Business letters belong to the group of information and reference documents and constitute the bulk of official documents used in documenting the activities of an organization.

Business letter Is a generalized name for documents of different content, serving for communication and transfer of information between addressees in the business practice of organizations.

"LETTER" as a type of document is not distinguished and therefore is not indicated in the heading part of the document. Letters perform the following functions:

  • - are a means of communication;
  • - are a means of relaying information;
  • - are a notification of any fact.

Historical excursion

The first letters in Russia - birch bark letters, as a rule, were very short. The longest letters are 166 and 176 words long. But most of the letters are much shorter: most of the fully preserved letters are no longer than 20 words, only a few of them are longer than 50 words.

Most of the birch bark letters are private letters. They are devoted to the most diverse matters of current life - economic, family, money, trade, etc. The category of private letters is closely related to petitions (XIV-XV centuries) to the feudal lord from the peasants.

A business letter is a kind of business card of an organization. By how correctly and aesthetically it is composed and decorated, they judge professional qualities employees working in it and about the organization as a whole.

Business letters can be classified according to the following criteria:

by type: guarantee, instructional, accompanying, congratulatory, thank-you letters, etc. The division of business letters by type is key in their classification;

  • - by typing: standard, stencil, individual;
  • - by field of application: commercial, administrative, judicial, etc .;
  • - by structure: business letters can have a simple or complex structure;
  • - in place in the workflow: letters in relation to the organization are incoming or outgoing;
  • - locally in the process of correspondence: proactive, responsive;
  • - if it is necessary to continue the correspondence: business letters may require a response letter (letters of inquiry, letters of request) and not require a response letter (instruction letter);
  • - by the legal status of addressees: business letters can be from government agencies, organizations, citizens, etc .;
  • - in the direction of the organization; letters can cover production, financial, consulting, project activities, etc.;
  • - by the method of sending: letters can be sent by post, electronic (electronic message), telegraph (telegram), facsimile (facsimile message), telephone (telephone message), telex (telex) communication. Regardless of the method of sending, business letters are drawn up on special letterheads. The first page of the text is drawn up on the form, the rest of the pages - on ordinary sheets of paper.

The main paper size used for letterhead is A4. Forms are produced by typographic method, with the help of operational printing tools or with the help of computer technology directly during the preparation of the document. The method for producing forms depends on the preferences of the organization, taking into account the requirements for the production of forms using the coat of arms of the Russian Federation or the coats of arms of the subjects of the Russian Federation.

When preparing and drawing up a letter, the following details are used:

  • - State emblem of the Russian Federation;
  • - coat of arms of the subject of the Russian Federation;
  • - the logo of the organization or trademark (service mark);
  • - organization code;
  • - main state registration number (OGRN) legal entity;
  • - INN / KPP;
  • - document form code;
  • - name of company;
  • - reference data about the organization;
  • - name of the type of document;
  • - the date of the document;
  • - registration number of the document;
  • - a link to the registration number and date of the document;
  • - addressee;
  • - title to the text;
  • - the text of the document;
  • - a mark about the presence of the application;
  • - signature;
  • - print imprint;
  • - a note about the performer.

The structure of the text of the letter includes:

  • - appeal;
  • - information part;
  • - the final etiquette formula of politeness.

Business letters should start with a personal appeal to the addressee of the letter. The task of the appeal is to establish contact with the addressee, to show respect, to draw his attention to the letter. The most formal is the formula for addressing the position, it is used when referring to leaders in high official positions (President, Chairman, etc.):

"Dear Mr. President!";

"Dear Mr. Chairman!"

The address by surname is also official. Address by last name (without first name, patronymic or initials) is widely used in official correspondence, it is strictly official and indicates the presence of some distance between the addressee and the addressee of the letter:

"Dear Mr. Antonov!";

"Dear Mrs. Belova!"

The most common variant indicating business contacts is the address by name and patronymic:

"Dear Sergei Ivanovich!";

"Dear Irina Nikolaevna!"

When contacting a group of employees or in case of difficulty in obtaining information about the management of the organization, the following address is used:

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

When addressing persons of the same professional circle, the following address is used:

"Dear branch managers!";

"Dear Colleagues!"

The informational part of the letter uses formal business style- a special kind of Russian literary language, designed for communication in the field of administrative management.

V general case the text of the letter consists of sentences grouped into paragraphs. A clear semantic and stylistic relationship should be provided between paragraphs.

For the best perception, letters are mainly devoted to one issue. Nevertheless, in order to highlight its various aspects, as a rule, there is a need for additional text structuring. Such structuring often involves dividing the text into three parts: introductory, main and final.

The introductory part of the text is intended to concretize the essence of the question that gave rise to the letter. It can be one paragraph.

The main body of the text serves to describe in a consistent and detailed manner various aspects of the issue. Depending on its complexity and novelty, the main part may include from one to three or more paragraphs.

The final part of the text usually consists of one paragraph containing conclusions, as well as a request (requirement, indication) to the addressee and the nature of the author's expectations.

When composing the texts of letters great importance has a choice of specific linguistic means... The most common form of writing in a letter is the use of the 1st person plural in the verbs denoting the key action of the text: "we guarantee payment", "we inform you that ...", "we ask you to send ...", "we offer to consider ...", "we send to the conclusion ...", "we remind, what ... "etc. When writing a letter on official stationery, the form of presenting the text of the letter from the 1st person singular is used "I ask you to consider ...", "I consider it necessary ...", etc.

In the practice of state bodies, letters begin with the name of the organization "Ministry of Agriculture Russian Federation offers ... "," The Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation asks ... ".

Final etiquette formulas are linguistically stable phrases expressing hope for further cooperation, regret about the limited capabilities of the addressee, etc .:

"We are sorry that we cannot take advantage of your offer";

"We look forward to further cooperation."

The final courtesy formula may be absent in formal letters, but almost always summarizes letters whose text is partly personal (for example, letters of thanks). The use of a final courtesy formula somewhat muffles the formal tone at the end of the message.

The final courtesy formula precedes the signature and is spaced below the last line of the letter.

If the official letter begins with the appeal "Dear ..!"

The address and the final formulas of politeness constitute the so-called etiquette frame. If there is no appeal in the letter, then the final formula "Sincerely" is also omitted.

The following standard wording can also be used as a final courtesy formula:

"With unfailing respect ...";

"With deep respect ...";

"With deep respect ...";

"With gratitude and respect ...";

"With gratitude and respect ...";

"Best regards and best wishes ..."

Let's consider the main types of letters that are most common in business practice.

Message letter – business letter, which is reported, notified of any events and facts of mutual interest. A message letter can be proactive or be a response to a letter of request. Based on the specifics, message letters are usually small and consist of one or two sentences. A communication letter can begin with a justification or directly with a statement of the information being communicated. It is permissible to start a message letter directly with the word "I inform" or one of its synonyms ("I send", "I send", "I represent"), as well as:

"We inform you that ...";

"We would like to inform you that ...";

"We consider it necessary to inform you about ...";

"We inform you that ...";

"Please be advised that ...";

"We inform you that ...";

"We inform you that ...";

"We consider it necessary to inform you that ...";

"We are pleased to inform you that ..."

"Please be advised that ...";

"We are pleased to inform you that ...";

"In continuation of our ... we inform our ...";

"On request ... we inform ...";

"I consider it my duty to inform you that ...";

"I am authorized to inform you that ...";

"We inform ...";

"Based on the foregoing, we consider it necessary ...";

"It was established that in the period from ... to ...";

"We inform you that as of ...", etc.

A sample message letter is presented in Appendix 12.

Transmittal letter - a business letter informing the addressee about sending him the documents attached to the letter (contracts, catalogs, registers, etc.) or material values. The direction of the cover letter is a rule of good form in the business practice of organizations and contributes to the accounting and further effective information and reference work with the documents being sent.

The cover letter begins with standard phrases:

"Directing ...";

"We present to you ...";

"We return to you ...";

"We are sending you ...".

These phrases may be preceded by introductory information accompanying a given management situation:

"In accordance with the agreement, we send you ...";

"In accordance with the schedule, we present ...";

"In confirmation of our agreement, we will send ..." etc.

A distinctive feature of the cover letter is the marking of the presence of an attachment below the text.

A sample cover letter is provided in Appendix 13.

Instructional (directive, circular) letter – a business letter containing an instruction (explanation) to subordinate organizations on settlements, reporting, etc. This type of letter is sent by state, municipal authorities, as well as organizations that have subordinate organizations.

