A seasoned small business and technology writer and educator with more than 20 years of experience, Shweta excels in demystifying complex tech tools and concepts for small businesses. Her work has been featured in NewsWeek, Huffington Post and more.
Shweta Small Business WriterA seasoned small business and technology writer and educator with more than 20 years of experience, Shweta excels in demystifying complex tech tools and concepts for small businesses. Her work has been featured in NewsWeek, Huffington Post and more.
Written By Shweta Small Business WriterA seasoned small business and technology writer and educator with more than 20 years of experience, Shweta excels in demystifying complex tech tools and concepts for small businesses. Her work has been featured in NewsWeek, Huffington Post and more.
Shweta Small Business WriterA seasoned small business and technology writer and educator with more than 20 years of experience, Shweta excels in demystifying complex tech tools and concepts for small businesses. Her work has been featured in NewsWeek, Huffington Post and more.
Small Business Writer Rob Watts Managing Editor, SMBWith over a decade of editorial experience, Rob Watts breaks down complex topics for small businesses that want to grow and succeed. His work has been featured in outlets such as Keypoint Intelligence, FitSmallBusiness and PCMag.
Rob Watts Managing Editor, SMBWith over a decade of editorial experience, Rob Watts breaks down complex topics for small businesses that want to grow and succeed. His work has been featured in outlets such as Keypoint Intelligence, FitSmallBusiness and PCMag.
Rob Watts Managing Editor, SMBWith over a decade of editorial experience, Rob Watts breaks down complex topics for small businesses that want to grow and succeed. His work has been featured in outlets such as Keypoint Intelligence, FitSmallBusiness and PCMag.
Rob Watts Managing Editor, SMBWith over a decade of editorial experience, Rob Watts breaks down complex topics for small businesses that want to grow and succeed. His work has been featured in outlets such as Keypoint Intelligence, FitSmallBusiness and PCMag.
| Managing Editor, SMB
Updated: Aug 22, 2022, 8:26pm
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As straightforward as a business letter may initially seem, it can be a challenge to sit down and write one with the correct format. Since business letters are written by an organization or professional to another organization or individual for professional communication, it’s important to use an established business letter format to form a good first impression.
Keep reading to know the essential elements of a business letter, how to format it and tips for writing effective business letters. We’ve also provided a free template that can make drafting your letters easy.
A business letter is used by an organization or an individual for professional communication with other individuals or companies. Examples of business letters are job offer letters, sales letters, investor interest letters, resignation letters, business circulars, shareholder letters, letters of recommendation, etc.
If the contact address is already included in the letterhead, skip it. Otherwise, include these in your contact information:
This is the date when you are writing the letter. If your contact information is included on the letterhead, your business letter starts with the date.
The address should include:
The salutation that you use depends upon how familiar you are with the recipient.
Use “To whom it may concern” if you’re not sure about who will receive and read your letter.
If you know the recipient formally, use Dear [last name].
If you know the recipient informally, use the salutation Dear [first name].
This is the meat of the business letter. Use single line spacing for readability. You can use extra lines between paragraphs, after the salutation and above the closing salutation.
Again, the closing salutation depends upon how formal or informal your relationship is with the recipient. Some of the most commonly used closing salutations in business include:
You should always end with a handwritten signature even if the letter is typed and printed using a computer. Handwritten signatures help in establishing a rapport with the recipient even if this is your first communication. Always write your full name and title below the signature. Check out how to bring over your professional handwritten signature to emails and digital documents with an electronic signature.
If you are including any additional documents pertaining to the letter, make a list of those enclosures after your signature and name. If you are sending a sales letter, you may consider including a call to action (CTA) at the bottom of the letter.
A business letter must be formatted for clarity and ease of understanding. Here are some points to consider while formatting the letter:
Business letter is a formal document and you are accountable for the information you pass in it. So you must be very intentional about its content and format. We have discussed this in detail in the article. Here are a few examples for your reference.
Here is an example of a business letter from Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab. The sample also specifies recommended margins and spacing for the letter.
This is a marketing letter example from GCF Global. Note that as CTA, the writer had provided multiple ways (contact number and email ID) to reach out to her. This makes it easier for the reader to respond.
If you have to send the business letter through email, you need to tweak the format a bit. For example, while the salutation, body and signature will remain the same, you will need to add the subject line to notify the recipient of the purpose of your email and you can include both links and attachments.
Here’s how a business letter via email differs:
It’s not that difficult to write an effective business letter that gets you the desired results. Use the template shared here to ensure each section of your letter adheres to the appropriate style and format.
The seven parts of a business letter are: sender’s address, date, recipient address, salutation, body, closing salutation and signature. If you have documents attached with the letter, include a list of enclosures after the signature.
When you use a standard business letter format, it establishes your commitment to the recipient and forms a good first impression.
A business letter is a formal document used by companies for professional communication to other companies, employees and stakeholders.
When writing a standard business letter, the preferred fonts are either Times New Roman or Arial, especially if you are sending the letter to a conservative company. The preferred size of the type is 12. For a more modern or liberal company, you can be a little more creative in your font choice, but it should still be legible. Calibri, Verdana, Courier New, Cambria and Verdana are also possible options to consider.
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Small Business WriterA seasoned small business and technology writer and educator with more than 20 years of experience, Shweta excels in demystifying complex tech tools and concepts for small businesses. Her work has been featured in NewsWeek, Huffington Post and more. Her postgraduate degree in computer management fuels her comprehensive analysis and exploration of tech topics.
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