Letter on the direction of the draft contract for approval. Hello, priceless Katerina Matveevna, or let's talk about business letters

  • 23.02.2023

The rules of business correspondence provide for the exchange of documents with partners by e-mail or by courier, often contracts that need to be signed. In such a situation, it is customary to attach a cover letter to the shipment, which not only lists the papers sent, but also explains what actions are expected from the recipient. For example, a cover letter to an additional agreement to an agreement or simply to an agreement that must be signed and returned to the sender. It is important to remember that the law does not require that accompanying papers be prepared, but we recommend that you always do this, as they help to avoid inaccuracies and possible misunderstandings.

There are two main functions of a cover letter (or, as employees often call it among themselves, “accompanying letters”):

  • an inventory of the documents sent (if the contract, then its name, on how many sheets it is drawn up, how many copies);
  • instructions for action (for example, sign the contract and return one of the copies to the sender).

Since the text of the accompanying papers includes an inventory, it is recommended that they be made in two copies: one recipient keeps for himself, and on the second he signs for receipt and returns to the sender. After that, the cover letter must be registered and stored, like any important correspondence. This approach helps to resolve many controversial situations.

For accounting, the fact of sending is only informative in terms of drawing up plans for income and expenses. Reflection of the facts of economic activity on the basis of such paper is not carried out.

Cover letter structure

Since it is not mandatory, there are no regulatory requirements for design and content. But it should be remembered that in 2019 the rules for processing letters are subject to the GOST R 6.30-2003 standard of 03/03/2003. You can create a structure like this:

  1. A cap.
  2. Number and date.
  3. Appeal.
  4. Text.
  5. Application.
  6. Signatures and seal.

Let's analyze some of them in more detail.

A cap

As a rule, correspondence of budgetary organizations is drawn up on letterhead. In the header, you need to indicate the name of the addressee and his details, as well as the specific recipient - the responsible person. You can address two or more recipients at the same time. In this case, you can specify either a list of names or a list of positions. It is not necessary to write the surname and initials, but it is desirable from the point of view of business etiquette.

Number and date

The numbering of letters is carried out in accordance with the organization's office work rules, which are established by local acts. Office work in some areas is regulated by sectoral acts (notaries, armed forces). As a rule, it is required to indicate the incoming or outgoing number and the date of receipt or departure.

Text

We recommend starting the text with the phrases: "We are sending you ...", "We present to you ...", in order to highlight the key wording. After that, list the documents that you send, fixing their number and date (if any). In the final part, you need to pay attention to the purpose of departure. The following wording is appropriate:

  • please confirm receipt;
  • I ask you to sign the contract and return it on time;
  • I ask you to agree on the text of the agreement and return it with comments (send a protocol of disagreements);
  • please use in accordance with its intended purpose;
  • Please ensure that confidential information is kept safe.

In the text, it is possible to highlight in bold or underlined phrases that have the most important semantic load.

Application

Mandatory make an inventory of all documents that you send. At the same time, in order to avoid possible disagreements in the future, it is recommended to unify each element of the list, indicate the full title, number of copies and sheets of each document. For example, “Agreement for the supply of office supplies No. 4 dated 06/01/2017 in 2 copies. on 5 sheets each ». In conclusion, it is recommended to indicate the number of points of the application and the total number of sheets: “In total, 2 documents on 13 sheets were sent.”

Signature

Accompanying documents are countersigned by the manager or responsible person, if it is provided for by the office work rules. The presence of the signature of the chief accountant or other person of the financial service is not required. Nevertheless, we recommend that the rules of office work provide for a scheme for informing the accounting department in order to avoid a situation where the necessary approvals are not available.

As for the seal, in 2019 legal entities are not required to have a round seal to certify issued documents, including letters (82-FZ of 04/06/2015). Therefore, its presence on the form remains at the discretion of clerks.

Cover letter to the contract- this is an instruction to the sent contract or its draft.

How to write a cover letter for a contract

The cover letter to the contract has the same structure as: the position, name of the organization and the name of the recipient are indicated in the header of the document, the date, document number, and, if necessary, the title of the letter are placed below.

This is followed by an appeal to the recipient.

