BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

Requesting a service
CONTENTS
Confirming a service
ACTIVITY
 Determine each part of
the letter whether action, 1
opening,focus, and closing.
2

4
OPENING

FOCUS

ACTION
CLOSING
 REQUESTING A SERVICE

BEFORE WRITING A LETTER

 Contact the people in your
company who are involved with the
WHEN WRITING A LETTER
request.
Give detailed information.
Ask them if they have anything to
add.
Make a list or fill out a form or a
log (planning log) to outline your
needs.
PLANNING LOG
OPENING

FOCUS

ACTION
CLOSING
Four Parts of a Letter

1. OPENING
 Tell why you are writing.
2. FOCUS
Give details about your request.
3. ACTION
 Give a time frame.
4. CLOSING
Thank the reader and mention future communication.
 OPENING

 Explain why you are writing. Often, when

requesting a service, you are following
up on a previous conversation.

 Make a specific reference to the earlier

communication.
 FOCUS

The focus of a letter requesting a service is to

let the service provider know what you need.
Be as clear and exact as possible.

For example:
Not clear and exact
We need some rooms.
Clear and exact
 We need a total of four rooms: one large room
and three smaller break-out rooms.
 ACTION
Give a time frame for some action to be done. You may
promise to do something, or you may ask the recipient of the
letter to do something. Be specific.
Use would or could to ask someone to do something.

For example:
• I would also appreciate receiving the projected costs for
our two-day meeting.
• Could you fax or e-mail me your costs by January 31st?
 CLOSING

Mention some further communication. The

communication may be a phone call, a meeting, a letter,
a fax, or an email.

For example:

• I look forward to receiving your e-mail tomorrow.

• I look forward to receiving a letter one week before the
conference.
 Confirming a Service

BEFORE WRITING A LETTER

 Review all the information.
Contact other people in your company who are involved.
Ask them if they have anything to add.
Make a list or fill out a form or a log (planning log)
outlining the information.

WHEN WRITING A LETTER

Restate all of the details.
ACTION LOG
 Click here to enter your text

Click here to enter your text

Click here to enter your text

V
 Four Parts of a Letter

OPENING FOCUS ACTION CLOSING

Tell why you are Restate the client’s Discuss Thanks the
writing. needs completely. problems, if any. reader.
 Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns refer to something or someone

mentioned before.
For example:
• Thank you for your January 28 letter expressing interest in
Arrowhead East Conference Center.
you = Curt Marks your = Curt Mark’s (letter)

• This letter will confirm our subsequent telephone call discussing

plans for your meeting.
our = Jan Turner and the Arrowhead staff’s (plan)
your = Curt Mark’s and the CellFirst staff’s (meeting)
Sentence Order

The order of sentences in a paragraph helps the

reader understand the meaning. Usually, a
general statement or a restatement of the
request comes before a specific statement about
the request.

For example:
We will provide five tables and a monitor and VCR.
Please let us know whether you want 6 rectangular
tables or 4 round tables.
 Whether…or, either…or, and if

When you gave a choice to a client, you must be clear. Whether…or,

either…or, and if are used in sentences with a choice.

For example:
Please let us know whether you want 6 rectangular tables or 4
round tables.
Please let us know if you want 6 rectangular tables or 4 round
tables.
You can have either 6 rectangular tables or 4 round tables.
 Gerunds and Infinitives

 Some verbs can be followed by the- ing (gerund) form of a verb.

 Some verbs can be followed by the to (infinitive) form of a verb.
 Some verbs can be followed by either.
 A phrase that ends in a preposition (such as to, in, of, on, for, or
at) is always followed by the gerund form.

For example:
I appreciate having the opportunity to plan your meeting.
We look forward to showing you our facility when you visit this
week.
 ACTIVITY
Rewrite the sentences as polite requests using would or could. Add
your own time frame.

1. Tell me the total 2. Send me the cost

number of attendees. projections.

5. Provide lunch.

3. E-mail me the cost 4. Add two more speakers

per person. in the large room.

Example:
Fax me the menus. Would you fax me the menus by May 9th?
 ACTIVITY: Match the general statement with the specific statement.

b. There will be a computer e. You will need 50

a. We will provide a VCR
projection system in the auditorium. chairs.
in each room.

c. Coffee breaks will be provided between d. You requested five rooms for your
the morning sessions. meetings.

1. ________ We need your computer’s model and operating system by Friday.

2. ________ We will need to know the day befoere the conference whether you would like the chairs set
up theater style or horseshoe style.
3. ________ Let us know by Monday which VCR format (NSTC or PAL) you need.
4. ________ We have rooms in four different sizes: rooms for 10,30,60, or 100 people. Which sizes would
meet your needs?
5. ________ We can also provide cake and cookies at this time. Please complete the catering request
form and send it to us by June 3.
 ACTIVITY
Write the sentences that give choices for these general statements.Use
whether…or, either…or, and if.
Example: We will provide lunch on the first day. (buffet or served lunch)
Please let us know whether you want a buffet or a served lunch.

1. There will btwo tables in each room. (rectangular or round)

2. You requested a VCR for each break-out room. (NSTC or PAL format)

3. We will put 100 chairs in the large room. (Theater style or horseshoe style)
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LISTENING!