At some point in your life, you might have been assigned to write a business letter. Due to the nature of how fancy it sounds, you might have been very intimidated by the task. Thereโs absolutely nothing to worry about as putting together a business letter is not rocket science.
Here are a few โrules and regulationsโ you can adhere to master the art of writing business letters.
๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ-๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐
This contains the companyโs address and the name of who wrote the letter. If you either use the company letter-heading or just a plain white sheet of A4 paper, having the postal address of the company and name of the person writing is a must.
๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ
What is an official document without a date? Definitely not a business letter. Always include a date so the letter can easily be filed easily for future reference.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐โ๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐
It is very important that your business letter states who you are sending it to and the address of the person. Address the recipient in his/her job appropriate title as necessary.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ก๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ
If possible, do include a reference number. It could be an invoice number/customer number or the date of the previous letter. Donโt worry though if you donโt have any of the above, you can always mention in the subject matter in the very first paragraph of the letter.
๐ฆ๐ฎ๐น๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
Using the correct salutation depends on how familiar you are with the addressee and the reasoning of the letter. Using the recipient’s last name is more formal and is preferred unless you are on first-name basis with the recipient. If you are unsure of the recipientโs gender, simply write โDearโ followed by their full name. If you donโt know the person at all it is advised to write โTo Whom It May Concernโ.
๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐
Always introduce the topic in the first paragraph of the letter. It isnโt fun reading through a letter without knowing what it is going to be about. In the following paragraph state the subject matter using simple language and in an unequivocal manner. Make sure to be brief and direct throughout the whole letter, regardless of the reasoning. The final paragraph should conclude the letter and state any action that needs attention.
๐๐น๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด
Using the correct form in closing the letter is important. Most commonly used are Yours sincerely and Yours faithfully. Now how would you decide which one to use? Itโs simple. Yours sincerely is for when the letter has been addressed to a named person and Yours faithfully is when the letter is addressed to an unknown recipient.
๐ฆ๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ
After the closure, add your signature. With business letters, you should type your name under it as well.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ
Do use an envelope of the correct size and prefers with your businessโs name stated on it. It is important to write the address of the recipient on the front and your address on the back.
๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐
Most importantly, use the correct postage. If not, your letter might not get delivered or even worse, the recipient might have to pay for any shortfall.
Keeping in mind these โrules and regulationsโ, you will be able to produce an amazing business letter. Writing a business letter might after all not be as hard as you think.