The contract usually begins with the following phrases:

  • We send to you...
  • We present to you…
  • We are sending you…

Then follows the name, contract number and further actions of the recipient: which copies must be signed, sealed, which ones should be returned back.

The letter ends with the signature of the sender indicating his position and full name.

Sample cover letter for a contract

to CEO
OOO "Svetlitsa"
E.V. Filippova

29.07.2013 № 29

Dear Elena Vladimirovna!

We send to your address a signed and sealed supply contract No. 2013-26-07 dated July 26, 2013. Please sign it, seal it and send one copy to us within 7 days.

Attachment: contract in 2 copies (on 6 sheets in total).

It is desirable to issue a cover letter to the contract on the letterhead of the organization.

Pictures and tables should not be inserted into the body of the letter: such materials are made out as attachments with their own number and name. At the end of the letter there is a list of all attachments, indicating their serial number, title, number of pages and number of copies. Modern spell checkers (including those built into MS Word) allow you to prepare absolutely literate documents. Any spelling, punctuation and stylistic errors in business correspondence are not allowed. A few points that the designer should pay attention to in order to correctly write a letter to the customer Even Yamamoto Tsunetomo in the 17th century, in his collection of samurai codes of conduct, said that you need to write a letter so that the addressee wants to hang it on the wall, like a work of art. art.

Consent letter

Examples of letters of confirmation Letter of confirmation of a preliminary agreement Letter of confirmation of payment for goods Reminder letter - a letter used when the partner organization fails to fulfill its obligations or agreements. The key phrases of such letters are: The text of the reminder letter may include two parts: a reference to an official document that sets out the obligations of the parties or the circumstances in connection with which the organization is obliged to take certain actions, and a request to take certain actions in connection with this.


Quite often, such letters contain only the actual reminder.

How to write a formal request letter - sample

Response letter (sample) Details of a response letter Reference This category of letters contains the same details as any other business letters. The main details include:

  1. name of company;
  2. reference data about the organization;
  3. organization code;
  4. main state registration number (OGRN) of a legal entity;
  5. taxpayer identification number/registration reason code;
  6. date of;
  7. registration number;
  8. reference to the registration number and date of the incoming document;
  9. destination;
  10. heading to the text (when writing a letter on A4 form);
  11. signature.

It is important to understand that any response letter must contain the number of the document in which the request was sent and its date.
In this case, the response letter is signed by the employee to whom the request was sent.

How should a designer write a letter to a customer?

A number of incoming correspondence to the organization requires sending answers to certain questions. In this article, we will take a closer look at how to write a letter in response to a request.


From the article you will learn:

  • in what cases is a response letter required;
  • what can be the letter-response;
  • response letter details.

When is a Letter of Response Required Each organization's incoming correspondence consists of various documents, certain types of which require the sending of response messages. At the same time, it is necessary to be well versed in the types of incoming documentation and in the letters that need to be answered.

Important

We suggest you familiarize yourself in detail with the types of incoming letters to which you need to send a response message. Request letter Already from the name of this document it becomes obvious that it contains some kind of request sent to the addressee.

Sample response letter

The possible consequences of such a replacement must be reasonably reported to the customer. How to write a letter to the Customer correctly: tips for formatting A letter is drawn up on a letterhead according to the basic rules of office work: the customer company, position, surname and initials of the person authorized to conduct business correspondence are indicated as the addressee. This is an official document (which, among other things, may be considered by the court), therefore, it must have a date, number and be certified by the signature of an authorized person (director, chief engineer, chief project engineer, etc.) A letter issued on a letterhead enterprises, additional wet printing is not required.


The letter must contain the subject: “On the progress of design”, “On payment”, and so on.

Response letters

Attention

You should start the letter with a standard appeal, for example - “Dear Igor Petrovich!” Addressing the customer by name and patronymic is important. If you are preparing a response to a letter, and do not have the data of the person to whom you are addressing, you need to find out (call the reception or the direct executor of the letter).

The letter indicates the name of the organization and the person to whom the letter is addressed. You should address the addressee by name and patronymic At the end of the letter, under the signature, the performer and his contact details must be indicated.

