- Mention and explain about the parts of bussiness letter!
- Make an application letter which is you as an applicant!
1. Parts of a Business Letter
Writing a professional business letter is
a vital part of business communication. Written communication to
customers, vendors or other businesses is a developed skill which
requires practice. Understanding the proper business letter format, the
parts of a business letter and practicing writing is key to effective
business correspondence.
The business letter is a little more
formal that other written business communications such as email, memos
or text messages. It is important to know the audience so the tone of
the letter can be professional in nature but not overly formal.
When drafting a letter, the author should
assume that the reader has limited time and that they are looking for
the bottom line and how it relates to them. Make sure the substance is
clear, specific and to the point so the reader can make a quick
assessment of the letter. In many cases, the business letter is the
first impression so it is important to ensure the content is accurate
and free from errors. This includes proofing the letter for content
clarity and typos. All business letters should be printed on business
letterhead. If formal letterhead is not available, the name of the
company with address, contact phone number and email should be printed
on the top center of the paper.
- Date
The date line is used to indicate the date the letter was written. However, if your letter is completed over a number of days, use the date it was finished in the date line. When writing to companies within the United States, use the American date format. (The United States-based convention for formatting a date places the month before the day. For example: June 11, 2001. ) Write out the month, day and year two inches from the top of the page. Depending which format you are using for your letter, either left justify the date or tab to the center point and type the date.
- Sender’s Address
The sender’s address usually is included in letterhead. If you are not using letterhead, include the sender’s address at the top of the letter one line above the date. Do not write the sender’s name or title, as it is included in the letter’s closing. Include only the street address, city, and zip code.
- Inside Address
The inside address is the recipient’s address. It is always best to write to a specific individual at the firm to which you are writing. If you do not have the person’s name, do some research by calling the company or speaking with employees from the company. Include a personal title such as Ms., Mrs., Mr., or Dr. Follow a woman’s preference in being addressed as Miss, Mrs., or Ms. If you are unsure of a woman’s preference in being addressed, use Ms. If there is a possibility that the person to whom you are writing is a Dr. or has some other title, use that title. Usually, people will not mind being addressed by a higher title than they actually possess. To write the address, use the U.S. Post Office Format. For international addresses, type the name of the country in all-capital letters on the last line. The inside address begins one line below the sender’s address or one inch below the date. It should be left justified, no matter which format you are using.
- Salutation
Use the same name as the inside address, including the personal title. If you know the person and typically address them by their first name, it is acceptable to use only the first name in the salutation (for example: Dear Lucy:). In all other cases, however, use the personal title and last/family name followed by a colon. Leave one line blank after the salutation.If you don’t know a reader’s gender, use a nonsexist salutation, such as their job title followed by the receiver’s name. It is also acceptable to use the full name in a salutation if you cannot determine gender. For example, you might write Dear Chris Harmon: if you were unsure of Chris’s gender.
- Introduction
The first few sentences of a letter are introductory in nature. The introduction section introduces the subject of the letter. It is a summary in a sentence or two that explains what the goal of the letter is. For example, “I am writing today to further explore a vendor relationship with XYZ Corporation.”
- Body of letter
For block and modified block formats, single space and left justify each paragraph within the body of the letter. Leave a blank line between each paragraph. When writing a business letter, be careful to remember that conciseness is very important. In the first paragraph, consider a friendly opening and then a statement of the main point. The next paragraph should begin justifying the importance of the main point. In the next few paragraphs, continue justification with background information and supporting details. The closing paragraph should restate the purpose of the letter and, in some cases, request some type of action.
- Closing
The closing begins at the same vertical point as your date and one line after the last body paragraph. Capitalize the first word only (for example: Thank you) and leave four lines between the closing and the sender’s name for a signature. If a colon follows the salutation, a comma should follow the closing; otherwise, there is no punctuation after the closing.
- Signature
The signature section has a complementary closing. Examples are Sincerely, Warmest Regards, Respectfully Yours, Very Truly Yours, or Cordially Yours. Be sure to gauge the audience when selecting a complementary closing. After the complementary closing, space is left for the signature that goes above the typed name and title of the person sending the letter.
