The Business Letter

The Business Letter

What is a Business Letter? • Definition • Parts • Uses

Definition A business letter is: - a letter written for formal or professional purposes. - similar to a friendly letter, except for one extra part. - should be short, courteous, and to the point.

Parts of the Letter • Heading • Inside Address • Salutation • Body • Complimentary Closing • Signature • Printed Name

Heading It is the same as a friendly letter. It contains, the writer’s name, address, city, state, zip, and date. Do not abbreviate in a business letter It is written slightly to the right of the center of the paper, about one inch from the top.

Notice that the street, city, and state are not abbreviated. Cindy Jones 1234 Main Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19149 April 25, 2003

Inside Address Should begin on the left-hand margin, below the heading. Consists of the FULL name and address of the business or organization to which the letter is being sent. Do not abbreviate. Make sure that the address is the same as the address on the envelope.

Notice that this is the address of the company you are writing to. Also see that the street, city, and state are not abbreviated. Cindy Jones 1234 Main Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19149 April 25, 2003 Keystone Automobile Association 2040 Market Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103

Salutation It is more formal than that of a friendly letter. It is followed by a colon ~ :

If you do not know who to address the letter to, use Dear Sir or Madam. You could also use To Whom It May Concern. Remember use a COLON after the Salutation. Cindy Jones 1234 Main Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19149 April 25, 2003 Keystone Automobile Association 2040 Market Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 Dear Sir or Madam:

The Body It should be brief and courteous. It should only mention the purpose of the letter. The reader should be able to pick out of your letter all that is needed as quickly as possible.

Remember this is business, not a social letter. Cindy Jones 1234 Main Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19149 April 25, 2003 Keystone Automobile Association 2040 Market Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 Dear Sir or Madam: It is the wish of our principal that a safety squad be organized in the Park School during the coming semester. Will you kindly send a representative to our classroom to give us the necessary directions. Please let us know the date on which we may expect your agent. We thank you for your cooperation and prompt attention.

Complimentary Closing It is more formal than a friendly letter. It is written under the same margin as the heading. Consists of a short phrase indicating respect for the person addressed and followed by a comma. Yours truly, Sincerely, Very truly yours, Respectfully,

The first word should be capitalized. Cindy Jones 1234 Main Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19149 April 25, 2003 Keystone Automobile Association 2040 Market Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 Dear Sir or Madam: It is the wish of our principal that a safety squad be organized in the Park School during the coming semester. Will you kindly send a representative to our classroom to give us the necessary directions. Please let us know the date on which we may expect your agent. We thank you for your cooperation and prompt attention. Sincerely,

Signature and Printed Name Signature contains the full name of the writer. The writer’s name is usually printed under the signature.

Always sign your name and print it underneath. Cindy Jones 1234 Main Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19149 April 25, 2003 Keystone Automobile Association 2040 Market Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 Dear Sir or Madam: It is the wish of our principal that a safety squad be organized in the Park School during the coming semester. Will you kindly send a representative to our classroom to give us the necessary directions. Please let us know the date on which we may expect your agent. We thank you for your cooperation and prompt attention. Sincerely, Cindy Jones Cindy Jones

Uses Business letters are written for the following reasons: • Order a product • Make a request • Complain about a product or service • Cover letter- request that the writer be considered for a job

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: You will write a business letter to a CD company. Your letter will be a complaint about a CD that you received in the mail. When you received it, it was scratched. You are returning the CD and requesting a refund. Here is the address: Music-by-Mail 1728 Maple Ave. New York City, New York 01587

Now check your work! Do you have your FULL street address, city, and state in the heading? No abbreviations Did you remember to write the date? Did you write the inside address? No abbreviations Is there a colon after your salutation? Did you indent in the body? Is your letter short and to the point? Did you end with a formal closing? Is your letter signed? Did you remember to print your name under the signature? If you answered YES to all these questions, then your letter should look like this:

Miss K. Checchia 3040 Cottman Avenue Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19149 March 25, 2004 Music-by-Mail 1728 Maple Street New York City, New York 01587 Dear Sir or Madam: I have recently ordered and received a CD from your mail catalog. When I received it, I was saddened to notice that the CD had been damaged. I opened the case and found that it was scratched. It will not play in my CD player. Along with this letter, I am returning the CD. I would like a refund in the amount of the purchase. I thank you in advance for your prompt and courteous service. Sincerely, Miss K. Checchia Miss K. Checchia

Congratulations! You can now write a Business Letter!

The Business Letter