Tips to Share
Prepared by
Institute of Social Informatics and Technological Innovations Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Formal Letter
Steps and Format to write a Formal Letter
Introduction
• Formatted letter writing
• For official use only (Writing letter to
government agencies, companies, NGOs,etc)
• Types of formal letter:
Appeal letter (donations request, financials)
Complaints letter (environment polutions,etc)
Invitation letter (meeting, conference invitation)
Application letter (jobs, financial aids)
Tips to write a good letter
Writing tips:
• Follow the right format - avoid errors
• Use correct spelling and punctuation correctly - letter large , small letters , commas , periods, and so on .
• Use language that is simple, accurate and compact .
• Make sure the letter is well presented
1. The sender address - in the upper left corner of letter
2. Horizontal lines - after address sender
3. Recipient address - line outline end address ( recipient country )
4. Date - the right letter , inline with the end of the address of the
recipient.
5. Honorific / titles receiver - placed commas one end.
6. Title / Subject - outlined and
capitalize on every word without the full stop at the end.
7. Contents:
First paragraph - written from side letters and not numbered .
Second paragraph and so on - numbered ( example : 2. )
The closing paragraph - written from the edge letter and unnumbered .
8. Recognition and signature sender - the bottom left corner letter
9. The name and job position of the sender - to the letter large , in bracket
7 8
9
Power Point Presentation
Basic Rule for Presentation
Basic Rules for Presentations
• Contrast is important.
• For paper…
– Dark text on a light background.
Basic Rules for Presentations
• For projection…
– Light text on a semi-dark background.
– The eye is attracted to the light on the screen.
Basic Rules for Presentations
• Stick with a single background.
– The background is the stage for your information.
– Set the stage and leave it alone!
Basic Rules for Presentations
• Don’t try to dazzle the
audience with graphics or style…but with the
information.
• The medium is not the message.
• The information is the message.
Basic Rules for Presentations
Balance.
• Do not center bullet points.
• It makes the text ragged.
• And hard to read and follow with your eyes.
Basic Rules for Presentations
Balance.
• Generally, left-justify bullets.
• This keeps things neat..
• and easy to follow.
Basic Rules for Presentations
Balance.
Centered graphics leave little room for text.
Basic Rules for Presentations
Balance. Place graphics off-center.
More room for text.
Better balance.
More pleasing to the eye.
Left placement leads the eye to the text.
Use Restraint With Fonts
• Employ only a few..stick to familiar fonts
• Stay away from gimmicky fonts
• Keep
type sizesconsistent
.• DON’T USE ALL CAPS.
Choose Fonts Wisely
• Italics are more difficult to read.
• Use bold when you want some words to stand out.
• Font size
– Easy to read (18 pt)
– Easy to read (24 pt)
– Easy to read (32 pt)
– Easy to read (48 pt)
Avoid Text Overload
Having too much text on the screen can defeat the purpose of using PowerPoint. The slides begin to look like a jumble of text, making slides difficult to read and unrecognizable from each other. People will either try to
read everything or copy everything down or they will lose interest. List only the key
points. If you have more info to include use more slides or create handouts.
Basic Rules That You Must Have to Have a Good Presentation.
One of the most common mistakes in creating a
presentation is to place too much information on the screen. This can cause the reader to become distracted from the speaker…just like you are now. Audiences are much more receptive to the spoken word.
Basic Presentation Mistakes.
Too much information.
Reader gets distracted
Audiences are much more receptive to the spoken word.
Basic Rules
Keep it simple..
• Make bulleted points easy to read.
• Keep text easy to understand.
• Use concise wording.
• Bullets are focal points.
• Presenter provides elaboration.
• Keep font size large.
Choosing a Color Scheme
• Stick with power point defaults.
• What may look good on your computer may be unreadable in the classroom.
• Remember to use strong, contrasting colors.
Use Contrasting Colors
• Light colors on dark background.
Dark colors on light background.
Clip Art & Graphics
• A few excellent graphics are better than many poor ones.
• Photographs can be powerful.
Religious leader
Civil rights activist Author/poet
Labor activist Minister
Antiwar activist
Martin Luther King Jr.
Religious leader
Civil rights activist Author/poet
Labor activist Minister
Antiwar activist
Example of a Bad Power Point Slide
• Bad PowerPoint.mp4
Purchase Order
Guideline to create Purchase Order
Introduction
• Purchase Orders are legal contracts with your vendors.
• Should always be placed in writing. Verbal purchase orders lead to errors or disputes as to what is being purchased and the terms and conditions that apply.
Fax
Snail mail
• Must be complete including:
Your letter head
Purchase Order No
Purchase Order Date
Vendor Ref
Vendor Name and address
Description of the goods you are purchasing, quantity, price per unit and total amount for individual items
Term and condition
Start from scratch
• Create form using excel
• Include formula to calculate unit price
• Include details such as:-
Company information (name etc.)
Purchase order no and date
Vendor information (name etc.)
Vendor information (name and address)
Order information (product, price and quantity), as well as term and condition to the vendor.
Using template
• Click on the Microsoft Excel 2013.
• In the search tab search purchase order template,
• Excel will search so many purchase order templates.
• Pick the template by clicking on the template.
• Click on Create.
• Excel will create a readymade purchase order template
• Edit the template accordingly
Compose e-mail
How to write a proper email
Emails are letters
• Usually shorter and less formal than letters, abbreviated forms
• In business world, you should try to appear more formal, not too casual
Write an effective subject line
• To catch reader‘s attention
• Brief and specific
• Avoid UPPERCASE
Begin with a greeting
• Depending on the formality of the relationship
• Dear Mr. Fox, Hello Monica
• To Whom It May Concern
Thank the recipient
• Replying to client‘s inquiry
Thank you for contacting ABC company
• Find anything to thank for
Thank you for your prompt reply
State your purpose
• If you are initiating the communication
• Make it clear early in the email
• Keep sentences short and clear I‘m writing to enquire about…
Keep it short and to the point
• Eliminate all the information that is not necessary
• State the most relevant and interesting information first – people are busy
• Short paragraphs (3-5 sentences)
End with a closing
• Thank again
• Refer to future contact
• Closing line: Best regards, Sincerely
• Add your contact details
• Proofread for typos and mistakes
Automatic signature
Steve Edwards, Marketing Manager ABCD Inc.
Tel. +555-7654321 Fax +555-7654378
[email protected] www.abcd.com
Example of a formal email
Hello,
I read on your web site that you offer Music CD copying for large quantities of CDs. I'd like to inquire about the procedures involved in these
services. Are the files transferred online, or are the titles sent by CD to you by standard mail? How long does it usually take to produce
approximately 500 copies? Are there any discounts on such a large quantity?
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I look forward to your response.
Jack Finley
Sales Manager, Young Talent Inc.
(709) 567 - 3498
Example of an informal email
Hi Tom,
Listen, we've been working on the Smith account and I was wondering if you could give me a hand? I need some inside information on recent developments over there. Do you think you could pass on any information you might have?
Thanks
Peter Thompsen
Account Manager, Tri-State Accounting (698) 345 - 7843
Use the power of the internet
• Use live links in your emails
• Use grammar and spelling software to check for any errors
• Use synonyms dictionary, online dictionary, thesaurus
Example of a poorly written business email
• example of a poorly written business email.docx
