BUSINESS LETTER Definition Business letters are formal letters used for business-to-

business, business-to-client, or client-to-business correspondence. There are a number

of elements in a business letter. Letter writing is an art. A letter in one topic can be
written in different styles with the help of various formats. Writing a letter is a difficult
task for some because of format used for writing. The letter has to have the following
parts: date, name and address of sender and receiver, salutation, main body and
complimentary closure. When all these parts are combined together, then you will get a
well drafted letter. Writing as well as receiving a letter is always special. A letter is a
platform where you can express your innermost feelings in a straightforward manner.
Business letters and personal letters are two types of letters. For all official and formal
situations, you write business letter whereas letters written to friends, relatives,
acquaintances are personal letters. Both follow the same format only the difference lies
in the language used for writing. In business letters, formal language is used and
situations discussed are work related. In personal letters language is informal and you
discuss personal and intimate topics.
BUSINESS LETTER WRITING Whenanindividualstarts workingina
professionalenvironment, he needs to understand the various nuances of business
letter writing. Business letter has to be brief and concise. The purpose of writing the
letter should feature in the first paragraph. Give enough information about the main idea
but be specific. Professionals do not have time to read lengthy letters. So keep the
letters as short as possible. The business letter has to effectively convey the message
to the reader. Here in this section you will get tips to write business letters, types of
business letters and samples of business letters. Use the formats and modify the
content as per your requirements. Purposes of Business Writing "Business writing ... is
utilitarian, aiming to serve any one of many purposes. Here are just a few purposes of
business writing: To explain or justify actions already taken: "Given that situation, we
have determined that the best course of action is to reject all current bids and
toseekothers." To convey information, as in a research report or the promulgation of a
new company policy: "Management wants all employees to know that the floggings will
stop as soon as we have evidence of improved morale." To influence the reader to take
some action: "I hope that you willfind that our new, Web-based cash management
services can reduce your capital requirements and save you money." To deliver good or
bad news: "Unfortunately, the engine fire you reported occurred one day after the
expiration of the warranty period." To direct action: "Your team should complete and
deliver the product specifications by May 1." these people, you will use a formal tone. If
theletter is written to a co-worker, current employer or an elderly relative, you have to
use semi-formal tone. You can be personal when writing to a close friend, spouse or a
girlfriend. As you are aware about the people you will be writing a letter to and how
formal you should be in your communication, let's discuss the common points you must
follow for letter writing:
Every letter, regardless of its tone and your closeness with the recipient, must have a
universal format. It must contain the sender's address, date, receiver's address, subject
and reference in some cases. The information of the sender will be on the top of the
letter followed by other details. You have to greet the readers before starting with the
letter. Depending on the relationship that you share with the recipient, you have to
address him or her accordingly. You can begin with "Dear" followed by the last name of
the person. In case you do not know the gender of the person, then you can mention
"Dear Sir/Madam" The start of the letter would depend on whether you are writing a
personal letter, or a business letter. If the letter is personal, you can ask him or her how
he/she is. I hope you are doing well and in good health. For a business letter, start with
the reason of writing. In such letters, both yours and the reader's time are valuable. So,
don't waste it and be on the point straightaway. Use the body paragraphs to
communicate your intentions. Decide what you need to accomplish. Do you want to
complain about a product, need a price list, or just let someone know that you are
missing him or her badly, or congratulate him or her for a promotion in the job? Just
share yourthoughts clearly without giving any reason to the reader for guessing. In the
final paragraph, you need to ask a person to act after reading the letter. You may ask
him to call you back, email you or reply the letter. The ending depends on the type of
letter written and the requirements of the situation.
Elements of a Good Letter The most important element of writing a good letter is your
ability to identify and write to your audience. If you are addressing your letter to the
department of human resources, avoid using highly technical terms that only engineers
would understand, even if your letter is addressed to an engineering
company,chancesare that thepersonnel in human resources does not have an
engineering background The next element is that you make sure you present your
objectiveinaclearandconcise manner.Don't bevague about yourobjective.Mostpeople
willnot have the patience to si! there and guess the meaning of your letter or the timeto
read along-windedletter.Justgettothepoint withoutgoing into unnecessarydetails.
