The document discusses different types of business letters and meetings. It provides examples of 14 types of business letters including cover letters, thank you letters, complaint letters, adjustment letters, bad news letters, acknowledgement letters, memos, congratulatory letters, response letters, letters of request, sales letters, and resignation letters. It also discusses the standard business letter format and provides 7 examples of common business meeting types such as decision-making meetings, problem-solving meetings, team-building meetings, brainstorming meetings, one-on-one meetings, quarterly planning meetings, and check-in meetings.

1. Types of Business Letter Formats
Common types of business letters include:
Cover letters. Sent with a package, report or other item, the purpose of a cover letter is to describe what
is enclosed and provide a description of what the receiver should do with it.
Thank you letters. These can be great for networking and relationship building. Don’t just write a,
“Thanks for,” and leave it at that. Provide more details about what they did and how it helped you, and
then close with a second expression of thankfulness.
Complaint letters. The key to these types of letters is to demonstrate that you are displeased without
being over-the-top angry. Suggest how the receiver of the letter might correct the situation.
Adjustment letters. This is a response to a complaint letter. The point is to be humble in the response
and to offer potential solutions. You want to avoid burning bridges and instead use your response as a
relationship-building tool.
Bad news letters. The key with bad news letters is to soften the blow. Being direct is valued in business
writing. But when writing bad news letters, it’s best to remind the receiver about what actually works
in your business relationship before breaking the bad news to him or her.
Acknowledgement letters. They are meant to acknowledge that you received an item from someone,
or that you are aware of a fact or error they pointed out. Let the receiver know when you received the
package or information, and then thank them for it.
Memos. Often used to spread important news and directives inside a company, the point with memos
is to be fast and to the point with your communications.
Congratulatory letters. The idea with these types of letters is to stay on point and avoid sounding over-
the-top or mocking. Describe what motivated you to send a congratulations and the positive feedback
that you have already heard. Keep the letter concise.
Response letters. This is about explaining or listing off how a request was fulfilled.
Letter of request. The key with these types of letters is to ask for help without groveling or being
overly emotional. Take a hard look at the adjectives you’re using in the letter.
Sales letters. These letters require a strong call to action or hook at the beginning so that the receiver
continues to read and discovers the benefits of whatever you are selling. Make sure to provide
information so that they can easily respond.
Resignation letters. This is about giving notice that you are leaving a position, providing a last day of
employment, and explaining what is causing you to leave.
Below is the standard format of any business letter:
Letterhead: Most companies have a specific letterhead that you will need to type letters on. This may
make it necessary to adjust the margins so that words are not printed onto the letterhead area.
Name and address: Always try to have the name of someone that the letter should go to, even if you
have to call to find it out.
Date: This is the date that the letter was written. It should be written out, such as January 15, 2018.

2. Reference: This gives a short description of what the purpose of the letter is. For example, one might
write "lost invoice" or "account number 23654" or something like that.
Salutation: If you do not know the person, use a more formal one, such as Dr Brian Lowden.
Subject matter/body: Single-space and left justify for modified block and block style letters. Have one
blank line between paragraphs. The first paragraph should have a friendly opening and state the purpose
of the letter. The subsequent paragraphs should support the purpose you stated in the first paragraph.
Closing: This should be "thank you," "sincerely," or something similar.
Signature: This is the actual signature of the person the letter is from, which may be different from the
person who wrote the letter.
Typist initials: These are the initials of the person who typed the letter. These are not the initials of the
person who it is from. If they are both the same person. then this line is not necessary. Usually, the first
initials would be that of the writer, and the second initials are of the typist and are in lowercase. For
example, JW/sc.
Enclosures: List here anything else you may be sending, such as a brochure, samples, etc.
Jargon
• Jargon refers to the specialized language of a professional or occupational group. While this
language is often useful or necessary for those within the group, it is usually meaningless to
outsiders. Some professions have so much jargon of their own that it has its own name; for
example, lawyers use legalese, while academics use academese. Jargon is also sometimes
known as lingo or argot. A passage of text that is full of jargon is said to be jargony.
• Jargon is the complex language used by experts in a certain discipline or field. This language
often helps experts communicate with clarity and precision.
• Jargon is different from slang, which is the casual language used by a particular group of people.
List of Jargon Words
Jargon can be found in a variety of fields, from law to education to engineering. Some examples of
jargon include:
Due diligence: A business term, "due diligence" refers to the research that should be done before
making an important business decision.
AWOL: Short for "absent without leave," AWOL is military jargon used to describe a person whose
whereabouts are unknown.
Hard copy: A common term in business, academia, and other fields, a "hard copy" is a physical printout
of a document (as opposed to an electronic copy).
Cache: In computing, "cache" refers to a place for short-term memory storage.
Dek: A journalism term for a subheading, usually one or two sentences long, that provides a brief
summary of the article that follows.
Stat: This is a term, usually used in a medical context, that means "immediately." (As in, "Call the
doctor, stat!")
Phospholipid bilayer: This is a complex term for a layer of fat molecules surrounding a cell. A simpler
term is "cell membrane."

