MAKERERE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL

FACULTY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION

Business Communication
Skills

FOR BACHELORS STUDENTS

©2024 -
Effective writing has the illusion
of speech without its bad habits.
The reader hears a writer
speaking to a reader. The
writing should flow with grace,
pace and clarity — not the way
we speak but, better than that,
the way we should speak.”
— Donald M. Murray
 12/27/2024
WRITTEN COMMUCATION 1
 Topic Outline
Overview of written
communication

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Purpose of written
communication in business
Common forms of written
communication used in
business; letters, CV,
memo, reports and emails.
Student Exercise
2
 Topic Learning
Objectives
By the end of this topic, the student should be
able to;

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1. Explain written communication with all their
different forms.
2. Identify business situations that require writing
different forms of written communication.
3. Acquaint him/herself with different forms of
written communication (letters, memos, CV,
reports and e-mails)
4. Plan and write the different forms of written 4
communication in a simple, complete, and
persuasive manner.
 Definition and Forms
Definition: Written • Letters • Social

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Communication refers to • Memoranda media
the process of conveying posts
• Reports
a message through
• Notices • Guides
written symbols.
Forms: • Magazines • Brochures
• Flyers • Manuals
Written communication
that can either be • Emails • Proposals
handwritten or etc.
5
6

typewritten in various
forms;
 Purpose of Written
Communication
We write in business to; respond, propose, plan,
report, record and document information. Identify

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forms of written communication that serve the
above purposes.
Our; organisation, work, learning, and intellect is
judged based on what we write hence the need to
pay attention to the; choice of words, orderly word
organization, correct sentence formation as well
as cohesive composition of sentences. 6
7

NB: explore the advantages, disadvantages and

suitability for use of written communication.
 Topic 5.1

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BUSINESS LETTERS

7
 Topic Content
1.Meaning of a business letter

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2.Purpose of business letters
3.Parts of a business letter.
4.Business letter writing styles
5.Importance of letters to 8
businesses
 Introduction
A business letter is a formal document that conveys
information to communication partners internally or
externally to the organisation.

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Letters are written to; share neutral, good or negative
news or to persuade readers to a specific course of action.
Note:
Mostly hard copy letters are written on a headed paper.
Most letters are written on one page but others can go up
to 2-3 pages especially those written in report format.
Some letters can also be sent as attachments on e-mail.
All letters must be written in conformity to certain 9
10

standards to avoid embarrassment to the

managers/organisation.
 Purpose of Business
Letters
Business letters are generally written;
1. For enquiry and inquiry.

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2. To give information.
3. To give instruction.
4. To persuade the recipient towards the desired
action.
5. To create goodwill.
6. To create favourable impressions.
7. To attract attention,
8. To Create interest
10
9. To woo customers
10.To build relationships.
 Importance of Business
Letters
Business letters are important for;
1. Exchanging business information

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2. Establishing business relationship.
3. Creation of markets.
4. Substituting personal visit.
5. Maintaining secrecy.
6. Increasing goodwill.
7. Formal agreement
8. Settlement of transaction
11
12

9. Use as reference
 Parts of a Business Letter
Standard / Compulsory Optional parts
parts of a letter 1. Reference line (Our Ref, Your
1. Sender’s address/ Ref)

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return address /Letter 2. Through line
heading/ headed
3. Subject line
paper
4. Signing for (PP)
2. Date
5. Enclosure (ENCs)
3. Inside address
6. Courtesy Copies (CC)
4. Salutation
7. Special marks (urgent, to the
5. Body
attention of, personal,
6. Complimentary clause confidential etc.)
7. Signature
12
8. Name and designation
 Continuing Pages in
For example: Letters
• Ms. M.C. Marks
• Page 2

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• March 16, 2024
(Preferred format)
OR
• Ms. M.C. Marks Page
2 March 16, 2024
OR
• Ms. M.C. Marks
• March 16, 2024
• Page 2 13
 Styles of Business Letters
1. Block Style/Full Block Style:
 More widely used style
 Entire document is left justified

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 Single–spaced except for double space between
paragraphs.
Illustrate a block Style Letter

2. Semi Block Style/Modified:

Body of the letter is left justified
Single-spaced except for double space between
paragraphs.
Only the heading and closing part of the letter are aligned
14
to the center of the page.
Illustrate a semi block style / modified letter
3. Indented Style/Open
Letter Writing Styles

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Similar to the modified block business letter
style except
Beginning of each paragraph is indented
instead of being left justified.
Illustrate an indented letter

15
 Points to note while writing
business
1. letter
Use of a correct date format (E.g. 3 March 2024 –
UK style or March 3, 2024 – US style)
2. Include important details of the sender in the

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address
3. Proofread to do away with typos, poor
punctuation, and grammatical errors
4. Use formal complementary clauses i.e. Yours
Faithfully, Yours Sincerely, Yours Truly
5. For typed letters pay attention to the writing
style and print quality
6. For handwritten letters, pay attention to the 16

handwriting
 Cont’d …
7. When addressing an envelope,
the recipient's address should appear on the
envelope as it appears in the letter.

