BUSINESS LETTERS

Leadership & Management UnitMOAC 9: Proofing Documents

Definition

The business letter is the basic means of communication between two companies.

Most business letters have a formal tone.

What is a Personal Business Letter?

Written from a person to a company Can be used for any purpose that requires written

communication from an individual to a company, such as: To accompany returned goods Complaint letter Thank you letter Résumé cover letter

Purpose

Business letters are written to inform readers of specific information.

However, you might also write a business letter to persuade others to take action.

Business letters even function as advertisements.

Persuasive Letters

The purpose is to sell your idea to someone,

attempting to get them to do something they may not want to do.

AIDA Formula: First paragraph Attention Second paragraph Interest Third paragraph Desire Fourth paragraph Action

Parts of a Business Letter

Date Line: current date formally written out as month, day, and complete year such as May 3, 2016

Inside Address: name and address of the business and person (if you know the person to whom you are writing)

Salutation: letter’s greeting – use the same name you used in the Inside Address – using Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms./Miss

Body: message or ‘meat’ of the letter Complimentary Closing: letter’s goodbye – using phrases such as

Yours truly or Sincerely yours Signature: writer's handwritten signature Writer’s Identification: writer’s typed name and address

Block StylePersonal Business Letter Styles

All lines in the letter begin at the left margin (no tabbing or indenting)

Modified Block StylePersonal Business Letter Styles

Date line, complimentary closing and writer’s identification begin at midpoint

Semi-Modified Block StylePersonal Business Letter Styles

date line, complimentary closing and writer’s identification begin at midpoint and all body paragraphs are indented (or tabbed over) ½”

Personal Business Letter Punctuation

Acceptable types of letter punctuation in business:

Mixed punctuation – there will be a colon (:) after the salutation and a comma (,) after the complimentary closing

Open punctuation – there will be NO punctuation after the salutation or complimentary closing

Differences between a Business and Personal Business Letter

Writer’s company name and address should appear in the letterhead

Writer’s business title is usually keyed under the name Reference initials are added a DS (press Enter 2 times) after the

Writer’s ID – These initials are of the person who types the letter Used to easily locate who typed the letter

Enclosure or Attachment notations are added a DS below the Reference Initials This is a special section that is only added if something else is either

physically attached to the letter or accompanying the letter in the same envelope

The Seven C’s of Business Letter Writing

1. Clear

2. Concise

3. Correct

4. Courteous

5. Conversational

6. Convincing

7. Complete

Business Letter Writing Checklist

Keep it Short Cut needless words and needless information Cut stale phrases and redundant statements

Keep it Simple Use familiar words, short sentences and short paragraphs Keep your subject matter as simple as possible Use a conversational style

Business Letter Writing Checklist

Keep it Strong Use concrete words and examples Keep to the subject

Keep it Sincere Be human and as friendly as possible Write as if you were talking to your reader

Do’s of Letter Writing

Use plain English Write in active voice when possible Use short sentences when possible Use everyday words and avoid technical jargon Use lists to present complex materials Select the words you use very carefully Use a strong organizational strategy Use a reader centered tone Use a business like, conversational tone

Don’ts of Letter Writing

Make grammar or usage errors Use clichés or worn out phrases Use obsolete and/or pompous language because it "seems"

more professional Be too familiar with your audience Use humor unless you know what you are doing Preach Brag

Proofread Before You Print

ALWAYS proofread your letter before you print. Don’t rely on Spell check alone! It is also good to have someone else proofread your

work.