Creating a Business Letter

1
Creating a Business Letter

• Business Technology Applications

2
What is a Business Letter?

• Why write one?
• Written to give information
• Written to serve as evidence in cases of dispute
• Written to build goodwill
• Written to remember facts
• Written because they are convenient
• To Whom is one written?
• What should be in one?
• What is proper format?

3
What are the types of Business Letters?

• Formal Business
• May or May not be typed on Letterhead
• Letterhead
• Already contains your return address
• You dont retype it

4
What are the Required Parts of a Business Letter?

• Letterhead or Heading
• Dateline
• Inside Address
• Salutation
• Body
• Complimentary Closing
• Signature
• Typists Initials
• Optional
• Enclosure
• Attachment

5
Whats in The Heading (your information)

• Single Spaced followed by four lines
• Always includes the date
• As the last entry
• Business Letter (no letterhead)
• Your return address
• Only abbreviation is Postal Code - NJ
• May include Phone, Fax, Email_at_
• Date
• Formal Business Letter (on letterhead)
• Date only

6
What is the Inside Address (addressees
information)

• Persons Name, Title
• Company Name/Department
• Company Address
• Single Spaced
• Followed by one blank lines (Enter Key twice)

7
What is the Salutation? (a greeting)

• Dear Mr. Sloan
• Dear Dr. Smith
• Dear Ms. Jones
• Gentlemen
• Dear Sir or Madam

8
What is the Body? (The actual letter)

• Brief and to the point!
• Strictly Business
• Guideline 3 paragraphs (at least)
• Brief Introduction
• Contents - What I want
• Conclusion and Thank you
• Each paragraph
• Single Spaced
• Followed by one blank lines (Enter Key twice)

9
Complimentary Close

• Sincerely,
• Yours truly,
• Respectfully yours,
• Followed by three lines (Enter Key 4 times)
• After printing you will sign the letter here

10
Signature

• Your Full Name
• Mrs. Regina Sikorski
• Your Title (if appropriate)
• Computer Club Moderator
• Followed by one lines (Enter Key twice)
• If optional parts are required

11
Optional Parts

• Typist Initials
• If your secretary typed this for you
• RES/js
• Enclosure
• If something else is in the letter or package
• Followed by one lines (Enter Key twice)

12
What are acceptable formats for a Business Letter?

• Block
• All parts are Left Justified to the margin
• Modified Block
• All parts Left aligned
• Heading, Close, Signature at tab position 3.25
• Indentation choose either
• No paragraph indentation
• All paragraphs first line indent .5

13
What are acceptable punctuation styles for a
Business Letter?

• Open
• No punctuation after
• Salutation or Complimentary Closing
• Dear Mrs. Smith
• Respectfully yours
• Mixed
• Punctuation after
• Colon () after Salutation
• Dear Sir
• Comma (,) after Complimentary Closing
• Sincerely,

14
Understand that parameters can be mixed and
matched 8 Possibilities
15
Example Block/mixed punctuation
16
Example Modified Block/Open Punctuation
17
Letterhead