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In case of any special marks like urgent, or
personal among others, they should also be
indicated on the envelope.
8. Use c/o in case you are using an address where
you don’t work or live
9. When dealing with personal titles “Mr.” or
“Ms.” is best. Avoid using “Mrs.” or “Miss” unless
you know specifically how someone prefers to be 17

addressed.
 Cont’d
10.Always include professional titles earned by
your addressee.

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11.Titles should be capitalized and followed by a
full name, such as “Dear Dr. Nalubowa” or
“Dear Professor Nakyeyune.”
12.The standard punctuation for business letters
is a colon. Commas are used for social letters.
13.Letters don’t have to be lengthy to be
effective. A short, personalized note gets the
point across without overwhelming your
18
contact.
 Cont’d
14.Always spell-check names used in your
correspondence. An incorrectly spelled name
can end a business relationship before it

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begins.
15.The optional parts of the letter are only
optional if not required.
16.Always check gender to make sure you are
using the correct title for a contact. If a
person has an ambiguous name, such as
Grace Kirabo or Rahmatullah Mukisa you can
also simply use “Dear” followed by their full 19
name in your salutation
 Topic 5.2

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CURRICULUM VITAE
AND
RESUME
20
 Topic Content
1. Meaning of curriculum vitae and resume

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2. Difference between a curriculum vitae and
resume
3. Components of a curriculum vitae and
resume
4. Types of Curriculum Vitaes
5. Sample of a curriculum vitae and resume
6. Exercise 21
 CURRICULUM VITAE (CV)
This is a Latin word
meaning course of life.

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It is a detailed
document that highlight
professional and

CVS and Memos

academic history. This is
a document that
markets you for a
specific job.
You should tailor the CV
to fit each company and
position.
An ideal resume should 22
range between 1-2
pages
 Types of CVs

CVS and Memos 12/27/2024

23
 CURRICULUM VITAE
Must haves sections in Depending on your
a CV profile, you can also

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include the following
1. Contact information sections:
2. Personal details 1. Certificates and Awards
3. Profile / professional 2. Extra-curricular activities
objective 3. Interests/hobbies
4. Education background 4. Volunteer Experience
5. Work experience 5. Personal Projects
6. Languages
6. Skills ( technical skills
7. Declaration
and soft skills) 24

7. Referees
 RESUME
A resume is a formal
document that provides an Other items to
overview of your consider

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professional background
1. Trainings
and relevant skills.
Components of a
2. Certificates
Resume 3. Licenses
1. Contact information
2. Professional objective
3. Professional experience
4. Education background 25
5. Skills
 Student Exercise
1. Source a recent job advert in line with your area of
specialisation and respond to it by writing an application
letter and a curriculum vitae.

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2. Write different types of letters e.g. apology, invitation,
requisition, resignation, appreciation etc
3. Using clear business scenario examples, explain how the
7Cs of effective communication can guide you to achieve
your purpose in written communication.
4. Discuss the purpose of resume.
5. What are the different contents of resume?
6. What is the need or importance of listed references in a
resume?
7. An International Bank has recently advertised some 26
vacancies of teller. Write an application for one such post
giving full details to the Personnel Manager.
 References
• https://youtu.be/f5Ta • Shirley T. (2012). Model
o6KHV5w?si=E0znF Business Letters, Emails

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DMEdC0Dk764 and Other Business
• http://dx.doi.org/10.6 Documents (7th ed.):
007/IJARBSS/v13-i11/ Prentice Hall.
19498 • Williams, V., & Sonja, N.
(2022). 19.3 Designing
• http://doi.org/10.230
an Effective
7/3587028
Résumé. Fundamentals
of Business
• www.mrcet.ac.in Communication Revised
(Digital notes (2022). 27

professional
 Thank you for being a great audience

Address
Main building , first floor Room 1.0

Contacts
Facilitator:
Team Leader: +256-772-156-003

Email
hodcommunication@mubs.ac.ug/ jodiya@mubs.ac.ug

©2024 - FACULTY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, Department of Communication