How To Write A Business Letter

Business letters are more formal than business emails. Business people read and write a business letter. They send business letters through emails or in hard copy form. In businesses, business letters are still important for collaboration.

Before going to how to write a business letter, let’s take a look at;

What Is A Business Letter?

A business letter is an important formal document that is sent from one company to another company or organization. Business letters are also sent from one company to its customers, clients, stakeholders or other parties.

Style of business letter largely depends upon the type of relationship between the two parties. It is important to write a business letter correctly because it creates an impression of you in the reader’s mind.

So let’s take a look at;

How To Write A Business Letter

The general format of writing a business letter in a sequence is as follows;

1. Write the date
2. Write your recipient’s name, company and address
3. Select professional greetings with recipient’s last name, like Dear
4. Write a compelling introduction
5. Write your intent in letter’s body
6. Conclude letter with strong call-to-action
7. Select professional closing greeting, like Sincerely
8. Sign the letter with your signature
9. Add your name
10. Add your address
11. Add your phone number
12. Add your email address

The General Format of A Business Letter

August 10, 2020

James Smith

Business Motives

123 Any St,

Any Town, CA

Dear Mr. Smith,

[Introduction, first and second paragraph]

[Letter Body, third paragraph]

[Call-to-action, fourth paragraph]

Sincerely,

Oscar Lee

231 Any St,

Any Town, CA 4321

111-111-1111

oscarlee@email.com

Introduction

The objective is to quickly grab the attention of the reader, or to convince the reader to read your letter. For that purpose you can engage him in a story so his attention won’t fade and he keeps reading your letter.

In the first paragraph, introduce yourself and objectives behind your letter and other main points. Describe your reader that how your company is helping us, and what impact they have on you.

Don’t forget to give a line space between each paragraph.

Letter Body

After the introduction, tell the reader why you are writing this letter. But, don’t forget to keep the reader’s attention intact. In this paragraph, ask for the favor from the reader and tell them how their favor can help you.

Add the details about your main point. Justify your main point’s importance with background information and supporting details. Convince your reader that their favor will benefit you and will be in their best interest.

Call-to-action

In the last paragraph, ask the reader for the favor again. Even if you had asked him for this earlier, but it’s important to lead your reader to the next step. You can call it a last push and clearing next desired action in their mind.

Convincing call-to-action is very important step in telling the reader what to do next. If it is not convincing, it is as if you haven’t wrote any letter in first place. 

Essential Steps To Keep In Mind While Writing A Business Letter

There are five essential steps to keep in mind while writing a business letter;

1. Decide on the purpose behind your letter

There could be several reasons behind writing a letter and following are the main types of business letter;

• Letter of complaint
• Letter of inquiry
• Cover letter
• Adjustment letter (in response to letter of complaint)
• Order letter
• Other situational letters

2. Prepare a short outline on what to add in the letter

After deciding the type of letter and purpose, it is important to write an outline. It is important to gather all the information before writing so you can cover all the aspects in your letter.

If you are writing a letter of complaint, so you know the main problem what you are expecting in solution.

Don’t forget to write and cover all the important points so you may not miss them while writing business letter.

3. Use the correct layout and salutation

Don’t forget to use the correct layout (format and order) while writing business letter.

• Write the date
• Write your recipient’s name, company and address
• Select professional greetings with recipient’s last name, like Dear

Start your letter with appropriate salutation depending on you know the recipient, and how well you know them.

Similarly, close your letter appropriately depending upon the salutation used in beginning.

• Select professional closing greeting, like Sincerely
• Sign the letter with your signature
• Add your name
• Add your address
• Add your phone number
• Add your email address

4. Use vocabulary according to the type of letter

Use vocabulary according to the type of letter you are writing. You can choose sentences according to the type of letter. For example, if you are writing a letter of complaint, you can start as “I am writing to draw your attention…” or “I am writing to complain about…”

5. Check spellings, grammar and punctuation

While writing a business letter, it is important to use correct spellings. You can use different spell checks to ensure that your spellings are correct.

While grammar mistakes are tricky, it is safe to learn common basic rules and practice them as much as possible. While you can also use Grammarly, a tool that highlights your grammar mistakes and suggests the corrections.

It is better to have a proofreading of your business letter to make sure that it is free from mistakes. You can check for punctuations like forgotten commas, full stops, exclamation marks, using many or lesser spaces and much more.

How To Write A Business Letter FAQ

1. How do you write a business letter?

How do you write a business letter in following steps;

1. Write the date
2. Write your recipient’s name, company and address
3. Select professional greetings with recipient’s last name, like Dear
4. Write a compelling introduction
5. Write your intent in letter’s body
6. Conclude letter with strong call-to-action
7. Select professional closing greeting, like Sincerely
8. Sign the letter with your signature
9. Add your name
10. Add your address
11. Add your phone number
12. Add your email address

2. What are 7 parts of a business letter?

There are the following 7 parts of a business letter;

1. Sender’s address
2. Recipient’s address
3. Date
4. Salutation
5. Body
6. Signature
7. Enclosure