Professional Business Letters

Business letters are important forms of external communication. That is, they deliver information to
individuals outside an organization. Business letters are necessary when a permanent record is required,
when formality is significant, and when a message is sensitive and requires an organized, well-considered
presentation.

Business letters may request information, respond to requests, make claims, seek adjustments, order goods
and services, sell goods and services, recommend individuals, develop goodwill, apply for jobs, or achieve
many other goals. All business and professional people have to write business letters of various kinds, but a
majority of those letters will be informational.

Characteristics of Business Letters

Writers of good business letters—whether the messages are informational, persuasive, or negative—are
guided by the six Cs: conciseness, clarity, correctness, courtesy, completeness, and confidence.

Conciseness

You can make your letters concise by avoiding these writing faults:

(a) Wordy phrases (such as in addition to the above and in view of the fact that),

(b) Excessive use of expletives (such as there are four reasons that explain . . . or It is a good plan),

(e) Old-fashioned expressions (such as attached please find and pursuant to your request).

Clarity

Business letters are clear when they are logically organized and when they present enough information for
the reader to understand what the writer intended. Clarity can be enhanced by including all the necessary
information.

Correctness

Two aspects of correctness are accuracy of facts and accuracy of form. In regard to facts, good writers
prepare to write by gathering relevant information. Typographical errors, spelling irregularities, and
grammatical faults distract the reader and damage the credibility of the writer.

Courtesy

You develop courtesy in business letters by putting yourself in the place of the reader. Imagine how you
would like to be treated, and show the same consideration and respect for the reader. Be alert to words
that may create a negative feeling such as you claim, unfortunately, you neglected, you forgot, and your
complaint.

Completeness

In order for a letter to be complete, it should answer all questions your reader might have. When
formulating your message, consider: who, what, when, where, why, and how.
Confidence

Employers want employees who are confident in themselves and in what they do. Therefore, AVOID using
words that make you sound WEAK such as I think, I feel, and I believe. Just come right out and say it with
confidence!

Writing Plan

Most business letters have seven parts:

1. Sender’s address

You write your complete address. You don’t mention name

2. Dateline

On letterhead paper you should place the date one blank line below the last line of the letterhead or 2
inches from the top edge of the paper. On a plain paper, place the date immediately below your return
address.

The most common dateline format is as follows:

June 9, 2010. Don’t use th (or rd, nd, or st) when the date is written this way.

For European or military correspondence, use the following dateline format:

9 June 2010. Notice that no commas are used.

3. Inside Address /return address

Type the inside address—the recipient’s name, the address of the organization or person receiving the
letter. Be careful to duplicate the exact wording and spelling of the recipient’s name and address on your
documents. Always be sure to include a courtesy title such as Mr., Ms., Mrs., Dr., or Professor before a
person’s name in the inside address. Although many women in business today favor Ms., you should use
whatever title the addressee prefers.

4. Subject and Reference Lines

Although experts suggest placing the subject line one blank line below the salutation, many
businesses actually place it above the salutation or below the inside address. Use whatever
style your organization prefers. Reference lines often show policy or file numbers; they generally
appear one blank line above the salutation. Use initial capital letters for the main words or all
capital letters.

5. Salutation

For most letter styles, place the letter greeting, or salutation, one blank line below the last line of the inside
address. If the letter is addressed to an individual, use that person’s courtesy title and last name (Dear Mr.
Lanham). Even if you are on a first-name basis (Dear Leslie), be sure to add a colon (not a comma or a
semicolon) after the salutation. Do not use an individual’s full name in the salutation (not Dear Mr. Leslie
Lanham) unless you are unsure of gender (Dear Leslie Lanham).

 To Whom It May Concern: Use this salutation when you don't know who will be reading your
message. Complaint letters are a good example of correspondence to a general organization, rather
than a specific recipient.

 Dear Sir or Madam: This is a very formal (and somewhat outdated) version of "To Whom It May
Concern."

 Dear Hiring Manager (or another professional title): Use this greeting when you want your message
to go to a specific person but don't have a personal connection with them.

 Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms./Miss/Dr./Professor (etc.) and their last name: This greeting is best when you
have a personal and professional relationship with the recipient. The colon in this greeting makes it
more formal than a friendly use of "dear."

 Mr./Mrs./Ms./Miss/Dr./Professor (etc.) and their last name: Best when you want to get to the
point, removing the "dear" conveys a professional sense of urgency while maintaining a formal tone.
Be sure that you have a good working relationship with the recipient to avoid appearing impolite.

Very formal (for official business letters)

Use only when you do not know to whom you must address the
To Whom It May Concern: letter, for example, when writing to an institution.

Dear Sir/Madam, Use when writing to a position without having a named contact.

Dear Mr Smith, Use when you have a named male contact.

Use when you have a named female contact; do not use the old-
Dear Ms Smith, fashioned Mrs.

Dear Dr Smith, Use when writing to a named doctor.

Dear Prof Smith, Use when writing to a named professor.

Dear Xu Li, Type the whole name when you are unsure of the recipient’s gender.

6. Body

Introduction: The opening of a business letter may include a subject line .The first sentence of a business
letter that requests or delivers information should begin directly with the main idea.

 I’d like to call your attention to…

 I’d like to emphasize that…

 I’m writing to inquire about…etc.

Explanation: The body of the letter provides explanations and additional information to clarify the first
sentence. Use a separate paragraph for each new idea, being careful to strive for concise writing. Think
about the individual reading your message. Will that person understand what you are saying? Have you
included enough information? What may seem clear to you may not be so evident to your reader. Maintain
a friendly, conversational, and positive tone.

Closing: Business letters that demand action should conclude with a specific request. That is, tell the
reader when you would like the request complied with, and, if possible, provide a reason (for example,
Please send me this information by June 1 so that I can arrange my vacation).

