When it comes to business, business letters are as important as the board meetings. If you do not know the basics of writing a business letter, you might lose many of the important clients. Learning the crucials of a business letter is a task one must learn in the very beginning of their career, as you have to write many letters to various important people in your company as well as outside the company.
If the thought of writing a business letter brings the question, “Why write a letter when we can send an email?”, then I you must know that in business communications business letters hold a very important position. Yes, you might send emails to the respective people, but writing a letter shows your professionalism.
Here are few reasons that show why writing business letters is crucial ~
- They provide a sense of professionalisms in the communication
- The letters make it easy for everyone to know the Whats, Whens, Hows, and Whos of the communications
- When written properly, you can achieve a high range of success while dealing with your clients
- The business letters allow you to describe the events in brief, you do not have to make it short, so it is a plus point
- The messages which are sent via these letters, are clear and free form doubt
Writing the Business Letter
Here are a few basic sections that must be included into the letter to give it a proper structure and manner of details –
1. Sender’s Information should be on the top
As it is a letter written by an officer in a company, a letterhead could be used. The sender’s information ensures that the receiver gets the details about the company that is sending them the letter.
This also help the receiver of the letter to have an address to respond on.
2. Date on which the letter is being written on.
Spell out the date (including the year) in the beginning of the letter to let the receiver know the exact date the letter was written on. It will surely deliver the clear message that the letter was sent on which date, and when the reply is expected.
3. The information of the person the letter is meant for
Include the proper salutation, name, designation (job title), office name, and office address of the person. The salutations must be chosen carefully and it must be job-appropriate.
4. The Body of the letter
It must include everything, I repeat, everything related to the subject. Begin with the introduction, explain the “what” of the letter, and then transition towards the details of the subject at hand, and then finish the letter with a proper conclusion or suggestions.
Introduction – In this part, explain why you are writing the letter, and what you want to achieve from it. You may also include the benefits they ar getting, or any mutual connections you have with them.
Second Paragraph – Include the details of the topic, write about the steps you will have to taks, or have already taken. Promote your product, or motivate the recipient.
Closing Paragraph – End the letter with a clear and logical reasonings or suggestions for the recipient. Don’t seem as if you are trying to force them into something, and don’t try to rush things.
Don’t forget to include a thank you for them reading your letter.
Signature And Enclosures
Sign with your full name and title. You must also include your company name, phone number, email address too (yes, even after the letter head)
After your signature, write the details of enclosures if there are any. Write the number of pages the enclosed file has, and who are they meant for.
Format Of Business Letter
Sender’s Address___
Company Name___
Company Profile___
Contact number___
Email Address___
Website___
Date : ____
Salutation__
Receiver’s Name___
Receiver’s Job Title ___
Receiver’s Company Name___
Receiver’s Company Address___
Contact Information___
Greetings,
Introduction Paragraph
Second Paragraph
Closing PAragraph
Thank You
Your Signature and Obligations
Your Contact Information
Enclosures/Attachments: Name of Enclosure, Number of Pages( if in pages), Meant for
Conclusion
You know you have written a good business letter if you start getting positive responses from your clients or business partners (that you are writing the letter to). And to achieve that, you have to write your letter in a proper format and with proper grammar. To avoid any mistakes, you must learn to write the best business letters.