An Introduction to Business Letter Format

Although e-mail has become important recently in business correspondence, business letters are still a very important. In particular, the look of a business letter is important because it gives the person receiving it the first impression of you or your company.

Business letters contain similar expressions, so try to save copies of each type of business letter you write. This allows you to recycle useful expressions, changing only what is necessary in a given type of letter.

Important points in business letter writing:

• Decide on the purpose of your letter.
• Decide what you want the person receiving the letter to understand or do.
• List the main points you want to include in your letter.
• Write a first draft.
• Let the letter sit for a short time, then go back and re-read it.
• Make any changes you want.
• Proofread the letter and print a final copy. If you are writing on a computer, print out the letter before proofreading. It is too easy to miss mistakes when reading from a computer screen.

Generally, business letters will be one of two types. Our correspondence as business people or our private correspondence with companies with whom we are doing business. Although business correspondence has changed greatly with the coming of e-mail, writers must still remember the following points when writing a business letter. First, the format (how the letter looks) is of great importance.

Tone in Business Letters

One of the most important and difficult parts of business letters is finding the appropriate tone.

Business Letter Links

Mississippi State University has a good page which lists the characteristics of different types of business letters. It also shows the most common formats of business letters, how to fold letters, and how to address envelopes. <http://www.ais.msstate.edu/aee/Tutorial/bus_letters.html>

Business Letters.com gives a tutorial on writing business letters, shows some examples, and will sell you templates of common formats of business letters. <http://www.business-letters.com/index.htm>

Career Lab.com gives more advice about letter writing, especially if you are searching for a job. It has a useful section on 28 common business letter mistakes. <http://www.careerlab.com/letters/link002.htm>