Business Letter Template
Business Logo
Street Address City, State, Zip
Phone, Fax, and/or Email
Website URL
Date of letter's mailing
Name of Who's Getting the Letter
Their Title
Their Company
Their Street Address
Their City, State, Zip
Subject line (if any)
Dear Salutation,
Here starts the body of the letter. Note that after the salutation,
there can either be a comma or a colon--either one is appropriate. You
might use the colon in a more formal situation, or if you're
addressing a company, rather than an individual. Circumstance
determines convention.
Note that paragraphs are not indented, but instead designated by extra
spaces. You'll also note the one inch margins all around, including
after the letterhead, if space permits. Actually, the letter should be
centered on the page, based on its total length, including the
complimentary close and any instructions like "cc:" or "encl."
Paragraphs should, like in any business writing situation, be brief,
clear, and to the point. Extra long paragraphs may get skipped and
should therefore be devoted to crucial details necessary for the
recipient to know or act upon. The first paragraph should handle all
the journalistic W's: why, when, where, who, what, and how. The
subsequent paragraphs should then supply the details as needed, or the
solutions to the situations presented.
Letters should be formal in nature; informal correspondence should be
reserved for memos. Remember that letters will usually be filed and
kept as records (by both you and the recipient), so you should never
include anything in a letter that can come back to "haunt" you.
Finally, you should close your letter with the appropriate
complimentary close. "Sincerely" is usually appropriate, although a
"Sincerely Yours" will work if you know the recipient well. The other
options are, as in the book, "Very truly yours," "Best wishes," or
"Regards." Do not use the simple, "Best"; it doesn't say much--"best
what"?
Sincerely,
Your name typed, with your signature above
Your title
cc: or encl: (if appropriate)
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