In practice, in documents of this kind, heads of organizations highlight permissive instructions regarding a specific issue of the organization. All employees of the organization whose activities concern this issue are subject to familiarization with instruction letters. All instructions recorded in the instruction letter are binding on the part of subordinates.

Instructional letters are signed by the head of a state (municipal) body or organization.

Instructional letters may begin with a justification of the purpose of the letter or a reference to a regulatory document - "In order to ...", "In accordance with the resolution ... No. ... from ...", and end with the phrase - "On the execution of this circular letter report ... ns later ... ".

A sample instruction letter is provided in Appendix 14.

Request letter – a business letter, the purpose of which is to obtain official information, information, documents or to initiate certain actions required by the author organization. Great amount managerial situations give rise to writing letters of requests.

The letter of request contains the rationale for the request and a statement of the request itself. The justification may contain references to legislative and other regulations, organizational and legal documents. The justification must precede the statement of the request. Justification may be absent in cases of obviousness of the request, its typical nature, as well as if the implementation of the actions that make up the request is the responsibility of the organization, department, or official. Often a request is expressed using the verb "ask":

"We ask you to inform ...";

"Please pay ...";

"We ask you to provide ...";

"We ask you to provide information about ...";

"We would ask you to confirm ...";

"We ask you to accept ...";

"For the second time, we ask you to pay off without delay ...";

"Please send me to my address ..."

"I ask you to...";

"Please pay ...";

"Please give instructions ...";

"We ask you to consider ...";

"I inform you and ask ...";

"Please inform me ...";

"According to the preliminary agreement, I ask you ...";

"We ask for assistance in ...";

"I would like to draw your attention and ask ...";

"Please take action on ...";

"In addition to ... please consider ...";

"Considering; that ...; we ask ...";

"We ask you to find an opportunity ...";

"We ask you to consider the question of ...";

"We kindly ask you to confirm ...";

"In accordance with our agreement, please ..." etc.

A request can be formulated without the verb "ask", for example: "We hope for a positive solution to the issue ...";

"We will be very grateful; if you send ...";

"We will be grateful; if you ...";

"Please inform...";

"It would be desirable ...";

"It would be desirable for us ...";

"We would like to ...";

"We hope; that you will find it possible to consider our appeal"; "We are asking you ...";

"Let me turn to you with a request ...";

"We hereby inform and ask you to promptly provide ..."; "We will be grateful to you if you ...";

"We will be grateful...";

"We will be grateful for ...";

"We will be very ...";

"We hope you find it possible ...";

"We will be glad; if you ...";

"We are asking you about ...";

"It would be desirable to get acquainted ...";

"We would like to ..." etc.

One letter may contain several requests. In this case, the following language expressions are used:

"We also ask you to consider (provide, conduct ...)"; "At the same time we ask you ...".

Letters of request are signed by the head of the organization or an officially authorized official. A request letter requires a response letter.

It should be noted that the request may be contained in other letters, for example, in cover letter, warranty, etc.

A sample letter of request is provided in Appendix 15. Reply letter- a business letter, drawn up as a response to a letter of request. The answer can be positive or negative (letter of refusal).

When composing response letters, the principle of linguistic parallelism should be observed: in the text of the response letter, the same language phrases and vocabulary should be used that the author used in the initiative letter.

Important to remember!

You should not include a link to the received letter in the text of the letter-response ("To your letter from ... No. ..."). To refer to the received letter, the form contains the requisite "Link to the date and number of the received document", where information about the initiative letter is entered. An answer letter can be started with the words: "In response to your letter, we inform ...", "In response to your letter, we inform ...".

Standard phrases used in reply emails:

"We are informing you...";

"We inform you ...";

"We inform you about your request ...";

"Unfortunately, we cannot ...";

"To our great regret ...";

"To our mutual satisfaction ...";

"In accordance with your request, we are sending ...".

The standard text of a positive response letter might look like this:

A negative answer should be justified, you should not refuse a request without explanation. If the organization - the author of the letter has information about who, on what conditions, when can give a positive answer to this request, it is recommended to inform the addressee of this information.

Standard phrases used in rejection letters:

"We regret to inform you that we will not be able to satisfy your request for the following reasons ...";

"Due to ... our organization cannot ...".

A sample response letter is provided in Appendix 16.

Note!

Business communication does not allow rudeness and tactlessness and assumes a neutral tone of communication between partners. In this regard, it is recommended to avoid outright refusals in service letters.

Reminder letter- a letter re-reporting a fact, as well as used in cases where the counterparty organization does not carry out actions arising from its functional duties or accepted agreements.

The text of a reminder letter, as a rule, consists of two parts: a link to a document, which fixes the obligations of the parties or circumstances in connection with which the organization is obliged to take certain actions, and requests to perform a vehicle or other actions.

The key phrase of the reminder letter is the verb "Remind (remind)".

Basic models and designs of a reminder letter:

"In a letter from ... we informed you that ...";

"However, we have not received a response from you to date";

"Recalling this, please ...";

"If you do not receive an answer on time ...";

"We remind you that according to the plan of joint work ...";

"We offer you in accordance with the terms of the contract ...";

"According to the contract No. ... we remind about the obligations ...";

"Despite repeated reminders ...";

"Urgently inform us about the state of affairs";

"We are sending you for the second time ...";

"We inform you for the second time ...";

"We remind you for the second time ...";

"We kindly ask you...";

"Once again ... we remind you ...";

"Otherwise, we will be forced to ...";

"We draw your attention to the fact that ...";

"We inform you that ..."

The reminder letter may contain one more additional part, which mentions the sanctions that will be applied in case of failure to take the necessary actions:

"If you fail to fulfill your obligations, you will be subject to penalties," etc.

A sample reminder letter is provided in Appendix 17.

Letter of gratitude (thank you letter) - a business letter expressing gratitude for the actions taken (for the letter received, for providing information, for the invitation). Thank you letters are less formalized than other types of letters and are written in a more free form.

Key phrases of the letter can be the following expressions: "Thank you for ...";

"We thank you for ...";

"We are grateful to you that ...";

"We express our gratitude for ...";

"Expressing gratitude for your letter, we inform you that ...";

"We have received an invitation for which we are very grateful"; "Thank you in advance for ...";

"We confirm with gratitude ...";

"We express our gratitude to you for ...";

"Let me thank you for ...";

"Let me express my sincere gratitude to you ...";

"Thank you for your help in ...";

"We are grateful to you for ...";

"We have received your invitation ... for which we are grateful ..."; "Turning to your letter, thank you for providing ...", "We express our deep gratitude for ...";

"In this regard, I want to thank you ...";

"I express my gratitude to you with all my heart ...";

"Expressing our gratitude for ..., we inform you that ...";

"Our sincere gratitude for ...";

"With a feeling of deep gratitude ..." etc.

A sample letter of gratitude is provided in Appendix 18.

Confirmation letter - a business letter in which the addressee confirms the receipt of information, documents or other materials, previously reached agreements, intentions, etc. When confirming a preliminary agreement in the text of the letter, its essence should be briefly stated, when confirming the receipt of documents, it is necessary to name them. In some cases, the confirmation letter summarizes the essence of the documents received.

The key linguistic formula of this type of letters is the verb "I confirm".

Basic models and designs of confirmation letter:

"We confirm receipt of documents (preliminary agreement, consent, etc.)";

"We confirm the agreements reached in the negotiations ...";

"We confirm the intention ...";

"We gratefully acknowledge receipt of the materials ..." and others.

A confirmation letter can end with a request, a wish, a proposal.

A sample confirmation letter is provided in Appendix 19.

Letter of Notification- a business letter informing about public events (meetings, seminars, exhibitions, conferences, etc.).

Letters of notification, as a rule, are sent to a wide range of organizations, institutions, enterprises with the aim of attracting them or inviting them to participate in the events held. Letters of notification can both inform about the ongoing event, the time and place of the event, as well as invite to participate, inform about the conditions of participation in the event and contain other supporting information. Thus, a letter of notification can be at the same time an invitation letter or precede an invitation letter.

The letter of notification may have attachments that may contain the program of the event, an application for participation and other information materials. Such letters, as a rule, are sent to the list, therefore the "Addressee" attribute is drawn up in a generalized way or not at all.

Letters of notice are signed by the head of the organization or the deputy head responsible for organizing and holding the event, as well as by several leaders if the event is held jointly by several organizations.

A sample letter of notification is presented in Appendix 20.

