Business Letters   Business Letter Format

Use the correct Business Letter Format

Because the way a business letter looks immediately gives the reader their first impression even before they read it. The quality of the paper, letterhead design, the margins, spacing and more all have something to say about the organization. A weakness in any of these elements can detract from the effectiveness of the message, even though it is expertly written.

The following table provides the elements of the business letter format.

The Paper	I recommend using the 20lb for normal use and 32lb for important letters like resume cover letters and thank you letters. Color: White is the standard and should usually be used. Light tints (gray, blue, green, etc) are also becoming popular. Size: To me only the Letter or A4 are the only acceptable sizes. There are other sizes but I don’t recommend it unless you are in the creative field.
Layout	In a business letter format, there are many layouts; the three most popular are the semi-blocked, blocked and full-blocked. Whatever layout you wish to use, it doesn’treally matter. As for me, I prefer the full-blocked simply because it is easier to type on the computer. Like the advice given here? Click here to download the free ebook version of this site.
Margins	Left and Right 1 Inch Top and Bottom 1 ½ Inch
Spacing	Most letters are single spaced. Use doublespace for short letters. Leave one blank line between paragraphs, 2 Blank lines before the complementary close (i.e. Sincerely) and 3 to 4 lines for the signature.
Envelopes	Make sure the address on your envelope is easy to read so that it doesn’t get tossed in some mailroom. Place the address just below the vertical center and just to the right of the horizontal center. Any special instruction such as “Attention,”“Personal,” “Please Forward,” or “Confidential,” goes on the left side of the envelope below the return address. Confidential: Ms. Susan Johnson
Date Lines	Place the date at least two spaces below the letterhead. The line may be flush left or right, or centred below the letterhead. Do not abbreviate the month or use nd, st, or th with the day numbers, like May 5th, 1998. Also, do not use a month’s number, like 6/23/89. Both date orders listed below are appropriate; however, the latter is used mainly by the government, the military, and those outside the United States. December 10, 2003 10 December 2003
Addresses	Make sure a person’s name is spelled correctly. A recipient may decide to ignore a letter that was written by someone who cannot spell his/her name. Do not use both the title and the degree of a person. For example, write either Howard Wyatt, D.D.S. or Dr. Howard E. Hyatt and not, Dr. Howard Wyatt, D.D.S. Two or more men are addressed as Messrs., which means Misters. Do not use first names with this abbreviation. Messrs. Smith, Wyatt, and Fury Two or more women are addressed as Mesdames, Mmes., or Mses. Do not use first names with these abbreviations: Mses. Farb, Lionel, and Gray When addressing couples, give both appropriate titles: Dr. and Mrs. Harold Wright Mr. Harold Wright and Dr. Margaret Wright Drs. Harold and Margaret Wright Dr. Margaret Wright and Mr. Steven Jones Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Adams-Quinn Ms. Margaret Wright Mr. Steven Jones In selecting a title, always notice the way an individual identifies him or herself. For example, some who hold degrees do not use their titles while others do. Some married women prefer Mrs.; others prefer Ms. If you do not know the title the woman prefers, use the standard Ms. or drop the title altogether: Place the inside address at least two lines below the date. Place a person’s title after his name unless it is unusually long, then go to the next line. Ken Green, President Ken Green Vice President of International Operations The comma before the abbreviations Jr. and Sr. is optional. Michael Jordan, Jr. Michael Jordan Sr. Make sure the address on the envelope is written so that a postalworker can read it at a glance. When both a street and a post office address are given, the postal service will deliver your letter to the address that appears directly above the zip code. Place an “attention line” directly below the company name on an envelope. On the envelope address, type the names of foreign countries all in caps. Spell out all numerical street names from one to ten. 127 Ninth Avenue, North 127 E. 15 Street Five Park Avenue One Wingren Plaza Use a hyphen between street and residence numbers. 556 - 91 Street
Reference Lines	“Reference lines” assist with filing or routing correspondence. A reference line can refer to your files and/or your reader’s files. Place your reference line first. Our reference: Project #234 Your reference: Invoice #3444 RE Order #4558
Salutation	Always use the name of the individual if you know it. Dear Amy: (personal friend or close business associate) Dear Mrs. Rider: Dear Miss Spears: Dear Ms. Tyler: (use Ms. If you don’t know the marital status or the preference) Dear Mr. Farnham: Dear Dr. Doom: Dear Sir Elton John: If you don’t know the name of the individual, address it to the individual’s title in the company and then use dear Sir or Madam: Here is an example: Head of Human Resource ABC Company 123 Sesame Street Dear Sir or Madam: But please only use this if you really cannot find out the name of the person. Most companies will tell you who the person is. All it takes is a phone call. If you are addressing to an organization and not an individual, then use the following: Ladies and Gentlemen: And if you want to highlight the letter to an individual(s) in the organization, use the attention line asfollows: Attention: Miss J. Fonda, CEO and Mr. M.Jackson, CFO Ladies and Gentlemen: If you are addressing officials, it requires a more formal format. See Addressing Business Letters for Officials for more information.
Subject Line	Sometimes to speed up the handling of your mail, it may be wise to use a subject line. Dear Mr. M. Jackson: Subject: Order No. 456-9A6
Complimentary close	For a normal business letter format, Iprefer to use Regards, Sincerely, and Sincerely yours. Other acceptable formal business letter close includes Cordially, Cordially yours, Very sincerely yours, Very cordially yours, Yours very truly, Very truly yours and if the person is of highstature, Respectfully yours.
Signature	Do use a title (Mr., Miss, Ms) to indicate your preference and you gender and give you First and Last Name. Example: Sincerely, Ms. Tony Braxton
Identification Initials	The “identification line” gives the initials of the person who typed the letter. dms DDB:dms This indicates that the person who originated the letter DDB/dms also typed it. This is usually not necessary nowadays as most people (even big CEOs type their own letters) don’t have a secretary to type their letters.
Enclosure Notations	The “enclosure notation” goes flush left two lines below the signature block or the typist’s initials, if they’re included. Identify each and every enclosure that is being sent so that the reader will know if something is missing from the packet. Enc. Enclosures: 3 Enclosures: Hire contract Check for $458 Enclosures: 1. Draft of absentee policy 2. Invoice #459990
Copy Notations	Use cc, meaning carbon copy, even though you may use photocopy or other reproductions. This notation goes at the very end of your letter and flush left. If you do not want your reader to know that you are sending a copy to another person, omit cc and instead, type bcc, blind carbon copy, only on your copy of the letter. Below are the ways to present this feature. cc: Sarah Smith cc: Dr. Howard Stewart 12337 Rocky Lane Houston, Texas 77070 Copy to: Sarah Smith Copies to: Sarah Smith Howard Jones
Postscripts	Postscripts serve two purposes: 1) to re-emphasize a key point 2) to be informal and personal. The postscript may be handwritten or typed: P.S. Just return the enclosed card to see if you aren’t pleased with the service you receive! PS. Give my regards to the others who had a part in making the program such a success.

