How to Write a Business Letter

Admit it. You learned how to write a business letter in high school, and perhaps in college, but you have forgotten most of the particulars. Given the ever-changing rules for writing and formatting, this is probably for the best. It seems every few years the rules are changed anyway, so why should you try to clear the cobwebs and remember what you learned back then? Here is the most up-to-date information on the proper way to write a business letter.

A business letter consists of six parts: The heading, inside address, salutation, letter body, closing and signature.

The Heading
This is the part of the letter that contains the name and address of the person who is sending the letter. It used to be that the heading was right-justified, while the rest of the letter is left-justified. However, it is now preferable that all of the elements of the letter are justified to the left. The heading should appear as follows at the top left-hand side of the page:

Your Name
219 Tucker Lane
Omaha, WA 00000

The date should appear two spaces beneath the heading, and should look like this:
March 8, 2007

The Inside Address
The inside address is the address of the person to whom you are writing and it should include four parts: Name, position/title, company and address.

Mr. Daniel Johnson
Personnel Manager
Bridger Corporation
2222 Eager Street
Nevis, AR 99999

The Salutation
Do you remember when the established mode for a salutation was "To Whom it May Concern" or "Dear Sir or Madam"? Well, both are now considered inappropriate as they seem to intimate that the writer has no idea to whom he is writing. Instead, if you cannot find out the name of the person for whom the letter is intended, use "Dear Representative" or even, "Dear Friend at Such and Such Company".

The Letter Body
Business letters must be to-the-point, but also tactful. The body of a business letter should be no more than 2-3 paragraphs, as the person responsible for reading your letter is probably pressed for time. Thoughts should be stated succinctly and politely, even if the intent of your letter is to complain. For example, the first paragraph should be a summary of your purpose in writing, the second, the specifics of your circumstances, and the third, what you want that person to do about it. Always avoid conjunctions and slang in professional letters. It is not considered necessary to indent new paragraphs in a business letter.

The Salutation
Sincerelygets a little old for a person who is in charge of reading all company mail. Try Cordially, Respectfully, Regretfully (for a resignation or complaint letter), or With Regards to add a little variety to your letter.

The Signature
The purpose of your signature is to prove that you indeed wrote the letter. You should sign directly beneath the salutation, but directly above where you typed your name.

When you write a business letter, be sure to type it. Typing is considered much more professional, and is easier to read. Don't neglect to use your spelling and grammar check function on your word processing software as well. Each part of your letter should separated by a double space, acceptable margins for a business letter being 1" around the entire page. However, if your letter is short, you should center it vertically to give it a more pleasing appearance.

I hope these tips help you refresh your memory on how to properly write a business letter.