How to write business letters

A business letter is a formal letter used by professionals in an organization. The need to write letters has diminished with new technologies, specifically email. However, there are cases where such a letter can be vital. Therefore, it is important that great care is taken when preparing a formal letter. A proper formal letter should have the desired effect that you hope to achieve. The following instructions cover the essential elements involved in good letter writing. Pay close attention to the details given about formatting, which is a basic part of the whole process.

Required tools:

a working computer

A printer

Required materials:

High quality 8½ by 11 printer paper

Instructions:

Begin the letter by placing the return address in the upper right hand corner of the letter. This should be followed by the current date. Align the address so that all the individual lines of the address are aligned with each other to one side, preferably to the left side of the address.

Place the recipient’s address to the left of the paper approximately one space below the address that was placed in the upper right corner of the paper.

The opening salutation of the letter can be written as Dear Mr. ____:. The “Dear” can be followed by a colon or a comma. If the name is unknown, although it is better to send a formal letter with a name, use “Dear Sir or Madam”. Always place an appropriate title before the recipient’s name. This may be Mrs. Mrs. Miss. Mr. or Dr. If you’re not sure of a woman’s marital status or what you prefer to be called, use Mrs.

Now you can write the body of the letter.

State your intent in the first paragraph. However, be careful not to write “I am writing this letter to you”, let the letter speak for itself in understandable and clear language.

Double space paragraphs and use tabs to indent the beginning of each paragraph or use the block style. Try to be concise and only put the relevant information that is needed in each paragraph.

Conclude the letter with a greeting of your choice. “Sincerely,” “Sincerely,” and “Sincerely” are widely accepted closures. Enter your name four spaces below the closing of the letter. Insert a line using the underline tool in your word processor above your name or use the underscore multiple times.

Print the letter and place your signature directly and clearly on the designated line.

Tips and Warnings:

Always use the spell checker and grammar tools provided by the word processor. Correct the reading of the letter once it is finished. For a substantial proof reading, print a dummy copy of the letter, most printers allow you to print in draft mode. This will ensure that the letter is aligned and ready to print and also increases the chance that you will catch any errors.

Always adopt a courteous tone when writing a formal letter, regardless of the possible negative situation the letter addresses.