The following are some examples of letters:
Free Business Letter in the correct Business Letter Format.
Sample Business Letter on Company Letter Head in the correct Business Letter Format.
Business Letter Sample in the correct Business Letter Format.
Example of business letter format
Business Letter of Introduction
Example of business letter for project update

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Although this page is about business letter format and this site is about writing business letters, I think it is prudent to talk about other types of written business correspondence. This will include the fax, memos and e-mails. Knowing when to use each type of correspondence is just as (if not more) important as the content itself. For example, you don't send a memo to congratulate someone.

The Fax
The facsimile machine has dramatically changed the pace of business communications in the past 10 years. Some say it is a blessing and some say it's a curse. Either way, knowing the proper use of this communication tool will help you improve your business image.

The fax cover page
Often, fax transmissions are received in a common area and then forwarded to the proper recipient. The fax cover page is used to route your communication to the correct person and to ensure all the pages are received.

Here is a sample of a fax cover page

Follow these guidelines when using the fax

1. Use the fax only when the communication needs immediate attention
2. In addition to the cover page, format the message in either the memo or business letter format.
3. Do not send documents in which the appearance is important.
4. Avoid dark areas such as graphics. It slows down transmission time and the recipient printed fax may be moist from the heavy application of ink.
5. Use simple, legible type for your fax. Arial, Courier and Times New Roman all transmit clearly. Use at least an 11-point in size.
6. Avoid handwritten notes. They often don't transmit well.

The Memo

The memo is short for memorandum. It is used for short reminders, quick announcements or concise pieces of information. When using the memo format, don't communicate something of vital importance. Use the business letter format instead. Memo tends to be given less attention than a business letter written on the company letterhead. Memos should not be used for communications to people outside the company.

There is no rule for the format of the memo. Pick one and make it a standard for your company. The vital information in a memo are the date, the recipient, the sender and the subject matter.

The following is an example:

Date:

To:
From:
RE:

The e-Mail
Since you are on the internet reading this site, I would assume that you know what e-mail is and you probably have one or more e-mail account. The e-mail has replaced many functions of the business letter. Here are some tips on writing effective e-mail.

1. Format: Do use the format provided by the software properly. Include the e-mail you are sending to on the proper column. To is for the individuals the letter is directed to, cc for those you want to have a copy and bcc to those you want to have a copy but don't want people to know they are in the list. And do fill in the subject line. Begin the e-mail with the salutation.
2. Contents: As with the business letter, keep it brief. All the business letter essentials apply to the e-mail as well.
3. Links: If you are referring to a web site, do provide a link.
4. Don't use ALL CAPS: In the real world, all caps mean that you are stressing a point. However when online, all caps means that you are YELLING! Bold the word or put asterisks around it to stress the word.
5. Don't get too informal: The tendency when it comes to e-mail is to write less formally, just remember, you are still writing a business letter only via e-mail.
6. Don't use emoticons and acronyms: There are two reasons for this, first, while many net-savvy users are familiar with it, there are still a lot of people who don't understand what the symbols mean. Secondly, you are still writing a business letter, emoticons and acronyms are just too informal. Imagine a letter that reads like this:
   WTG Imagine my =:O when I heard your good news. IMHO you earned the promotion. ;-)

So there you have it, I have given you the elements of a correct Business Letter Format. Some of these elements are flexable, so always make your own judgement when selecting your Business Letter Format.

Recommendations:

This advice was modified from 3001 Business & Sales Letters.

"It's all simple to use...a well thought out and effective tool...we like it a lot."
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If you want to write a letter fast, I highly recommend that you use the templates provided in 3001 Business & Sales Letters because they have (as the name suggest) 3001 Business & Sales Letters templates. This award winning software has by far the most comprehensive list of templates. Here is a list of the templates they have ordered by categories.

As I can see it, the templates will cover every conceivable business situation. With this product, all you have to do to be good at Writing Business Letter is to cut, paste and do a little bit of modifications. It even gives you phrases (see screen shot) when you need it to help you construct sentences. See the following business sample letterto see how this program will help you write any letter you want. It is by far the best value for your money. If you don’t like the 3001 Business & Sales Letters, I recommend the sister product Easy Letters 2003. It has 2100 business letters (all the letters in 3001 Business & Sales Letters except 901 Sales Letters).

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