The Proper Way to Address Business Letters

Business letters are an important communication tool in the business world. A poorly addressed letter can convey the image that the sender is unprofessional, or does not care about whatever the letter is about. Properly addressing the letter is the first step in creating a professional communication.

Name

First, write out the recipient's full name. No nicknames should be used.

Title

Write the recipient's full job title, such as "Director of Human Resources," underneath her name.

Company Name

The name of the company should come next. Make sure to use the full name, without abbreviations, unless otherwise instructed.

Street Address

The street address of the recipient is next. Make sure to use the recipient's business address, including any suite numbers. Do not use his home address unless you are specifically told to.

City and State

The city and state are the last piece of the address, and are written just as in any other type of letter.