Business Letter Tips


Business writing is different

Writing for a business audience is usually quite different than writing in the humanities, social sciences, or other academic disciplines. Business writing strives to be crisp and succinct rather than evocative or creative; it stresses specificity and accuracy. This distinction does not make business writing superior or inferior to other styles. Rather, it reflects the unique purpose and considerations involved when writing in a business context.
When you write a business document, you must assume that your audience has limited time in which to read it and is likely to skim. Your readers have an interest in what you say insofar as it affects their working world. They want to know the "bottom line": the point you are making about a situation or problem and how they should respond.
Business writing varies from the conversational style often found in email messages to the more formal, legalistic style found in contracts. A style between these two extremes is appropriate for the majority of memos, emails, and letters. Writing that is too formal can alienate readers, and an attempt to be overly casual may come across as insincere or unprofessional. In business writing, as in all writing, you must know your audience.

FORMAT:
1. Return address of the letter writer.

    1600 Main Street
     Springfield, Kansas 12345


2. The date of the letter.
This is usually typed in one of two ways:

(Begin with the day, no comma) 15 January 2008
  or
(Begin with the month; use a comma) December 1, 2008
3. Complete name, title, and address of the recipient.
Use "Mr." for a male recipient. If you do not know how a female recipient prefers to be addressed, it is best to use "Ms."
Ms. Anna Brown, Chair
Department of Linguistics
Right State University
1415 University Drive
Felicity, OH 45434
4. Salutation with a colon.
Dear Ms. Brown:
5. Body of the letter.
It is best to keep an initial business letter short. Business people are busy and do not have time to read long letters! In a one-page letter, you will usually only need three or four paragraphs, single spaced. Use a double space in between paragraphs. See examples that follow.
The easiest way to write the body of the business letter is to use a prewritten business letter.
6. Closing.
The most common closing is "Sincerely." Follow this with a comma. Skip four single lines after the closing and type your name. Sign your name in the space above your name.
Sincerely, 
XXXX