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A short Guide for writing a Business Letter

A business letter is one that we write if we are looking for information about a particular entity (a company, for example) or write an official communication. Because of its nature, business letters tend to be formal and straight to the point. It is no wonder too, that it follows a certain convention when writing one. Below are some tips on writing a business letter.

A business letter is usually written in block style. It means that the text is justified and it is single-spaced except for in between the paragraphs which are double-spaced.

  1. Companies receive tons of mail everyday and have no time to pursue completely each letter that is sent to them. Therefore, a business letter should be written in a concise and straightforward way. It delivers the message right away without beating around the bush and wasting the reader’s time.
  2. Identify yourself. If you represent a particular company, it is recommended that you use your company’s letterhead. A letterhead contains your company’s logo as well as important contact information such as the office address and telephone number.
  3. Just below your letterhead, put the full name and address of the person you’re sending the letter to.
  4. Just below the addressee’s information is the salutation. Unlike other forms of letters, a colon is used on the salutation instead of a comma.
  5. Business letter writing involves formal writing. That is why contractions of any sort (e.g. don’t; use do not instead) should be avoided.
  6. Always be courteous and say thank you at the last paragraph of your letter.
  7. Close your letter with a complimentary closing and your full name. Remember to leave enough space for your signature.
  8. Before you mail your letter to the addressee, also make sure that you have a copy of it as a future reference.