REFUSAL LETTER

A

refusal letter

is written to deny a request, decline an invitation, or reply negatively to a suggestion. When writing a refusal letter, consider the follow- ing tips (Figure 3.62):

■

Be as diplomatic as possible to avoid hurt feelings.

■

Open the letter with a sincere statement that explains that you are refusing the request.

■

Explain your reasons for the refusal, and include any evidence to back up your decision.

■

Offer alternatives to the readers that might have a better chance of being accepted.

■

Be courteous and wish the reader success elsewhere.

Refusal letters are typically written to:

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Decline an invitation or appointment.

■

Decline a claim request from a customer.

■

Turn down a request for a donation.

■

Decline a job offer, promotion, or transfer.

■

Reject an application for employment.

■

Decline to join an organization.

■

Terminate a business relationship.

■

Decline a request to write a letter of recommendation.

■

Turn down a suggestion.

■

Decline a request for credit.

■

Decline a gift.

■

Decline orders or requests for information.

Figure 3.62 Refusal Letter

February 21, 2012

Buffalo Graphics 3133 Highway 9 Roswell, GA 32311

Dylan Wilson

Atlanta Community College 1311 West Northfield Drive Decatur, GA 30133

Dear Mr. Wilson:

Thank you for invitation to be a guest lecturer in your communications class at Atlanta Community College. I’m sorry, but I’ll have to decline the invitation.

I recently became the president of the Atlanta Communications

Association, and these added responsibilities have already required more time than I have available. I would suggest that you contact Al Gordon, the ex-president of ACA. He may be available and with his experience, he should make an excellent guest lecturer.

I am honored to have been invited by you. You are well respected within the communications industry, and I wish you all the best with your class.

Sincerely,

Michael Woodson

Michael Woodson President

558 The AMA Handbook of Business Writing

560 The AMA Handbook of Business Writing

■

May contain tables and graphs and can be either single- or double-spaced.

■

Contains headings and subheadings to organize the content and to emphasize certain aspects.

■

Has a title page with:

■

The report title (long titles are divided and centered)

■

The name, title, and address of the person or company to whom the report is being submitted

■

The preparer’s name, title, and address Formal Report Included in the

formal report

are the:

■

Cover

■

List of tables

■

Title page

■

List of figures

■

Flyleaf

■

Synopsis

■

Title fly

■

Body

■

Letter of authorization

■

Endnotes or footnotes

■

Letter of transmittal

■

Appendix

■

Foreword and/or prefaces

■

Glossary

■

Acknowledgments

■

Bibliography

■

Index

When formatting your report, consider the following guidelines:

■

The margin settings for a formal report are:

■

First page’s top margin—2 inches.

■

Subsequent pages’ top margin—1 inch.

■

Bottom margins on all pages—1 inch.

■

The left and right margins on all pages—1 inch.

■

For bound reports, the left margin should be 1

⁄

inches to allow extra

room for the binding.

561 Section 3 Sample Business Documents

■

The body of the report can be single- or double-spaced.

■

Setoff quotations should be single-spaced, as are footnotes.

■

Paragraph indentions should be five spaces.

■

Long quotations should be indented five spaces from the left margin.

■

Numbered and bullet lists should also be indented five spaces.

■

Footnotes should match paragraph margins.

■

Primary headings should be centered and bold, with additional space above and below.

■

A 20- to 24-point sans serif font, such as Helvetica, should be used.

■

Secondary headings should be aligned left justified, bold, with a 16- to 18-point sans serif font.

■

Third-level headings should also be aligned left and bold, with 12- to 14-point sans serif font.

■

There should be no page number on the title page, although a page number should be assigned for numbering purposes.

■

The front matter should use small Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.) for numbering.

■

The body of the report should use Arabic numerals, starting with 1.

■

Page numbers should be either centered or in the right margin, either

⁄

to 1 inch from the top or

⁄

inch from the bottom.

Headings and subheadings

should be parallel in structure.

Example of nonparallel structure:

1. Reading the Manual 2. The Instructions

3. How to Install the Software

Example of parallel structure:

1. Reading the Manual 2. Following the Instructions 3. Installing the Software

563 Section 3 Sample Business Documents

The

letter of authorization

should be printed on letterhead and explain who authorized the report and any specific details regarding the authorization.

The

letter of transmittal

(Figure 3.65) is a cover letter for the report. It explains the purpose of the report, the scope, limitations, reference materi- als, special comments, and acknowledgments.

The letter of transmittal may take the place of a

foreword

or

preface.

The

acknowledgements

page should list individuals, companies, or institu- tions that assisted in creating the report.

The

table of contents

(Figure 3.66) should include headings, subheadings, and third-level headings with page numbers.

■

You can use an outline style with a heading numbering system.

■

If you are using a word processor, you can automatically generate a table of contents based on the heading styles.

If tables are used in the report, you should include a

list of tables

in the front matter. The list should include:

■

Table numbers

■

Page numbers

■

The descriptions used as table titles in the body of the report

If illustrations are used in the report, you should include a

list of figures

(Figure 3.67) in the front matter. The list should include:

■

Figure numbers

■