For example, if the material of the letter signed by the GUI or the chief engineer is prepared by the design engineer, the customer representative should be able to contact him directly to clarify the technical details.

How to write a reply letter

You will need

  • - printed text of the contract;
  • - a computer with a printer;
  • - seal.

Instructions 1 Start the letter with a "header", which is located in the upper left corner of the form. Here indicate the position, surname and initials of the person to whom the contract is sent, the name of the organization in which he works, the legal address of the organization. If the contract is sent to an individual entrepreneur, in the "header" indicate his status (IP), last name, initials, address. 2 Preface the body of the letter with a greeting. It can begin with the word "respected", followed by an appeal by name and patronymic.
For example, "Dear Ivan Ivanovich!". The greeting is written below the heading in the middle of the sheet and is usually in bold type. 3 Next, move on to the body of the cover letter. The most important thing that needs to be reflected is the fact that the contract was sent.

Use phrases like: “We are sending a draft Service Agreement for consideration and signing.” If we are talking about an already concluded contract, indicate its number and date.

4 Then, when there is a need for this, write what you want to draw the attention of the addressee to, state your proposal or request related to the contract being sent. Avoid mentioning things that are not related to the contract being sent. 5 After the main text, write the word "Appendix:" and name the contract that is sent, indicate the number of sheets and copies. 6 Assign a date and number to the cover letter and register it in the journal of outgoing correspondence. Accordingly, it must be signed by the head of the organization or an individual entrepreneur, and the signature must be certified by a seal.
No one, and especially the customer, will not like it if the letter begins with the words “We inform you ...”, “Once again we notify ...”, even if the purpose of the letter is to inform or remind. Such phrases should, if possible, be softened and transferred to the second or third paragraphs. An example of the location of semantic blocks You can start a letter, depending on its content, with the following introductory phrases:

  • Thank you for the invitation to cooperate...
  • We present our respect to you...
  • Continuing the phone conversation...
  • According to the agreement, I inform you ...
  • Thank you for your timely response to our letter no.

The main body of the letter, containing questions, a description of problems, your vision of their solution, should be stated in a clear and concise form, without unnecessary information.

How to write a letter to agree on an important issue

Letter of reply (sample) Read also:

  • letter of apology
  • How to write a letter of recommendation
  • Compiling a cover letter for documents

Negative response If it is not possible to satisfy the request or request, it is necessary to report the refusal most correctly. In this case, as in the above option, the refusal must be written in the same style as the initiating request.

A negative answer should be as correct as possible and contain objective reasons for the refusal. In the event that there are prerequisites for making a positive decision on the request, you can indicate in the response the conditions that are required for this.

Note that it is unacceptable to issue a negative response to a letter (a sample is presented below) in a rude tone. Moreover, it would be quite appropriate to express sincere regret about the impossibility of satisfying the request.
These may be new conditions or wishes of the customer, requiring minor adjustments or significant alterations to the documentation; there may be new works, the need for which at the stage of concluding the contract could not be determined; there may be other cases. The customer must be notified of this in writing, receiving confirmation from him about the need to perform additional work and his readiness to conclude an additional agreement;

  • if an error is found in the project, it is necessary, in addition to actually correcting it, to correctly and clearly justify in a letter the reasons for which it was made;
  • the customer may require the use of certain brands of equipment and building materials in the project. Often the client decides to use cheaper analogues, in comparison with those provided by the designer.

Let's take a look at how the agreement is made. Each organization, of course, has its own options and their combinations. We will try to show what is possible.

External approval

For external approval, GOST R 6.30-2003 recommends using the approval stamp on the draft document. Let me remind you that the approval stamp is a requisite that expresses the consent of another organization that is not the author of the document with its content (GOST R 7.0.8-2013, definition 56).

