How to Write a Business Letter in the Proper Format

Although your word processing program may include one or more business letter templates, they are often more elaborate and troublesome than necessary for someone who wants to write a simple, quick business letter.

This article does not focus on matters of actual content or circumstances for writing a business letter, but shows you the steps for writing one in the proper format. Note that there are minor format variations which are also acceptable.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Block Format

   Your letter should be typed unless you are truly unable to do so, in which case it should be printed very neatly. Use a standard letter-sized piece of white paper (8.5 x 11). If using a computer, use a font similar to Times New Roman in point size 12. Use 1.5 inch margins all around.

   It is most common to use block format for your letter. Everything will be left-justified with no indentations, and you will leave a single blank line between paragraphs and parts of your letter with the exception of four blank lines to leave room for your signature.

   Begin by typing the date of your letter with the month fully spelled out.

2. Type your (i.e., the sender's) street address, city, and zip code in the way that you would address an envelope to yourself. It has become acceptable to optionally include your e-mail address as the last line. It is typical to not include your name as the first line of the address since it will appear at the bottom of the letter.

3. Date, Sender's Address, and Inside (Recipient's) Address

   Type the recipient's address, which is sometimes called the inside address. Include the recipient's name, if known. If your salutation is going to be generic such as "To Whom It May Concern:" or "Dear Sir or Madam:", do not include that as part of the inside address. Use the same address format that you would use when addressing the envelope, including the company name. Use "Mr." in front of a man's name, and "Ms." in front of a woman's name unless you are certain that she wishes to be addressed in a different way such as "Miss" or "Mrs."

4. (Optional) If you did not specify a person's name as the recipient, you may include an attention line such as, "Attention: Customer Service Department Supervisor."

5. Salutation and First Two Paragraphs

   Type the salutation. If using the recipient's name, use the form "Dear Ms. Ray." Do not include the first name. If the name is unknown, you can use "Dear Sir or Madam:" or "To Whom It May Concern:" If the recipient is a very close business contact and is effectively your friend, you can usually use "Dear Rachael:". Be sure to use a colon in all cases, since a comma is used for a personal letter.

6. (Optional) Include a subject line such as "Re: Order Number 6789" or "Re: Your near-wardrobe-malfunction in Episode 924 of your talk show." It is common to use bold or italics for this line.

7. Type your first paragraph which introduces and describes the purpose of your letter. It is common for a business letter paragraph to be roughly five sentences. Type your second paragraph which should be the first main idea that you are presenting. Type your third paragraph which should probably be your last or next-to-last main idea.

8. Type your concluding paragraph. It is typical to thank the recipient for his/her time, and indicate any special requests that you may have.

9. Concluding components of letter

   Type "Sincerely," on a line by itself using a comma as shown. Press Enter four times to leave room for your signature.

   Type your name, without including a title such as Mr. or Ms., but optionally including a job-related title or position, or organization affiliation after a comma or on the very next line such as, "Larry Zafran, Buster of Ghosts" or "Larry Zafran, R-Squared Fan Club President."

10. (Optional) If you are including an auxiliary document with your letter, type the word "Enclosure." For more than one document, you could use the form "Enclosures (x)" where x is the number of them. You could optionally list what they are, after a colon.

11. If you are carbon copying one or more people on your letter, type "cc:" followed by the name of the first cc recipient. Additional names are typically written directly below the first one.

12. 

    See if your letter is vertically centered on the page (i.e., from top to bottom). If your letter is short, insert some blank lines at the top to push it down a bit. Don't forget to proofread your letter, sign it, address your envelope properly, apply proper postage, and mail it.

    You're done! You've joined the small and rapidly diminishing percentage of the population that is capable of following these steps to completion! ☺

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