BUSINESS LETTERS

MADE SIMPLE

Keyboarding
 PURPOSE
• What do I want the reader to know?
• What kind of business letter am I writing?
– Letter of inquiry
– Letter of application
– Letter of complaint
– Letter of regret
– Thank you letter
 AUDIENCE
• How well do I know
them?
• How much do they
know about my
subject?
• How will they feel
about my message?
• What vocabulary will
set the tone?
 FORM
• Choose a font that is easy to
read.
• 1 to 1½ inch left and right margins.
• 1 to 1½ inch top and bottom margins.
• Present information
– completely
– concisely
– professionally
• Be consistent – block or modified block.
 PARTS OF A
PERSONAL-BUSINESS LETTER
• Heading 1” - 1 1/2”
– Writer’s complete
address (Return
Address) QUAD
– Current date
• Inside Address
– Receiver’s complete
name, title, company
and address (Letter
Address)
 However…

• If you have a letterhead, you don’t need

the Return Address…

123 Pine Street

Oak Ridge, NJ 07438
PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER
(continued)…
• Salutation
– Begin with Dear:
– Use Mr. or Ms. before the receiver’s name
– Use Dear or Attention followed by an
appropriate title, such as Customer Service
Department or Sales Manager.
– Use Dear Sir or Madame or Ladies and
Gentlemen. Include BOTH genders for a
general audience.
 RULES OF THUMB…
 AVOID ABBREVIATIONS EXCEPT FOR STATES AND TITLES.

(Mr., Mrs., Ms., etc. – FL, NJ, OH)

 PLACE A SINGLE WORD TITLE AFTER THE NAME

SEPARATED BY A COMMA.

Mrs. G. DeGraw, President

 PLACE A LONGER TITLE ON A SEPARATE LINE.

Mrs. G. DeGraw
Executive Director of Safety
PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER
(continued)…
1” - 1 1/2” • Body
– Single-space paragraphs,
double-space between
paragraphs.
– Two paragraphs.
QUAD
– Avoid long phrases.
– Avoid making business
letters longer than one
DS
page.
– Heading on Page 2.

DS
Ms. Moss 2 or Ms. Moss
Page 2
PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER
(continued)…
• Complimentary
closing
– Use Sincerely,
Sincerely yours, or
Yours truly. Capitalize
only the first word; end
with a comma.
PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER
(continued)…
• Signature lines
– Leave four lines (QS) for your handwritten
signature
– Type your name and title below the signature
line.
– Type the words Enclosure(s) two lines below
the typed signature.
– Sending a copy of the letter elsewhere?
cc: PLUS the person or department name.
This line goes beneath the enclosure line.
PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER
(continued)…
• Reference initials…
– Double spaced after the typed signature line
– Lowercase initials
Examples: Sincerely,
/ged
HE:ged Mrs. G. DeGraw
GED Mrs. G. DeGraw, President

/ged
 REVIEW
• PARTS OF A PERSONAL-BUSINESS
LETTER:
Return Address (includes DATE)
Inside Address
Salutation
Body
Complimentary Close
Reference Initials
Enclosures (if any)
123 Pine Street
Oak Ridge, NJ 07438
October 30, 2005

ABC Company
345 Spruce Street
Whatever, IL 01233

Dear Mr. Brown:

Insert the part of the body of the letter here. The

body of the letter should tell something about what
you hope to convey.

It should also have a closing paragraph in it. There

should be at least two sentences per paragraph.

Sincerely,
Mrs. DeGraw
Mrs. DeGraw, Chairperson

/ged

Enclosure
BLOCK versus MODIFIED BLOCK
BLOCK MODIFIED BLOCK
• All parts of the letter • The heading and
begin at the left complimentary close
margin. begin at the center of
• Paragraphs are NOT the page.
indented. • Paragraphs ARE
indented.