Invitation letter – business letter, which is a kind of letter of notification. The difference from a letter of notice is that it may not be drawn up on a letterhead, have a different format, color, additional design elements in the form of an ornament, drawings, etc.

When invited a large number persons are used stencil, pre-made texts of invitations. As a rule, letters of invitation are addressed to a specific person or persons, therefore they use the formulas for addressing the addressee "Dear ..!", "Dear ..!", For example:

"Dear Mr. Stepanov!";

"Dear Alexander Nikolaevich!";

"Ladies and gentlemen!";

"Dear branch managers!" etc.

Letters of invitation can be sent by e-mail, but on especially solemn occasions, invitations should be sent by mail or courier. The following expressions are used in invitation letters:

"We invite you to take part in ...";

"We ask you to take part in ...";

"We have the honor to invite you ...";

"Please accept our invitation ...";

"Allow me to invite (invite) ...";

"We would be glad to see you at ...";

"We will be very grateful for your participation in ...";

"We would be grateful if you could accept our invitation to ...";

"We invite you to ... which will take place ..." etc.

The standard text of an invitation letter looks like this:

"March 23-25, 2014 will be held scientific and practical conference“Education is a new time, new approaches”. Please confirm your participation in the conference and send 3-5 pages of the abstract. Additional information will be sent to you after confirmation of your participation. "

A sample letter of invitation is provided in Appendix 21.

Reply to the invitation letter – a business letter expressing a positive or negative response. In case of a positive decision, the organization can immediately send an application for participation in the event. In case of a negative decision, it is necessary to indicate the reason for the refusal, starting the response to the letter of invitation with the justification for the refusal: "In connection with ...".

A sample response to an invitation letter is provided in Appendix 22.

Congratulation letter (congratulatory letter) – a business letter drawn up on special occasions related to significant events in the position of an official or organization.

Letters of congratulations are drawn up in free form, can be either small in size and include one or two sentences, or rather detailed. In the latter case, the letter of congratulation sets out the main stages of life, activities of the person to whom the congratulation is addressed, his most important achievements. If the letter is addressed to an organization or its structural unit, it outlines the most important and significant achievements of the organization or unit.

In business practice, the following reasons for congratulations can be distinguished:

  • - anniversaries, birthdays of the recipient organization and the head of the organization;
  • - rewarding, victories in competitions, winning tenders;
  • - success in business and professional activity (appointment to high position, conferring an honorary or special title, opening a new branch, etc.);
  • - public holidays (New Year, Christmas, Defender of the Fatherland Day, etc.);
  • - religious holidays (Christmas);
  • - pleasant events in your personal life (birthday, marriage, birth of a child);
  • - conclusion of mutually beneficial partnership agreements;
  • - anniversary of cooperation (usually the first or round).

Practice

Letters of congratulations can be drawn up not only on the letterhead of the organization, but also on special paper of various colors decorated with an ornament having high density etc.

The following key phrases are used in congratulation letters:

"Congratulations on the occasion ...";

"We sincerely congratulate you on ...";

"Please accept our sincere congratulations on ...";

"We sincerely congratulate you on ...";

"Congratulations on ...";

"Please accept our sincere congratulations ...";

"Congratulations on your appointment to your new position";

"Congratulations on the opening of a new branch";

"We are glad to know about your success in the elections. Congratulations on your victory!" etc.

The standard text of a congratulation letter might look like this:

"Please accept our sincere congratulations on your election as Chairman of the Board of Directors. We wish you good health and success in your work. We are confident that your experience and high professionalism will serve to further develop the company and strengthen its position in the field of high technologies."

A sample letter of congratulations is presented in Appendix 23.

Reply to the letter of congratulation – a letter drawn up as a response to congratulations on special occasions associated with significant events in the position of an official or organization.

Standard text of a response to a letter of congratulation:

"Thank you for the attention that you showed me on my birthday. Thank you for your warm and sincere words. For my part, I wish you great happiness and health, prosperity and prosperity."

A sample response to a letter of congratulation is presented in Appendix 24.

Letter of guarantee - a business letter, which guarantees payment for the work performed or the provision of something (services, products, premises, etc.).

In a letter of guarantee, the author organization assumes certain obligations, therefore such a letter has a legal burden. The text of the letter of guarantee contains a request to perform work, provide services, etc. and contains a legally significant phrase: "We guarantee payment", etc. Further in the text of the letter the bank details of the organization - the author of the letter of guarantee are given.

The letters of guarantee are signed by the director and Chief Accountant organizations, signatures are certified by the main seal of the organization.

It's important to know!

A distinctive feature of a letter of guarantee is the presence of the requisite "name of the type of document", which is not affixed to other types of letters. This requisite will look like this - LETTER OF WARRANTY.

Basic models and designs of a letter of guarantee:

"We guarantee the loan repayment ...";

"We guarantee a loan repayment in the amount ... up to ...";

"We guarantee the payment. Our bank account ...";

"We guarantee the provision of living space ...";

"The company guarantees ...";

"With this letter we guarantee ...";

"(Organization name) asks (you) to help ... (Organization name) guarantees ...";

"Please, in order to provide assistance ... (Name of organization) guarantees ...";

"We guarantee that the equipment supplied under the above order corresponds in all respects to the description, technical specifications and specifications contained in the order ";

"If, within ... from the date of commissioning, the equipment turns out to be defective, we undertake to eliminate the defect at our own expense";

"If ... we undertake to replace the defective equipment free of charge";

"We undertake to supply new equipment without delay";

"We undertake to pay the cost of transportation and insurance", etc.

A sample letter of guarantee is presented in Appendix 25.

Information mail – a business letter in which information of an official nature is communicated to the addressee.

A newsletter is close in meaning to a message letter or sales letter, but is broader and more informative. Such a letter is the result logical development correspondence. It is sent to the addressee if contact has been established with him, and he does not object to the subsequent development of business relations. The information letter is intended to inform the addressee about the author's desire to develop business contacts and about certain aspects of their implementation in a slightly larger volume than the message.

Newsletters are useful in establishing initial contact with an addressee who is given a certain amount of additional information overview character. The information letter may contain an encouragement to the addressee to obtain additional information by using the wording in the letter: "We will be happy to answer your questions."

A sample newsletter is provided in Appendix 26.

Application letter - a business letter drawn up in cases where an organization wants to take part in events or receive services provided by another organization. V commercial activities related to the provision of goods and services, the application can be used as a primary document on the basis of which the order is placed and the contract is drawn up. A special type of applications is made up of documents submitted to the executive authorities and state organizations in order to register any rights, obtain permits, etc.

The application can be drawn up in a unified form or taking into account the requirements formulated by the organization offering goods or services. In the first case, the preparation of such an application consists in filling out a stencil form proposed by the selling organization. If the application is made in free form, it includes information that is essential for the author of the letter.

Since a letter of application is actually a request to perform some work, provide services, include in the list of participants in any event, the text of the application usually uses the same language expressions as in letters of request:

"We ask you to be included in the group to participate in ...";

"We ask you to provide for the participation of two representatives of our company in ...";

"We ask you to register as participants ...", etc.

Depending on the situation, the text of the letter of application includes additional information concerning the participants of the event, the subject of the application, the conditions for the performance of work or participation in the events held, etc. For example, if an application is drawn up for participation in any event (seminar, conference, festival, fair, etc.), the following information is indicated:

  • - event title;
  • - the date of its holding;
  • - form of participation (speaker, listener, participant, etc.);
  • - surname, name and patronymic of the participant (participants);
  • - Place of work, position;
  • - postal address with zip code, contact telephone number, e-mail address;
  • - the need for a hotel at the time of the event.

In the case when an application is drawn up for the provision of any type of service, all significant aspects of the subject of the application and all the necessary information about the author of the application, in addition to those contained in the letter form, are indicated.

The application may also contain a guarantee of payment for services or participation in the event in question.

A sample letter of application is presented in Appendix 27.

Supplement letter - a business letter sent after the main letter and containing additional information. A characteristic feature of such a letter is a direct indication that it serves as a continuation of the previous letter. It is with this that the supplement letter should begin, for example:

"In addition to the letter ...";

"This letter is in addition to ...".

The text of the supplement letter should explain why it was necessary to send it, for example:

"In connection with a significant change in the cost of components for the product ... of direct interest to your company ...".

A sample supplement letter is provided in Appendix 28.

Letter of apology - a letter drawn up on the occasion of apologizing to the addressee for violations in business relations. Apology letters are relatively rare in official and business correspondence. Nevertheless, in many cases they are indispensable for making a formal apology to the addressee and normalizing the relationship, especially if it is not possible to apologize in any other way.

