Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: Business Letter Format
• Part 2 of 2: How to write a business letter
• Tips

If you have your own business, then you probably have to write business letters to your clients. The goals can be different: notifying about new events or conditions, responding to customer complaints on behalf of the company. Regardless of the reason for writing, it is important to maintain a professional tone and business style at all times.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Business Letter Format

1. 1 Use a professional letterhead. The business letter represents your company. In this regard, the letter must be in the appropriate form. Also, don't forget to use your company logo or brand.
   • You can create a letter header using ready-made color templates for Microsoft Word. Use a real company logo or brand.
2. 2 Open a text editor. All company business letters must always be computer typed.
   • Create a new document and set the margins to 2.54 centimeters.
   • Use a serif typeface like Times New Roman, Georgia, or Arial. So, the font size should be no more than 12, but not less than 10. The type or size of the font should not negatively affect the readability of the letter.
   • Use single line spacing.
3. 3 Customize the block shape. The block form is the most common format for business letters. It is also the easiest to set up and follow. Each item is left justified and separated by one space. In order from top of page to bottom, a business letter should include the following items:
   • Today's date or the date the letter was sent. Do not forget to include the date, because it is used for accounting by the sender and recipient, as well as for legal purposes. Give the exact date.
   • Sender's address. This is your address in standard format. If your address is already listed in the header of the letter, then you can skip this step.
   • Outgoing address. Enter the name and address of the recipient of the letter. You can use the address "Master" or "Mistress". So, if the recipient is Nina Serova, then you can write both "Mrs. Nina Serova" and "Nina Serova".
   • Greetings. You can write “Dear Mrs. Serova” or “Dear Nina Serova”. If you are not sure who will read the letter, write “Dear Sirs”. There is also an option "For the information of all interested parties", but it should be left as a last resort if the addressee is unknown.
   • The main body of the letter. This part will be discussed in more detail in the next section.
   • Final part and signature. Write: "Sincerely," - or: "Best wishes."

Part 2 of 2: How to write a business letter

1. 1 Define your target audience. The tone of the letter should always remain professional regardless of the audience, but the choice of words and language means depends on the addressee of the letter. If the letter is for another company's HR department, then a more formal language should be used. When addressing a specific client, you can resort to informal and simple language.
   • It will also help you avoid misunderstandings. Do not use terms that are incomprehensible to the reader. For example, customers may not know the abbreviations used for the space program in your company, so don't use them in your letter.
   • The most important rule of business writing is that the text should be clear, concise and courteous.
2. 2 State the purpose of the letter on the first line. Consider the purpose of the letter. Do you want to provide a new office address? Remind the client about the debt? Reply to the complaint? Keep this in mind when you need to write the first sentence of the letter. Don't use vague wording and get straight to the point.
   • Write in the first person if you express your opinion as a company owner. Write in the second person if you are applying on behalf of a company or organization.
   • Use an unambiguous statement such as: "We hereby inform you" - or: "We hereby want to know the following." Write in the first person if you are addressing as a company owner like: “I want to contact you”, - or: “Recently I learned ..., so I would like to ...”.
   • For example, you (the owner of the company) want to inform Nina Serova about one month's debt. Start your letter like this: “I would like to inform you that as of March 2015 there is a debt in your account”.
   • If you are an employee of a company and are responding to a customer complaint about your company's space program, start like this: “We received your comments regarding our Mars colonization program.”
   • Sometimes you need to tell the reader that he won a competition or got a place in an educational institution. Start like this: “I am glad to inform you ...”, - or: “We are glad to inform you…”.
   • If you need to report bad news, start with this phrase: "With regret we inform you ...", - or: "After careful consideration, it was decided ...".
3. 3 Use a valid voice. In official speech, the passive voice is often used, but it can make the text of the letter monotonous or incomprehensible. A valid voice allows information to be conveyed in a decisive tone.
   • An example of a passive voice: "What steps can be taken?" In this case, the subject “steps” is not the executor of the action, but experiences the action on itself.
   • Example of a valid voice: "What steps can we take?" In this version, an active voice is used, which allows you to clearly and clearly convey the idea.
   • At times, the passive voice allows you to convey your message and not draw too much attention to a mistake or unsightly fact. Use it only in this case. Usually, a valid voice is preferred.
4. 4 Link to previous events or communication with the reader. You may have previously informed Nina Serova about the debt. The reader could express his dissatisfaction with your space program at the last conference. If you have already communicated, then remind about this fact. The reader will be able to recall important details, and your letter will be much more important and urgent.
   • Use phrases like: “Consistent with the previous letter from ...”, “Thank you for your timely payment last month,” - or: “We were delighted to hear your constructive comments at the conference in May.”
5. 5 Make a request or offer help. Set a positive tone with a polite request or offer cooperation in the form of assistance.
   • Let's say you own a company and want to convince a client to pay a debt. Use the phrase: "I would be grateful for your assistance and immediate payment."
   • If you are writing on behalf of a company, use the phrase: “We would like to arrange a personal meeting for you with our HR manager”.
   • Also offer to answer all possible questions and dispel the doubts of the reader. Example: “We will be glad to answer any of your questions or to clear up any doubts about payment”, - or: “Do you want to know more details about our program?”
6. 6 Complete the letter. Use a call to action from your side or the customer's side. This could be a request to pay off the debt within a specified timeframe, or an offer to arrange a meeting with a client.
   • Write a proposal with the hope of communicating in the future: “Looking forward to meeting you at the budget meeting next week,” - or: “We would be happy to discuss all these aspects with you in more detail when we meet in our office.”
   • Indicate if documents are attached to the letter. Add a phrase like: "We are sending you last month's invoice", - or: "A copy of the space program is attached to the letter."
   • Use a closing phrase at the end. It is best for clients to write: "Sincerely", - or: "Best wishes."
   • Use the wording “Regards” in formal letters to strangers.
   • Write: “All the best” if you know or cooperate with a person.
7. 7 Correct the mistakes. Correct formatting and wording will not play any role if there are grammatical errors in the letter!
   • Try to find all cases of the passive voice and make the appropriate adjustments.
   • Pay attention to long and confusing sentences. In a business letter, the rule is “Less is more,” so long sentences should be rejected.

Tips

• Print the letter on unlined A4 paper. If mailing, fold the letter three times and place it in a standard envelope.