Business Letters

Business Letter Writing
Purpose of a Business Letter
A business letter (or formal letter) is a formal way of communicating between two or more parties. There are many different uses and business letters. Business letters can be informational, persuasive, motivational, or promotional. Business letters should be typed and printed out on standard 8.5" x 11" white paper. 
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, chances are that the personnel in human resources does not have an engineering background. 
The next element is that you make sure your present your objective in a clear and concise manner. Don't be vague about your objective, most people will not have the patience to sit there and guess at the meaning of your letter or the time to read a long-winded letter, just get to the point without going into unnecessary details. 
Another important element to remember is to remain professional. Even if you are writing a complaint letter, remain polite and courteous, simply state the problem(s) along with any other relevant information and be sure to avoid threats and slander.






















Block Format: Business Letter
Return Address Line 1 1
Return Address Line 2 
Date (Month Day, Year) 2 
Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. Full name of recipient. 3
Title/Position of Recipient.
Company Name
Address Line 1
Address Line 2 
Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name: 4 
Subject: Title of Subject 5 
Body Paragraph 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Body Paragraph 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Body Paragraph 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

Closing (Sincerely...), 7 
Signature 8 
Your Name (Printed) 9
Your Title 

Enclosures (2) 10
Typist Initials. 11 













The block format is the simplest format; all of the writing is flush against the left margin. 
Other Business Letter Formats 
Your Address 1
The return address of the sender of the letter so the recipient can easily find out where to send a reply to. Skip a line between your address and the date. (Not needed if the letter is printed on paper with the company letterhead already on it.) 
Date 2
Put the date on which the letter was written in the format Month Day Year i.e. August 30, 2003. Skip a line between the date and the inside address (some people skip 3 or 4 lines after the date). 
Inside Address 3
The address of the person you are writing to along with the name of the recipient, their title and company name, if you are not sure who the letter should be addressed to either leave it blank, but try to put in a title, i.e. "Director of Human Resources". Skip a line between the date and the salutation. 
Salutation 4
Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name:, Dear Director of Department Name: or To Whom It May Concern: if recipient's name is unknown. Note that there is a colon after the salutation. Skip a line between the salutation and the subject line or body. 
Subject Line (optional) 5 
Makes it easier for the recipient to find out what the letter is about. Skip a line between the subject line and the body. 
Body 6
The body is where you write the content of the letter; the paragraphs should be single spaced with a skipped line between each paragraph. Skip a line between the end of the body and the closing. 
Closing 7
Let's the reader know that you are finished with your letter; usually ends with Sincerely, Sincerely yours, Thank you, and so on. Note that there is a comma after the end of the closing and only the first word in the closing is capitalized. Skip 3-4 lines between the closing and the printed name, so that there is room for the signature. 
Signature 8
Your signature will go in this section, usually signed in black or blue ink with a pen. 
Printed Name 9
The printed version of your name, and if desired you can put your title or position on the line underneath it. Skip a line between the printed name and the enclosure. 
Enclosure 10
If letter contains other document other than the letter itself your letter will include the word "Enclosure." If there is more than one you would type, "Enclosures (#)" with the # being the number of other documents enclosed that doesn't include the letter itself. 
Reference Initials 11
If someone other than yourself typed the letter you will include your initials in capital letters followed by the typist's initials in lower case in the following format; AG/gs or AG:gs





















Resignation Letter
483 Spring Road
Ft. Berliner, VA 58265 
October 21, 2004 
Mr. Jack Wilkins
Head of Inventory Control
Widgets Unlimited, Inc.
16 Ferris Blvd.
Clinton, VA 58763 
Dear Mr. Jenkins: 
I am formally notifying you that I'll be tendering my resignation from Widgets Unlimited, Inc. My last day will be on November 12, 2004 
I never imagined that I would have to leave Widgets Unlimited, but due to the relocation of my wife's work to New York, I have made the decision with my wife to move up to New York as a family. 
If there is anything that I can do to make this transition easier for the company, let me know and I'd be more than willing to help out. 
I have truly enjoyed my work here and I would like to thank you for the opportunity that you have given me to work here at Widgets Unlimited. 

Sincerely, 
Signature 
Scott Nelson
Inventory Specialist 










Cover Letter Writing
What is a cover letter?
A cover letter is a brief one page letter sent along with the resume to potential employers. The purpose of the cover letter is to present yourself to potential employers and to let them know what position you are interested in and why you'd be a good fit for their company. 
Cover Letter Format
The cover letter format should be almost identical to the regular business letter format. 
Cover Letter Writing
Generally the cover letter will consist of three paragraphs. The first paragraph is an introductory one which introduces yourself. You want to include information on the position you are looking for and how you heard about and why you are interested in the position and/or company. 
The second paragraph should provide information on your skill, strengths, education, qualifications and/or experience. This paragraph should be concise and give specific examples of why you are the ideal candidate and not simply restate your resume. 
The final paragraph should close up the letter by requesting an interview and possibly suggestion times that are convenient for you or stating that you can come in at a time that's convenient for the employer. Also you should let the recipient know what the best way and/or time to contact you is (you should let them know both your contact email and phone number so that they can contact you in their preferred method). Or you can let them that you'll follow up on this letter with a phone call in several days. You should thank them for their time to close up the letter. 
Each cover letter that you send out should be unique and tailored to the specific company and position you are applying to. Using one cookie cutter cover letter will lessen your chances for landing an interview. Also be sure to check for grammar and spelling and keep the letter to one page in length. 







Sample Cover Letter
527 West Ave.
Elmswood, CT 23865 
October 28, 2004 
Mr. Michael Black
Directory of Human Resources
Global Answers
6542 Sioux Falls, NY
Dear Mr. Black: 
It is with great interest that I am applying for the position of chief accountant. When I read the job description in your ad on the New York Times on August 12th, I felt that it was an ideal match with my career aspirations. I have always wanted to work for a Fortune 500 company such as Global Answers. 
I believe that I am the ideal candidate for the position due to my extensive experience as an auditor for KPMG. At my current position at KPMG, I perform all of the same tasks that are described in your ad for the chief accountant position. In addition to that I have a reputation for being a hard worker who makes sure the job is done right the first time. My reports are always completed well ahead of the deadline. 
Feel free to contact me and setup an interview at your earliest convenience. You can reach me by way of e-mail at KenJacobs@nadate.com or by way of phone at (555) 555-5555. I look forward to discussing with you my future with Global Answers. Thanks for your time and consideration. 

Sincerely, 
Signature 
Ken Jacobs 

Enclosure: resume