The standard wording for the beginning of letters of apology: "Please accept my apologies in connection with (for) ...". An apology should be made at the beginning of the letter and only then explain the reasons for your appeal. At the same time, it is not customary to apologize twice in the course of the letter. It is better to express your regret as sincerely and convincingly as possible in connection with the temporary violation of the relationship with the addressee. The general tone of the apology letter should be emphasized conciliatory, but not ingratiating.

A sample letter of apology is provided in Appendix 29.

Letter of condolence - a business letter drawn up to express regret, sympathy and condolences. This type of letter is used in everyday business correspondence in connection with the death of people close to the addressee (relatives, colleagues).

In the case of less tragic events ( natural disaster, major troubles in the activities of the organization), a written expression of sympathy, regret is used. These letters are intended to show friendly support in business environment... It is permissible to resort to this form of written appeal in case of misunderstandings in the relationship between the author and the addressee in case of disagreements that violate the usual order of business contacts. Such letters should be started with the words of condolences (sympathy, regret), for example: "I ask you to accept my condolences ..." or "I express my sincere sympathy to you ...". It is highly desirable that the general tone of such a letter be emphasized warm and leave room for a feeling of hope and optimism.

A sample letter of condolence is provided in Appendix 30.

Letter of recommendation - the form of the author's petition to the addressee in favor of a third party not participating in the correspondence. Most often, there are letters of recommendation issued by an organization to an employee in confirmation of work experience in this organization, merits and personal qualities of the employee.

A typical wording for the beginning of a letter of recommendation is the following: "With this letter I have the honor to recommend you Mr. (Madam) ...". After that, the author draws the attention of the addressee to the motives of his appeal and sets out his own idea of ​​the recommended person. A detailed recommendation cannot be general; it must contain a description of the specific advantages (or disadvantages) of the recommended one in order to create an objective impression of the person on the addressee.

It is interesting!

The poet Sergei Yesenin arrived in St. Petersburg on March 9, 1915. The first person he visited in the city was L.L.Blok. He gave him letters of recommendation, and Yesenin's path to literary circles was open.

In business practice, one can distinguish a group of letters used in the conduct of commercial activities of organizations, the so-called commercial letters... This group includes the following types of letters.

An inquiry - a business letter sent at the pre-contract stage by a potential buyer to a potential seller in order to obtain information about the possibility of supplying a batch of goods on certain conditions or with a request to send an offer for the supply of a certain batch of goods (for the provision of a certain type of service). A sales request should be distinguished from a newsletter and letters - requests about the message of the terms of delivery and the price of the goods. A letter of inquiry is also not considered an application or an order, which are other types of letters with other elements and details.

In a commercial request, the buyer is interested in the possibility of delivering a consignment of goods at a certain time, under certain conditions, the question of the delivery price may be raised. In the request, as a rule, indicate: the name of the goods (services) and the conditions on which it is desirable to receive the goods (quantity, quality of goods, model, brand, price, delivery time, delivery conditions, etc.).

The terms of payment determine when and how the buyer settles with the seller. The terms of delivery determine where and at what moment the responsibility for the safety of the goods and the risks passes from the seller to the buyer.

When determining the terms of delivery in international trade, the terms are used that are contained in the dictionary of commercial terms INCOTERMS ( International Commercial Terms, INCOTERMS) developed by the International Chamber of Commerce. The dictionary contains terms according to the basic conditions of supply, relating to the transportation process, registration of deliveries, etc., contained in international treaties purchase and sale. The three-letter abbreviations for each term are standard and agreed with the relevant PLO authorities. Since INCOMERMS is a constantly improving set of terms, when it is used in contracts, it is necessary to indicate the edition of the dictionary.

Some of the vocabulary terms are listed below:

  • - FAS ( Free Alongside Ship) - freely along the side of the ship in ... (port of shipment). The seller considers his obligations to be fulfilled when the goods are placed along the side of the vessel at the berth. From this point onwards, the buyer must bear all costs and risks of loss or damage to the goods. The term is used only for transportation by sea or river water transport;
  • - FOB ( Free on Board) – free on board at ... (port of shipment). Responsibility and risks pass to the buyer from the moment the goods pass over the ship's rail at the agreed port of shipment. The term is used only for transportation by sea or river water transport;
  • - CIF ( Cost Insurance Freight) - cost, insurance, freight paid to the port of destination. The term is used only for transportation by sea or river water transport;
  • - CIFC ( Cost Insurance Freight and Conihsion) – CIF and intermediary commission;
  • - DAF ( Delivered At Frontier) - delivery at the border. The seller is deemed to have fulfilled his obligations to supply the goods that have passed customs clearance for export from the moment they are handed over to the buyer at the agreed point at the border. The term can be used for any type of transport, but is mainly used for rail and road transport.

The following expressions are used in the commercial request:

"Please inform detailed information O...";

"We ask you to inform us about the possibility of delivery ...";

"Please make an offer for the supply ..." and others.

Standard text of a request letter:

"Concern" VAMIT "specializes in the study of wood drying technologies. In this regard, we are extremely interested in the purchase and installation of drying chambers produced by Russian enterprises. We ask you to send brochures and information on the price of the sets standard projects scientific and technical documentation for equipment for wood drying ".

A sample letter of request is presented in Appendix 32.

Reply to the request letter - a response letter from a potential seller of goods (services) to a request potential buyer goods (services).

In the event that the seller is ready to fulfill all the conditions of the request, he can immediately send an offer for the supply. However, it takes time to prepare a high-quality proposal, so it is recommended that you first agree in principle, and send the proposal in the next letter.

The answer to a commercial request can be:

  • - letter of offer (offer), if the seller can immediately satisfy the buyer's request;
  • - a letter informing about the product (services), if the buyer requested information about the product;
  • - refusal to consider the request.

In the latter case, business ethics requires, first of all, to express gratitude for the order, then explain the reasons why the order cannot be accepted and executed, for example:

"Thank you for your request for the supply ... Unfortunately, due to ... your order may not be accepted for consideration (executed)";

"Thank you for your request for delivery ... Unfortunately, the product you are interested in can only be supplied on the terms ...";

"Thank you for your request for delivery ... Unfortunately, the product you are interested in cannot be delivered earlier ... Please inform us of your agreement to change the delivery time."

Standard response text for a request:

"Having considered your request for the possibility of supplying 2000 ASUS VX239H monitors to Yekaterinburg in April 2014," we confirm our readiness to deliver these products on time. "

A sample response to a letter of inquiry is provided in Attachment 33.

Letter of proposal (presentation letter) - a business letter sent to a potential partner with an offer of goods, services, cooperation, etc. In commercial activities, such a letter of offer is called a commercial offer or offer.

The offer can be:

  • - written confirmation of the previously reached oral agreement;
  • - by reply to a previously sent letter of inquiry;
  • - an independent proposal, which is an initiative document. In this case, it acts as a sales letter.

In the first two cases, the proposal is sent in response to a letter of inquiry or as a result of preliminary agreements, therefore it is not proactive. Accordingly, the first line of the letter indicates the motivation for sending the offer.

There are many more required elements in a commercial proposal than in a request. This includes data on packaging and labeling, quality, price of goods, delivery price, cost of the entire batch, terms of payment. It is possible to provide information on compensation of risks in force majeure and conditions of arbitration.

In commercial activities, there are free and firm offers (offers). A free offer is an offer that the seller can refuse to fulfill before concluding a contract; it does not bind the seller with an obligation to sell the product. Information about the free offer is given in the first line of the text (... we make you an offer without obligation on our part). A firm offer is an offer, from which the seller has no right to refuse before a certain period.

A firm offer is sent to a specific buyer with an indication of the essential terms of delivery (quantity of goods, quality, price of goods, etc.). A firm offer binds the seller with an obligation to sell the offered product to the person to whom he offers it, therefore, a mandatory element of a firm offer is to indicate in the last line of the offer validity period, for example: "Offer is valid until ...". Failure to receive a response within the specified time limit is tantamount to refusing to accept the offer.

To create a quality proposal letter, you need to navigate in the following concepts:

  • - acceptance - acceptance of the offer on the terms of the seller;
  • - in bulk - transportation of bulky goods without packaging;
  • - in bulk - transportation of liquids in tanks or tankers without packaging;
  • - in bulk - transportation of bulk cargo without packaging.

