Definition Business Letter
A business
letter is a letter written in formal language, usually used
when writing from one business organization to another, or for correspondence
between such organizations and their customers, clients and other external
parties. The overall style of letter will depend on the relationship between
the parties concerned. There are many reasons to write a business letter. It
could be to request direct information or action from another party, to order
supplies from a supplier, to identify a mistake that was committed, to reply
directly to a request, to apologize for a wrong or simply to convey goodwill.
Even today, the business letter is still very useful because it produces a
permanent record, is confidential, formal and delivers persuasive,
well-considered messages.
Types
The most
important element you need to ensure in any business letter is accuracy. One of
the aspects of writing a business letter that requires the most accuracy is
knowing which type of business letter you are writing. A number of options are
available for those looking to trade in business correspondence, and you will
significantly increase your odds for getting a reply if you know the form you
need to send.
1. Letter
of Complaint
A letter of
complaint will almost certainly result in an official response if you approach
it from a businesslike perspective. Make the complaint brief, to the point and
polite. Politeness pays off regardless of the extent of anger you are actually
feeling while composing this type of business letter.
2. Resume
Cover Letter
A cover letter
that accompanies a resume should revel in its brevity. You should take as
little time and as few words as possible to accomplish one task: persuading the
reader to anticipate reading your resume. Mention the title of the job for
which you are applying, as well or one or two of your strongest selling points.
3. Letter
of Recommendation
A
recommendation letter allows you to use a few well-chosen words to the effect
of letting someone else know how highly you value a third party. Resist the
temptation to go overboard; approach your recommendation in a straightforward
manner that still allows you to get the point across.
4. Letter
of Resignation
An official
letter of resignation is a business letter that should be fair and tactful. Be
wary of burning any bridges that you may need to cross again in the future.
Offer a valid reason for your resignation and avoid self-praise.
5. Job
Applicant Not Hired
In some cases
you may be required to write a business letter that informs a job applicant
that he was not chosen for an open position. Offer an opening note of thanks
for his time, compliment him on his experience or education and explain that he
was just not what the company is looking for at the present time.
6. Declining
Dinner Invitation
Declining a
dinner invitation is a topic for a business letter that, if not done tactfully,
may result in a social disadvantage. Extend your appreciation for the
invitation and mention that you already have an engagement for that date. Do
not go into detail about what the engagement is.
7. Reception
of Gift
It is very
polite to return a formal business response letting someone know that you have
received her gift. Extend a personalized thanks to let her know that you are
exactly aware of the contents of the gift. If possible, it is a good idea to
include a sentiment suggesting that you have put the gift to use.
8. Notification
of Error
When sending a
business letter that lets the receiving party know that an error has been
corrected, it is good business sense to include a copy of the error in question
if there is paperwork evidence of it. Make the offer of additional copies of
material involved in the error if necessary.
9. Thanks
for Job Recommendation
A letter of
thanks for a party that helped you get a job should be professional and
courteous. Above all else, avoid the temptation to go overboard in offering
your thanks. Be aware that your skills also helped you land the job and it was
likely not handed to you as a result of the third party.
10. Information
Request
A business
letter that requests information should make the request specific and perfectly
understandable. It is also a good idea to state the reason for the information
request. Extend advance appreciation for the expected cooperation of the
recipient.
Parts
1. Letterhead
Companies
usually use printed paper where heading or letterhead is specially designed at
the top of the sheet. It bears all the necessary information about the
organisation’s identity.
2. The
date of the letter
Date of
writing. The month should be fully spelled out and the year written with all
four digits October 12, 2005 (12 October 2005 – UK style). The date is aligned
with the return address. The number of the date is pronounced as an ordinal figure,
though the endings st, nd, rd, th,
are often omitted in writing. The article before the number of the day is
pronounced but not written. In the body of the letter, however, the article is
written when the name of the month is not mentioned with the day.
