A business letter is an official written communication often between
organizations or individuals regarding official matters. It’s important
to follow the right format, use the right tone, and be straight to the
point for clear communication. The language used in business letters
must closely reflect your business’ brand identity
A good business letter is brief, straightforward, and polite. If possible,
it should be limited to one single-spaced typewritten page. Because it is so
brief, a business letter is often judged on small, but important, things:
format, grammar, punctuation, openings and closings. A business letter is not
the place to try out fancy fonts or experimental writing styles.
Types of Business Letter
1. Cover letters: A cover letter accompanies
a package, report, or any other official document. It explains the
contents and gives instructions to the recipient on how to handle it.
2. Proposal letters: Businesses
leverage proposal letters to their partners, peers, and prospective
clients to propose a business idea, project, or partnership. These
letters aim to convince the recipient to act upon or endorse the
business proposal.
3. Thank you letters: To
express gratitude and appreciation to a person or organization for
their assistance, support, or services provided, you can write a thank
you letter. The tone here is usually courteous and grateful.
4. Complaint letters: To
effectively convey their dissatisfaction, businesses often take the
help of complaint letters. In such instances it’s essential to balance
expressing your displeasure and avoiding excessive anger to maintain the
air of professionalism. You can also offer suggestions to the recipient
on rectifying the situation..
5. Acknowledgment letters: Acknowledgement
letters help confirm the receipt of an item or to acknowledge a fact or
error highlighted by someone. These letters should include the date of
receiving the package or information and express gratitude towards the
sender for their contribution.
6. Response letters: Response letters address a previous letter or inquiry, provide information, or confirm the necessary actions.
7. Letters of request: You
can use these to secure additional information on a matter, request for
additional resources to your superior in the organization, or secure a
professional favor from someone outside the organization. When writing
such letters, it’s important to seek assistance without appearing
excessively emotional or desperate. Therefore, it’s important to
carefully consider the adjectives used in the letter.
8. Congratulatory letters: Such
letters aim to congratulate someone on their achievements, promotions,
or other accomplishments. The letter should outline the reason for
offering congratulations and highlight any positive feedback.
Formats of Business Letter:
1. Full Block : Align all elements on the left margin.
2. Modified : Down the middle of the page, align the return
address, date, closing, signature, and typed name; align other elements on the
left page margin.
3. Semi Block: Align all elements on the left margin; the first line of each paragraph is indented
Elements
of a Standard Business Letter
1. Return
Address: Your address (or the address of the company you
represent). If you are using preprinted stationery, there is no need to retype
the information.
2. Date:
Leave two blank lines after the return address. Always spell out the month and
include the day, a comma, and the year.
3. Inside
Address: Leave two blank lines after the date. Then type the
address of the person or company to whom you are writing.
4. Salutation:
Type Dear, followed by the person’s name. End the line with a colon. If you
don’t know the name of the person, use a title instead (i.e., Dear Editor, Dear
Madam).
5. Body:
Align your message on the left margin. Skip a line before starting a new
paragraph, but do not indent the paragraph’s first line. Make sure that each
paragraph is clear and concise.
6. Closing:
Leave two lines of space after your last body paragraph, then use a conventional
closing, followed by a comma (i.e., Sincerely, Sincerely Yours, Respectfully).
7. Signature:
Your signature should appear below your closing. Unless you have established a
personal relationship with the person you are writing, use both your first and
last name.
8. Name
and Position: Four lines after the closing, type your full
name. Do not include a title (Mr. or Mrs.). If you are writing on behalf of an
organization, type your title on the next line.
9. Abbreviations
at the end of a letter: If you send a copy of a letter to
someone other than the person addressed, use cc: and the person’s name. Use
Enc. or Enclosure if you enclose something with the letter. If someone else
types it, put the writer’s initials in capitals, then a slash and the typist’s
initials in lowercase: MT/fjr. Just one abbreviation should appear on a line.
Language Features of Business Letter:
1. Using Simple Present
2. Using correct punctuation
3. Using technical term
4. No contraction
5. Using polite and formal word
6. Using old fashioned font type (no fancy one)