Document Fragment

Collapse Show

3.23. The document approval stamp consists of the word AGREED, the position of the person with whom the document was approved (including the name of the organization), personal signature, signature decoding (initials, surname) and the date of approval, for example:

AGREED

Rector of the Financial Academy
under the Government of the Russian Federation
Personal signature of A.G. Gryaznova
date


If the approval is carried out by letter, protocol, etc., the approval stamp is drawn up as follows:

AGREED

Letter from the Russian Academy
medical sciences
dated 05.06.2003 No. 430-162

AGREED

Minutes of the meeting of the Board
Russian state
insurance company "Rosgosstrakh"
dated 05.06.2003 No. 10

Example 1

Collapse Show

Example 2

Collapse Show

Internal reconciliation

1. Approval of the document (approval visa)

This form of approval is most often used by small organizations, where the list of approving persons is rather limited, or for documents that are approved by a couple of people.

However, this method is not at all convenient for large companies whose list of consenters reaches a dozen (possibly more) officials.

GOST R 6.30-2003 recommends that visa approval similar to the approval stamp, but without indicating the word "AGREED" itself and the name of the organization as part of the position of the approver (with internal approval, it is already clear that this official works in the organization - the author of the document). The following difference: the internal coordination of the project is possible if there are comments to it, which must be attached.

Document Fragment

Collapse Show

GOST R 6.30-2003 “Unified Documentation Systems. Unified system of organizational and administrative documentation. Documentation Requirements »

3.24. Approval of the document is formalized with a document approval visa (hereinafter referred to as the visa), which includes the signature and position of the approver of the document, the decoding of the signature (initials, surname) and the date of signing. For example:


Personal signature of A.S. Orlov
date


If there are comments to the document, the visa is issued as follows:

Comments attached
Head of Legal Department
Personal signature of A.S. Orlov
date


Comments are stated on a separate sheet, signed and attached to the document.

For a document whose original remains with the organization, visas are affixed at the bottom of the reverse side of the last page of the original document.

For a document whose original is sent from an organization, visas are affixed at the bottom of the front side of a copy of the document being sent.

It is possible to issue a visa document on a separate approval sheet.

It is allowed, at the discretion of the organization, sheet-by-sheet approval of the document and its application.

Example 3

Collapse Show

2. Approval sheet

In practice, quite often you can find a collection of approval visas for a draft document not on it itself, but on its approval sheet.

The approval (approval) sheet of a document is part of an official document with marks (visas) on approval (GOST R 7.0.8-2013).

In different organizations, its form can be very different. In view of this definition, we note that it is allowed to use exactly marks on approval, not visa approval. Therefore, printouts from EDMS and MS Outlook (more on this later, see Figure 4 and Example 6) are nothing more than approval sheets.

I want to note that the approval of the draft document itself or the collection of "live" signatures on a paper approval sheet is the most reliable option, because. who agrees on his personal signature is unlikely to refuse later.

Example 4

Collapse Show

Example 5

Collapse Show

3. Coordination by e-mail (for example, in MS Outlook)

Collecting "live" signatures on a draft document or on an approval sheet takes enough time. And the very essence of the process of coordination is not simple. Therefore, office work services are trying to simplify the life of both themselves and those who agree. One of the options for such simplification is the use of electronic approval. And even if you do not have an EDMS with special clerical functionality, then ordinary e-mail is most likely installed on the computers of all coordinating persons. And, by the way, with the help of MS Outlook, it is quite possible to organize electronic coordination of files sent through it.

Let me briefly explain how you can use it:


However, I want to note that this option has its drawbacks. The approver can always say that someone else voted from his computer in his absence. Companies try to solve such misunderstandings:

  • either by using an electronic digital signature by each participant in the process (a very costly mechanism),
  • or in internal regulations (for example, “on security”, “on the use of an automated workplace”, etc.), they try to oblige employees to use only their own computer for work, and when leaving, block it with a password.

4. Coordination in the EDMS

An even more progressive way to coordinate documents is to use various electronic document management systems. The principle of operation is simple:

  1. The initiator enters a certain application in the EDMS (CASE, Boss Referent, Directum, etc.) and attaches a draft document.
  2. Approvers, having considered the draft, leave their comments and vote.
  3. The initiator can print out the result of the vote and attach it to the draft document for signing. As a rule, this “result” (approval sheet) is confirmed by the signature of the responsible worker of the records management service.

In our organization, it is customary to use two forms of approval at the discretion of the initiator:

  • collection of "live" visas on a paper approval sheet or
  • approval in the EDMS - at the same time, an approval sheet is also generated, but filled in automatically (shown in Example 6).