3. The
Inside Address
In a business
or formal letter you should give the address of the recipient after your own
address. Include the recipient’s name, company, address and postal code. Add
job title if appropriate. Separate the recipient’s name and title with a comma.
Double check that you have the correct spelling of the recipient ‘s name. The
Inside Address is always on the left margin. If an 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper is folded
in thirds to fit in a standard 9″ business envelope, the inside address can
appear through the window in the envelope.
4. The
Greeting / Salutation
Also called the
salutation. The type of salutation depends on your relationship with the
recipient. It normally begins with the word “Dear” and always includes the
person’s last name. Use every resource possible to address your letter to
an actual person. If you do not know the name or the sex of of your
reciever address it to Dear Madam/Sir (or Dear Sales Manager or Dear Human
Resources Director). As a general rule the greeting in a business letter
ends in a colon (US style). It is also acceptable to use a comma (UK style).
5. The
Subject Line (optional)
Its inclusion
can help the recipient in dealing successfully with the aims of your letter.
Normally the subject sentence is preceded with the word Subject: orRe: Subject
line may be emphasized by underlining, using bold font, or all captial letters.
It is usually placed one line below the greeting but alternatively can be
located directly after the “inside address,” before the “greeting.”
6. The
Body Paragraphs
The body is
where you explain why you’re writing. It’s the main part of the business
letter. Make sure the receiver knows who you are and why you are writing but
try to avoid starting with “I”. Use a new paragraph when you wish to introduce
a new idea or element into your letter. Depending on the letter style you
choose, paragraphs may be indented. Regardless of format, skip a line between
paragraphs.
7. The
Complimentary Close
This short,
polite closing ends always with a comma. It is either at the left margin or its
left edge is in the center, depending on the Business Letter Style that you
use. It begins at the same column the heading does. The traditional
rule of etiquette in Britain is that a formal letter starting “Dear Sir or
Madam” must end “Yours faithfully”, while a letter starting “Dear ” must end
“Yours sincerely”. (Note: the second word of the closing
is NOT capitalized).
8. Signature
and Writer’s identification
The signature
is the last part of the letter. You should sign your first and last names. The
signature line may include a second line for a title, if appropriate. The
signature should start directly above the first letter of the signature line in
the space between the close and the signature line. Use blue or black ink.
9. Initials,
Enclosures, Copies
Initials are to
be included if someone other than the writer types the letter. If you include
other material in the letter, put ‘Enclosure’, ‘Enc.’, or ‘ Encs. ‘, as
appropriate, two lines below the last entry. cc means a copy or copies are sent
to someone else.
Styles of Business Letter
a. Full block
style
The full block
style has all the letter elements flush with the left margin; it is
asymmetrical because there are wide white spaces on the right.
b. Block style
In a Block
format letter :
(1) all text is aligned to the left margin,
(2) paragraphs are not indented.
(3) paragraphs are separated by double or triple spacing.
c. Semi block
style
In a Semi-Block
format letter :
(1) all text is aligned to the left margin,
(2) paragraphs are indented.
d. Indented
style
Indented style
is somewhat more complicated than other popular styles of business writing. In
indented style, new paragraphs in a piece of writing are indented—that is, they
begin about 1.5 centimeters to the right of the left margin. Other parts of a
business letter are moved farther to the right half of the page. Indented style
is one of the older formats for business writing currently in use, though other
formats are becoming more popular. Indented style is a format that many of
today’s business people were trained to use.
e. Simplified
style
It differs from
the simplified style in the sense that the salutation and the complimentary
close are absent in the latter.
f. Hanging
indentation style
A hanging
indented letter style is when a paragraph is indented so that the first line
hangs over the rest. Normally you would see a first line indent. This is when
the first line is moved to the right and the rest of the paragraph starts at
the margin. The most common place hanging indents are used is on a bibliography
reference page. When typing you can change the indentation by either formatting
the paragraph or changing the page margins.
Example of business letter :
Sumber :
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