If you own a business, you may need to write letters to customers. You might write something to let customers know about new events or specials, or you might respond to customer complaints on behalf of the company. Regardless of the reason for the letter, you should always maintain a professional style.
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Part 1 of 2: Formatting a Business Letter
Step 1. Use professional letterhead
The business letter will be a representation of your company. So it must look different and of high quality. The business letter should also contain your company logo or branding.
You can create letterhead using predesigned letterhead color samples in Microsoft Word. Be sure to use the logo or branding that is on the letterhead
Step 2. Open a word processing program
You should always type business letters on the computer.
- Create a new document and set a 2.5 cm border on the document.
- Use a serif typeface such as Times New Roman, Georgia or Ariel. Be sure to always use a font size that is no larger than 12 points, and no smaller than 10 points. A business letter should be easy to read because of the font selection or font size.
- Make sure the document is set to a single space.
Step 3. Adjust the shape of the blocks
Block form is the most common format used in business letters. This form is also the easiest form to set up and follow. Each title must be aligned and there must be one space between each title. Starting at the bottom of the document, your business letter should have the following headings:
- Today's date, or the date you sent the letter. The date is important because it can be used as both your note and the recipient's note. In addition, dates can also have legal uses. So make sure the date is accurate.
- Return address. This section contains your address formatted in the standard address style. If your address is already on the letterhead, you can skip this section.
- Address on the inside. This section contains the name and address of the person who received the letter. The use of the word Mr / Ms is optional. So, for example, if you wrote a letter to Nina Marlina, you could write Ms. on his name if you are not sure what his marital status is.
- Regards. Greetings can use the words "Dear Ms. Marlina" or "Dear Nina Marlina". If you're not sure who will be reading the letter, use the word “Sincerely.” You can also use “To Interested Parties”, but only as a last resort if you don't know who your audience is.
- Letter body. We will discuss this more in the next section of the article.
- Cover letter, with signature. You can use the words "Sincerely", or "Greetings".
Part 2 of 2: Writing a Business Letter
Step 1. Identify your audience
The style of the letter should always remain professional, regardless of who the audience is. However, you may adjust your language or word choice based on the person who will receive your letter. If you're writing for the human resources department at another company, you may need to use more formal language. But if you're writing for a specific customer, you can use more informal or casual language.
- Identifying your audience also means that you will prevent confusion in your audience. Avoid using terms that your readers won't understand. Customers will likely not know the acronyms used for your company's space program, for example, so avoid using them in mail.
- The number one rule of writing a good business letter is that it should be clear, concise, and polite.
Step 2. Explain the purpose of the letter in the first line
Consider the purpose of the letter. Is it to let customers know about your new location in a new part of town? Is it to remind customers of unpaid bills or balances? Or to respond to customer complaints? With this goal in mind, write a first line that lets the reader know immediately what the letter is about. Do not write the purpose of the letter that is not clear. Get straight to the point.
- Begin by using "I" if you are expressing your opinion as a business owner. Use "we" if you are writing on behalf of a company or organization.
- Focus on direct statements such as: "With this letter we inform you" or "With this letter we ask." You can also use an "I" statement if you are writing a letter as a business owner. For example: "I contacted you because" or "I recently heard about … and want to know more about …"
- For example, if you (the business owner) wrote to Nina Marlina about an unpaid bill since last month, start the letter with: "I contacted you because you have an unpaid balance in your account since March 2015."
- Or, if you're an employee at a company and you're writing to respond to a customer complaint about the company's space program, start the letter with: "We've received your complaint about our Mars space program."
- If you're writing a letter to let readers know that they won a contest, or that they have a place in a graduate program, start with a phrase like: "I'm happy to tell you that…" or "We'd love to tell you that …".
- If you're telling bad news, start with a phrase like: "It's with a heavy heart that we tell you that…". Or, "After careful consideration, I have decided not to…".
Step 3. Use active sentences, not passive ones
We use the passive voice all the time in ordinary speech. But the passive voice can make your writing look drab or confusing. Active sentences are much more effective in business letters because they show a more assertive style of language.
- An example of a passive sentence is: "What complaint can I handle for you?" The subject of the sentence, namely the customer ("you"), appears at the end of the sentence, not at the beginning of the sentence.
- An example of an active sentence would be: "What can I do to address your complaint?" This version of the sentence, in the active voice, is much clearer and easier to understand for the reader.
- Using the passive voice may be a good way to get your message across without drawing attention to the wrong or unpleasant points. But use the passive voice only in this case. In general, the active voice is much more effective in a business letter.
Step 4. Refer to previous events or previous communications with readers, if any
You may have contacted Nina Marlina earlier in the last month with a warning about her unpaid bill. Or maybe customers have expressed their disappointment with the space program last month at a conference. If you've had contact with readers before, state that. This will remind the reader of your previous contacts and make the business letter more urgent and important.
Use phrases like: "According to my previous letter about your unpaid bill…" or "Thanks for your payment in March." Or "Hearing about your problems with the space program at a conference in May was very useful."
Step 5. Make a request or offer for help
Show a positive style of language to the reader by making a polite request or offer of assistance in the form of a working relationship.
- Let's say you're a business owner trying to get customers to pay bills. Use phrases such as: "I appreciate your prompt attention to your unpaid bill."
- Suppose you write on behalf of your company. Use phrases like: "We'd like to arrange a face-to-face meeting with you and our head of Human Resources."
- You should also offer to answer any questions or concerns readers may have. Use phrases like: "I'd be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have about your billing" Or, "Would you like us to provide you with more details about this program?"
Step 6. Summarize the letter
Add a call to action, on your part, or on the part of the reader. This request could be a request for payment by a specific date, or a note about setting up a formal meeting with the reader.
- Add a sentence to contact the recipient of the letter in the future. "I look forward to seeing you at the budget meeting next week." Or “I look forward to discussing this further with you during your visit to our headquarters.”
- Record any documents you have included with your letter. Add phrases like "Attached unpaid bills" or "Attached a copy of our space extension program."
- End the letter with a closing phrase. Use "Sincerely" or "Sincerely" for a client or customer.
- Use "Greetings" for formal letters to people you don't know at all.
- Just use "Greetings" or "Sincerely" if you are writing to someone you know well or have a working relationship with.
Step 7. Correct the letter
All the careful formatting and writing goes to waste if the letter is filled with spelling mistakes!
- Look for each sentence that uses the passive voice, and try to change the sentence into an active sentence.
- Pay attention to any sentences that are too long or unclear and direct. In business letters, less is usually better, so reduce your sentence length if possible.
