A business letter is a medium to correspond in a professional and formal way. With this purpose alone, you can easily tell that a business letter is far different from personal letters. Its structure and content is completely different than informal communication. Going over the procedure on how to write a business letter will reveal this to you right on the onset.
Letter Format
There are different formats on how to write a business letter. The most common and preferred one is the block format where your entire letter is left justified. The modified block format follows the same pattern only that the date and closing are tabbed to the center. You would usually use Times New Roman as your font and size it at 12.
Parts of a Business Letter
A business letter will have different parts that are located in respective locations in the letter. Your letter will include the date, sender’s address, inside address, salutation, body, closing, enclosures if any, and the typist’s initials if necessary. Learning how to write a business letter will require you to learn how to place these elements.
Details of Each Part
Date: This line tells when your business letter was written. The date line will be positioned two inches from the top. You need to write the name of the month in full followed by the day and the year.
Sender’s Address: This line in a business letter is optional. However, if want to include it in your letter just remember to place it one line beneath the line for the date. You’re not supposed to write the sender’s title or name. You’ll only include the street address, city, and zip.
Inside Address: This line will contain the name of the recipient of your business letter. When learning how to write a business letter, remember to do a little research and know the name of the person you should contact or address. Always include a personal title like Dr., Mr., Mrs., or Ms. (i.e. if you’re unsure of the woman’s preference regarding being addressed).
Follow the post office format when writing down the company’s address. The name of the country should be in all capital letters if you’re writing an international letter. The inside address should be one inch below the date or one line below the sender’s address if you included it. This line should always be left indented no matter what business letter format you follow.
Salutation: Include the personal title along with the name of the person you’re addressing the letter to. This is another important step in how to write a business letter. End this line with a colon and begin the body of your letter after leaving one blank line.
Body: Remember to be concise with you put in the body of the letter. This is an important practice on how to write a business letter. The first paragraph is generally a friendly opening followed by the main point of your letter in the next paragraph. Your closing should be a summary that restates the purpose of your letter.
Closing: This should be aligned with the date. This line of your business letter should end with a comma. Skip four lines down and then you have the sender’s name and signature. If you have enclosures like a resume included in your letter, mention it one line after the closing. Include the typist’s initials if someone typed your letter for you.
