Business Letter

1. Definition of Business Letter

A business letter is a formal communication from an organization to its customers, the general public for their information, another Company or the Authorities.  It is often written in a standard format, and in formal language, compared to a private letter between two people who are well known to each other.  The business letter will show things like the address and best way to communicate with the business - by return letter , e-mail or telephone. In general, the letter will be directed to a specific person and be about one topic.  Sometimes, the business letter will be looking for a response, but might be to give important information about an up-coming change of address or telephone number.  The letter might give information about new developments - a new website; launch of a new product.  To allow the sender to handle any response more efficiently, the business letter might contain key information such as an internal reference from the sender or related to the product in question.

There are a number of types of business letters in English. Accomplished speakers of English also need to be able to write the following types of business letters to be successful in business. Begin with a clear understanding of business letter writing basics. Once you've understood basic layout styles, standard phrases, salutation and endings, continue to improve your business letter writing skills by learning to write the following types of business letters.

2. Types of Business Letter

• Making An Inquiry, Make an inquiry when you are requesting more information about a product or service. This type of business letter tends to include specific information such as product type, as well as asking for further details in the form of brochures, catalogs, telephone contact, etc. Making inquiries can also help you keep up on your competition!

• Sales Letters, Sales Letters are used to introduce new products to new customers and past clients. It's important to outline an important problem that needs to be solved and provide the solution in sales letters. This example letter provides an outline, as well as important phrases to use when sending out a wide variety of sales letters.

• Replying to an Inquiry, Replying to inquiries are one of the most important business letters that you write. Customers who make inquiries are interested in specific information, and are excellent business prospects. Learn how to thank the customers, provide as much information as possible, as well as make a call to action for a positive outcome.

• Account Terms and Conditions, When a new customer opens an account it is essential to inform them of account terms and conditions. If you run a small business, it is common to provide these terms and conditions in the form of a letter. This guide provides a clear example on which you can base your own business letters providing account terms and conditions.

• Letters of Acknowledgment, For legal purposes letters of acknowledgment are often requested. These letters are also referred to as letters of receipt and tend to be rather formal and short. These two examples letters will provide you with a template to use in your own work and can be easily adapted for a number of purposes.

• Placing an Order, As a business person, you will often place an order - especially if you have a large supply chain for your product. This example business letter provides an outline to make sure your order placement is clear so that you receive exactly what you order.

• Making a Claim, Unfortunately, from time to time it is necessary to make a claim against unsatisfactory work. This example business letter provides a strong example of a claim letter and includes important phrases to express your dissatisfaction and future expectations when making a claim.

• Adjusting a Claim, Even the best business may make a mistake from time to time. In this case, you may be called upon to adjust a claim. This type of business letter provides an example to send to unsatisfied customers making sure that you address their specific concerns, as well as retain them as future customers.

• Cover Letters, Cover letters are extremely important when applying for a new position. Cover letters should include a short introduction, highlight the most important information in your resume and elicit a positive response from your prospective employer. These two examples of cover letters are part of a larger section on the site providing all the information you will need on taking an interview in English during your job search.

3. Parts of Business Letter

• The Heading (The Retern Address) or Letterhead - Companies usually use printed paper where heading or letterhead is specially designed at the top of the sheet. It bears all the necessary information about the organisation’s identity.

• Date - Date of writing. The month should be fully spelled out and the year written with all four digits October 12, 2005
  (12 October 2005 - UK style). The date is aligned with the return address. The number of the date is pronounced as an ordinal figure, though the endings st, nd, rd, th, are often omitted in writing. The article before the number of the day is pronounced but not written. In the body of the letter, however, the article is written when the name of the month is not mentioned with the day.

• The Inside Address - In a business or formal letter you should give the address of the recipient after your own address. Include the recipient's name, company, address and postal code. Add job title if appropriate. Separate the recipient's name and title with a comma. Double check that you have the correct spelling of the recipient 's name.
  The Inside Address is always on the left margin. If an 8 1/2" x 11" paper is folded in thirds to fit in a standard 9" business envelope, the inside address can appear through the window in the envelope.

• The Greeting - Also called the salutation. The type of salutation depends on your relationship with the recipient. It normally begins with the word "Dear" and always includes the person's last name. Use every resource possible to address your letter to an actual person. If you do not know the name or the sex of of your reciever address it to Dear Madam/Sir (or Dear Sales Manager or Dear Human Resources Director). As a general rule the greeting in a business letter ends in a colon (US style). It is also acceptable to use a comma (UK style).

• The Subject Line (optional) - Its inclusion can help the recipient in dealing successfully with the aims of your letter. Normally the subject sentence is preceded with the word Subject: orRe: Subject line may be emphasized by underlining, using bold font, or all captial letters. It is usually placed one line below the greeting but alternatively can be located directly after the "inside address," before the "greeting."

• The Body Paragraphs - The body is where you explain why you’re writing. It’s the main part of the business letter. Make sure the receiver knows who you are and why you are writing but try to avoid starting with "I". Use a new paragraph when you wish to introduce a new idea or element into your letter. Depending on the letter style you choose, paragraphs may be indented. Regardless of format, skip a line between paragraphs.

• The Complimentary Close - This short, polite closing ends always with a comma. It is either at the left margin or its left edge is in the center, depending on the Business Letter Style that you use. It begins at the same column the heading does. The traditional rule of etiquette in Britain is that a formal letter starting "Dear Sir or Madam" must end "Yours faithfully", while a letter starting "Dear " must end "Yours sincerely". (Note: the second word of the closing is NOT capitalized)

• Signature and Writer’s identification - The signature is the last part of the letter. You should sign your first and last names. The signature line may include a second line for a title, if appropriate. The signature should start directly above the first letter of the signature line in the space between the close and the signature line. Use blue or black ink.

• Initials, Enclosures, Copies - Initials are to be included if someone other than the writer types the letter. If you include other material in the letter, put 'Enclosure', 'Enc.', or ' Encs. ', as appropriate, two lines below the last entry. cc means a copy or copies are sent to someone else.

4. Style of Business Letter

The Styles of Business Letters (Layouts of Business Letters) have undergone changes over the period of time. In the old times, the style was followed strictly. But recently liberty has been given to the business people to follow their own styles. Although no room was allowed for deviation form the standard form an effective letter during old days, the letters written then was more effective. There are still many business houses which use the old layout. But things have become much easier and business people have taken liberty in their approach towards adopting the layout of their business letters.

Fully-Blocked Style, Modified Block Style and Simplified Style are widely used these days among the business houses. Fully-Indented Style, Semi-Indented Style and Hanging-Indented Style are not extensively used. But all can be used by all. There is no restriction in using one style over others. It is only you who should decide which should be the best for you to bring the desired results.  Usually the business letters are written on the letter head of the company. In case you have to write your letter in a white paper, please write your address before you start writing your letter. There are few people who suggest writing the sender’s address just below the date. This is also acceptable. There is not strict rule to suggest what is best for you. Let your sense of business judgment rule. 

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