A professional business letter must always be written in a specific format, as the format makes it look very impressive and also informative. This BusinessZeal article gives you the format, so you can draft a professional business letter with ease.
There are many occasions where the employees of a particular business organization need to communicate with people outside the organization. In such a situation, it is essential that the letter is drafted properly and in a proper format. Many people often consider that maintaining a detailed format of a professional business letter is an unnecessary fuss. However, this is not the case, as whatever goes out of the organization as a communicated matter represents the organization and its people. It also builds up a particular impression about the senders in the minds of the people. All said and done, the letter is basically an important tool of communication and must be utilized as efficiently as possible.
Elements of Professional Business Letter Format
There are certain elements that you will need to consider while writing a business letter. The following are the elements of such a business letter.
Address of the Writer
The name, address, and designation of the person writing the letter, is the first element that is written to the left hand side of the letter. This address is quite significant, as it indicates the identity of the writer of the letter, along with the designation of the writer and the name of the organization.
Date
It is a convention to write the date after the writer’s, name, address, and designation. The date is basically mentioned not as a formality, but in order to convey to the reader the date on which the letter was issued, posted, or written.
Name and Address of the Addressee
The name and address of the writer is followed by the name and address of the addressee. These two addresses prove to be very beneficial if the letter is misplaced during transit, or after its filing, or before it is posted.
Salutation
The salutation is an extremely important aspect of the letter. An appropriate salutation depicts respect and warms the reader into a ‘all ears stance’. A simple ‘Dear Sir’ or ‘Dear Madam’, often does the trick.
Main Body of the Letter
Then comes the body of the letter. It is always advisable that one writes the letter in a good flow, with transparency of facts and least possible lines. A short and crispy letter is always pleasant to read and grasp.
Closing/Conclusion
A closing or a conclusion is the part of the letter when the writer signs off. This must contain some greeting or a compliment, such as ‘I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the cooperation that you have extended’ or something similar.
Professional Business Letter Template
There are several different formats that are popularly followed while writing business letters. The following is a simple format template of such a letter.
| Name of the Writer Address of the Writer Date: To, Salutation Main Body Closing Yours Sincerely, Your Signature |
This is basically a simple format that is used in most business communication outside the company. Depending on the reason for sending such a letter, the format can vary. Before sending a professional business letter, you should look at several other good professional business letter samples, to get an idea of the style of writing.