Another importantelementtorememberisto remain professional.Evenif your are writing a
complaint letter remainpolite andcourteous.Simply state the problem/s along
withanyotherrelevantinformationandbesuretoavoidthreats and slander.
Physical Appearance of Business Letter "Requirements for Business Letter" A good
business letter should have a pleasing appearance. to get anattractive appearance, the
letter writer must keep in mind the following points: Paper - The paper used for
writing/typing letter must be of goodquality. Cheap quality of paper creates a poor
impression of the sender on the mind of the receiver. Therefore, to create a good
impression, the sender should use good quality paper. Letter-head - It refers to the
name and address of the sender. The letter-head must be well designed so as to
impress the reader. The type, design of letter/alphabets and the color used for such
letters must be appealing. The letter head introduces the sender to the reader. Typing -
The letter must be typed neatly and without mistakes and corrections. Overtyping must
be avoided. Quality ribbons must be used for typing. Nowadays,commercial
organizations useelectronic typewriters, andcomputerswith laser printers. Margin -
Proper margin must be kept on the left hand side and righthandside.Also, necessary
space must be left at the bottom of the letter. If there is less content, then small sized
paper must be used. Spacing - Proper spacing must be kept between the paragraphs;
thisis because it facilitates easy and quick reading. There should be proper indenting.
There should be proper justification on both the sides. Nowadays, electronic typewriter
provides, the facility of justification. Folding- As far as possible, letter must be folded
with minimum folds. Too many folds give a crumpled look and creates a poor
impression. Envelope - Proper size, color and quality envelope must be used.The
address on the envelope must be neatly typed. Right letter must be placed in the right
envelope. Nowadays, some
firmsusewindow envelopes.Window envelopsavestime. labor.Italso gives an attractive
appearance. 8. Layout - There must be a proper layout of the letter, All parts of the
letter, i.e. date, letter heading, reference numb etc. must be placed properly at the right
place to give a balanc look. (Alam, M ., 2013)
THE LAYOUT OF A BUSINESS LETTER Written messages to persons outside the
organization are business letters. Appearance of the letter conveys non-verbal
impression that affects a reader's attitude; Business letters are usually arranged in
different styles or layouts. The style or format is determined by certain conventions.
There are different styles in fashion and itisdifficult tosay which one is the best.
Nowadays firms use the following typestyles and formats: The Block Form Full Block
Form Indented Form Modified Block Form Hanging or Overhanging Form The Block
Form This form is named so because inside address, salutation and paragraphs are
blocked not indented in this form. If plain paper is being used, heading, date,
complimentary close and signature are typewritten at the horizontal centre of the page.
Place so that they end near the right hand margin. Double spaces between two parts
are given while single space is used within the paragraph. In Pakistan, closed
punctuation is used. This form is a time saver as no part is indented in it. 1. The Block
Form In the block form, the heading, the complimentary close, and the signature are
found on at the upper right of the page while the inside address, the salutation and the
paragraphs are written on the left side.
2. Partspunctuation moreFull Blockinthanthisanyshould otheris considered
beformstarted .. to from be this the the form. most left-hand This modern. form
margin.Allsaves This format form are used in The Each Indented line (Farol, of Formthe
1963). heading or five and spaces the inside the address than paragraphsis is line
uniformlywhich indented precedes The it either signature three the complimentary is
Beginnings written of more close to in the the line lower with are right.alsothe dateline.
indented while three spaces Hanging or Overhanging Form Paragraph beginnings align
with the left hand margin of the page. Allother lines areindented five spaces from the left
hand margin. Appropriate only when the nature of the business is sufficiently informal to
justify novelty and innovation. 5. Modifed Block The modified block differs from the
blockform where each paragraph is indented. Fully Blocked Style With Open
Punctuation of display The fully for blocked all business layout documents. is now the
This most style widely is thought used methodto have a businesslike appearance. This
layout reduces are no indentations for new paragraphs or the closing typing time
section.as there Open punctuation is often used Again this reduces typing time because
with there the fully is no blocked need for layout.any unnecessaryfull stopsandcommas.
some Although still prefer fully to blocked adopt layout is used by manyorganizations
their ownin layout. Whichever layout you use for your house businessstyle for document
are most displayed important in rule the same format. ensuring that documents,all the is
consistency, i.e.