The most common international terms defining

conditions of payment:

  • - АСС / АСС (АССОUNТ / АССОUNТ) - from account to account;
  • - B / C ( Bill For Collection) - bill for collection;
  • - CBD (CASH BEFORE DELIVERY) - payment in cash before delivery of the goods;
  • - CD (CASH AGAINST DOCUMENTS) - cash payment against documents;
  • - CIA (CASH IN ADVANCE) - cash advance payment.

The offer to the partner contains a specific detailed information,

since the next step can be the conclusion of an agreement, or general information, which is actually a proposal to start negotiations.

The structure of the offer can be as follows:

Part 1. Introduction:

  • - greetings;
  • - designation of the reason for the letter being composed.

This part of the message uses the phrases:

"Upon your request, we inform you that ...";

"We are glad that you want to establish business contacts with us";

"We are happy to send you the samples you want and offer ...";

"Our representative, Mr. N will inform us that you are interested in our products ...";

"According to your request ...";

"We confirm our agreement and inform that we can supply ...";

"Our business partners (N) have informed us that you are interested in including our products in your range ...";

"We are ready to supply you with our products, and therefore we are sending our latest catalog for review."

Part 2. Main part:

  • - the answer to the questions posed;
  • - conveying the meaning commercial proposal(emphasis on the exclusivity of the product, if there are few manufacturers of this product; emphasis on the parameters, differences of the product, if there are many manufacturers of this product; emphasis on the peculiarities of the company's work and the provision of services if there are a lot of manufacturers of this product).

Used phrases:

"We are ready to make you a special offer";

"We are offering to you...";

"We offer you firmly ...";

"In confirmation of our agreement, we offer you ...";

"Attached is our catalog with the latest price list";

"Our detailed price list will convince you of the richness of our assortment";

"Our offer is valid until ...";

"Prices include packaging and shipping costs";

"We deliver on terms ...";

"We are ready to provide you with a discount ...";

"Please let us know if you agree to a trial purchase for testing";

"Provided that raw material prices remain unchanged, ..";

"Our products are highly regarded for ..."

- additional offers (emphasis on a special relationship to the client).

Used phrases:

"To make it easier for you to start this new deal, we will give you a ...% discount on our prices in the catalog";

"The excellent quality of our products has won a lot of attention all over the world";

"I draw your attention especially to the position ...";

"For your purposes, the model is best suited ...";

"The items (goods) marked in the price list, I can recommend you especially, since they are made ...";

"You could profitably purchase a large batch ...";

"As you can see, our prices are competitive";

"We are confident that the quality of our products will meet all your expectations";

"We give all our products ... a year of warranty";

"Our products are carefully checked to ensure quality";

"We would be delighted to enter into a business relationship with you, and we are confident that you will be able to successfully sell our products in your store";

"Your first order will convince you that we strive to fulfill all the customer's wishes with the utmost care."

Part 3. Final:

- Expressing gratitude for the attention and expression of hope for cooperation.

Used phrases:

"We would be very glad to receive your order soon";

"If you have any questions about this, you can find us at the following phone numbers";

"If our proposal does not suit you, then we will be grateful for the fact that you will acquaint us with the reasons";

"At your request, we will gladly provide you with information on the terms of delivery and payment";

"We look forward to your order and promise fast, accurate execution."

Standard text of an offer letter:

"We bring to your attention a new catalog, which includes the full range of furniture produced by our company. We are also sending a price list, which provides significant discounts to our regular customers. However, we cannot keep these discounts for a long time, so we recommend placing your order within the current month."

A sample letter of proposal is provided in Appendix 34.

Reply to the offer letter - a response letter from a potential buyer of goods (services) to the offer of a potential seller of goods (services).

Business etiquette stipulates a mandatory response to an offer even when you cannot accept it.

The response to the offer letter can be a letter confirming the acceptance of the offer, or a refusal. The buyer may disagree only with some of the terms of the offer, then he can send the seller a counter offer, as a result of which commercial correspondence arises, in the course of which the parties either come to an agreement on all the essential terms of delivery, or refuse to conclude the deal. Depending on the situation, the following steady turnovers can be used in the response to the offer letter:

"Thank you for your offer and inform you about your readiness to conclude a deal on ...";

"We accept your offer for ...";

"We confirm our readiness to conclude a deal on ...";

"Thank you for your offer, but we are currently not interested in purchasing this item."

Standard response text for an offer letter:

"Thank you for your offer to additionally supply current transformers for completing electrical control panels. However, we consider the price quoted by you to be too high. In addition, the terms of payment, unfortunately, are unacceptable for us. We are ready to return to your suggestions if you deem it possible to contribute to them corresponding changes. "

A sample response to the letter of proposal is presented in Appendix 35.

Letter of demand - a business letter, the purpose of which is to induce the counterparty to fulfill its obligations under conditions when there are violations of previously accepted agreements.

Requirement letters are usually complex. They contain the terms of agreements with reference to specific documents, set out the essence of the current situation, formulate a requirement for the need to fulfill obligations and indicate possible sanctions in case of failure to fulfill these obligations.

Key phrases in request letters can be:

"We urgently demand to fulfill (send, provide, list) ...";

"We demand to fulfill our obligations ...";

"We demand to fulfill immediately ...", etc.

Possible sanctions can be formulated as follows:

"Otherwise, you will be subject to penalties ...";

"Otherwise, the case will be referred to the Arbitration Court";

"Otherwise, we are not responsible for the consequences ..." etc.

A sample response to a letter of demand is presented in Appendix 36.

The letter of claim is drawn up on a letterhead. There are currently no regulatory requirements for filing claims at the legislative level. But practice has developed the following recommendations for its preparation and design.

  • - the basis for filing a claim (reference to the agreement concluded between the parties, a letter of guarantee);
  • - the essence, the subject of the claim. It must be stated which obligation has been breached and to what extent (delay, inadequate quality and etc.);
  • - the validity of the claim (references to contracts, acts, etc.), evidence with reference to the normative documents that serve as the basis for satisfying the claim;
  • - material and other damages incurred by you;
  • - actions of the partner on the claim; specific requirements of the originator of the claim (termination of the contract, refund, demand for replacement of defective goods, etc.), indicating the time frame for satisfying these requirements;
  • - your actions if the claim is not satisfied. The letter must contain a warning about the subsequent appeal to judicial authorities in case the claim is not satisfied.

For unambiguous identification of this type of letter, it is allowed to designate the type of letter on the document - CLAIM.

A claim (complaint) letter must have a heading to the text that reflects its main requirements, for example, "On payment of debt and penalties" or contain a link to an agreement whose terms have been violated, for example, "On a claim under a lease agreement dated __________ No. ________".

A claim (complaint) letter must contain a mark on the presence of an attachment indicating all attached documents confirming the validity of the claim. The letter sets out the term for consideration of this claim, which, however, is not determined by law and in practice is one month. The form of presentation of the text should be as correct as possible to preserve business relationships and the reputation of partners.

Claim letters, as a rule, are sent to the addressee by registered mail with a separate receipt and acknowledgment of receipt. These documents are retained by the author of the claim for possible submission to the judicial authorities.

When drafting the text of the claim, the following phrases are used as the basis for filing a claim:

"We are sending you a claim for ...";

"We are sending you an examination certificate from ... No. ..., from which it follows that ...";

"Our customer makes a claim (complaint) to you regarding quality ...";

"We make a claim for the quality of goods ...";

"On the basis of a commercial act, we make a claim to ...";

"In accordance with the agreement ... you have violated clause No. ...";

"In the consignment of goods shipped ... a shortage was found ...";

"When accepting the goods received (date) under the invoice No. ... a shortage was established ...";

"To our great regret, we inform you that ...";

"Sorry, we have to inform you ...";

"According to clause 4 of the contract, you must deliver to us ...".

To state the requirements, phrases are used:

"We intend to demand from your side ...";

"We intend to ask you ...";

"In accordance with the above, we ask you ...";

"In connection with the above, you have been charged a fine for ...".

To describe the content of the sanctions, the following expressions are used:

"In case of evasion from taking measures to resolve the issues reflected in the complaint, the case will be referred to the Arbitration Court ...";

"... otherwise you will be subject to penalties";

"Refusal to fulfill obligations but the contract in connection with the stated complaint ...".

Reply to the claim (complaint) letter the organization must give in due time. During this time, you need to inform the counterparty in writing about the rejection of the claim or about its acceptance for consideration. If the claim is accepted for consideration, the deadline for making a decision on the claim or specific measures to satisfy it is reported. If the claim is rejected, the reasons for the rejection are stated with reference to documents that can substantiate it.

