|
Business letters are used as ways of communicating between companies. They may be used to request information, send information, sell products or for dozens of other reasons. Either way, business letters must look professional. A letter from your company is often the first impression that a potential client or buyer receives about your business. You want that first impression to be a good one and the way to do that is to format your business letters correctly and professionally.
Each basic part of a business letter is listed below with a complete explanation of its purpose. An example letter is provided as a reference at the end of this article.
Heading
The heading of a letter is the address of the sender. Most businesses have a letterhead with this information already imprinted. If you do not have a pre-printed letterhead, you can create one on your computer that looks very professional. You should include the name of the company, the address, phone and fax numbers and e-mail address. You may also choose to include your company's logo. If you are not using a letterhead, you should enclose a return address, this is simply the address of the letter's sender.
Date Line
The date line is just what it implies, the date. The month should be written out in full, followed by the date and the year, also written out in full. Example: January 1, 2000. If you are using a company letterhead, the date line should be typed three lines below the heading. If you are using a return address, type the date line directly below the return address, leaving no spaces.
Inside Address
The inside address is the name and address of the person or business that you are sending the letter to. The person the letter is addressed to is also called the addressee. Type the inside address five lines under the date line. The inside address should contain the same information that will be used on the envelope.
Salutations
The salutation is the letter's greeting. It should be typed two lines underneath the inside address. Include the addressee's name and courtesy title along with the greeting. Example: Dear Mrs. Pipes
Body of Letter
The body of the letter is where you discuss the purpose of the letter. The body begins two lines below the salutation. Usually the body paragraphs should be single spaced with two spaces between each paragraph. If the letter is very short, you may use double spaces between the sentences to give a balanced look to the letter.
Complimentary Close
The complimentary close is a courtesy signal at the end of each letter. It should be typed two lines below the body of the letter. Keep your complimentary close professional. Never close a business letter with Love, Your Friend or any other personal notation. Some good, professional choices are Sincerely, Cordially, Regards, and Respectfully.
Writer's name and title
The writer's name should be typed on the fourth line following the complimentary close. The writer's title should be on the line directly below the name. The space in between the complimentary close and the typed name, is to be used for the writer's signature.
Example: Jeremy Christopher
Vice President
There are two basic styles in which to write a business letters. They are the block format and the modified block format with indented paragraphs.
In the block format, all parts of the letter are started at the left margin. The body of the letter is single spaced, with one line left between each paragraph. The paragraphs are not indented.
The modified block with indented paragraphs is very similar to the block format. The difference is that each paragraph is indented five spaces.
EXAMPLE BLOCK BUSINESS LETTER
123 Any Street
Anywhere, FL 33333
January 1, 2000
Dear Mrs. Pipes:
This is where you will begin the first paragraph of your business letter. Do not indent any spaces in a block format. Start each line at the left margin. When you are ready, you may go on to your second paragraph.
This is where you will begin your second paragraph of your business letter. Just as in the first letter, you will not indent the paragraph. You should leave one line between the two paragraphs. After you have finished writing your letter, you are almost done.
Sincerely,
Rhonda Avery
Letter Writer
| 
