Who writes Business Letters?

Most people who have an occupation have to write business letters. Some write many letters each day and others only write a few letters over the course of a career. Business people also read letters on a daily basis. Letters are written from a person/group, known as the sender to a person/group, known in business as the recipient. Here are some examples of senders and recipients:

business «» business

business «» consumer

job applicant «» company

citizen «» government official

employer «» employee

staff member «» staff member

Why write Business Letters?

There are many reasons why you may need to write business letters or other correspondence:

- to persuade

- to inform

- to request

- to express thanks

- to remind

- to recommend

- to apologize

- to congratulate

- to reject a proposal or offer

- to introduce a person or policy

- to invite or welcome

- to follow up

- to formalize decisions.

Read through the following pages to learn more about the different types of business letters, and how to write them. You will learn about formatting, planning, and writing letters, as well as how to spot your own errors. These pages are designed to help you write business letters and correspondence, but they will also help you learn to read, and therefore respond to, the letters you receive. You will also find samples that you can use and alter for your own needs.

 

Business Letter Vocabulary

attachment	extra document or image that is added to an email
block format	most common business letter format, single spaced, all paragraphs begin at the left margin
body	the content of the letter; between the salutation and signature
bullets	small dark dots used to set off items in an unnumbered list
certified mail	important letters that sender pays extra postage for in order to receive a notice of receipt
coherent	logical; easy to understand
concise	gets to the point quickly
confidential, personal	private
diplomacy, diplomatic	demonstrating consideration and kindness
direct mail, junk mail	marketing letters addressed to a large audience
double space	format where one blank line is left between lines of text
enclosure	extra document or image included with a letter
formal	uses set formatting and business language, opposite of casual
format	the set up or organization of a document
heading	a word or phrase that indicates what the text below will be about
indent	extra spaces (usually 5) at the beginning of a paragraph
informal	casual
inside address	recipient's mailing information
justified margins	straight and even text, always begins at the same place
letterhead	specialized paper with a (company) logo or name printed at the top
logo	symbol or image that identifies a specific organization
margin	a blank space that borders the edge of the text
memorandum (memo)	document sent within a company (internal), presented in short form
modified block format	left justified as block format, but date and closing are centred
on arrival notation	notice to recipient that appears on an envelope (e.g. "confidential")
postage	the cost of sending a letter through the Post Office
proofread	read through a finished document to check for mistakes
punctuation	marks used within or after sentences and phrases (e.g. periods, commas)
reader-friendly	easy to read
recipient	the person who receives the letter
right ragged	format in which text on the right side of the document ends at slightly different points (not justified)
salutation	greeting in a letter (e.g. "Dear Mr Jones")
sensitive information	content in a letter that may cause the receiver to feel upset
semi-block format	paragraphs are indented, not left-justified
sincerely	term used before a name when formally closing a letter
single spaced	format where no blanks lines are left in-between lines of text
spacing	blank area between words or lines of text
tone	the feeling of the language (e.g. serious, enthusiastic)
transitions	words or phrases used to make a letter flow naturally (e.g. "furthermore", "on the other hand")

Writing a Business Letter

The term "business letter" makes people nervous. Many people with English as a second language worry that their writing is not advanced enough for business writing. This is not the case. An effective letter in business uses short, simple sentences and straightforward vocabulary. The easier a letter is to read, the better. You will need to use smooth transitions so that your sentences do not appear too choppy.

Salutation

First and foremost, make sure that you spell the recipient's name correctly. You should also confirm the gender and proper title. Use Ms. for women and Mr. for men. Use Mrs. if you are 100% sure that a woman is married. Under less formal circumstances or after a long period of correspondence it may be acceptable to address a person by his or her first name. When you don't know the name of a person and cannot find this information out you may write, "To Whom It May Concern". It is standard to use a comma (colon in North America) after the salutation. It is also possible to use no punctuation mark at all. Here are some common ways to address the recipient:

Dear Mr Powell,

Dear Ms Mackenzie,

Dear Frederick Hanson:

Dear Editor-in-Chief:

Dear Valued Customer

Dear Sir or Madam:

Dear Madam

Dear Sir,

Dear Sirs

Gentlemen:

First paragraph

In most types of business letter it is common to use a friendly greeting in the first sentence of the letter. Here are some examples:

I hope you are enjoying a fine summer.

Thank you for your kind letter of January 5th.

I came across an ad for your company in The Star today.

It was a pleasure meeting you at the conference this month.

I appreciate your patience in waiting for a response.

After your short opening, state the main point of your letter in one or two sentences:

I'm writing to enquire about...

I'm interested in the job opening posted on your company website.

Second and third paragraphs

Use a few short paragraphs to go into greater detail about your main point. If one paragraph is all you need, don't write an extra paragraph just to make your letter look longer. If you are including sensitive material, such as rejecting an offer or informing an employee of a layoff period, embed this sentence in the second paragraph rather than opening with it. Here are some common ways to express unpleasant facts:

We regret to inform you...

It is with great sadness that we...

After careful consideration we have decided...

Final paragraph

Your last paragraph should include requests, reminders, and notes on enclosures. If necessary, your contact information should also be in this paragraph. Here are some common phrases used when closing a business letter:

I look forward to...

Please respond at your earliest convenience.

I should also remind you that the next board meeting is on February 5th.

For futher details...

If you require more information...

Thank you for taking this into consideration.

I appreciate any feedback you may have.

Enclosed you will find...

Feel free to contact me by phone or email.

Closing

Here are some common ways to close a letter. Use a comma between the closing and your handwritten name (or typed in an email). If you do not use a comma or colon in your salutation, leave out the comma after the closing phrase:

Yours truly,

Yours sincerely,

Sincerely,

Sincerely yours

Thank you,

Best wishes

All the best,

Best of luck

Warm regards,

Writing Tips

Use a conversational tone.

Ask direct questions.

Double-check gender and spelling of names.

Use active voice whenever possible.

Use polite modals (would in favour of will).

Always refer to yourself as "I".

Don't use "we" unless it is clear exactly who the pronoun refers to.

Rewrite any sentence or request that sounds vague.

Don't forget to include the date. Day-Month-Year is conventional in many countries; however, to avoid confusion, write out the month instead of using numbers (e.g. July 5th, 2007)