A ‘Request’ is a humble way of asking for something or getting something done. But it does not mean that the person making a request is a weakling or cannot manage to do the work on her/his own.
It basically means that the person making the request is giving the other person the respect before going ahead with something that s/he wants to get done. A request can be for leave or loan or job, etc.
A Request Letter is a weapon in the hands of the writer wherein s/he is asking someone to give permission or agree for something to be done.
It definitely does not mean that the reader will agree to the request the moment it has been made. A Request Letter is the first step towards taking an approval.
DOS AND DON’T’S OF REQUEST LETTER
- A Request Letter should be written only when the writer is sure of what s/he wants
- The tone of the letter should always be approval seeking in nature
- Even though a permission is being taken for a task to be done, the letter should not sound threatening
- A persuasive Request Letter is always a better option to put up
- A Request Letter should share with the reader what is being requested
- It should also include the reason why a request is being made
- The request should be a genuine one. Fibbing does not help in the long run
- A Request Letter should still be short, brief and to the point. A lengthy letter does not retain the attention of the reader
- The language used in the letter should be simple yet convincing
- The tone of the letter should be indicative of the situation the writer is in
- Since the reader has the upper hand in the Request Letter, s/he should be made to feel important enough
- A Request Letter could be both an official or a personal one so it may be typed or hand written
- Any grammatical or punctuation errors do not carry a good impression with the reader. So ensure that it is a grammatically a perfect one
- The letter should always end with an appeal for permission
SAMPLE REQUEST LETTER
_______________ (Name and address of reader)
Subject: Request for car loan
Dear Sir or Madam
I would like to introduce myself first. My name is ____________ and I have been working with ____________ (name of company) for the last ________ years. My CTC per annum is Rs.________ (copy of pay slip attached).
I would like to buy a ___________ (car model) the on road price of which is Rs.____________. This is a request for a loan for the purchase of the car.
Please let me know the amount of finance I can get for the car along with the terms and conditions of the loan.
I look forward to hearing from you.
(Name of writer)
Encl: As above