 I’d appreciate if you could reply at your earliest convenience.

 I look forward to hearing from you.

7. Complimentary Close

Typed one blank line below the last line of the letter, the complimentary close may be formal (Very truly
yours) or informal (Sincerely or Cordially).

Use "Yours faithfully" ( ) or "Yours truly" ( ) for Unknown Recipients

(Letters that start with To Whom It May Concern fall into this category.)

Use "Yours sincerely" ( ) or "Sincerely yours" ( ) for Known Recipients

If you know the name of the recipient (typically a colleague or close business associate), use Yours
sincerely if you're following UK convention and Sincerely yours (or just Sincerely) if you're following US
convention.

‘Yours sincerely’ is used with the salutations like ‘Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms’/Miss followed by the name of the person.
‘Yours faithfully’ is used with the salutation like ‘Dear Madam,’ or ‘Dear Sir. ’

Signature Block

In most letter styles the writer’s typed name and optional identification appear three or four blank lines
below the complimentary close. The combination of name, title, and organization information should be
arranged to achieve a balanced look. The name and title may appear on the same line or on separate lines,
depending on the length of each.

Enclosure Notation (optional)

When an enclosure or attachment accompanies a document, a notation to that effect appears one blank line
below the reference initials. This notation reminds the typist to insert the enclosure in the envelope, and it
reminds the recipient to look for the enclosure or attachment. The notation may be spelled out (Enclosure,
Attachment), or it may be abbreviated (Enc., Att.). It may indicate the number of enclosures or attachments,
and it may also identify a specific enclosure (Enclosure: Form 1099).
Letter and Punctuation Styles

Most business letters today are prepared in either block or modified block style, and they generally use
mixed punctuation.

Modified Block Style

The modified block style differs from block style in that the date and closing lines appear in the center, as
shown in the Figure. The date may be (a) centered, (b) begun at the center of the page (to align with the
closing lines), or (c) backspaced from the right margin. The signature block—including the complimentary
close, writer’s name and title, or organization identification— begins at the center. The first line of each
paragraph may begin at the left margin or may be indented five or ten spaces. All other lines begin at the left
margin.
Block Style

In the block style, shown in the Figure, all lines begin at the left margin. This style is a favorite because it is
easy to format.

Mixed Punctuation Style Most businesses today use mixed punctuation. It requires a colon /comma after the
salutation and a comma after the complimentary close. Even when the salutation is a first name, a colon is
appropriate.

Example:

Dear Mr. Frazier: instead of Dear Mr. Frazier

Sincerely, instead of Sincerely
COMPLAINT LETTER WRITING
What is a Complaint Letter?

How many times has it happened that you bought a product and it turned out to be defective? How many
times did you avail a public service and were left dissatisfied? Or, did you ever notice any problematic
practice taking place at a public place? What do you do in such situations? Most of the times, we do not take
any action in such situations because of which the problem doesn’t get the attention it deserves and hence,
negligence increases.

A Complaint Letter is a type of letter written to address any type of wrong-doing, offence, grievance,
resentment arising out of a product, service, etc. It is used to raise your concern about unfair things and seek
a productive outcome.  It is a fundamental right and duty of a citizen to seek justice arising out of any
injustice, and the first step toward it is, filing a Complaint. It inspires other troubled consumers, influences
the concerned authorities to take proper action and makes the defaulters more liable, responsible and
responsive.

This is the main content of the letter. It is either divided into three paragraphs or two paragraphs if the letter
is briefer. The tone of the content should be formal. Do not use any offensive language. Another point to be
kept in mind is that the letter should be concise and to the point. And always be respectful and considerate
in your language. It should include-

Short introduction paragraph- Be sure to include the following information if it's applicable to the
situation: the date/time of the issue, location, name of person on duty, name of product, what the
problem was, your account number, model number, price, warranty information and reference
number. Include dates, location and the specifications about the item or service.

Next paragraph- You should identify what the issue is and any relevant information that you
believe is important. Provide details about the product or service that is the subject of the
complaint. If you received poor service, you could request an apology or a coupon. Provide details as
to the cause. This may include malfunction, billing issues, details that were not disclosed, etc. Be
sure to stick with the facts and avoid putting emotions into your letter

Last paragraph-Thank the reader for the time. You can also throw in some compliments about
something you liked about their company's product or service. Indicate how you would like them to
resolve your problem. Provide specifics about what you’re seeking.

Indicate if you are including copies of transaction document.

Tips for writing a Complaint Letter
 Focus on the most important facts.
 Don’t give unnecessary background information.
 Make sure you include:
• the reason for writing (e.g. I am writing to ...)
• what went wrong
• What you would like to happen now.
 Complaint letters are usually written in a formal style.
 Use passives to be less direct and more formal, e.g. I was
served quickly.
 Although the motive of complaint letter is to vent out your grievance
and frustration, it is imperative that you use a tone which is polite
and simple. Try to be formal and avoid using offensive and
disrespectful words.
 Make sure that you introduce yourself properly.
 The purpose of writing should be loud and clear.
 Do not deviate from the topic and write to-the-point.
 Make sure you adhere to the format as it carries marks.
 Underline the subject of the letter with a pencil. Also, underlining the
main points is very important, but it is advisable that you do it after
finishing your exam. Use a pencil and scale for underlining.
 Make sure you double check for grammatical accuracy and
spellings. They carry marks.
 Leave adequate number of lines between paragraphs to make it look
clean.
 Presentation is very important.
 Read a lot of letters to get an idea.
 Don't use abbreviated dates, i.e. use November 19, 2005, and not
11/19/05.

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/sites/podcasts/files/LearnEnglish-Writing-B2-A-letter-of-
complaint.pdf