A business letter is a formal letter utilized by professionals in an organization
. The need for letter writing has lessened with new technologies, particularly the email. However, there are cases where such a letter may be vital. It is subsequently important that great care is observed when writing a formal letter. An appropriate formal letter should have the desired effect it hopes to accomplish. The following instructions covers the essentials involved in good letter writing. Pay close attention to details given about formatting which is a basic part of the entire process.
Required Tools:
An operational computer
A printer
Required Materials:
8 by 11 high quality printer paper
Instructions:
Begin the letter by typing the return address at the top right-hand corner of the letter. This should be followed by the current date. Align the address so that all the individual lines of the address are in line with each other to one side, preferably to the left side of the address.
Place the address of the recipient to the left of the paper about one space underneath the address that has been placed to the top right-hand corner of the paper.
The opening salutation of the letter can be typed as Dear Mr. ____:. The Dear may be proceeded by a colon or a comma either will do. If the name is unknown, although it is best to address a formal letter with a name, use Dear Sir or Madame. Always place an appropriate title before the recipient's name. This may be Ms. Mrs. Miss. Mr or Dr. If you are not sure of a woman's marital status or how she prefers to be called use Ms.
You can now write the body of the letter.
State your intention in the first paragraph. However, ensure that you do not write I am writing this letter to, allow the letter to speak for itself with understandable and concise language.
Separate the paragraphs by double spacing and using tabs to indent the beginning of each paragraph or use block style. Try to be brief and only put the appropriate information that is necessary in each paragraph.
Conclude the letter with a salutation of choice. Yours Truly, Yours Sincerely and Yours Faithfully are all widely accepted closings. Enter your name four spaces below the closing of the letter. Insert a line using the underline tool in the word processor above your name or use the underscore many times.
Print the letter and put your signature directly and neatly on the alloted line.
Tips and Warnings:
Always utilize the spell check and grammar tools offered by the word processor. Proof read the letter once it has been completed. To perform an effective proof read print a mock copy of the letter, most printers allow printing in draft mode. This will ensure that the letter is aligned and print ready and also increases the likelihood that you will pick up any mistakes.
Always adopt a polite tone when writing a formal letter regardless of the potential negative situation that the letter addresses.