Introduction to Business Letters

The business letter reflects the competence and profes­sionalism of the person sending it. The quality of its con­tents and presentation is an advertisement for the company. Business letters should always be neat and easy to read. The format should be attractive and uncluttered. Always maintain a positive, courteous tone. The goal is to earn the goodwill of the person reading the letter.

Business letters will vary in format and content depending upon their purpose. The tone can be formal or informal depending on the occasion. A business letter may be an invitation for a golfing date to a friend or an application for employment to a large, impersonal corpo­ration. Be sure to strike an appropriate tone.

Business letters can generally be broken down into three parts. A brief introductory paragraph states the rea­son for the letter, setting a courteous tone. The body of the letter, consisting of one or more paragraphs, develops the major point with ample supporting detail. The conclusion should be short, thanking the reader for his or her attention and suggesting possibilities for further action. If the message is very brief — a congratulatory note or confirmation of a meeting — these points may be con­densed into a paragraph or two.

Before sending the letter, be sure to proofread it care­fully. If using a word processor, you may wish to check spelling with the computerized dictionary. Proofreading should be done slowly, letter by letter. Several readings are often necessary to catch all potential problems.

Parts of a Business Letter

Letterhead

Businesses usually have letterhead stationery, which con­tains the company's logo, name, address, telephone num­ber, and other preprinted information. If the stationery is not letterhead, type the writer's address in the upper right-hand corner:

Street

City, State ZIP

Dateline

The date is typed at least three lines below the letterhead either on the left margin or on the right margin, depend­ing on letter style. If the letter is brief, leave more spaces under the letterhead to give the letter a balanced appearance. If the stationery lacks a letterhead, type the date under the city and state of the writer's address.

Dates may follow several forms: