The Proper Way of Writing a Business Letter

If you are a seasoned business person, you have probably written a lot of business letters over the years. However, if you are a newbie, writing a business letter can be a daunting and challenging task because you have to make sure that everything you have written in your letter is appropriate and oozing with professionalism. It is important to understand that it is a form of written communication between two business parties, clients, suppliers, or vendors. That is why it is important to follow the standard business letter format to ensure that communication between you and the recipient is kept at a professional level and that you are able to convey your message in a clear manner.

What’s the Correct Format of a Business Letter

We all know that a business letter is commonly used for purpose of writing a job-related and other professional forms of business communications, such as:

• Company communication
• Recommendation letters
• Resignation letters
• Legal correspondence
• Cover letters

And since a business letter is considered as a formal mode of written communication, it is extremely crucial to make sure that you have included the following elements:

• Name and Address of the Sender or Business Letterhead
• The date the letter was written
• Inside Address
• Salutation
• Body or Content of the Letter
• Closing
• Enclosure

Tips for Writing a Business Letter

It is important to understand that writing a business letter involves some serious skills. In fact, even a seasoned businessman may experience some challenge. However, the thought of writing one should not be overwhelming. That is why we have gathered some smart and easy tips to keep in mind that will guide you through the process of writing a business letter that is effective and professional.

• There are three different layouts that you can use when writing a business letter. If you want to use the block format, the entire letter is justified to the left and the spacing used should be set to single. If you choose to use the modified block, it is quite similar to the block format except that the date and closing are tabbed to the center. The semi-block, on the other hand, has almost the same format as the modified block, only that the each paragraph is indented.
• Oftentimes, the standard fonts that are used in a business letter are Calibri, Times New Roman, Verdana, and Arial. The size of the font should be kept between ten to twelve points. Also, keep in mind to consider the recipient of the letter. If you think that the company you are writing is conservative, the best font to use is Times New Roman.
• Make sure to always use a clean and high-quality sheet of plain paper. The standard size of the paper should be 8.5 x 11.
• When addressing the person, it is always crucial to use the proper salutation. If you do not have an idea how to address a female recipient, the safest option is to use Miss. If you do not know the name of the contact person, you can use “Dear Sir/Miss” or “To Whom It May Concern”.

When you use the following tips when writing a business letter, it will not only make a good impression, but you can also get a quick response from the recipient.

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