There are many
parts to the business letter — some required, some optional. This chapter will review
those parts and their order. The parts of the business letter follow:
- Letterhead or Heading
- Date
- File Number (optional)
- Confidential (optional)
- inside Address
- Attention Line (optional)
- Salutation
- Subject Line (optional)
- Body of the Letter
- Complimentary Close
- Signature
- Added Information (optional)
- Postscript (optional)
- Mailing Instructions (optional)
Letterhead
Most business
letters originating from a firm are written on the firm’s letterhead. If you
are writing a personal business letter or your firm does not use letterhead,
then you need to include your firm’s
address in the heading.
Date
Date is the
compulsory element in a letter ,the date should be in a proper format to avoid
confusions, it should be December 12/2012.it should not be like 12/12/2012.etc The standard
dateline in the U.S. is month/day/year: (March 15, 20XX).
File Number
On occasion, you
may wish to include the file number of the project, case or order that the
letter refers to. The file number should be physically separated from the date
by two spaces and from the part
that follows (Confidential or Inside Address) by two spaces.
Confidential
Use this word
when the person to whom the letter is addressed is the only one who should read
the letter. Physically separate the word from the rest of the letter by two
lines. To assure confidentiality, include the word “Confidential” on the
envelope.
Inside Address
This should
include the name of the person you are writing, the person’s title (if
available), the name of the firm and the firm’s address. To whom the letter is
send.
Attention Line
The letter is
addressed to the firm. For example, the attention line may say, “Attention:
Head of Accounting.” It may also be used when you know the name of the person
you are writing but are unsure of the title. The attention line may say, “Attention:
Customer Service,” thus indicating to the person.
Salutation
The salutation
is used in all formats except the Simplified Letter and the Memo. The following
are salutations used in American business letters:
• Dear Sir:
• Dear Madam:
(may be followed by title, such as Dear Madam Chairperson
• Gentlemen:
• Ladies:
• Dear Mr. Baber
• Dear Ms.
Manahil
• Ladies and
Gentlemen:
• Dear Personnel
Director: (a gender-free title)
• To Whom It May
Concern: or TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: (use
this form as a last resort)
Caution: You must determine the appropriate choice, given your reader and the situation. If you are uncertain about your reader’s gender, avoid assuming gender in the salutation. Use your reader’s name whenever you know it. Researchers discovered that people are more likely to read a letter with their names in the salutation.
People don’t usually get upset if you don’t address them with the proper
salutation, but they notice and appreciate it when you do.
One of the problems you may run into is writing to a person with a name that is not gender specific; for example, the name Terry. The simplest solution in the salutation is to say, “Dear Terry Lucas.” If you are addressing a group of people in general, such as the shipping department, do not assume they are all male. The old “Gentlemen:” is not acceptable. “Shipping Agents:” is preferred. The way around having to use a salutation when you are unsure of whom you are writing is to use the Simplified Letter .
Subject Line
The subject line
is most commonly used in the Simplified Letter. It announces the subject of the
letter and provides a summary of your intent.
Body of the Letter
This
is where you make requests, provide information or reasons or reply to someone.
It is the main part of the business letter .
Complimentary Close
This
varies in formality and is found in all business letters with the exception of
the Simplified Letter and the Memo. The following complimentary closes
are
in order of decreasing formality:
•
Very truly yours,
•
Respectfully,
•
Sincerely yours,
•
Cordially,
•
Sincerely,
The most appropriate, in general situations, is the last.
Signature
There
should be four lines between the complimentary close (or the body in the
Simplified Letter) and your typed name so there is room for your signature.
Additional Information
If
needed, this consists of the sender’s initials in capital letters followed by a
colon, followed by the typist’s initials in small letters. You may also find
the abbreviations “Enc.” for enclosure and
“cc:” or “xc:” for copies sent, followed by names of persons receiving the
copies.
Postscript
The
“P.S.” highlights additional information that might have been placed in the
letter but for some reason was not. Often used in sales, promotional or
personal letters, the postscript can emphasize
a request for action or consideration. It is often the first thing
the recipient reads. Use it to entice or motivate your reader. Postscripts are
especially effective in sales or form letters.
Mailing Instructions
Use
these to give the reader deadlines or pertinent information on mailing a reply.
As
you look through the major formats it’s obvious that many of the parts listed
above are not necessarily used in routine business correspondence. However, it
helps to be aware of
all of them in case you need to use any of them.
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