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Business Letters

Style and Contents

The personal letters you write are an important way of communicating to others your
ideas, updates on events in your life, or your feelings. You may also need to write occasional
business letters or to fill out printed forms. For each of these, you can improve your
effectiveness in communicating if you follow a few simple guidelines.

Addressing an Envelope
Whether you're writing a personal letter or a business letter, you'll need to address an
envelope. On your envelope, put your own address in the top left-hand corner. Place the name
and address of the person to whom you are writing in the center of the envelope. Make sure all
addresses are correct and include ZIP codes. Use standard two-letter postal abbreviations for
states, such as IA or Iowa, and NM for New Mexico.

Writing Informal or Personal Letters

Sometimes an informal letter is the best way to communicate a personal message.
Informal or personal letters may include thank-you letters, invitations, or letters of regret.

Thank-you Letters. These are letters that you send to tell someone that you appreciate
his or her taking time, trouble, or expense to do something for you. Always
respond promptly, and try to say something in your letter in addition to thanking
the person. You might mention that you are aware of the person's effort, or tell
why the person's gift is special to you.

Invitations. In an informal invitation, include specific information about the occasion, the
time and place, and any other special details your guest might need to know
(such as that everyone is expected to bring a friend, dress casually, or donate
food).

Regrets. A letter of regret is written to inform someone that you will not be able to
accept an invitation. You should especially respond in writing to invitations that
include the letters R.S.V.P. (in French, an abbreviation for "please reply").

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 Writing Business Letters
The Appearance of a Business Letter
• Use unlined 8½” x 11" paper.
• Type your letter single-spaced, leaving an extra line between paragraphs.
• Avoid cross-outs, smudges, erasures, and inkblots. Check for typing errors and
misspellings.
• Center your letter on the paper with equal margins on the sides and at the top and
bottom.
• Use only one side of the paper. If your letter won't fit on one page, leave a one-inch
margin at the bottom of the first page and carry over at least two lines onto the
second page.

The Parts of a Business Letter

The six parts of a business letter are
(1) the heading
(2) the inside address
(3) the salutation
(4) the body
(5) the closing
(6) the signature

The six parts of a business letter are usually

arranged on the page in one of two styles. In the
block form of a business letter, every part of the
letter begins at the left margin, and paragraphs are
not indented. In the modified block form, the
heading, the closing, and your signature are placed
to the right of the center of the page. However, the
other parts of the letter begin at the left margin, and
paragraphs are indented.

The Heading. The heading usually has three lines:

• your street address
• your city, state, and ZIP Code
• the date the letter was written

The Inside Address. The inside address gives the

name and address of the person or company you

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are writing. If you're directing your letter to someone by name, use a courtesy title (such as
Mr., Ms., or Mrs.) or a professional title (such as Dr. or Professor) in front of the person's
name. After the person's name, include the person's business title.

The Salutation. The salutation is your greeting. If you are writing to a specific person, begin
with Dear, followed by a courtesy title or a professional title and the person's name.

The Body. The body is the main part of your letter. This is where you state your message. If
your letter contains more than one paragraph, leave a blank line between paragraphs.

The Closing. You should end your letter politely. To close a business letter, use a standard
phrase such as Sincerely, Yours truly, or Respectfully yours.

The Signature. Sign your name in ink below the closing. Type or print your name neatly just
below your signature.

HOW TO WRITE EFFECTIVE BUSINESS LETTERS

• Use a polite, respectful, professional tone. A courteous

letter is much more effective than a rude one.
• Use standard English. Avoid slang, contractions, and
abbreviations. Informal language that might be
acceptable in a telephone conversation or personal
letter is not usually acceptable for a business letter.
• Get to the point. State the reason for your letter clearly
and promptly. Be polite, but don't ramble.
• Include all necessary information. Be sure your reader
can understand why you wrote and what you are
asking.

Types of Business Letters

The Request or Order Letter

In a request letter, you write to ask for information about a product or service or to
request sample materials. In an order letter, you ask for something specific, such as a free
brochure advertised in a magazine or an item of merchandise that is listed in a catalog when
you don't have a printed order form.

