How to Address a Letter to Someone in a Corporation

Many corporations want to hear feedback about their products and services.

Whether you're dissatisfied with a product and want to return it, or you simply want to share your views about a corporation's business practices, you need to compose a formal business letter. Many corporations, regardless of the size, maintain busy schedules and adhere to strict deadlines. Consequently, it's vital that you write the letter in a clear, condensed matter and address it correctly to ensure that it falls into the hands of the intended recipient.

Instructions

1. Write your address near the top of the letter. You only need to include your street address, city and ZIP code, as your name and title is usually included in the letter's closing. You can also include your phone number and e-mail address in this area.

2. Skip down two lines and add the date. If you're addressing the letter to a corporation based in the United States, use the American standard date format, which consists of the month, date and year. For example, you would write the date, 6-20-2011 as June 20, 2011.

3. Include the recipient's address about two or three spaces below the date. Use the standard post office format for the address. If you know the person's official title, include it in this section. You should address a man or woman as Ms., Mr., Mrs., Miss or Dr. Avoid addressing the person by first name only.

4. Add the salutation. After you skip down one line, write the person's full title and name, followed by a colon. If you're unsure of the person's gender, use the person's full name.

5. Compose your message in the body of the letter, which appears about one line down from the salutation. Open the first paragraph with a friendly greeting and state the main point of the letter. Add any additional supporting background information and details. Keep this section as concise as possible.

6. Add the closing. This section begins about one line down after the body of the letter. You can end the letter with closings such as, "Thank you" or "Sincerely." Skip down four spaces and sign the letter.

Tips & Warnings

• Before you write the letter, contact the corporation and ask a secretary or other staff member for the recipient's official title and the correct spelling of his or her name.

• If you send documents with the letter, type the word "Enclosures" about one line down from your closing. This will alert the recipient that you've included important documents that you want him or her to view.

References

• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Writing the Basic Business Letter

Resources

• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Basic Business Letters