Business letters

Correspondence on paper has reduced a lot in recent years with the introduction of email. However, formal business letters are still used as they leave a written record which can be kept for reference. Business letters can be written in different situations: to apply for a job, to inquire information, to complain, to request actions, to propose a service, etc. There are the most common types of business letters:

• Acknowledgement Letter: This type of letter is written when you want to acknowledge someone for their help or support when you were in trouble. The letter can be used to just say thank you for something you have received, which is of great help to you.
• Apology Letter: An apology letter is written for a failure in delivering the desired results. If the person has taken up a task and he fails to meet the target then he apologizes and asks for an opportunity to improve the situation.
• Complaint Letter: A complaint letter is written to show that an error has occurred and that it must be corrected as soon as possible. The letter can be used as a document that is used for warning the reader.
• Inquiry Letter: The letter of inquiry is written to inquire about a product or service. If you have ordered a product and have not received it then you can write a letter to inquire when you can get it.
• Order Letter: This letter is used for ordering products. This letter can serve as a legal document to show the transaction between the customer and the vendor.
• Letter of Recommendation: This type of letter is written to recommend a person for a job position. The letter states the positive aspects of the applicant's personality and how he/she would be an asset for the organization. Letter of recommendation is even used for promoting a person inside the organization.

To write a successful business letter you need to use the right tone and to communicate your message to the reader using straightforward language. The way a letter is written reveals a lot about the person who is writing it and it also sends a message about the organization he or she works for. So it’s very important to make sure that the information, layout, style and spelling are all correct before you send it.

Layout

When writing a business letter you should follow the standard format. The following components are obligatory for every business letter:

• Letterhead/address (without a name) of the writer
• Name and address of the recipient
• Date
• Opening statement
• Subject heading
• Body of the letter
• Closing
• Signature
• Name and job title of the writer