Knowing when to write a formal business letter versus a business email may come

easily to people who are comfortable conveying messages in various formats;

however, there are several factors to consider when choosing the medium. Factors
such as expedience, formality, confidentiality and even the addressee's rank or status
should be considered when you make a decision to write.

Primary Difference
The first thing that distinguishes a business letter from a business email is that a letter
is generally considered to be hard copy, and the business email is a soft copy – an
electronic message. After you compose a business letter, you print it, seal it in an
envelope, affix postage and use a service such as the U.S. Postal Service or an
overnight delivery company to send the letter to the recipient. A business email, on the
other hand, also is composed usually using a computer or electronic means, but it is
electronically dispatched to the recipient in a matter of just a few seconds.

Timing of Delivery
The soonest a business letter will generally arrive is the day after you send it via snail
mail or a delivery service like FedEx. If you need the letter to arrive sooner, you can
hire a courier for same day delivery. You will incur a cost with either option – either a
postage stamp or a delivery fee. If you want an urgent message to arrive immediately,
your best option is to send a business email. A firewall is only a slight obstacle that
might delay delivery, but even then, the delay is practically inconsequential.

The Content of Business Communication

If you are writing a formal communication, it's likely that you want to convey your
message in a business letter. For example, if you are writing about a contractual
issue, it's wise to have a hard copy of your correspondence. The disadvantage to this
is that pieces of paper can get lost, and a business email can remain in an electronic
folder forever. A business email can convey the same message, but if it is a serious
matter, business email often is seen as less formal than a business letter. If your
communication requires an ink signature, you obviously cannot sign a business email
in ink. You can affix an electronic or digital signature to an email message, however.

Letter Versus Email Format

According to the Northern Michigan University Writing Center, the commonly used
format for business letters is block style. Every section of the letter is flush with the left
margin in the traditional block style. A modified block positions the closing salutation
and signature at the bottom middle section of the letter; semi-block format means the
paragraphs are indented. If you are writing a business email, it's easy to replicate the
traditional block format by typing your greeting, body and closing salutation flush with
the left margin, because if you tab over for paragraph indents and closing salutations,
the format might look odd, depending on the size of the monitor or screen from which
the recipient reads the communication.

Maintaining Confidentiality
You can use a watermark on a hard-copy letter to indicate "Confidential," or you can
mark the business email Confidential by clicking one of the options that your email
program provides. Neither a business letter nor a business email can guarantee
absolute confidentiality because the recipient can photocopy the letter or simply
forward the email to someone who was not privy to the initial communication. In both
cases, you must rely on the integrity of the recipient to maintain the confidentiality of
your correspondence.

Status Can Make a Difference

A supervisor writing to a direct report is likely to use email for communicating an
informal message, such as notification that she will be out of the office. She needn't
provide her staff with a formal letter for such routine correspondence. On the other
hand, if she is communicating a policy directive or issuing a commendation or
disciplinary action, a hard-copy might be the preferred format, and that's if the
company maintains paper records. In the case of paperless offices, a business email
is the required form of communication, regardless of the subject matter. In another
instance, if a direct report is writing to her supervisor to tender her resignation, a hand-
delivered business letter opens the door for a brief conversation (if desired) about the
reasons she is resigning because the letter may not contain such details.