However, the combination of these methods when agreeing on one document is prohibited for us, because some approvers will not see the comments of others. The approval sheet printed from the EDMS must be certified by the signature of the head of the SDOU.

Example 6

Collapse Show

“... Good afternoon, a fun minute. Hello, priceless Katerina Matveevna.

For the past delay, do not blame me. Apparently, this is my destiny. However, this is no longer expected. Therefore, I hasten to inform you that I am alive and well, and I wish you the same ... "

From a letter from a Red Army soldier Comrade Sukhov

(film "White Sun of the Desert")

Who among us does not remember the touching letter to his wife, "priceless Katerina Matveevna", which was mentally written throughout the film by the Red Army soldier Fyodor Ivanovich Sukhov? This letter, of course, was personal, not business. But due to the life situation in which the characters were, it had a thoroughness, structure and individual features that are also characteristic of business correspondence.

An office worker, like a Red Army soldier, Sukhov, often has to solve diverse tasks and compose letters, sometimes on the most unexpected topics. It would seem, what is easier? But it turns out that the manager’s instruction “write a letter” can cause a storm of confusion in the soul and mind of the secretary: “Letter?! .. And how to write it ?! What to write?! How to issue and how to send to the addressee?! Horrible!!!"

In fact, there is nothing terrible and difficult in this assignment. And if you have ever (and you definitely did) write essays at school, writing a letter will not require superhuman efforts from you. You will need attentiveness, perseverance, knowledge of the business processes of your organization, the ability to understand issues and circumstances that are sometimes unfamiliar to you, the ability to obtain the information you need from other departments, services and employees, and literacy of presentation.

Let's start with the general requirements for writing business letters.

To learn more

The structure of the text of a business letter

In the most general case, the text of a business letter consists of:

  • appeals (introductory etiquette formula);
  • introductory part;
  • main part;
  • final part;
  • final etiquette formula.

Let's consider them in more detail.

appeal, or introductory etiquette formula (politeness formula):“Hello, priceless Ekaterina Matveevna!”

The appeal (introductory etiquette formula, politeness formula, etc.) is intended to express respect for the addressee, draw the addressee's attention to the subject of the letter and may contain the position, surname, name and patronymic of the person to whom this letter is addressed: Dear Vladimir Petrovich!

In the case of addressing the most significant and important people, the greeting "Dear" is applicable.

For example:

  • Dear Mr. Minister!
  • Dear Mr. Governor!
  • Dear Mr. Vakhrushin!

If the letter refers to the organization's team or to a certain group of employees, then the etiquette formula looks like this: Dear Sirs!

Familiarity in circulation is unacceptable. The turnover "Dear ..." or "Dear ..." and the like in a business letter are inappropriate.

note

An exclamation mark must be placed at the end of the call. A comma, which is grammatically valid, would be inappropriate in this case.

The reference is aligned to the center of the document.

By the way

The appeal is not a mandatory element of the letter. In official letters of standard content, in cover letters that do not contain requests, and other letters of a trivial nature that do not require personal consideration by the manager, the appeal can be omitted. For example: I ask you to send a reconciliation report with Amethyst LLC on December 30, 2014 to the address: st. Tverskaya, house 1, office 23, Ensk, 123645.

Introductory part. May contain:

  • reason, purpose of writing this letter. For example: Your organization participated in the tender procedure No. 118-SAZhKH for the purchase of municipal equipment for the needs of the urban economy of the Ensk territorial district;
  • a link to a document related to the subject of the email. For example: In response to your letter, ref. No. 125/1 dated 07/13/2015 we inform ...;
  • a summary of a situation, fact, event. For example: As part of the supply agreement No. 251 dated 11/17/2014 concluded with Amethyst LLC, road construction equipment was supplied in the amount of 2,250,000 rubles;
  • etiquette phrases expressing gratitude, regret, congratulations, condolences, etc., depending on the situation. For example: I thank the specialists of the technical department of Amethyst LLC for the quick and qualified troubleshooting of technical communications that provide power supply to the administrative building of Elegia LLC.

