Creating a Business Letter

1. Creating a Business Letter Business Technology Applications

2. What is a Business Letter? • Why write one? • Written to give information • Written to serve as evidence in cases of dispute • Written to build goodwill • Written to remember facts • Written because they are convenient • To Whom is one written? • What should be in one? • What is proper format?

3. What are the types of Business Letters? Formal Business • May or May not be typed on Letterhead • Letterhead • Already contains your return address • You don’t retype it

4. What are the Required Parts of a Business Letter? • Letterhead or Heading • Dateline • Inside Address • Salutation • Body • Complimentary Closing • Signature • Typists Initials • Optional: • Enclosure • Attachment

5. What’s in The Heading(yourinformation) • Single Spaced – followed by four lines • Always includes the date • As the last entry • Business Letter(no letterhead) • Your return address • Only abbreviation is Postal Code - NJ • May include Phone#, Fax#, Email@ • Date • Formal Business Letter(on letterhead) • Date only

6. What is the Inside Address(addressee’sinformation) • Person’s Name, Title • Company Name/Department • Company Address • Single Spaced • Followed by one blank lines (Enter Key twice)

7. What is the Salutation?(a greeting) • Dear Mr. Sloan • Dear Dr. Smith • Dear Ms. Jones • Gentlemen • Dear Sir or Madam

8. What is the Body?(The actual letter) • Brief and to the point! • Strictly Business • Guideline – 3 paragraphs (at least) • Brief Introduction • Contents - What I want • Conclusion and Thank you • Each paragraph: • Single Spaced • Followed by one blank lines (Enter Key twice)

9. Complimentary Close • Sincerely, • Yours truly, • Respectfully yours, • Followed by three lines (Enter Key 4 times) • After printing you will sign the letter here

10. Signature • Your Full Name • Mrs. Regina Sikorski • Your Title (if appropriate) • Computer Club Moderator • Followed by one lines (Enter Key twice) • If optional parts are required

11. Optional Parts • Typist Initials • If your secretary typed this for you • RES/js • Enclosure • If something else is in the letter or package • Followed by one lines (Enter Key twice)

12. What are acceptable formats for a Business Letter? • Block • All parts are Left Justified to the margin • Modified Block • All parts Left aligned • Heading, Close, Signature at tab position 3.25 • Indentation – choose either • No paragraph indentation • All paragraphs first line indent .5

13. What are acceptable punctuation styles for a Business Letter? • Open • No punctuation after • Salutation or Complimentary Closing • Dear Mrs. Smith • Respectfully yours • Mixed • Punctuation after • Colon (:) after Salutation • Dear Sir: • Comma (,) after Complimentary Closing • Sincerely,

14. Understand that parameters can be mixed and matched –8 Possibilities

15. Example: Block/mixed punctuation

16. Example: Modified Block/Open Punctuation

17. Letterhead