How to Write Business Letters

The business letter is a vital communication tool in the business world. This letter may be a communication medium between two companies or organizations; or it maybe a form of communication within the company itself and any of its constituent departments and personnel. The business letter has to have these characteristics: clarity, conciseness, correctness, courteousness, conversational, convincing and most of all complete.

When it comes to business letters, you need not play with words. Clarity and conciseness is the key. It has to have a professional tone, which requires correctness (grammatically correct) and it has to sound courteous. Aside from being formal, it must not lose the sense of openness and approachability in the side of the sender so it remains formal, yet conversational. The ideas implied or expressed in this letter are of utmost importance. Therefore suggestive steps must be convincing. All possible questions must be answered in the letter, a requirement for it to be complete.

Those are the characteristics of an effective business letter. Now let’s tackle its parts and format.

The business letter should come in a full block format. The first lines on each paragraph are not indented. Listed below are the parts and important tips on what they should contain and how they should be written

Letterhead: The letter’s letterhead contains full information about the company. It should include the name of the company, its address, telephone and fax numbers and then the email address or company website. Most letterheads also contain the company’s logo as well.

Name and Address of the Recipient:  The recipient’s name should be correctly spelled. After that write the address and the postal code as well. Make sure that the info is correct and complete.

Date: This should state the date that the letter is written. Spell the whole date out (e.g. August 18, 1983) never abbreviate the month.

Salutation:  If possible, never use “Dear Sir/Madam” at the salutation. Instead, use Mr. And Ms. appropriately. If there are titles like Dr. or Atty., don’t fail to include it. This gives a personal touch to the letter and gives the impression that the letter is intended to the recipient ONLY.

Subject Matter:  This is not a required part of a business letter. If it is used, this must be directly under the greeting part. This provides clarity on the real purpose of the letter

Body of the letter or the Communication: This contains most of the letter. Each paragraph has a unified thought or idea.

Signature: Type your name in this area and underneath it; type your position or designation. After which, you must place your signature over your typed name.

Enclosures: If there are brochures or other papers with the letter, type Enclosure, Enc, or Encs two lines below the last entry and enumerate the enclosed materials in this part.

Those are the main parts of the letter. There are also things that one must remember when writing a business letter. It should be courteous at all times. If the subject is serious and sensitive, you may make a little effort in giving the letter a friendly tone. Some letters may require a response so it would be best to have an archive for these. Soft copies are suggested since they don’t occupy physical space. Avoid too much technicality in the letter. Always remember that its main point is to communicate so lessen the risk of being misunderstood. One of the challenges in writing a business letter is the format of the letter (e.g. spacing and etc.). You may consult references or search templates on the Internet. Programs that automatically format business letters are also available.