How to Properly Format a Letter for Professional Communication
A business letter conveys an impression not only about the person who writes it but also about the company whose name appears on the letterhead; and this impression can be either positive or negative, which is why most businesspeople realize the importance of developing this valuable communication skill.
Business Letters and First Impressions
Whenever one person meets another person for the first time, each makes an impression upon the other; and this impression is largely based upon appearance. Granted, the impression may be erroneous, yet it is more often than not long lasting, if not permanent. The same is true for business communication: first impressions have a lasting impact.
So how can professionals ensure that their correspondence makes a positive first impression? They can do so by learning the proper way to format a business letter.
How to Format a Business Letter
Although some parts of a letter are optional, depending upon its purpose, other parts are mandatory and should never be omitted.
- Letterhead
- Date
- Recipient’s address
- Attention line
- Salutation
- Subject line
- Body of the letter
- Closing
- Company signature
- Writer’s identification
- Reference initials
- Enclosure reminder
- Transmittal notation
- Copy notations
- Postscript
Purpose of The Business Letterhead
The term “letterhead” refers to the company stationary, which should include the following information at the top of the page:
- Company’s name
- Company’s full address
- Company’s telephone number
- Company’s fax number (if applicable)
- Company’s e-mail address
- Company's website address
Introductory Components of a Business Letter
When used for professional correspondence, letters begin with the following components:
Date: This is the date the letter is written, not the date it is mailed; but if not identical, the two dates should be relatively close to one another.
Address of the Recipient: This is a repetition of the mailing information on the envelope.
Attention Line (Optional): This may either be placed immediately after the receiving company’s address or, if the letter is addressed to a specific person within the company, on the first line of the company’s address. For example:
- Attention: John H. Smith
- Account Representative
- Harvest Home Furnishings
- 96 West Washington Street
- Atlanta, Georgia 30208
Salutation: This phrase precedes the body of the letter and, unless the letter is to someone with whom the sender is on familiar terms, should address the person formally, for example, “Dear Mr. Smith,” followed by the proper punctuation, which is a colon. If the name and gender of recipient is unknown, though, the sender should simply say, “Dear Sir or Madam” or “To Whom It May Concern,” followed by a colon.
Subject Line (Optional): This identifies the letter’s topic. For example:
- Subject: Annual Furniture Expo in Boston
Formatting the Body of the Business Letter
The body of the letter naturally conveys the message from the sender to the recipient; and although letters should be single-spaced, with double-spacing between paragraphs, the sender can opt for several formatting styles:
- Block Format: All parts are aligned left, with no indention for the first line of each paragraph.
- Modified Block Format: While all other parts are aligned left, the date, closing, and writer’s name are aligned right or centered.
- Modified Block with Indented Paragraphs: All parts are aligned left, but the first lines of each paragraph are indented five spaces.
The Concluding Components of a Business Letter
The final parts of a business letter include the following:
Complimentary Closing: This is the “good-bye” and should sound courteous and professional. For example:
- Sincerely yours
- Respectfully yours
- Cordially yours
- Sincerely
- Respectfully
- Cordially
Company’s Signature (Optional): If used, the company signature is simply the full name of the company, for example, “Greater Northwest Furniture Wholesale, Inc.”
Sender’s Name and Title. This identifies the sender of the letter and his or her position within the company.
Reference Initials: These are the initials of the person who typed the letter but they are included only if the typist was someone other than the sender, for example, a secretary.
Additional Optional Business Letter Components
The following items are all optional and, therefore, may or may not be included in the letter:
- Enclosure Reminder: This is included only if additional materials are being sent along with the letter and in the same envelope.
- Transmittal Reminder: If the letter or enclosures are being sent via means other than first class mail, for example, by fax or Express Mail, the writer might indicate this to the sender. For example: Enclosure by fax.
- Copy Notifications: If a copy of the letter is being sent to another person or persons, the writer might indicate this, for example: c.c. Sue Davis, Accounting Department.
- Postscript: This indicates a last-minute addition to the letter, which may or may not be intentional, for example: PS: Please also send a copy of the requested information to Matt Sterling at the corporate office.
In summary, business correspondence speaks volumes about not only the people who write the letters but also the companies those people represent. This is why it’s important for professionals to know the proper way to format a business letter.