Fully blocked layout with open punctuation has been used for all the specimen
documents in this book. In the business letter shown here, note the consistent spacing
(only one single line space) between all sections of the letter. Forms: Block
Form/Modified Block Modified Block Form
BASIC PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER TheHeading (The Return Address) or
Letterhead - Companies usually use printed paper where heading or letterhead is
specially designed at the top of the sheet. It bears all the necessary information about
the organization's identity. Date - Date of writing. The month should be fully spelled out
and the year written with all four digits April 12, 2014 (12 April 2014 - UK style). The
date is aligned with the return address. The number of the date is pronounced as an
ordinal figure, though the endings st, nd, rd, th, are often omittedin writing. The article
before the number of the day is pronounced but not written. In the body of the letter,
however, the article is written when the name of the month is not mentioned with the
day. The Inside Address - In a business or formal letter you should give the address of
the recipient after your own address. Include the recipient's name, company, address
and postal code. Add job title if appropriate. Separate the recipient's name and title
withacomma.Doublecheck thatyou have the correct spelling of the recipient 's name.
The Inside Address is always on the left margin. If an 8 1/2" x 11" paper is folded in
thirds to fit in a standard 9" business envelope,theinsideaddresscan appearthroughthe
window in the envelope. The Greeting - Also called the salutation. The type of salutation
depends on your relationship with the recipient. It normally begins with the word "Dear"
and always includes the person's last name. Use every resource possible to address
your letter to an actual person. If you do not know the name or the sex of of your
recipient, address it to Dear Madam/Sir (or Dear Sales Manager or Dear Human
Resources Director). As a general rule the greetingina business letter ends in a colon
(US style). It is also acceptable to use a comma (UK style).
5. the inThe dealing subject Subject successfully sentence Line (optional) with - the Its
inclusion with aims the underlining, of your word can help letter. Subject: the
usinglineNormalrecipior preceded emphasized usually placedone It is Subjectfont, the
"inside greeting or address,"lineall ethodo but mayalternatively beforebe letters. is
the"greeting."can be by located you directly explain afterwhy you'reThe wish Body the
writing.receiver toavoid Paragraphs introduce It'sstarting knows the- mainwho new with
The you partbody ideaare ofis theand element where new business why paragraph into
you letter.your are letter.when but sure try to "I." Use or a youindented. Depending
Regardless on the letter of a format, style you skip choose, a line between paragraphs
paragraphs.may be The Complimentary Close - This short, polite closing ends always
with a comma. It is either at the left margin or its left edgeisinthe center, depending
onthe Business Letter Style that you use. It begins at the same column the heading
does. The traditional rule of etiquette in Britain is that a formal letter starting "Dear Sir or
Madam" must end "Yours faithfully", (Note: while a Theletter second starting word "Dear
of the " closing must isend NOT "Yours capitalized.)sincerely." Signature partof and
Writer's identification - The signature is the last appropriate. letter The signature of the
the letter.The line Youmay shouldinclude sign a your secondfirst lineand forlast
atitle,names.if signature should signature line in the start directly above signature line.
Use blue or black space ink.between the close the and firstthe Initials, copiesother
someone material are Enclosures, other in than the letter, the Copies writerput -
'Enclosure', types Initials theare letter. 'Enc." to be Ifor you included " Encs. include", ""
appropriate, two lines below the last entry. cc means a copy"" sent to someone else.
