5 Points About Writing a Business Letter

Letter writing was sure an art and it still remains the same, but with the electronic mails coming of age, the format and language of writing the content is surely changing. For example, referring to the subject matter, i.e. giving reference to context and writing the introduction section, etc. It is being more informal these days, though a well drafted business letter can make a lot of difference in the actual business professional world.

Tips for Writing Business Letters

The convention of letter writing remains like the olden days with the basic rules with reference to the content of a letter. It remains the same as any formal letter, that is to say, the sender's address, date, recipient, introduction of the letter, body, and closing of the same. In the following, find some useful tips for writing a business letter.

Layout: The layout of the formal business letter is the blocked one, which is also known as the American letter writing format. Unlike before, the British writing format has been long gone and it has been replaced with intending all the contents to the left of the page.

Structure: The skeleton of the business letter has an additional section for mentioning details about the issue referred in the letter. It starts with the addresses and subject line. Be brief while writing the subject section. It should just be a pointer.

Content: Here you should mention the purpose of writing the letter. You may mention the business deal or proposal you are referring to in case it is about something related to that. If it is for a different purpose, then you may write it in the subject line, for example if it is an inquiry. It is required to give technical details, though in the first paragraph only. For example, the date, invoice, reference or deal no., etc.

Tone: Depending on your purpose, you can vary your tone of writing the letter. For example, if it is a business proposal you are drafting, it needs to be persuasive in nature. If it is a thank you letter, you need to be courteous. Use jargon with the appropriate recipient.

Reference: The last section of business letters are very important. You are required to mention the references to the issue you are talking about, along with names and contact details of the people associated with the same.

These were some tips for knowing how to write a business letter. Last but not the least, you may include a section naming 'Enclosures' at the end of the letter. This again depends on the nature of your subject.