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 Here is the body of a sample request letter. The writer is asking a state tourism board to
send travel information.

When you are writing a request or order letter, remember the following points:

1. Clearly state your request.

2. If you are requesting information, enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
3. Make your request well in advance of the time you need it.
4. If you want to order something, include all important information. Give the size, color,
brand name, or any other specific information. If there are costs involved, add the
amount correctly.

WRITING A LETTER OF COMPLAINT

Maybe your new sweatshirt shrank two sizes the first time you washed it, and now you
can't even pull it over your head. Perhaps you ordered your favorite group's newest CD—but
the company sent you a CD by a group you never heard before and don't care about. Maybe a
waiter acted as if you and your friends didn't deserve good service. You might decide to write a
letter of complaint to let your feelings be known.

The Complaint or Adjustment Letter

If an error has been made or you have a specific complaint, you may write a complaint
or adjustment letter. Here is the body of a sample adjustment letter.

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 When you are writing a complaint or adjustment letter, remember these points.
1. Register your complaint as soon as possible.
2. Be sure to mention specifics. Necessary details might include the following:
• why you are unhappy (with the product or service)
• how you were affected (lost time or money)
• what solution you believe will correct the problem
3. Keep the tone of your letter calm and courteous.

TIPS ON WRITING A LETTER OF COMPLAINT

Here are some tips that will help you write an effective letter of complaint.
• Provide all the necessary information. Include the time and place the event occurred and the
names and title of the people involved. If you're complaining about a purchase, describe the exact item
you bought or ordered, its stock number and price, and the date you bought or ordered it. If you called
in your order and remember the clerk's name, include that, too.
• Objectively describe the problem. Vague, emotional words such as awful and disgusting won't
help. Instead, calmly and clearly explain what happened, as a reporter would do. Remember that the
person reading your letter needs clear information in order to help you.
• Request a specific, reasonable solution. Demanding that the recipient just "do something" about a
problem isn't helpful. Instead, say what you would like to happen, such as having an item replaced or
receiving a refund. Most companies will go out of their way to keep customers happy and will be glad to
fulfill a reasonable request—if they just know what the customer wants.

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• Be polite. Calling people names, insulting their intelligence, or making threats won't help the
situation. Remember that everyone makes mistakes, and misunderstandings do happen. Even more to
the point, in most cases the person who will read your letter is not the person who made the mistake.
Don't make an enemy of the person who opens your letter.
• Keep a copy of your letter until your complaint has been resolved in some way. If you need to write
a follow-up letter, attach copies of any previous correspondence.

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BE POLITE
Avoid using the pronouns you and your. Using these two pronouns in negative situations can
seem like a personal attack on the reader, blaming the reader personally for whatever went
wrong. These examples show the difference.

ATTACKING THE READER STATING THE FACTS

You sent me the wrong DVD! I did not receive the DVD I had ordered.
Your waiters are incompetent! Lee did not bring the food we had ordered
I know you don’t want me to tell A new restaurant, trying to build good public
all my family and friends how you relations, has to try to give each customer an
treated us. enjoyable dining experience.

Readers who feel they are being attacked or blamed may stop reading. Yet if you simply
state the facts, they probably will read your entire letter and try to solve your problem.
To avoid insulting someone, don't mail anything you wrote while you were angry or
upset. Wait until you cool off to revise. Here are some words and phrases that indicate an
angry—or perhaps a rude—writer:

WORDS AND PHRASES TO AVOID

I’m sure you don’t realize You must realize
Irresponsible You don’t expect me to
Mistaken I expect you to
Incompetent You should know
Failed If you care
Inexcusable You forgot to
Obnoxious Why do you people always
Ignorant You leave me no choice
Insist Your complaint
Refuse You say

You have a right to make complaints, but you also have a responsibility to make them
courteously, without trampling the reader's right to be respected.

WILL YOUR LETTER BE DIRECT OR INDIRECT?

Letters can be direct, getting to the point right away, or indirect, explaining the situation before
getting to the point. Letters that offer good news should be direct, stating the reason for writing
in the first sentence or two. Getting to the point immediately gives a busy reader the
information he or she needs right away.

