Business Letters

Ms. Maria Ahmad

Business Letter

• A business letter is a professional, formal letter that is sent

by one company to another.
• These letters can be used for professional correspondence
between business clients, employees, stakeholders as well as
individuals.
Types Of Business Letters
1.Cover letters
2.Letters of recommendation
3.Interview follow-up letters
4.Offer letters
5.Sales letters
6.Letters of commendation
7.Letters of resignation
8.Thank you letters
9.Complaint letters
10.Apology letters
11.Office memorandum
12.Welcome letters
13.Request letters
14.Announcement letters
15.Termination letters
Sections of a Business Letter
• Your Contact Information
• Your Name
• Your Job Title
• Your Company
• Your Address
• City, State Zip Code
• Your Phone Number
• Your Email Address
Sender’s Information
• If you want a reply, you need to understand how to address
a business letter properly.
• Write your address, contact number, and email address.
• Many people include their full name at the top too. However,
others think that it’s unnecessary because you are going to
sign the letter with your name anyway.
• Well, if your company has a letterhead, you can use that
instead of typing out all the information.
Date: The date you're penning the
correspondence
• Rather than abbreviating with numbers, write the entire
date.
• When you’re writing to American companies, use
the American date format i.e, put the month before the
day.
• Example: October 20, 2016
• Write the date before the month if you’re sending a letter in
the U.K. or Australia.
• Example: 20 October 2016
Recipient’s Contact Information
• Their Name
• Their Title
• Their Company
• The Company’s Address
• City, State Zip Code
Subject Line
• The subject line of a business letter is the portion of the letter
where you tell the reader about your subject.
• A subject line is not always necessary in a business letter, if the
letter is brief.
• It immediately conveys to the reader the subject of the letter.
The Salutation
• Use "To Whom It May Concern," if you’re unsure specifically whom
you’re addressing.
• Use the formal salutation “Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. [Last Name],” if you do
not know the recipient.
• Use “Dear [First Name],” only if you have an informal relationship
with the recipient.
Salutation
• Dear Mr. (Ms., Mrs, Miss) Doe- When the first line of an inside address is
the name of an individual.
• Dear Zainab (Fazeel or nickname)- When you’d address the individual this
way in person and when it is appropriate for you to do so in your letter.
• Dear Koo Hong Chuan -Most often used in Asia; Family name first, then
given name, then comma.
• Dear Manager (Executive, Human Resources, Director)-When the first line
is a position within an organization, and you know no name.
• Dear ladies and Gentlemen (Members of….., Admission Office)-when you
are addressing a company, a group, or a department and you don’t know a
specific person.
• Dear Customer (Student, Occupant, Applicant)- for messages that omit the
inside address such as sales letters or announcement.
 How is business writing organized?
• Opening: This section introduces the reader to the purpose of your document
or the subject matter you’ll be discussing.
• It lets them know why you are communicating with them and why the
information is important to your reader.
• Agenda: This section lets the reader know what to expect from the rest of the
message.
• You can think of it like a roadmap for your document.
• Body: This section is where you make your main points and communicate
your overall message to the reader.
• This section is often the longest part of a business document.
• Closing: Here, you reiterate the main points for the reader and include any
follow-up actions or recommendations, as necessary.
• In most cases, you may request a meeting to discuss your ideas further.
The Body
• the opening paragraph, introduce yourself and clarify the
point of your letter. You can also mention mutual
connections here, in case the recipient doesn’t know who
you are.
• You can write “I am writing to you regarding…” as the
opening line.
• In the next paragraph, go into the details of your main
point.
• In the closing paragraph, briefly summarize your points,
restate the letter’s purpose and tell your planned course of
action.
Closing

• You can also thank him or her for reading the letter.
• Make sure that the closing isn’t more than two sentences
long!
• For instance, you can write:
• Kindly email me at (your email) to schedule a meeting. Thank
you!
• If you have any queries, don’t hesitate to call me at (your contact
number).
Closing Salutation
• Some good options for your closing include:
• Respectfully yours
• Yours sincerely, Sincerely Yours, Sincerely (Most Popular)
• Cordially, Very truly yours, Yours very truly
• Respectfully
• If your letter is less formal, consider using:
• All the best
• Best
• Thank you
• Regards
• Regardless of what you choose, add a comma to the end of it.
Signature Area
• Write your signature just beneath your closing and leave four single
spaces between your closing and your typed full name, title, phone
number, email address, and any other contact information you want
to include. Use the format below:
• Your handwritten signature
• Typed full name
Title
Steps for Business Letters
• Step 1: Sender’s information
• Step 2: Date
• Step 3: Recipient Address
• Step 4: The Salutation
• Step 5: The Body
• Step 6: Closing
• Step 7: Complimentary Closing