Learning How to Write Business Letters in Easy Steps

October 5, 2007

Ever really thought how to write business letters? I am sure you haven’t really given it much thought like most people. You just dash out the letters the way they taught in school. But will you believe that writing business letter is an art and I have even come across business writing online class where they teach you the fine nuances!

Most of the business people just skim through their mails so state your purpose of writing in the opening line of the letter itself. Though the person reading your letter will be most probably skimming your letter but it is highly probable that they will notice your grammar or spelling mistakes. Activate the writing tools like spell check, thesaurus, and grammar tips in your word processing program and make your letter error free.

Few steps to write a business letters

  • To begin with, though it is vital to write a letter which sounds natural, but still make sure that the tone of a business letter is formal instead of using normal, conversational English. However keep the language simple and easy to understand at the same time.


  • While writing any type of business letter the main thing to remember is to state your point clearly and concisely.


  • Use 1″ margins and a font like Times New Roman (12) or Georgia (11).


  • Even your sentences ought to be of 2 ½ lines, if possible shorter.


  • Your letter should fit on one side of an 8 ½” x 11″ sheet.


  • It is recommended to use active voice instead of passive.


  • Print on only one side of your paper.


  • You can write the letter in either the block format or various indented format.


  • The first thing to write is the return address of the business letter writer.


  • Write the date of writing the letter.


  • Write the complete name, title and address of the receiver.


  • Give your salutation with a colon.


  • Then write the Body of the letter in three to four paragraphs. Use single space between lines and double between paragraphs.


  • Finally, close your letter with a ‘Sincerely’ and then put your signature above your name.


  • Mention the number of enclosure if any.


There are many people who write an important business letter, just print it out and then mail it without any further consideration. We recommended that you let your complete letter stay on the computer for a couple of hours, go back and again read it.

Do not just skim your letter. If you read it closely then you might be surprised at the amount of silly mistakes you have done. It takes a lot of patience to write a perfect business letter. Make sure that your ideas have been expressed in a clear yet concise manner. With time and practice writing business letter will be a piece of cake for you as words will begin to flow more easily and quickly.

Hence you need not panic and fret over how to write buisness letters next time the opportunity arises!



Posted by cwj | Filed Under How to.., Tips and Secrets 

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