  • - letters offering goods or services;
  • - presentation letters containing information about the organization.

In addition to the named varieties, informational letters, brochures, bulletins are widely used in advertising, the task of which is to give detailed, sometimes detailed, information about goods and services. These materials are not marketing letters, but together with them serve an advertising function. Advertising materials, as a rule, are provided at the request of an interested party who received the primary information about the organization or product from the advertising letter or in some other way.

  • - the advertising letter should not be long and be no more than one page;
  • - the advertising letter should be concise, clear, informative; you should not describe in detail the organization and the offered goods or services, but it is necessary to emphasize only the difference between your organization and others, your goods from the goods of other suppliers;
  • - it is inappropriate to exaggerate the merits of your organization, since any information can always be verified;
  • - the offered goods or services should not be imposed; repeated repetition of the sentence, albeit in different versions, can alienate the correspondent;
  • - the advertising letter represents your company, firm, therefore it must be drawn up on a letterhead with all the details necessary for the letter.
  • 3. Presentation of the product (goods) and listing its main advantages.
  • 4. Enumeration of additional or related conditions.
  • 5. A specific proposal for cooperation (wholesale or retail, offer of services, etc.).
  • 6. Expression of readiness to provide samples of goods, detailed information about the goods or services and answer all questions that a potential consumer may have.
  • 7. Standard phrase expressing hope for cooperation.
  • 8. Signature (position, surname, initials).

When a letter represents an organization, its structure may look like this:

  • 1. Address to the addressee ("Dear Sirs!" Or "Dear Colleagues!").
  • 2. A brief introduction to the organization and the nature of its activities.
  • 3. Description of the main activities of the organization, its advantages in comparison with other organizations offering similar goods or services.
  • 4. A specific proposal for cooperation.
  • 5. Expression of readiness to provide any information of interest about the organization and answer all questions.
  • 6. Standard phrase with the expression of hope for cooperation.

To have a stronger impact on a potential partner, it is necessary that the letter advertising goods and services must be signed at least by the head of the department, and the letters representing the organization by the head of the organization or his deputy.

When designing advertising letters, you need to adhere to the general rules for the design of business letters, but to draw attention to the letter, it is permissible to use a wider range of text design, such as highlighting the most important fragments of the text.

So, modern management requires from each manager and leader the ability to write business texts of a wide variety of orientations. This can be both the preparation of commercial letters and business proposals, and the design of congratulatory letters and gratitude. The success of all management and commercial activities will directly depend on the writing of some of these documents. In this regard, practical written skills in developing business letters, regardless of the thematic focus of the text, are required in the daily work of almost any specialist, including managers of all levels, heads of company departments, advertising specialists, personal assistant managers, as well as all office workers.

A letter of request is perhaps the most common form of business correspondence. The number of situations that make it necessary to make a request on behalf of a legal entity or an individual cannot be counted. This is the receipt of information, product samples, coordination of actions, inducement to any action, etc.

The composition and structure of the request letter is not much different from the standard ones. As a rule, the text of the request letter consists of two parts:

1. The introductory part, where the essence of the case is presented in a narrative form, the motives and reasons for making a request are explained. The following standard expressions are often used here:

the reason for petition

Due to non-receipt ...;

Considering the social importance ...;

Considering (our long-term cooperation) ...;

Considering (the long-term and fruitful nature of our business relationship) ...;

Due to the inconsistency of your actions with the previously accepted agreements ...;

Due to the delay in receiving the goods ...;

Based on the results of negotiations on ... etc.

Goal of request

In order to fulfill the order ...;

In order to resolve the issue as soon as possible ...;

To agree on issues ...;

In order to ensure the safety of the passage of cargo ...;

To avoid conflict situations... etc.

In accordance with the earlier agreement ...;

In connection with contacting us ...;

Based on oral agreement ...;

Based on our telephone conversation ...;

According to government decree ...;

According to the protocol on mutual deliveries ... etc.

All of the above expressions must be used taking into account the context and speech situation.

Almost all standard expressions begin with a derived preposition or prepositional combination. Attention should be paid to the correct use of these prepositions with nouns that are mainly in the genitive and dative cases.

2. Actually a request. Here, the key phrase of the letter includes words derived from the verb ask. Its use is explained by etiquette requirements for business texts and psychological laws. business communication- a person more willingly agrees to perform an action expressed in the form of a request than in the form of a demand.

In some cases, the request itself, expressed descriptively, may not contain this verb, for example: We hope that you will find it possible to consider our proposal within the specified period.

The request can be stated in the first person singular ("Please ..."), in the first person plural ("Please ..."), in the third person singular (in this case, nouns with a collective meaning are used: "The Directorate asks. .. "," Administration requests ... "," Council labor collective asks ... ", etc.), from the third person plural, if several nouns with a collective meaning are used (the Administration and the Council of the work collective ask ...).

If the letter of request is multifaceted, then the composition of the second part of such a letter may look like this (parts of the composition should correspond to the paragraph division of the text):

Please ... (Please ...)

At the same time I ask ... (We also ask ...)

And also ask ... (And also ask ...)

When drawing up a letter of request, you should take into account the following recommendations:

1. When making a request, emphasize your interest or your organization's interest in fulfilling it.

2. Under no circumstances start the letter with the word "Please ..." - it is more tactful to first explain the reasons for your appeal (even if all the details have already been agreed with the addressee).

3. Do not rush to thank the addressee in advance. This puts both yourself and the recipient in an awkward position. Try to thank when you know that your request has been granted.

When formulating a request, the following standard expressions are often used:

We appeal (I appeal) to you (you) with a request ...

About sending to our address ...

About the direction to my address ...

About sending to our organization ...

About giving me ...;

We ask (ask) you (you) ...

Tell (us) ...

Send (to me) ...

Urgently present ...

Report immediately ...

Inform (enterprise management) about ...

Inform me about ...;

I ask for your (your) consent to ...

Sending to address ...

Providing us ...

Familiarization with...

Transfer ... of the following equipment ...;

We ask for your (your) assistance in ...

Receiving ...

Dispatch as soon as possible ...

Providing additional information regarding ...

Carrying out ...;

I ask for your (your) instructions ...

To conclude an agreement on ...

For delivery from the warehouse of the enterprise ... to the representative ...

For paperwork on ...

For revision ...;

We ask you not to refuse the courtesy and ....

A letter of request is a separate type of a business letter. The purpose of its compilation is the desire to move the recipient to any specific action. The recipient, that is, the person to whom this request is directed, can be both legal and individual... If a letter is addressed to an organization or enterprise, it is customary to draw up it addressed to the head of this enterprise.

Drafting

In most cases, the letter is drawn up on the letterhead of the sending company. In this case, the structure of the letter looks as follows:

  • outgoing number and date of preparation of the document;
  • data of the originator (name and position of the person who initiated the creation of the letter);
  • the name of the document, which briefly (in one phrase) indicates its essence;
  • an appeal to the recipient (most often a personal appeal is used, for example, "Dear Fedor Stepanovich!");
  • the main text of the letter-request, beginning with a phrase containing the verb "ask", for example, "We ask you to inform ...", "We ask you to help ..." or "We ask you to provide ...";
  • a polite form of expressing hope for a favorable outcome of the case, while using the phrases “We hope for a positive solution to our issue” or “We hope for your help in ...”;
  • the signature of the compiler (most often the letter of request is signed by the head of the organization, his deputy or the head of the structural unit).

In addition, care should be taken to ensure that the recipient of the letter, if necessary, has the opportunity to directly contact the originator. To do this, you must provide the contact information of the person making the request.

Often a situation arises when the originator has several requests to the recipient that require satisfaction. In this case, it is advisable to state all available requests in one letter, while dividing the main text into paragraphs. This will significantly reduce document flow, as well as save time for both the sender and the addressee.

The letter of request involves the receipt of a response letter, which will contain a positive or negative response to the stated request. If the original letter contains multiple requests, the response letter contains the results of each such request.

A request letter is a type of business letter. The request is sent to partners, contractors, government agencies ... Sometimes you can do without it (for example, by verbally asking a colleague-entrepreneur to provide some information), but in general, such messages should not be neglected. At least for the sake of compliance with the established order.

What can you ask for?

  • Information (about the characteristics of the goods and their availability, about the methods of delivery and delivery times, the reasons for the delay in dispatch, etc.).
  • Documents or objects (papers for concluding a contract, samples of goods, etc.).

In a word, if you do not know something or do not fully understand, if you need documents or price lists, send a request letter.

