Instructions on Writing Business Letters
A business letter should be as concise and clear as you can make it. It is a formal communication and as such should be courteous and written without flourish. Stay on point and don't make your reader guess what you are writing about or what it is that you are requesting.
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Instructions
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Place all of your contact information in the header, which is the top of the letter. This includes your name, the name of your company, return address and telephone number if you wish to include that. You can either center the header or put it in a block at the left margin. The date of the letter comes under your information, and is aligned with the left margin.
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Insert the name and address of the recipient under the date, and place the salutation under that (for example, Dear Mr. Smith). Format the letter in full block style, with each paragraph aligned with the left margin and without indents.
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Start out by stating clearly why you are writing. Let the reader know the reason for the contact without delay.
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Provide any background information the reader needs to understand more about the subject of your letter. Make sure you explanation is unambiguous, especially if it is a complex topic. Read what you are writing objectively to ensure that anyone could understand it.
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State what it is you want the reader to do, if the letter is not purely informational. If you are not explicit, the reader may not know that an action is being requested.
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Close with a simple, courteous sign off, such as "Sincerely," and place your signature underneath. You do not need to include your typed name under your signature if you put it in the header.
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References
- Photo Credit pen and paper image by Melissa Schalke from Fotolia.com
