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A business letter is usually a letter from one company to another, or between such organizations and their customers, clients

and other
external parties. The overall style of letter depends on the relationship between the parties concerned. Business letters can have many types
of contents, for example to request direct information or action from another party, to order supplies from a supplier, to point out a mistake by
the letter's recipient, to reply directly to a request, to apologize for a wrong, or to convey goodwill. A business letter is sometimes useful
because it produces a permanent written record, and may be taken more seriously by the recipient than other forms of communication

Margins
Side, top and bottom margins should be 1 to 1 1/4 inches (the general default settings in programs such as Microsoft Word). One-page
letters and memos should be vertically centered.

Font formatting
No special character or font formatting is used, except for the subject line, which is usually underlined.

Punctuation
The salutation or greeting is generally followed by a comma in British style, whereas in the United States a colon is used. The valediction or
closing is followed by a comma.

Form
The following is the general format, excluding indentation used in various formats:

[SENDER'S COMPANY NAME]


[SENDER'S ADDRESS (optional if placed at bottom)]
[SENDER'S PHONE]
[SENDER'S E-MAIL (optional)]

[DATE]

[RECIPIENT W/O PREFIX]


[RECIPIENT'S COMPANY]
[RECIPIENT'S ADDRESS]

(Optional) Attention [DEPARTMENT/PERSON]

Dear [RECIPIENT W/ PREFIX]


[First Salutation then Subject in Business letters]

[CONTENT]

[CONTENT]

[COMPLIMENTARY CLOSING (Sincerely, Respectfully, Regards, etc.)]

[SENDER]
[SENDER'S TITLE]

[SENDER'S ADDRESS (optional if placed at top)]

Enclosures ([NUMBER OF ENCLOSURES])

Formats of Business Letter


Professional correspondence should have a clean, polished look, which is where proper
business letter format comes in. The overall style of the correspondence depends on the
relationship between you and the letters recipient, and it can contain almost anything.
Read on to learn more about the two main types of business letter as well as four
indentation types that are used less frequently.
Full Block Style
The full block style business letter layout is more popular than other business letter
templates, and given the option, it is the one most people prefer to use. When you use
this business letter format, all the information is typed flush left and margins are set at 1
to 1 inches all the way around. This happens to be the default setting in most word
processing programs including Microsoft Word.
The left justified type is easy to read, looks crisp on the page, and leaves little room for
error. If you are new to writing business letters and your company doesnt have a policy
in place concerning business letter format, you may find this is a good place to start.
Follow the salutation or greeting with a comma or colon. In the United States, colons are
sometimes preferred; in the United Kingdom, greetings are usually followed by commas.
If you arent sure which your company prefers, use a comma for all greetings other than
the generic To Whom It May Concern, which is always followed by a colon.
Full block style business letters have a formal look, however they can be used in any
business situation. If you are looking for a single format that will work well in every
situation, this is a good one to use.
Modified Block Style
The modified block style business letter is the second-most popular layout. It has a
clean, traditional look, with your companys return address, the date, the closing, and
the signature line being started at the center point of the page.
All other elements including inside address, greeting, body, and enclosures notation are
left justified, and paragraphs are followed by either double or triple spacing.

Like the margins on a full block style business letter, the margins of the modified block
style business letter layout are set to 1 to 1 inches.
Follow the salutation or greeting with a comma or colon. In the United States, colons are
sometimes preferred; in the United Kingdom, greetings are usually followed by commas.
If you arent sure which your company prefers, use a comma for all greetings other than
the generic To Whom It May Concern, which is always followed by a colon.
Modified block style business letters are less formal than full block style letters. If you
are corresponding with someone you already have a good working relationship with, the
modified block style letter is a good one to use.
Standard Format
The standard business letter has the same look as the block style business letter,
meaning that all lines are flush with the left margin. All margins should be set at 1
inches.
The greeting or salutation in a standard format business letter is always followed by a
colon.
An optional subject line follows the salutation or greeting. This is written in all caps, and
should read SUBJECT or RE: (an abbreviation for reference). This should be
followed by a brief description of the letters subject, an account number, or other
applicable information. The subject line is often underlined.
The letters closing is followed by a comma.
A standard format business letter has some additional, optional elements added to the
closing and signature area.
If a third person, such as an assistant or secretary, typed the letter, a blank line should
follow the senders information located below the signature. The typists initials should
follow the senders initials on a line located just below the blank line, with the senders
initials in uppercase and the typists in lowercase. For example: KS:pj or MJ:ak
On the next line, you should indicate whether a copy of the letter is being sent to anyone
else with the notation cc: in lowercase letters. For example: cc: John King
On the line below that, you should indicate the presence of enclosures, if appropriate.
Note that the abbreviation Encl: beginning with a capital E is used with standard
business letter format. For example: Encl: copy of invoice
Standard format business letters are quite formal. Because they include an optional
subject line, they are ideal for situations in which you need to create a formal response
or communicate about an account number or case number.

Open Business Letter


The open format business letter looks almost exactly like the block format business
letter. There are two basic differences between the two layouts:

There is no punctuation after the greeting or salutation

There is no punctuation after the closing


The open format business letter has a clean, formal look just as the block format letter
does. It is suitable for all business communications.
Semi-Block Business Letter
In the semi-block format business letter, all text is aligned to the left margin. As in other
business letter templates, each paragraph is separated by double or triple spacing. The
main difference between this type of correspondence and others is that the first line of
each paragraph is indented.
The semi-block format business letter is a little less formal than the block format letter
and slightly more formal than the modified block format letter. It works well in almost all
situations and is a good choice if you find yourself on the fence about which format to
use.
Modified Semi-Block Business Letter
The modified semi-block format business letter looks almost identical to the modified
block letter, with just one difference: The first line of each paragraph is indented.
The modified semi-block business letter is the least formal-looking of all business letters
and is best for using when you know the recipient very well.
Business Letter Writing Tips
Regardless of which business letter format you prefer, use the following basic tips to
ensure that your correspondence has a clean, professional look.

Save the fancy fonts for personal correspondence. Business letter format rules
dictate that plain fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman be used. Your company
may have a preferred font; if so, use that one.
12-point font is the standard for all business letter formats

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