Structure of the letter

Such messages are written in the same way as other business letters:

  • first, the details of the recipient and the sender are indicated;
  • then - the date of preparation and the outgoing number of the document;
  • heading that reflects the essence of the issue;
  • an appeal to the recipient (as a rule - by name and patronymic, unless you write to the official authorities);
  • essence of the question;
  • a benevolent expression of hope for cooperation;
  • gratitude;
  • position, full name and signature of the sender.

Since the letter of inquiry is an official document, it should be written on letterhead. A sample request letter can be downloaded here.

How to write?

It is better to start a request with brief explanation reasons for the appeal. It is bad form to simply demand information without giving reasons (and even in an ultimatum, as some do). Write literally one introductory phrase, for example:

  • "On the basis of our preliminary agreements";
  • "In order to prevent possible controversial issues";
  • "In accordance with the concluded agreement";
  • "To conclude a contract."

If necessary, you can refer to legislative acts. For example, if the law requires you to familiarize yourself with any papers before concluding a contract, you can write in the letter: “In accordance with article Federal law dated 24.07.2012 No. 397-FZ ... ". You can go to the point without preliminary explanations only in cases where the reason for the request is obvious (for example, if you are writing a letter of request for a commercial proposal according to the sample). But if the reason for the appeal is non-standard, you should describe the situation and state your motives in detail so that the recipient does not have any questions.

In the content part, you need to formulate (if possible - concisely) one specific requirement. It is undesirable to ask for clarifications on several topics in the same message. However, this is optional - if you compose a letter for each small question (of which there are 5-10 in total), this will only lead to excessive formalism. The addressee will not be very happy either, having been subjected to such a "paper" bombardment. The content begins with standard introductory constructions:

  • "Please inform about ...";
  • "We will be extremely grateful if you ...";
  • "Please send ...".

A request letter always requires a response letter. If the question is urgent and urgent, tactfully mention that you would like to receive an answer as soon as possible. For this purpose, the following phrases can be used:

  • “Please reply as soon as possible”;
  • “We urge you to respond within five days”;
  • "We ask you to give an answer within two weeks";
  • "We look forward to your letter";
  • "Please send documents as soon as possible by e-mail."

In most cases, the request message is very short. You do not need to spread your thoughts along the tree and express your thoughts on the topic and not on the topic.

Below are examples of the most common queries.

Sample letter of request for the provision of documents

“Dear Vladimir Alexandrovich!

To conclude an agreement between LLC "Artemida" and JSC "Schwarzenspiegel" please provide the following list of documents:

  • articles of association;
  • OGRN and TIN certificates;
  • certificate of state registration of the company (obtained from the Federal Tax Service Inspectorate in the manner prescribed by law);
  • order on the appointment of the general director.

Please send both the originals of the documents (by Russian post or courier service) and their copies (by e-mail to [email protected])».

Sample letter of request for information

“Dear Petr Vladimirovich!

I ask you to inform me about the possibility of delivery of E-100 ship engines (catalog code SRK-1738-8476) in the amount of 10 pieces by December 10, 2015, as well as inform about the terms of delivery and payment. Thank you in advance for your prompt reply! "

Sample Letter of Request for Clarification

“Dear Alexander Petrovich!

In order to prevent possible controversial issues, I ask you to describe in as much detail as possible the procedure for the delivery of rhesus monkeys from the territory of North Vietnam. What vehicles are used at each stage, is there a danger to the life and health of individuals, for what maximum period should I expect? Looking forward to your reply".

Use the templates provided to compose your letter, and do not forget about politeness and business ethics. The request should not contain threatening phrases, ultimatums and promises to go with a complaint to the official authorities if there is no response. State your request as correctly as possible, even if the recipient clearly does not want to comply with it. And if the answer does not come (or if you receive an official refusal to provide data), you will have to resort to more serious measures - for example, writing a warning letter.

In business turnover, documents are distinguished strictly official, drawn up according to a single model or in accordance with accepted norms (for example,), and almost unofficial, drawn up when an unexpected issue needs to be resolved, to ask for help or to express gratitude. It is mistakenly believed that the "free" form is easier to use; on the contrary, in order to write a convincing appeal or letter, you will have to make much more effort than filling out a uniform form.

The second category of documents also includes a variety of letters of request, samples of which can be found below. Competently and clearly composing such a message is sometimes no less important than. The following will be examples of letters of requests for assistance, step-by-step instruction for creating the perfect document and tips for sending it to the addressee.

Instructions for drawing up a letter of request

And messages with a request for assistance, and for obvious reasons, cannot be drawn up according to a single model: using a unified form, it is simply impossible to adapt to specific circumstances. Indeed, in order for the request to have the desired effect, it is extremely important to take into account the personality of the recipient, his social status, current financial situation and other factors. In addition, the letter should have a pronounced confidential character: if it is a strictly official document, the addressee, who is in a more advantageous position by default, will most likely prefer to answer with an unsubscribe or simply refuse the dialogue by sending the message to the trash can.

Important: Keep a warm and respectful tone throughout the letter. We must not forget that a letter of request is not an official requirement, it can be freely ignored or rejected by the recipient. Respect alone will not give results without sufficient motivation, but at least it will be able to keep the reader's attention, forcing him to reach the end of the text.

Before you start drawing up a letter of request to solve a problem, postpone payments or provide a discount, it makes sense to decide on the addressee. Depending on the circumstances, these may be:

  • a private person - for example, a wealthy investor or an influential scientist;
  • individual entrepreneur or owner of a limited liability company;
  • a legal entity as a whole, if the sender does not know the name of the director or it does not make sense for him who will answer the message;
  • civil servant of any level - from the mayor of a small town to the governor or a responsible leader of any structure.

Naturally, a letter sent to a middle-class entrepreneur will be very different in spirit from an official message asking for assistance to the chairman of the state corporation. However, the structure of all request letters is approximately the same; it is enough for the compiler to understand what elements must be present in any letter, which ones can be varied and which ones are better to completely abandon. It is much more difficult to do this than, but it is still possible. To understand the situation, the instructions below will help.

The second issue that needs to be clarified before composing a letter of request is the structure of the document. As already mentioned, there is no unified form of the message, but the general plan of any business letter is almost the same - and it should be adhered to. A formal or semi-formal request for assistance, assistance or service is built from the following blocks:

  1. "A cap". Consists of the organization's logo, additional patterns (it is recommended to use not stock, but your own design; for this it would not hurt to hire a professional designer) and the name of the sending organization, if the latter is not part of the logo. Contrary to popular belief, it is not necessary to include in the cap the state symbols of the Russian Federation, including the flag and coat of arms, especially if the sender is a private person, individual entrepreneur or a small company that has no connection with government agencies. The presence of the flag and coat of arms is unlikely to affect the recipient's decision, but (if used ineptly), these attributes will make the reader suspicious of the applicant's trustworthiness.
  2. Introductory part. It includes:
    • the official names of the sending company (full and abbreviated) or the surname, name and patronymic of the originator of the letter of request;
    • addressee details, including TIN, PSRN, statistical codes, registration numbers and current account;
    • contact details: full address with zip code, phone numbers, email address, accounts in instant messengers and social networks, and so on;
    • optionally - the name or surname, name and patronymic of the recipient, depending on whether it is a legal entity or an individual;
    • a greeting, separated from the main text by an empty line and highlighted by using a larger font;
    • indications of the basis for the appeal (the occurrence of delay, analysis of the results, the presence of an oral agreement, telephone conversations etc);
    • the appointment of a letter of request (elimination of misunderstandings that have arisen, the earliest possible solution to the issue or immediate assistance to any person).
  3. Main text. The body of the letter should state (as briefly, intelligibly and in literary Russian as possible) the essence of the request: to pay the debt, spend renovation work, provide material assistance shelter or provide a discount. At the very beginning of the text, it must be emphasized that a letter is precisely a request; the easiest way to do this is using the appropriate derivatives: "I sincerely ask you", "We ask you", "Our organization asks", "I am asking you" - and others. As already mentioned, a request letter is not a demand, and even less an order, therefore, from the beginning to the end of the message, it is necessary to strictly adhere to a respectful tone, remembering that the person concerned in this case is the sender, not the reader. The only exceptions are messages with a request to pay off the debt; but in this case, one should not forget about respect for the addressee. It also does not hurt to add a few warm words at the beginning of the letter (if the sender and the recipient are well acquainted) or official compliments, if the originator and the addressee have not previously communicated or the interaction took place within a strictly business framework. If one letter contains several requests that are essentially different or related to each other, each of them should be given its own paragraph, or even better - create a bulleted list that has a significant visual advantage over solid text.
  4. Conclusion. If the letter has a special meaning for the sender, here it is worthwhile once again (briefly and convincingly) to urge the reader to action. This can be done either in two or three sentences, which are the quintessence of the main text, or with the help of an attention-grabbing slogan. Don't get too carried away, however; the letter of request must be of a confidential nature and not of a commercial or promotional nature. Better to let his style be uncomplicated than deliberately verified, instilling in the reader doubts about the sincerity of the sender. This is especially important if the letter contains a request for help or assistance.
  5. Farewell and signature. is not always put. If the purpose of drawing up a document is to gain assistance or support, it makes sense to use another formula instead of this formula, for example "Thanks in advance", "Thank you in advance", "Thank you for your attention", "Thank you very much for your help" and so on. Whatever phrase is used, it is necessarily and unconditionally separated from the signature itself by a comma, and also, if space permits, by a new line. The punctuation mark in this case has not a functional, but a graphic meaning, making it easier for the reader to perceive the text; the same applies to the transfer of the signature to the next line.
  6. Date and stamp. Immediately after the signature at the bottom of the letter, you must put down the date of its compilation or, if it was written in advance, sending. It is not necessary to put a seal and a personal signature, but it is highly desirable: this is another sign of respect for the addressee. Even if the message is sent electronically (although it is recommended to use paper documents), at the end of the page it is worth placing electronic copies of the seal (stamp) and personal signature of the sender, or certify the document with an enhanced electronic digital signature.

