| How to write a business letter
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How to write a business letter
A good business letter does not ramble on; it supplies all pertinent information in a clear and concise manner. Using 1" margins and a serif font such as Times New Roman (12 point) or Georgia (11 point), your sentences should be no longer than 2 ½ lines, preferably shorter. Conventional business correspondence contains the date, inside address, salutation, etc., in addition to the body of the letter. When you think how to write a business letter, the complete letter should still fit easily on one side of an 8 ½" x 11" sheet of paper. Pretend that you are on a limited budget and every word you use has a price tag. Consequently, you must be frugal with the number of written words in every sentence.
1. Although it is important how to write a business letter that sounds natural and is not long-winded, remember that the tone of a business letter should be more formal than normal, conversational English. If you are trying to impress someone with your education and credentials, avoid using slang and idiomatic expressions. Run-on sentences may have a negative effect on the reader as well. If you crowd too many ideas into one sentence, the reader may become lost in the tangle of words. After skimming the first few sentences, a reader may slow down and read a well-written letter more closely, but may quickly toss one into the "circular file" if it is difficult to read or unprofessional. You do not want to write a letter that provokes confusion, annoyance, or amusement.
Few steps on how to write a business letter
1. Use block style - do not indent paragraphs.
2. Include address of the person you are writing to at the top of the letter, below your company address.
3. After the address, double space and include date
4. Double space (or as much as you need to put the body of the letter in the center) and include the salutation. Include Mr. for men or Ms for women, unless the recipient has a title such as Dr.
5. State a reference reason for your letter (i.e. "With reference to our telephone conversation..."
6. Give the reason for writing (i.e. "I am writing to you to confirm our order...")
7. Make any request you may have (i.e. "I would be grateful if you could include a brochure..."
8. If there is to be further contact, refer to this contact (i.e. "I look forward to meeting you at...")
9. Close the letter with a thank you (i.e. "Thank you for your prompt help...")
10. Finish the letter with a salutation (i.e. "Yours sincerely,")
11. Include 4 spaces and type your full name and title
12. sign the letter between the salutation and the typed name and title.
Tips:
1. Keep the letter brief and to the point
2. Do not use shortened verb forms - write them out (i.e. "don\'t instead of do not")
3. Always keep a copy of correspondence for future reference.
How to write a business letter >
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