Business Letters. Writing tips

Writing Tips

• Use a conversational tone.   
• Ask direct questions.   
• Double-check gender and spelling of names.   
• Use active voice whenever possible.   
• Use polite modals (would/could in favour of will/can).
• Always refer to yourself as "I".  Don't use "we" unless it is clear exactly who the pronoun refers to. Rewrite any sentence or request that sounds vague. 
• Don't forget to include the date. Day-Month-Year is conventional in many countries; however, to avoid confusion, write out the month instead of using numbers (e.g. July 5th, 2007)

Proofreading a Business Letter

"Proofread" means to read a text carefully to check it for errors and general tone. You should always proofread a business letter before sending it.

The most important thing when proofreading any document is to read the text out loud. 

• Print the letter rather than read it on your computer screen.
•  Make notes where your letter sounds awkward.
•  If possible allow one day between writing and sending your letter. You are more likely to spot any typos or other errors with a fresh eye. (If you have to respond to an important email on the same day, write it in the morning and proofread it after lunch.)
•  Use a spell-check function on your computer program if possible. Computer programs are useful for pointing out passive sentences, subject-verb agreement problems etc. However, be careful when using grammar-check programs. Sometimes they will highlight a phrase that is not actually an error. If you are in doubt, try to simplify the sentence by using a sentence structure that you are more comfortable with. 
• If possible, ask another person to double-check your letter.  

 

Business Letters. The body

The body of the letter

First paragraph

In most types of business letter it is common to use a friendly greeting in the first sentence of the letter. Here are some examples:

I hope you are enjoying a fine summer.

Thank you for your kind letter of January 5th.

I came across an ad for your company in The Star today.

It was a pleasure meeting you at the conference this month.

I appreciate your patience in waiting for a response.

After your short opening, state the main point of your letter in one or two sentences:

I'm writing to enquire about...

I'm interested in the job opening posted on your company website.

We'd like to invite you to a members only luncheon on April 5th.

Second and third paragraphs

Use a few short paragraphs to go into greater detail about your main point. If one paragraph is all you need, don't write an extra paragraph just to make your letter look longer. If you are including sensitive material, such as rejecting an offer or informing an employee of a layoff period, embed this sentence in the second paragraph rather than opening with it. Here are some common ways to express unpleasant facts:

We regret to inform you...

It is with great sadness that we...

After careful consideration we have decided...

Final paragraph

Your last paragraph should include requests, reminders, and notes on enclosures. If necessary, your contact information should also be in this paragraph. Here are some common phrases used when closing a business letter:

I look forward to...

Please respond at your earliest convenience.

I should also remind you that the next board meeting is on February 5th.

For further details...

If you require more information...

Thank you for taking this into consideration.

I appreciate any feedback you may have.

Enclosed you will find...

Feel free to contact me by phone or email.

Business Letters. Inside Address and Complimentary Close

Inside address

Courtesy titles.

First and foremost, make sure that you spell the recipient's name correctly. You should also confirm the gender and proper title. Use Ms. for women and Mr. for men. Use Mrs. if you are 100% sure that a woman is married. Under less formal circumstances, or after a long period of correspondence it may be acceptable to address a person by his or her first name. When you don't know the name of a person and cannot find this information out you may write, "To Whom It May Concern". It is standard to use a comma (colon in North America) after the salutation. It is also possible to use no punctuation mark at all. Here are some common ways to address the recipient:

·         Dear Mr Powell,

·         Dear Ms Mackenzie,

·         Dear Frederick Hanson:

·         Dear Editor-in-Chief:

·         Dear Valued Customer

·         Dear Sir or Madam:

·         Dear Madam

·         Dear Sir,

·         Dear Sirs

·         Gentlemen

* Miss /mis/, Ms. /miz/, Messrs /mesǝz/ from Messieurs, Dr. (Doctor), Prof.(Professor), Capt.   

   (Captain) , etc

 Order of addresses:

- Name of house or building 

- Number of building and name of street, road, avenue, lane, etc. 

- Name of town or city and postcode 

- Name of country

Complimentary Close or Closing

Here are some common ways to close a letter. Use a comma between the closing and your handwritten name (or typed in an email). If you do not use a comma or colon in your salutation, leave out the comma after the closing phrase:

• Yours truly,
• Yours sincerely,
• Sincerely,
• Sincerely yours
• Thank you,
• Best wishes
• All the best,
• Best of luck
• Warm regards,

Dear Sir(s), Dear Madam(s), Dear Sir or Madam ------------------- Yours faithfully

Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms James, Dr/Prof. Johnson --------------------------- Yours sincerely

To someone you know well --------------------------------------------- Best wishes

Yours truly/Truly yours (Am. Eng.)

Business Letters. Format

Format

There are certain standards for formatting a business letter, though some variations are acceptable (for example between European and North American business letters).  

Here are some basic guidelines:

·         Use A4 (European) or 8.5 x 11 inch (North American) paper or letterhead

·         Use 2.5 cm or 1 inch margins on all four sides

·         Use a simple font such as Times New Roman or Arial

·         Use 10 to 12 point font

·         Use a comma after the salutation (Dear Mr Bond,)

·         Lay out the letter so that it fits the paper appropriately

·         Single space within paragraphs

·         Double space between paragraphs

·         Double space between last sentence and closing (Sincerely, Best wishes)

·         Leave three to five spaces for a handwritten signature

·         cc: (meaning "copies to") comes after the typed name (if necessary)

·         enc: (meaning "enclosure") comes next (if necessary)

·         Fold in three (horizontally) before placing in the envelope