

Enel. Enel.(2)

An indication of an application can also be a diagonal dash (/), a horizontal line (-) or a series of dots (...) in the left margin, opposite the line in which the application is mentioned. Sometimes an attachment is identified by attaching stickers to both the attachment and the email. Below, a separate line can indicate the distribution of copies (“Carbon litter”, abbreviated - "SS" or "s/s") For example: s/s: Mr. John Brown.