Also, the introductory part can describe the general situation (like Comrade Sukhov, who, thanks to the innate talent of the storyteller, also could not do without an introduction): Know, dear Katerina Matvevna, that today the class battles are by and large completed and the hour of world liberation is approaching. And it was my turn to return home to build a new life with you in my dear native land..

Main part. Contains a statement of the problem, situation, with relevant facts, arguments and evidence. It should be connected in meaning with the introductory part and logically lead to the conclusions set out in the concluding part. This is the most complex and intense part of a business letter. It is necessary to treat its compilation very carefully and responsibly, having prepared the appropriate evidence and documentation base.

Here you will need knowledge of business processes and the ability to extract the necessary information.

Depending on the subject of the letter, the body can be short or complex (consisting of paragraphs and subparagraphs). When formulating phrases, opt for simplicity of presentation.

You should always remember that simple common sentences are perceived much easier than compound and complex ones with an abundance of punctuation marks. For example, the essence of the question can be stated as follows:

In April 2015, Izumrud LLC manufactured a set of metal-cutting equipment, which was sent to Amethyst LLC by the Delovye Linii transport company and received by Amethyst LLC 14 days later than the deadline, which is confirmed by waybill No. 1125/245 dated 04/23/2015, the original of which was provided to us by the transport company "Business Lines", in connection with which LLC "Izumrud" is obliged to pay LLC "Amethyst" a penalty in the amount of ...

And it's possible like this:

04/02/2015 Izumrud LLC sent metal-cutting equipment to Amethyst LLC. The equipment was received on 04/23/2015. This fact is confirmed by the consignment note No. 1125/245 dated April 23, 2015, provided by the transport company Delovye Linii LLC.

The estimated delivery time for the equipment according to Contract No. 12 dated March 29, 2015 is 7 calendar days from the date of shipment. In this case, it has 21 calendar days. Thus, for violation of the terms of delivery of equipment in accordance with clause 3.12 of the above agreement, Izumrud LLC is obliged to pay a fine in the amount of ...

In general, the following requirements are imposed on the presentation:

  • compliance with applicable law;
  • neutral, business tone of presentation;
  • the use of abbreviations (LLC, Ministry of Emergency Situations, Ministry of Internal Affairs, State District Power Plant, traffic police, etc.) and commonly used abbreviations (sq.
  • using the passive voice (for example, you should write " we will produce…", but not " we will produce...”, focusing on the action being performed, and not on the object that produces it);
  • the use of template turns (the so-called language formulas) characteristic of the industry or type of activity to which your company belongs. As an example of their virtuoso and organic application, one can cite the same letter from Comrade Sukhov: “ However, we had a slight hitch. I guess three days, no more. Namely, me as a conscious fighter instructed to accompany a group of comrades from the fraternal East... I also want to tell you: dislocation ours runs smoothly in an atmosphere of fraternal community and harmony. As you can see, he actively used the stable expressions of the revolutionary and wartime.

In general, a business letter may contain the following template turns:

  • We send you the following documents for approval ...;
  • As part of the implementation of the agreements reached…;
  • In response to your letter, ref. No. ... from ... we inform ...;
  • In accordance with the concluded agreement No. ...;
  • We inform you that in the period from ... to ...;
  • We express our deep gratitude… etc.

Such lexical constructions can sometimes carry an additional legal semantic load, for example, a letter of guarantee will not be such if the phrase "We guarantee payment."

A distinctive feature of a business letter is also the clarity and brevity of the text (dividing into paragraphs, the use of simple common sentences);

  • reasoning;
  • objectivity (the text of the letter should contain objective information about events and facts;
  • unambiguity of terminology and formulations.

Final part is final and may contain:

Conclusions following from the above: Thus, from the above facts it follows that this case of failure of the mechanism is not guaranteed, since the operating rules were violated;

Request: Based on the foregoing, we ask you to consider the possibility of correcting the shortcomings identified during the operation of the product;

Requirement: We demand to repay the existing debt by 01.10.2015;

Warning: In case of failure to comply with the requirements of the contract, we reserve the right to apply to the Arbitration Court to protect our interests;

Offer: We offer to satisfy our requirements for the return of funds in the amount of 15,000 (fifteen thousand) rubles;

Refusal: Based on the above facts, we are forced to refuse to meet your requirements.;

Reminder: We remind you that in accordance with clause 17 of the tender documentation, you need to provide security under the contract etc.

