|
Anatomy
of a Business Letter
by
Linda Elizabeth Alexander
Business
letters have many purposes and recipients. Despite variations
in tone and style, the basic parts of a business letter
remain standard throughout most business correspondence.
This article outlines the elements found in standard business
letters today, in order, as well as their modern format.
1.
Heading
Assuming
you are using company letterhead, your full address will
already be on the page. Add the date two spaces below the
last line of printed copy. If you are using blank paper,
add your full address and the date in the heading. Align
the heading, and all paragraphs, with the left margin(which
should be at least one inch wide).
Example:
21 Carson Parkway
Boulder, CO 80111
December 3, 2006
2.
Inside address
Include
the recipient's full name, title, and address two spaces
below the date. Align it with the left margin.
Example:
Conner T. Walker
2345 Sunrise Avenue
Denver, CO 80555
3.
Salutation
Two
spaces below the inside address, and also aligned with the
left margin, place your salutation, or greeting. If you
are on a first name basis with the recipient, use her/his
first name followed by a colon. If you are writing a more
formal letter, use a personal title (Ms., Mr., or Dr.) followed
by the person's last name and a colon. Use Mr. for men,
and Ms. for women. Never use Mrs. or Miss unless a woman
has specifically expressed a preference. If you are not
sure if the recipient is male or female, use a salutation
that is appropriate to the letter context.
Examples:
Mr. Yates:
Ms. Dickinson:
Dear Customer:
Dear Publishing Manager:
4.
Body
The
body of the letter should begin two spaces below the salutation;
all paragraphs should be aligned to the left margin. Single
space within paragraphs and double space between them.
If your
letter continues onto a second (or higher) page, leave at
least two lines of text on the next page before the closing.
Do not go onto another page just for the closing; this is
bad form. If necessary, change the font size or margin width
to make it fit onto one page.
5.
Closing
Place
the closing two spaces below the last line of the body.
Use a standard closing such as Sincerely or Best regards.
Capitalize only the first word, and follow the closing with
a comma. Four spaces below, type your full name, also aligned
with the closing at the left margin. Finally, sign your
name in the space between the closing expression and your
typed name.
6.
Additional Information
Sometimes
a business letter requires you to add the typist's initials,
an enclosure notification, or a note that other people are
receiving the same letter. Any of this information goes
two spaces below the last line of the closing in a long
letter, four spaces below in a very short letter.
The
typist's initials follow the writer's initials, separated
by a slash. The writer's initials go in capital letters,
while the typist's are lowercase.
Example:
LEA/lak or LEA/ald
If the
writer and the typist are the same person, no initials are
needed.
If you
are sending material along with the letter, such as an invoice
or report, indicate this with an enclosure notification.
When you use this, you must refer to the enclosures in your
letter. Abbreviate or describe the enclosure(s).
Examples:
Enc.
Encs.
Enclosure: Report findings
Lastly,
if you are sending the same letter to more than one person,
notify your recipients with a copy notation. This is abbreviated
"cc:" and followed by the recipients' names.
Example:
cc: Linda Alexander
Janna Bree Smith
Emily Lane
7.
Formatting
Finally,
format your letter so it is easy to scan. Center the letter
on the page both vertically and horizontally so that plenty
of white space surrounds your text. When using your company's
letterhead, remember to format your margins inside the printed
material.
If a
letter is very short, consider double spacing the entire
letter. Also, you may add spaces between paragraphs, the
salutation, etc., if it provides for a fuller appearance
and enhances the overall "look" of the letter.
©
2002 By Linda Elizabeth Alexander
Linda
Elizabeth Alexander writes marketing copy for nonprofits
and other businesses. Contact her today to get your free
consultation!
http://www.write2thepointcom.com
lalexander@write2thepointcom.com
Business
Card Resources
|