Proper Use of the Parts of the Letter Reference: The past letterheads used to have 'our
ref' and 'Your ref' printed on them. Today this is rarely the case because with modern
word processors and printers it is difficult to line up the printing on such pre-printed
stationery. Instead, the typist normally inserts the reference on a line on its own. The
reference includes the initials of the writer (usually in upper case) and the typist (in
upper or lower case, as preferred). A file or departmental reference may also be
included. Example: ST/PJ
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD BUSINESS LETTER CONCISENESS. Conveying
the message in the fewest number of words and sentences as possible. Brevity is the
rule of thumb. If your letter can't be read and understood in less than 20 seconds, it has
limited chances of success. To achieve this, the writer must eliminate wordy and trite
expressions. Simple and one and two syllable words have the same power as three-
syllable words or phrases. CLARITY. Your goal is that your reader understands what
you have to say. Precise and familiar words are always best. Jargon, slang and
colloquialisms serve no purpose because they cause confusion. For example, the
jargon spoilage' conveys different meanings towet market vendors (rotten vegetables or
fruits) and to the airline industry (empty seats). When it comes to sentence length, no
matter how inspired you are, don't go beyond 20 words. CONSIDERATION of the
reader; understand their needs. It is writing from their point of view and how they will
benefit from the content of the message. The customer will appreciate the change in
policy better if the benefits of such a change are personalized. COMPLETENESS is
presenting in the letter all the facts that the reader needs, to make a sound decision on
your message. For instance, to order a refrigerator, make clear what model, size and
color you want, when you need it, to whom and where it will be sent, why you have
chosen thatcompany, andhowpayment will be made. Include any limits, deadline dates,
and clear information for the reader to follow up. When the information is incomplete,
the reader is either frustratedorthereader will choose inaction.
being specific rather figures.than vague and gener CONCRETENESS, information; a.
For useof payments.' specificfacts'The andfunction of collects this office payments is
the, example, instead of say 'This office collection are representing COURTESY,
company always or organization remainrespectful whose name as youis at the top of
the the letter. you (contrary to it inference: to a. Negativedelinquency; disability, result.
believe; you Language leave you age, expressionsI'm us are race, sure that noprobably
religion, choice; discriminates must ignorant etc.) ethnicity realize; can on of the lead the
or we yourbasis nationality fact; find to a of you negativedifficultgender,failedwill to; also
put you, your company or organization in a negative position. 7. COHERENCE means
correctly arranging thecontentforideas to flow logically and smoothly. Every statement
must move the ideas forward. a. Always start with the reason you are writing; keep it
simple and straightforward. The central body of the letter should contain the information
needed for the recipient to act, or if the letter is for the purpose of advisory only, to
understand your message. If information attachments they contain.in are the
includedattachments, with the only letter, refer do to them not repeat and whatthe
expect The letter this, them should it to left do end in response by telling to your the
recipient letter (if you what avoidyou for doing will the do recipient or if is they will up to
respond). the recipient Include to decide the informationwhat they to follow numbers,
email address, deadline up with contact (if names, phone d. orAlways action; close even
by attention.ifthe thanking letter is the advisoryrecipient date only, for applicable),thank
their responsethem etc.for their time and
CORRECTNESS, names anddates, and check of course, the correctness of facts and
figures, spelling and grammar. whether CREDIBILITY refers to the status of the
communicator, a messageas sender, a person youor must as representative of the
thatcompany. is true andAs believable. The letter organization's must sound write
sincere information and honest, enhancing thecompanyor andyour own reputation.
CONSISTENCY writer's to responsibility of tone and and reliability. style within From the
a letter opening reflects sentencethe indicate and the one last a style lack word, (formal
of you consistency should or informal). use and only reliability A one shift tone in of tone
the (light writer.or or style serious)can A business letter or correspondence must be
done by everyone at some pointintheir life. The format ofa letter (simplified, block, semi-
block, etc.) is not as important as the contentconveyinginformationin a way thatwill
result in the result desired bythewriter. Types of Business Letters Business letter is an
old form of official correspondence. A business letter is written by an individual to an
organizationoran organizationtoanotherorganization or to their clients. It is written for
diverse reasons. One writes a letter to inquire information, apply for a job, acknowledge
someone's work, and appreciate one's job done, etc. As the motive is to the and
achieve motive of you writing get it, of you different writing thecan letter surely types
isdifferent, of business timely thestyle letters.essential.responseoftheNo letter matter the
changes are what people able the letter issentto.the letter, receive accuracy a is If you
from Common Types of BusinessLetters: 1. Acknowledgment wantIt can to