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 If you write with a simple request, you are asking a reader to do something he or she
won't mind doing, such as attending a meeting or filling an order. These letters should also be
direct, making the request in the first or second sentence.
However, sometimes you write to ask readers to do something that they might not want
to do. If you make your request in the first or second sentence, the reader will probably say no.
In these situations, readers are more likely to say yes if you use the indirect approach, which is
more persuasive. To do this, you explain the situation first and then make your request.

TWO APPROACHES TO BUSINESS LETTERS

DIRECT Give the main point first, then provide details.
INDIRECT Explain the situation first, then make a request.

Reread Mel's letter of complaint. Do you see that he explained the situation before
making his request? Think for a minute about how the restaurant manager might have
responded if Mel had used a direct approach, starting right off by asking for a refund of $22.50.
Without knowing the situation, the manager might think Mel is unreasonable, decide not to
grant his request, and stop reading. Yet because Mel first explained the situation politely and
objectively, the manager will probably keep reading and send a coupon for three free meals.

BE BUSINESSLIKE
Being businesslike means avoiding slang. Words such as awesome and cool have no
place in business writing. Save them for letters—or e-mail—to your friends. Fortunately,
however, being businesslike does not mean using really long sentences and words. Neither
does it mean using old-fashioned words and phrases, such as herewith and the
aforementioned. Today's business writing uses simple, straightforward language and avoids
the stilted words and phrases that make letters boring and difficult to understand. Your letters,
including your letters of complaint, will be much improved if you make these kinds of
substitutions:

Instead of Write
herewith with this letter
aforementioned previously mentioned
As per your request, As you asked,
Enclosed please find I am enclosing
At this point in time, Now or Today
is in possession of has
forward it to the undersigned send it to me

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 WRITING TIP
Write letters of complaint when the situation requires it – but write
ones that will get good results!

The Appreciation or Commendation Letter

You write an appreciation or commendation letter lo express appreciation, gratitude, or
praise for a person, group, or organization. State exactly why you are pleased. Here is the
body of a sample appreciation letter.

I am writing this letter to thank all of you at the Water Control Board for your help with
our team project. The information we gained firsthand on our tour of the facilities was very
helpful to our research efforts.
We realize how busy your staff is with the duties of their work, so the time and patience
you gave to our group is sincerely appreciated.
Thanks again for all your help.

Completing Printed Forms

Printed forms differ. However, if you follow a few standard guidelines, you should be
able to fill out most forms accurately and completely.

HOW TO FILL OUT FORMS

1. Look over the entire form before you begin.

2. Take note of any special instructions, such as "Please print clearly," or "Use a pencil."
3. Read each item carefully.
4. Supply all the information requested. You may want to indicate that some information
requested does not apply to you. In this case, you might use a dash or the symbol N/A, which
means "not applicable."
5. When you're finished, proofread your form to make sure you didn't leave any blanks. Also,
check for errors and correct them neatly.

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Review

Writing an Informal Letter

• EXERCISE 1
Write an informal letter for one of the following situations, or make up your own situation.
1. You're recovering from the flu. Your friend bought you a book of jokes to read and dropped
it off along with your homework assignments.
2. You have been invited to a classmate's going-away party but cannot attend because you
will be out of town with your family.
3. You are planning a surprise birthday party for your best friend. Write an invitation letter that
includes all the information your guests will need to know.

• EXERCISE 2
Write a business letter for one of the situations below and address an envelope for your letter.
Make up any details you may need to complete your letter. (Do not mail the letter.) Use one of
the following situations, or make up your own.

1. You'd like to order a video game from Computer Games, Inc., 104 Centre Street, Seattle,
Washington 98109. The catalog description of the game is too brief, and you want a complete
description before you place an order. Make up a name for the video game, or use a brand
name you know.
2. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper complaining about the lack of news
coverage about a recent community event. Explain why you think the newspaper should have
covered the event and how this problem can be avoided in the future.
3. Write a letter of appreciation or commendation to a school official or community leader,
expressing your thanks for a job well done.

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