How to Write Business
Letters
A business letter is a
formal letter used by
professionals in an
organization. The need
for letter writing has
lessened with new
technologies,
specifically the email.
However, there are cases
where such a letter may
be vital. It is
subsequently important
that great care is
observed when writing a
formal letter. An
appropriate formal
letter should have the
desired effect it hopes
to accomplish. The
following instructions
covers the essentials
involved in accurate
letter writing. Pay
close attention to
details given about
formatting which is a
principal part of the
entire process.
Required Tools:
An operational computer
A printer
Required Materials:
8 1/2 by 11 high quality
printer paper
Instructions:
Begin the letter by
typing the return
address at the top
right-hand corner of the
letter. This should be
followed by the present
date. Align the address
so that all the
individual lines of the
address are in line with
each other to one side,
preferably to the left
side of the address.
Place the address of the
recipient to the left of
the paper about one
space underneath the
address that has been
placed to the top
right-hand corner of the
paper.
The opening salutation
of the letter can be
typed as Dear Mr. ____:.
The "Dear" may be
followed by a colon or a
comma either will work.
If the name is not
known, although it is
best to address a formal
letter with a name, use
"Dear Sir or Madame".
Always place an
appropriate title before
the recipient's name.
This may be Ms. Mrs.
Miss. Mr or Dr. If you
are uncertain of a
woman's marital status
or how she prefers to be
called use Ms.
You can now write the
body of the letter.
State your intention in
the first paragraph.
However, be careful not
to write "I am writing
this letter to", allow
the letter to speak for
itself with
understandable and clear
language.
Separate the paragraphs
by double spacing and
using tabs to indent the
beginning of each
paragraph or use block
style. Try to be brief
and only put the
appropriate information
that is necessary in
each paragraph.
Conclude the letter with
a salutation of choice.
"Yours Truly", "Yours
Sincerely" and "Yours
Faithfully" are all
widely accepted
closings. Enter your
name four spaces below
the closing of the
letter. Insert a line
using the underline tool
in the word processor
above your name or use
the underscore several
times.
Print the letter and put
your signature directly
and neatly on the
alloted line.
Tips and Warnings:
Always use the spell
check and grammar tools
offered by the word
processor. Proof read
the letter once it has
been completed. To
perform a substantial
proof read print a mock
copy of the letter, most
printers allow printing
in draft mode. This will
guarantee that the
letter is aligned and
print ready and also
increases the likelihood
that you will detect any
mistakes.
Always adopt a polite
tone when writing a
formal letter regardless
of the potential
negative situation that
the letter addresses.
Please visit these links
for more information on
How to Write a Business
Letter: http://www.howtowriteabusinessletter.org
and http://www.howtowriteabusinessletter.net
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