Five Rules on How to Write a Business Letter

Business letters are used by companies or two persons to communicate in a formal way. It is different from the personal letter because it should be patterned after certain rules. These letters usually need to persuade or inform the recipients. There are rules on how to write a business letter.

1. The first rule is analyzing why you want to write a business letter. Know your purpose or intent before starting it because there are many types of business letters. Some types include acknowledgement letter, business proposal letter and inquiry letter.

2. The second rule is to put the date in the upper left side corner. The date is important because it is usually used as a basis for reply letters later on. Then below the date you should put the recipient’s name. You should also include the job designation of the person as well as the complete name of the company and the address.

3. The third rule is including a proper salutation. It is usually “Dear,” then the recipient’s name follows thereafter. It’s also ideal to address the recipient as Ms. or Mr. If you don’t know the name of the receiver then just use Sir or Ma’am.

4. The fourth rule is writing the letter’s body concisely. The receiver should be able to understand your letter and know your point after reading it. We do not indent the first sentence of the body. Be sure that you also make your intentions clear in the body. The main purpose should be comprehensible to the reader. Utilize the company’s letterhead and use double space for formality. You also have to remember to choose a font that can be r d easily.

5. The fifth rule is choosing the right closing. The commonly used closing is “Sincerely” and a comma follows it after. Then put your name just under it. You can also include your job designation. The last and important thing to do is adding your signature when you have printed the letter already. Another wise thing to do is editing your business letter. You should check your letter for errors in spelling and grammar. It is important to check if you spelled the company and the receiver’s name correctly.