beacknowledge usedtoexpressthe Letter. time someone This type for from of his letter
them.or towardsher is written help someone or when support.youfor your gratitude
financial, emotional and with you in you received of trouble, or the being moral support
2. Apology in Letter. the An desired others. apology results, With letter the and in is
letter, a any written firmer mistake you for can manner a that confessfailuhaon
delivering yourcaused error trouble and for put your stand rectifyingthem. is written to
the 3. Appreciation appreciate letter is written someone's Letter. by asuperiorworkAn
appreciation in to hisjunior.organization. letter organization client This for type
doingcanof An also write it to other organization, thanking the business with them. by
Complaint displeasure the others. price charged You Letter. against can to also A some
you complaint use on products it the to show invoice, letter or that is services written or
you the are service delivered to not express happy quality.to youryoufor Inquiry Letter. It
is clear from the title itself that the letter of inquiry is written to make an inquiry. The
inquiry could be about a product or service, renting an office or a residential place,
business terms, etc. If you have ordered a product and you have not yet received it then
you can write a letter to inquire whenyouwill be receiving it. Order Letter. This letter as
the name suggests is used for ordering products and services. It should
containcorrectinformation expected about transaction the price. thing between It you is
used are customers ordering as a legal and with document businesses.the desired to
guarantee quantity andthe ofLetter recommend the the applicant's organization. of
Recommendation. a person personality It for is a job used and position. This how for
type promoting he/she It of states letter would positive is be written an aspectsassetto
for organization, recommending also a supplier, vendor a or person a contractorin the to
a company. Salesstatement is to get Letter. Typicalsaleslettersstartoff with avery strong
to capture the interest of the reader to do the calls to action, detail the something,
benefit to these the reader. letters reader Since include of thetakingpurposestrongthe
2. Apology in Letter. the An desired others. apology results, With letter the and in is
letter, a any written firmer mistake you for can manner a that confessfailuhaon
delivering yourcaused error trouble and for put your stand rectifyingthem. is written to
the 3. Appreciation appreciate letter is written someone's Letter. by asuperiorworkAn
appreciation in to hisjunior.organization. letter organization client This for type
doingcanof An also write it to other organization, thanking the business with them. by
Complaint displeasure the others. price charged You Letter. against can to also A some
you complaint use on products it the to show invoice, letter or that is services written or
you the are service delivered to not express happy quality.to youryoufor Inquiry Letter. It
is clear from the title itself that the letter of inquiry is written to make an inquiry. The
inquiry could be about a product or service, renting an office or a residential place,
business terms, etc. If you have ordered a product and you have not yet received it then
you can write a letter to inquire whenyouwill be receiving it. Order Letter. This letter as
the name suggests is used for ordering products and services. It should
containcorrectinformation expected about transaction the price. thing between It you is
used are customers ordering as a legal and with document businesses.the desired to
guarantee quantity andthe ofLetter recommend the the applicant's organization. of
Recommendation. a person personality It for is a job used and position. This how for
type promoting he/she It of states letter would positive is be written an aspectsassetto
for organization, recommending also a supplier, vendor a or person a contractorin the to
a company. Salesstatement is to get Letter. Typicalsaleslettersstartoff with avery strong
to capture the interest of the reader to do the calls to action, detail the something,
benefit to these the reader. letters reader Since include of thetakingpurposestrongthe
action and include information to help the reader to act, such as including a telephone
number or website link. Adjustment Letters. An adjustment letter is normally sent to a
claim or complaint. If the adjustment is in the customer's favor, begin the letter with that
news. If not, keep your tone factual and let the customer know that you understand the
complaint. Follow-up Letter. Follow-up letters are usually sent after some type of initial
communication. This could be a sales department thanking a customer for an order, a
businessman reviewing the outcome of a meeting or a job seeker inquiring about the
status of his application. In many ways, these letters are a combination thank-you note
and sales letter. Letters ofResignation. When an employee plans to leave his job, a
letter of resignation is usually sent to his immediate manager giving him notice and
letting him know when his last day of employment will be. In many cases, the employee
will also give his reason/s for leaving the company. Cover Letter. Cover letters usually
accompany a package, report or other merchandise. They are used to describe what is
enclosed, why it is being sent and what the recipient should do with it, if there is any
action that needs to be taken. These types of letters are generally very short and
succinct. These are the common types of business letters. The number may even
increase since there are several reason a company or an individual would need to write
it.