Advice: if it is important for the addressee to receive a response to the letter of request within a certain period of time, it is necessary to mention this in the main text: for example, "We are waiting for your reply no later than ..." or "We hope to receive clarifications by ...". Otherwise, the recipient, who is not bound by any obligations with respect to the document, may delay the response, which will create additional difficulties for the sender.

When sending a letter of request for help or debt repayment, it should be noted that in organizations, a secretary or an authorized person is engaged in the processing of incoming correspondence. Therefore, the applicant, who wants his message to be read directly by the manager or director, must make a note on the envelope “In person”, “Confidential” or “For consideration ... (name and initials of the addressee)”. However, if the document contains a request that does not affect personal, commercial or industrial secrets, there will be nothing catastrophic in the fact that the message is first read and registered by the secretary, and only then it was handed over to the director or manager.

Here are some tips for writing a message asking for help:

  1. The letter should be written in good Russian, without errors and typos. This is not only a sign of the sender's literacy, but also evidence of his respect for the recipient. If the compiler of the document did not bother to reread the text, it is at least unreasonable to talk about the sincerity of the warm words he used to the recipient.
  2. If it is not possible to use letterhead (for example, it simply does not exist), you should at least try to find an attractive font using different sizes and styles. A letter of request should be not only convincing, but also pleasing to the eye - otherwise the addressee may not endure and interrupt reading in the middle, without reaching the point.
  3. Remembering that a message asking for help or assistance is not strictly an official document, when writing it, you should try to avoid bureaucratic turns and too long sentences. The easier it is for the recipient to read the document and understand the essence of the appeal, the more likely he will respond and take the necessary measures.

Errors when composing a letter of request

To finally understand the rules and peculiarities of writing request letters, you should consider a small example containing errors typical for inexperienced authors:

Dear Valensky A. D!

We ask you to donate to our Conservation Fund wild hedgehogs Moscow region any amount, starting from 500 thousand rubles. We are waiting for your reply no later than August 25 of this year. Our checking account is 1234567890.

L. M. Petrov, Deputy First Chairman of the Fund.

List of mistakes made in the letter and examples of correct solutions:

  1. "Dear A. Valensky!" Correct option:"Dear Andrey Denisovich!" (mentioning the name and patronymic of the recipient acts better than the cold-official address by the last name).
  2. There are no welcoming words and compliments in the request letter. Correct option:“We know that you have been engaged in the restoration of rare populations of hedgehogs for a long time and productively and have your own small zoo, and you are also a laureate of the State Prize“ Helping Hedgehogs ”for 2009, 2011 and 2015”.
  3. There is no convincing argumentation in the example. Correct option:“You not only conduct independent research and communicate with leading experts in the field of hedgehog eugenics, but also actively help various environmental organizations, and also more than once declared their desire to sponsor any actions related to the creation of a favorable emotional environment for these mammals. "
  4. "We ask you to donate ...". When writing to one person, especially in a business letter, and especially if it contains a request, it is necessary to write the pronoun "You" with a capital letter. The use of a different spelling is a clear sign of disrespect or at least inattention of the compiler, which is completely inappropriate in such a message. Correct example: "We ask you to donate."
  5. In the main part of the request letter, there is either too little or too much specifics. The essence of the Fund's work should be described in more detail, but at the same time, the reader should be given the opportunity to independently choose the amount of the donation. There is no apparent need to indicate a specific date of receipt of the response: its mention must be either justified or excluded from the body of the letter. Correct example: « In connection with your interest in the problem, we sincerely ask you to make a donation to our Foundation, which since 2009 has been collecting information on the population of hedgehogs in the Moscow region and their conditions of existence, as well as developing projects for the relocation of disadvantaged animals to more comfortable seats... You can make a transfer to our bank account 1234567890 or by contacting our representative, choose any other convenient way to help hedgehogs. If it is not difficult for you, we ask you to reply to the letter no later than August 25 of the current year: already at the beginning of September we are launching a large-scale and expensive project, in which you can participate ”.
  6. Missing in the above letter of request and conclusion. Correct example: " We hope for your understanding and sympathy. We are always ready to answer your questions and take into account the existing comments. Healthy and happy hedgehogs- the future of our ecology! "
  7. There is no final courtesy formula in the donation letter. This, like most other blunders, indicates either the inability of the sender to compose a business letter (how then can you trust him with money?), Or his obvious disrespect for the addressee. Correct example:

Thank you in advance for your assistance!

Deputy First Chairman of the Foundation

L. M. Petrov.

Sample letters of request

Although letters of request are written in a free form, it will be useful for the compiler, especially those who have not previously had such experience, to familiarize themselves with the samples of the most common messages.

About allocating money

If you need to seek help or assistance from an investor, sponsor or lender, you should fill out a letter requesting the allocation of funds.

About delivery of goods

Sometimes it is necessary to ask the supplier to shift the delivery time of the goods in one direction or another, or to place an order for a new batch as soon as possible.

About deferred payment

Reduction of rent

If the landlord decided to raise the rent, or some time after the conclusion of the contract, the tenant realized that he could spend less, you can try to remedy the situation by sending a letter to the other party asking them to lower the rent.

About discounts

It is not always that the seller of a product or service himself offers regular or especially profitable customers to participate in a discount program. Sending a letter asking for a discount will help to achieve fairness while maintaining an excellent relationship between the parties.

Payment of debt

From time to time, even the most decent borrower or client forgets about the next installment or the obligation to pay for the purchase. A letter asking him to pay the debt will help him gently point out inappropriate behavior.

On assistance in resolving the issue

If the issue is not in the purely financial sphere and a citizen or an organization needs comprehensive assistance, they can get out of the situation by writing and sending letters to several influential recipients asking for assistance in resolving the issue.

Features of sending a letter of request

With regard to sending official messages asking for help or assistance, several recommendations can be made:

  1. It is better to use not electronic, but paper versions of the document sent by courier or registered mail through the Russian Post. Such an approach will show not only the special interest of the sender, but also his willingness to go in order to receive an answer to certain expenses, which will certainly create a positive impression on the recipient.
  2. In some cases, it makes sense to write a letter by hand(of course, in a well-readable and eye-pleasing handwriting) and on good paper. It is unlikely that this method is suitable for mass mailings, but it will definitely help to interest a specific addressee.
  3. Letters are compulsorily registered in the journal of outgoing documents of the sending organization, and upon receipt - in the journal of the recipient's incoming documents. If the correspondence is between private individuals, there is no need to register messages.

Summing up

The letter asking for help should be written correctly and as briefly as possible. It is better to use a letterhead to design a document, and if this is not possible, at least choose attractive fonts. It is better to send a finished letter by courier or by mail.

The message must contain a preamble, a few warm words addressed to the recipient, the rationale and essence of the request. In conclusion, you should use the traditional formulas of courtesy: "Thanks in advance" or "Sincerely." It is recommended to certify the document with the signature of the head and the seal or stamp of the organization, and if sent by e-mail - scanned images of the signature and seal or digital signature.