Basics of Business letters

The basics of good business letter writing are easy to learn. The following guide provides the phrases that are usually found in any standard business letter. These phrases are used as a kind of frame and introduction to the content of business letters. At the end of this guide, you will find links to sites that give tips on the difficult part of writing successful business letters arguing your business objective. By using these standard phrases, you can give a professional tone to your English business letters. Once you understand these basics you can use this guide to different types of business letters to refine your skills for your business needs at your employers or your own small business organization. The Start Dear Personnel Director, Dear Sir or Madam: (use if you don't know who you are writing to) Dear Dr, Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms Smith: (use if you know who you are writing to, and have a formal relationship with - VERY IMPORTANT use Ms for women unless asked to use Mrs or Miss) Dear Frank: (use if the person is a close business contact or friend) The Reference With reference to your advertisement in the Times, your letter of 23 rd March, your phone call today, Thank you for your letter of March 5 th . The Reason for Writing I am writing to inquire about apologize for confirm Requesting Could you possibly? I would be grateful if you could Agreeing to Requests I would be delighted to Giving Bad News Unfortunately I am afraid that Enclosing Documents

I am enclosing Please find enclosed Enclosed you will find Closing Remarks Thank you for your help Please contact us again if we can help in any way. there are any problems. you have any questions. Reference to Future Contact I look forward to ... hearing from you soon. meeting you next Tuesday. seeing you next Thursday. The Finish Yours faithfully, (If you don't know the name of the person you're writing to) Yours sincerely, (If you know the name of the person you're writing to) Best wishes, Best regards, (If the person is a close business contact or friend)

Business Letter Writing

Purpose of a Business Letter A business letter (or formal letter) is a formal way of communicating between two or more parties. There are many different uses and business letters. Business letters can be informational, persuasive, motivational, or promotional. Business letters should be typed and printed out on standard 8.5" x 11" white paper. Elements of a Good Letter The most important element of writing a good letter is your ability to identify and write to your audience. If you are addressing your letter to the department of human resources, avoid using highly technical terms that only engineers would understand, even if your letter is addressed to an engineering company, chances are that the personnel in human resources does not have an engineering background. The next element is that you make sure your present your objective in a clear and concise manner. Don't be vague about your objective, most people will not have the patience to sit there and guess at the meaning of your letter or the time to read a long-winded letter, just get to the point without going into unnecessary details. Another important element to remember is to remain professional. Even if you are writing a complaint letter, remain polite and courteous, simply state the problem(s) along with any other relevant information and be sure to avoid threats and slander.

Sample Letter
Here is a sample letter using some of these forms:

Sample Letter
Singh Tyres 5, West Avenue Lodhi Road Delhi-21 October 21, 2011 Managing Director (Sales) British Agri Corp Manaser, Gurgaon

Dear Mr Khanna: With reference to our telephonic conversation today, I am writing to confirm your order for: 2500 Shockers for Honda Activa Ref. No. 123 The order will be transported/shipped within three days via UPS and should arrive at your plant in next 15 days. Please contact us again if we can help in any way. Yours sincerely, Dr. Harjit Singh Director, Singh Tyres