Writing A business letter part one

A Business Letter Letters can be an effective means of communicating for a variety of purposes. You will need to request information, order products, make a complaint, convey your appreciation, or apply for a job. You may also want to write letters of social correspondence. Whether you are writing for personal or business purposes, your letters and completed forms will be judged not only on their content but also on their appearance. The Appearance of a Business Letter Business letters follow certain standards of style and format.      Use plain paper (8½” X 11”). Type your letter if possible (single-spaced, leaving an extra line between paragraphs). Otherwise, write legibly, using black or blue ink. Center your letter on the page with equal margins, usually one inch, on all sides. Use only one side of the paper. If you need a second page, leave a one-inch margin at the bottom of the first page and carry over at least two lines to the second page. Avoid mark-outs, erasures, or other careless marks. Check for typing errors and misspellings. The Parts of a Business Letter A business letter contains six parts: (1) the heading (2) the inside address (3) the salutation (4) the body (5) the closing (6) the signature There are two styles used frequently for business letters. With the block form, every part of the letter begins at the left-hand margin, and paragraphs are not indented. In the modified block form, the heading, the closing, and the signature are aligned along an imaginary line just to the right of the center of the page. The other parts of the letter begin at the left-hand margin. All paragraphs are indented. The Heading. The heading usually consists of three lines:    your street address (or post office box number) your city, state, and ZIP Code the date that you wrote the letter The Inside Address. The inside address shows the name and address of the person or organization you are writing. If -you’re writing to a specific person, use a courtesy title (such as Mr., Ms., Mrs., or Miss) or a professional title (such as Dr. or Professor) in front of the person’s name. After the person’s name, include the person’s business or job title (such as Owner or Sales Manager), followed by the name of the company or organization and the address. The Salutation. The salutation is your greeting. If you are writing to a specific person, begin with Dear, followed by a courtesy title or a professional title and the person’s last name. End the salutation with a colon. If you don’t have the name of a specific person, you can use a general salutation, such as Dear Sir or Madam or Ladies and Gentlemen. You can also use a department or a position title, with or without the word Dear. The Body. The body, or main part, of your letter contains your message. If the body of your letter contains more than one paragraph, leave a space between paragraphs. The Closing. In closing, you should end your letter in a courteous manner. Closings often used in business letters include Sincerely, Yours truly, Respectfully yours, and Regards. Capitalize only the first word of the closing. The Signature. Your signature should be written in ink, directly below the closing. Sign your full name. Do not use a title. If you type your letter, type your name neatly below your signature.