Parts of a Formal Business Letter

Parts of a Formal Business Letter

·  Sender’s Address (your address)

o  At the top of the letter, left side, above the date

·  Date

o  Write out the month, day and year (June 12, 2009 NOT 6/12/09)

·  Recipient’s Address (who you’re sending it to)

o  The specific person’s name, with title (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., etc.)

·  Salutation

o  Use a formal greeting with title and full name followed by a colon

§  Example: Dear Mr. Robert Michaelis:

o  If name is unknown, say “To Whom it May Concern:”

·  Body

o  The entire body of the letter is single-spaced and left-justified (no indenting!) with just one extra space between paragraph.

o  Break into smaller paragraphs, broken into topic:

§  Start with a friendly but formal greeting, then get to your main point right away.

§  Back up your main point with details/justifications.

§  In your final paragraph, restate the purpose of your letter, which may include a request for action on the recipient’s part.

·  Closing

o  Capitalize the first word only, followed by a comma.

§  Examples: Sincerely, Thank you, Best regards, etc.

·  Signature

o  If typing, leave four lines of space between the closing and your name.

o  Sign in the blank space after printing your letter.

Example of a Formal Business Letter

Mrs. Lindsay Spotts
227 Meetinghouse Road
Horsham, PA 19044

October 11, 2010

Mr. Robert Michaelis
Michaelis Mattress Company
1456 Cardinal Way
Charleston, SC 24508

Dear Mr. Robert Michaelis:

I recently visited your mattress store, and while I was very impressed with the selection and style of your mattresses, I was disappointed at your lack of customer consideration. I am writing to suggest that you include vending machines in your mattress store, or, even better, free refreshments for your customers.

When I recently visited Raymour and Flanigan, I was immediately offered a bottle of spring water for refreshment. Also, I have heard that at Mealey’s Furniture Stores, they have snacks as well as beverages for no additional charge. These serve as great incentives for customers to return, especially if they bring children with them.

It would be in your best interest to set aside some money each month for refreshments. While you would only be spending a little bit of money up front, I believe that the returns in customer appreciation and loyalty will pay back tenfold.

Thank you,

Mrs. Lindsay Spotts