3. Detritivore: A detritivore is an organism that feeds on detritus or dead matter. Examples of detritivores
include earthworms, sea cucumbers, and millipedes.
Holistic: Another word for "comprehensive" or "complete," "holistic" is often used by educational
professionals in reference to curriculum that focuses on social and emotional learning in addition to
traditional lessons.
Magic bullet: This is a term for a simple solution that solves a complex problem. (It is usually used
derisively, as in "I don't think this plan you've come up with is a magic bullet.")
Best practice: In business, a "best practice" is one that should be adopted because it has proven
effectiveness.
Here are the 7 most common business meetings types:
Decision-making meetings. These are called when an action needs to be taken by a group.
Problem-solving meetings. These are used when a group needs to come together to solve a specific
problem.
Team-building meetings. These meetings are used to build cohesion within a group and improve the
way team members work together.
Brainstorming meetings. These are used to generate new ideas or make links between a novel or
innovative concepts.
One-on-one meetings. This is a meeting scheduled between two people to discuss something specific.
Quarterly planning meetings. Held every three months, these are used to plan how a team will execute
the company’s goals.
Check-in meetings. These meetings are used to monitor task progress against an expected outcome.
1. Decision-making meetings
A decision-making meeting is a collaborative effort led by a team leader.
According to McKinsey, it’s typically made up of 6 to 8 attendees and contains a structured agenda that
identifies the decision that needs to be made.
The participants involved are key decision-makers or subject matter experts. For example, deciding on
a new hire will only include certain employees like hiring managers.
To run an effective decision-making meeting, participants must know in advance how the decision will
be made, explains a Harvard Business Review article.
For instance, if the team can’t come to a consensus within 60 minutes, they’ll put it to a vote or the key
decision-maker will make the final call. Knowing in advance how the decision will be reached avoids
wasting time.
Another important aspect of decision-making meetings is information gathering. You’ll want to make
sure you have all the necessary information you need to make the best decision.
Examples:

4. • Deciding on a new hire
• Makin a employer branding change
• Operational changes like downsizing or cutting costs
• Final approval of a design
2. Problem-solving meetings
The main goal of a problem-solving meeting is to find the optimal solution to an issue facing the
organization.
And when it comes to finding the best course of action, two heads (or a few in this case) are better than
one. A Harvard Business Review article explains that effective problem-solving meetings require
participants to come together and generate as many potential solutions as possible.
Once that objective is achieved, participants have to decide who will implement the best solution. This
responsibility can be assigned to one person or shared among a few team members.
Finally, a successful problem-solving meeting isn’t complete without identifying the root cause of the
issue. Understanding what led to the problem in the first place will prevent it from happening again.
Examples:
• Operational problems
• Productivity issues
• High employee turnover
3. Team-building meetings
Team building meetings are designed to strengthen teamwork, trust, and cohesion. Improving the way
employees work together leads to an increase in productivity as well as employee happiness.
A team-building meeting aims to create a fun and interactive atmosphere through the use of games or
team challenges. This is a great opportunity for organizers or leaders to get involved and form stronger
connections with their teams.
As more employees are working remotely, virtual team-building meetings are becoming increasingly
important. They’re a way to engage and connect with employees who work from home and may feel
isolated from their team members and organization. Engaging with remote employees helps prevent
company culture and employee morale from deteriorating.
Examples:
• Virtual board games
• Virtual team challenges
• Lunch and learns
• Internal TED Talks
• Team outings
4. Brainstorming meetings
Brainstorming sessions are innovation meetings. Participants collaborate to generate new and creative
ideas.
During these sessions, team members work as equal co-contributors or under the guidance of a
facilitator. These idea-generating meetings are loosely structured, allowing teams to “think big” and tap
into their creative potential. Using a variety of brainstorming techniques like mind mapping, employees
use their creative thinking skills to come up with fresh ideas or new products.