Final etiquette formula, or courtesy formula. A business letter is usually completed with a final etiquette formula - a stable expression that shows respect, hope for further cooperation or regret about the termination of cooperation or the loss of certain opportunities, for example:

  • We look forward to further cooperation;
  • We are sorry for the difficulties encountered.

A business letter may end with a phrase containing an expression of respect, the name of the position of the responsible person signing this letter, his own personal signature and decoding of the signature:

Sincerely,

Head of Turkestan Customs Vereshchagin P.A. Vereshchagin

note

The final courtesy formula “Respectfully” is applied only if the letter began with the appeal “Dear (full name or position)!”, but is not mandatory. Depending on the situation, repeated expressions of respect may be inappropriate and come off as subservience, humiliation, or irony. For the same reasons, it is not recommended to use superlative adjectives or words that enhance the emotional coloring of the sentence in business correspondence. For example:

    Unfortunately, we did not receive your catalog.;

    Dear…;

    We deeply regret to inform you that we are unable to accommodate your request..

Decor

Business letters are drawn up strictly on the letterhead of the organization, containing the necessary details. A sample form is given in Appendix B to GOST R 6.30-2003 “Unified Documentation Systems. Unified system of organizational and administrative documentation. Documentation requirements.

In practice, for the preparation of business letters, sufficient details are:

  • emblem of the organization or trademark (logo), if any (1);
  • OKPO (2);
  • main state registration number (OGRN) of a legal entity (3);
  • taxpayer identification number/registration reason code (TIN/KPP) (4);
  • organization name (5);
  • reference data about the organization (include postal address, telephone number and other information at the discretion of the organization) (6);
  • document date (7);
  • document registration number (8);
  • reference to the registration number and date of the document (9);
  • addressee (10);
  • title to the text (11);
  • document text (12);
  • mark on the presence of the application (13);
  • signature (14);
  • mark about the performer (15).

The placement of details is shown in Example 1.

Classification

Business letters can be divided depending on their purpose and content.

Accompanying. Cover letters are intended for sending documents that do not have an address part. The text of the cover letter must contain a link to the attachments - documents that are sent with this letter. Such letters may contain requests, explanations, etc.

Cover letters to an upstream organization should begin with the phrase "Introducing to you ...", to a downstream organization - with "Sending to you ...", to a third-party organization - with "Sending to you ..." (Example 2).

note

The cover letter is not a guarantee that the envelope you receive will contain exactly those documents and in the amount indicated in the cover letter. In other words, the letter is not an inventory and cannot be presented to the judicial authorities as confirmation of the sending of certain documents.

A cover letter is optional when sending documents.

Warranty. As a rule, it contains two parts: a request to perform something, assurances of the fulfillment of obligations on their part, and legally they are a recognition of a debt (Example 3).

Congratulatory. Such letters are drawn up in a relatively free form and are dedicated to some kind of celebration - a memorable date, an official public holiday, an event significant for a given organization or person. Congratulatory letters can be issued both on the letterhead of the organization, and on art forms, colored paper, and also contain decorative and graphic elements.

Thank you. A letter of gratitude is sent to a citizen, official or organization with an expression of gratitude for the actions taken (Example 4).

Phrases can be used in such letters:

  • We express our sincere gratitude…;
  • Thank you for your help...;
  • Let me express my gratitude to you….

Notice - a business letter informing or notifying the addressee of any events. May contain explanations regarding the procedure for participation in the event, applications (participant questionnaire, event program, regulations, promotional materials), etc.

If the notification letter is intended to be sent to a wide range of people, then the “Address” requisite on the letter is not drawn up or is drawn up in a generalized way. Such a letter must be signed by the head of the organization or the head responsible for conducting this event (see letter of notification in Example 1).

request (request) - this is a business letter sent in order to obtain any information or documents (Example 5). Request Letters require a mandatory response in the form of a response letter. The text of the request letter must necessarily contain a justification for the need to provide the information or documents in question.

