About Business Letters
A business letter is a formal written communication. It is ideally concise and direct. There are proper ways of writing a business letter.
Writing a business letter is a formal manner of communication. It is often used in companies. It is usually direct, concise and clear. It also follows certain writing etiquettes.
The approach to writing a business letter is very important. Sounding too informal may give an impression of disrespect.
Business letters should be brief, direct and clear as possible. It presupposes that the recipient does not have enough time to read your letter. Three or four paragraphs are enough to complete everything you need to say.
Make sure to include all the essential data in your business letter, like your name, the date, recipient’s name and address, and purpose of your letter.
Know your audience. If your letter is intended to the HR Department, steer clear of extremely technical terminologies that only ITs would comprehend. If you must use industry-specific terms, make sure that they are directly related to your point and use them in a way that will express your competence.
Keep a professional tone. Even if your letter intends to complain a certain product or service, be civil and well-mannered. Just declare the issues and problems together with any other pertinent details and shun from insults or threats. You are after all not talking to your parents or friends. Keep a respectful tone all the time.
There are seven basic parts in a business letter. First off is the date of writing. There are several ways to write dates. Most often, it is written with the month first, followed by the day, then the year. In other cases though, it is also okay to start with the day, followed by the month then the year. Separate the day and year with a comma.
The second part is the return address. This is your address. It is called a return address because in mails, when the postman is not able to locate the recipient, it will be returned to you for notification that the message was not sent across.
The third part is the recipient’s address. Normally, in business letters, you write the name of the recipient, the company he works for and the address of the company. Also specify his position or job designation. Although there are certain cases wherein the recipient will prefer to receive his mails in his residential address, by default, and in general, you address it to his company or office address.
The fourth part is the salutation or greeting. In business letters, the traditional “dear” preceding the name of the recipient is often disregarded or dropped. Instead, for more formality, “sir” or “madam” is more often used. You can also address the recipient by his profession. Example is “Attorney,” “Doctor” or “Engineer.”
The fifth part is the bulk of the letter. This is the body, where your message is actually written. As earlier said, keep it concise and direct to the point. Avoid wasting the time of the recipient in having to read long letters. Always indicate gratitude for taking time to read your message. Also express appreciation for immediate replies when needed.
The sixth part is the closing. Be as respectful as you can. Avoid using the word “lovingly” as what is common in informal notes. Use “Respectfully yours” or “Sincerely yours.”
And seventh and the last part is the signature. This is your printed name with your signature on top of it.