5. Idea-generating meetings are most successful when teams are diverse. Diverse perspectives generate
better ideas, identify potential blind spots, and create more innovative solutions.
Examples:
• Product development
• Ad campaign creation
5. One-on-one meetings
A one-on-one meeting is a meeting between two people. It is scheduled for a specific purpose.
For example, it can be a performance review between a manager and their employee, or a meeting
between a sales rep and their client.
While you don’t need to follow an agenda during a one-on-one, a running document on what each
person needs to touch on is common. Otherwise, the meeting is loosely formatted and unfolds like a
normal conversation.
According to Microsoft Workplace Insights, one-on-one check-ins have increased by 18% since the
pandemic. Their research found that regular touchpoints foster a sense of connection and fun for remote
employees.
Examples:
• Weekly one-on-one
• New employee introduction
• Quarterly performance review
• Coaching or mentoring session
• Client sales meeting
6. Quarterly planning meetings
Every three months, teams come together to strategically implement a company’s short-term and long-
term goals.
Like problem-solving and decision-making meetings, attendance is limited to participants that will
execute the plan. Each participant is expected to contribute and commit to implementing the plan.
While the structure of the meeting can vary, it’s usually led by the team leader who assigns tasks to
each attendee.
Quarterly planning meetings are a great way to track a team’s progress and keep team members
motivated. They’re also a good opportunity to reflect on the previous quarter and review what needs to
be executed in the following one.
Examples:
• Strategic planning
• Project planning
• Event or campaign planning
7. Check-in meetings
Check-in meetings are one of the most common types of meetings. Organizations regularly hold these
progress-check meetings for several reasons:
• Share project updates and progress

6. • Ensure everyone is carrying out their roles and responsibilities
• Get employee feedback
• Discuss any challenges, successes, or ideas
• Figure out the next steps
• woman-on-virtual-work-meeting-types-of-meetings
During a weekly team cadence meeting, for example, employees update their managers and team on
their weekly progress.
Check-in meetings are becoming increasingly important as more people are working from home, and
not directly under the supervision of managers. Regular check-ins help ensure remote employees stay
informed and their goals align with the rest of the team.
Examples:
• Project status update meetings
• Client check-in meetings
• New employee onboarding check-in
• Weekly one-on-one check-in meetings
• Weekly team meetings
• Project debriefs
How to plan effective meetings that add value to your team
There’s no denying the frequency of meetings has increased since the pandemic began. Another
Microsoft report shares that weekly meeting time has more than doubled with the rise of the hybrid
work environment.
With fewer opportunities to connect in the office, online meetings are a way to stay updated, socialize,
and share information.
As your employees attend more types of meetings, it’s important to make each one as productive and
efficient as possible. Otherwise, they can negatively affect your team’s morale and productivity.
But before you begin to plan your next meeting, ask yourself this question –– Is a meeting really
necessary, or could it be an email? For example, if the meeting doesn’t need a discussion or decision
making, relaying certain information is best done via email.
According to a recent SurveyMonkey poll, 32% of employees think, “this meeting could have been an
email” all or most of the time. This is usually the sentiment when meetings are pointless and far too
frequent.
employees-teleconference-call-types-of-meetings
However, when you do need to plan a meeting, each one must be worth every minute of your time and
your employees’ time.

7. Here are a few tips to help you organize more efficient meetings:
Set clear a clear objective and agenda
Before sending a meeting invite, make sure you know the exact purpose of the meeting. What is your
end goal? This will help you figure out what kind of meeting you should be having and who needs to
attend.
Once your objective is set, your meeting needs to follow a clear agenda to ensure every minute of it is
used efficiently.
A survey by the tech company Barco found that 13% of meeting time is wasted because people discuss
topics outside of the meeting’s objectives. Following a meeting agenda will cut back the time spent
discussing topics that aren’t relevant to the meeting.
Without a clear structure, meetings can quickly become unproductive.
Avoid inviting too many attendees
Determine which team members need to be there and don’t overcrowd the meeting. For example, a
decision-making meeting should only involve key stakeholders.
This ensures those who need to be in attendance have an opportunity to contribute and make their voices
heard.
Ensure everyone arrives on time
Barco’s survey also found that 11% of meetings are spent waiting for someone to arrive. And according
to Doodle’s State of Meetings report, people arriving late is one of the main factors that turns a good
meeting sour.
Start your meeting promptly and emphasize the importance of being on time with your employees.
Keep it short
Ensure the meeting is no longer than it needs to be. As Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, is famously quoted
as saying, “The longer the meeting, the less is accomplished.”
Microsoft found that the optimal meeting time for their employees is no longer than thirty minutes.
Employees organically transitioned to shorter meetings to optimize their productivity and move away
from time-consuming meetings that affect employee happiness.
Keep the team focused
The meeting leader or facilitator should ensure participants come prepared and focused. For instance,
if someone in the group is constantly checking their phone during the meeting, the team leader should
intervene.
Keeping participants accountable ensures no time is wasted and everyone gets the most out of the
meeting.