Message. This is a type of business letter informing the addressee about any facts or events, affecting the interests of both parties - the author and the addressee (Example 6). A letter-message can be short and begin immediately with the phrase "We inform you that ...", or it can be more detailed and contain justification: "Due to the fact that ...".

In the given example, the changed details are already contained in the body of the letter, but honestly, answer honestly: when you receive a letter, how often do you look at these lines of numbers and compare them with the previous ones? For this, a letter-message is needed - to draw the attention of the addressee to this fact.

In practice, the letter-notice and the letter-message differ slightly. Therefore, panic on the topic: “What a nightmare, I sent the counterparty notice, but it was necessary message!!!» no need. There is nothing terrible in the fact that in the text of the letter you wrote “notify” instead of “report”.

Offer. It is sent to a potential partner or counterparty and contains a proposal for cooperation (Example 7). This type includes commercial proposals (offers). An offer letter can contain both general and detailed information about the organization and the product being presented:

  • a brief history and general information about your organization (year of foundation, production and warehouse base, achievements, participation in significant events, awards, diplomas, titles, etc.);
  • details of the organization;
  • a price list indicating the date it is valid for (if you want to present all the products of your enterprise as a whole and demonstrate to a potential partner the price level for it);
  • the exact name of the presented product (if the offer is made for a specific type of product or service);
  • product image;
  • the main and most important characteristics of the presented goods;
  • the price of the presented goods or services and its validity period, indicating the monetary unit and mentioning in what format the price is indicated (with or without VAT);
  • terms and cost of delivery;
  • conditions for obtaining a discount, etc.

A letter of offer can be sent to one specific addressee, or sent in bulk, to a wide range of counterparties.

The result of consideration by the addressee of the offer letter may be business negotiations or the conclusion of an agreement, therefore, the future profit of your organization may depend on the literacy of its preparation and the accuracy of the data presented in it.

Confirmation. A rather rare type of business letter that I encountered in practice, in which the addressee confirms the receipt of any information or documents (Example 8). As a rule, it is issued in response to a cover letter or letter of communication. The confirmation email uses the following phrases:

  • We confirm receipt of the following documents: ...;
  • We confirm receipt of a message about changing the details ....

Demand letter. This type of business letter is drawn up in order to encourage the addressee to fulfill his obligations. It differs by a rather categorical tone of presentation, which is achieved by using constructions like:

  • We urgently need to pay off the debt;
  • We require immediate shipment of the goods to the address ... etc.

A letter of demand must necessarily contain a statement of the terms of previously accepted agreements, references to documents (contracts, agreements, etc.), the essence of the current situation, the requirement to fulfill obligations, as well as the consequences for the addressee if obligations are not fulfilled, for example: If you fail to fulfill your obligations, the case will be referred to the Arbitration Court.

A special case of a demand letter is claim letter. It differs from a simple letter of demand by describing the essence of a product malfunction, poor-quality provision of services, etc. The final part sets out the requirement: to replace the product under warranty, carry out warranty repairs, return money, etc. The claim may contain photographs of the faulty product, documents confirming the additional costs incurred by the initiating party (for example, for treatment, forced use of third-party services, etc.) (Example 9).

Response letter. This letter is written in response to a request, demand or complaint (Example 10).

Other types of letters, as a rule, do not require a response.

When compiling a response, you do not need to write in the text: “In response to your letter No. ... dated ...”, since the data of the received source letter are entered in the “Reference to the date and number of the received document” prop.

The style of the reply should match the style of the email you are replying to. However, this does not mean that it is necessary to repeat the stylistic and grammatical errors contained in it.

Well, I shared with you my experience in accordance with the basic principles of writing business letters on a wide variety of topics.

In fact, the topic of writing letters is inexhaustible! In each case, you should approach the creation of a business letter responsibly and creatively, and then you will be lucky on this thorny path!

On this, let me take my leave, or, as the unforgettable comrade Sukhov wrote: “To this I remain a witness, a fighter for the happiness of the working people of the whole earth, the Transcaspian International Revolutionary Proletarian Regiment named after Comrade August Bebel, Red Army soldier Fedor Ivanovich Sukhov.”