Announcement Letter

A letter of announcement should be brief and straightforward, allowing a reader to quickly absorb the information and recall or refer to it effortlessly, at will. Inviting and positive announcements express the writer's wish to strengthen and maintain a relationship, whether business or personal. They are instrumental in building goodwill and confidence. Properly framed announcement letters meant to recognize and declare achievements of people are a source of inspiration for others to try to achieve the same objectives and excel. They also provide excellent opportunities for business promotion and build strong relationships. Although there are different categories of letters of announcements, the content of each has to be specific to the declaration within.

The information contained in the letter of announcement should be complete in all respects, so that the recipient gets all the information required. If it is a negative announcement that you are forced to make, then ensure that your tone is respectful and considerate. Mitigate the effect of the bad news with optimism and understanding. The announcement letter should be direct, to the point and without frills.

Announcement letters can be related to many situations. They can be used to announce a sales contest or the winner of such a contest. When a company announces some kind of a savings or benefit plan, these need to be announced via announcement letters.

Job openings or freezing of hiring operations are also announced through such letters. Many companies resort to sending announcement letters to inform customers about the new address or product and services, taking the opportunity to include a sales pitch. Announcement letters should always display professional construction and reflect a positive tone. There are points that help to draft effective announcement letters. They should be kept in mind and a few of them are listed below:

Announcement letter for sales seminar: When there is a sales or marketing seminar being held that the company wants its sales force to attend, it should issue an announcement letter stating the date(s) on which it is being held, along with the venue and exact address. The name of the company conducting the seminar and the fact that all costs involved are being taken care of by the company is essential information that must be included. The letter should be worded so as to encourage the sales force to attend and it should request a list of the attendees, so that adequate and necessary arrangements can be made.

Announcement letter for price increase: A price increase is something that is generally not appreciated by customers. However, since it is essential in best business interests, you have to inform your customers. The letter should be polite and state the reasons that have necessitated the increase in price, such as the increased prices of raw materials, taxes, insurance, payroll expense and other inputs and mention that though the price hike is unavoidable, the company continued to bear the burden without passing it on to the consumer for as long as it was possible. Mention an effective date for the price increase in the revised price list included in the letter, not forgetting to thank the customer for his continued and considerate support.

Announcement of a price reduction: Such a letter is always welcome. The letter should be prepared on a joyous note, announcing the good news. A reason for the price reduction should be stated and the letter should effectively dispel any notion of lower standards or quality of the product. How unsupplied and future orders are to be dealt with and billed should be mentioned in the letter, along with the date that the new price becomes effective. It should be mentioned that discounts being provided earlier would continue as usual.

Announcement letter declaring someone’s appointment to a particular position: This announcement can be with reference to a new employee or someone within the organization who is being raised to a higher position. The letter should state the name of the appointee and the new designation. A description of accomplishments and a short discussion on the admirable qualities of the person vis-à-vis the new position would serve to explain why he has been chosen to occupy the position.

Announcement letter declaring the cancellation of an event: The cancellation of any event is a big disappointment to many. A letter announcing the cancellation of an event should firstly express regret on the cancellation and then move on to explain the reasons beyond control that led to the cancellation. Include an apology and give information about the new date on which the event is rescheduled.