The Business Correspondence Overview

Read the text and say what business correspondence is composed of.

Business correspondence is defined as a way of communication through the exchange of letters. These are the letters written or received by two or more parties which may come in the form of letters, emails, text messages, voicemails, notes or post cards.

By just looking at the definition, we can generally conclude that business correspondence is a very important factor in the business community. It is like an exchange of events to and from the different points which are the involved business parties.

Business correspondence, being one of the most powerful tools in business agreements and other business deals, is actually evolving nowadays. We are now living in a computer era, and it is understandable why there are gradual changes in the methods of business correspondence, from the way that is being written to the process of letter exchange.

The product of the innovated technology when it comes to the business correspondence aspect is the electronic mail. Because of the email, the conventional ways of business correspondence are being phased out and the use of email is still being developed. However, the use of paper is still not out of the scene. The different kinds of business correspondence that we use nowadays are business letters, memos, business plans, faxes and emails. CVs or resumes, recommendation letters or reference letters, cover letters or application letters, inquiry letters, greeting cards, invitations also belong to business correspondence.

Business letters are commonly used in companies as to request payment, thank customers or to solicit business. There is also a reference line that includes important details such as relevant account, order or purchase number. Remember to include the contact information where the recipients will be able to easily reach you if they have questions or concerns. Regardless of the details, all business letters should follow a standard format which includes the date, the name and address of the recipient as well as sender name and address.

Memos are little documents with demanding requests and written properly. Memos should include “To”, “From”, “Date” and “Subject.” There should have a brief explanation on the exact information or clear instruction which is conveyed to the employees.

Business reports refer to a variety of reports including a business proposal, marketing plan, project analysis, or financial overview. To make business reports effective, one should include summary or recommendation that is not based on personal opinions and make sure to find out exactly what kind of information you’re client wants and the questions they want answered in the report.

Business faxes have been around much longer than business memos but because fax machines are not that available to most of the people before, it was not recognized until 1980s. There are no established rules in writing faxes because it is being written the way that everyone considered appropriate. However, because there is now such a thing as faxing via computer, fax machines are now facing a slow death.

Email is a fruit of technology and can be considered as a blessing because you can actually send all the workplace communication and the like in just a blink of an eye! It is now the most widely spread type of business correspondence in the modernized business community. Every company uses email to communicate internally and externally to colleagues and clients which is of course related to the field of work.

ACurriculum Vitae includes a summary of your educational, academic and working backgrounds as well as teaching and research experience, publications, presentations, awards, honors, affiliations and other details. The term " curriculum vitae" means " the story of your life" from the Latin. The purpose of the CV is to inform prospective employers of a job seeker's qualifications and experience for a position. It is primarily used when applying for academic, education, scientific or research positions. It is also applicable when applying for fellowships or grants.

Exercises.

1. Give the Russian equivalents of the following:

a memo

an inquiry

a business plan

a business community

CV

a summary

an addressee

exchange of events

business parties

a clear instruction

a brief explanation

a reference line

the educational and working background

to communicate internally and externally

2. Suggest the English for:

деловое письмо

рекомендательное письмо

письмо-приглашение

сопроводительное письмо

финансовый отчёт

текстовое сообщение

голосовое сообщение

отправитель

бизнес-договор

бизнес-сделка

мощное орудие

быстро развиваться

запрашивать счёт

номер покупки (заказа)

широко распространённый

использовать главным образом

3. Read the extracts of some business letters and translate them to Russian:

The meeting on Saturday, April 7, has been changed to Room 101.

J.C.

# 2.

“Dear Mr. Foster,

We invite you to come in ABC building, December 20, 2009, for this once in a lifetime event which brings together all the famous painters all over the country to present their artistic works to the media. We look forward in welcoming you in the event.

Sincerely,

Donald Wilson”

# 3.

“Dear Sirs,

With reference to your advertisement in yesterday's «New York Times», could you please send me a copy of your latest catalogue? I would also like to know if it is possible to make purchases online.

Yours faithfully,

Kenneth Beare

Administrative Director

#4.