43 Writing Business Letters (6.5)

A business letter is one of the most formal documents you can send. It conveys professionalism and a high degree of respect to the recipient. Sending a letter shows that the person or organization matters and that the message is important enough to be communicated in writing. Letters are typically one- to two-page documents sent to people or organizations outside your company or institution. In contrast, memos are used for formal communication within an organization.

Common Letter-Writing Situations

While email has replaced many types of letters in everyday communication, formal letters are still preferred—and sometimes required—for certain situations. These include:

• Cover letters for job applications

• Thank-you letters or other goodwill messages

• Letters of recommendation (also called reference letters)

• Letters of transmittal (used to introduce a report or proposal)

• Campaign initiatives (e.g., fundraising or political outreach)

• Official announcements of products, services, or promotions

• Complaint or claim letters that create a formal record

• Formal rejection notices for jobs, programs, or proposals

• Collection notices for overdue payments

Letters remain valuable in these situations because they offer formality, confidentiality (since mail is protected by law), and a written record that can be used as evidence if needed.

Types of Business Letters

Business letters generally fall into two formats:

• Block Style: Used by organizations and printed on company letterhead. All text is left-aligned with no paragraph indentations.

• Modified Block Style: Often used by individuals writing independently. This format places the sender’s address and closing elements aligned to the center or right side of the page.

Regardless of the format, letters may include 12 or more different elements. You may not need all of them in every letter, but understanding each one will help you structure your message clearly. While you may not use all the elements in every case or context, they are described in Activity 6.9 below.

Letter Structure Guide

This outline will help you write an effective business letter. Each part serves a specific purpose and contributes to a complete, professional message.

^{Activity 6.6 | Sample Letter Structure}

Tips for Effective Business Letters

• Be clear, concise, specific, and respectful.

• Make sure every word contributes to your message.

• Focus each paragraph on one main idea.

• Ensure the letter as a whole communicates a complete message.

• Proofread and revise carefully to eliminate spelling, grammar, and formatting errors.

Attribution

This section contains material adapted from Chapter 6.5 “Letters” in Fundamentals of Business Communication Revised (2022) and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

References

References are at the end of this chapter.