FREE Proper Business Letter Format [ Elements to Include ]

Business letters are used as a means of communication between businesses, between a business and their customer, or between businesses and other external parties. It makes use of formal yet simple language in order to make the recipient understand it better, as well as to avoid any major confusion that may come up.

Despite the fact that email has taken over the communication channels of various businesses nowadays, there are still a wide variety of situations that may call for the need of printed letters. In order to properly convey the message you want to pass onto your recipient, it is important to follow the appropriate format for a business letter. This is what we aim to share with you today, so you better keep reading!

Writing a Business Letter

If you are interested in knowing how to write a formal business letter, this letter writing guide will be perfect for you. It will give you a lot of information regarding the composition of a business letter and the important things that should be included in the letter.

Business Letter Format

This business letter sample will help you determine the basic parts of a business letter. It also includes a full description about how the content should look like and how it is supposed to be incorporated in the letter.

Business Letter Sample

Knowing what to include in a business letter is very important. This document gives you a breakdown of the parts  and also how much space should be alloted after every section of the letter.

Elements to Include in a Business Letter

It will be easier to write a top-notch business letter if you already have an idea about how to start one. A business letter is formal in nature and is a whole lot different from your typical personal letter. Remember that your business letter should have about one-inch margin per side (1″×1″) and is always written on letter-sized paper (8.5″×11″). Most businesses already have a draft ready for filling out with the message to be passed on to the recipient. The standard business letter format usually includes the following elements:

• Heading or official letterhead. This will include the name of your company and the primary contact details such as telephone number and company email address. If you are using a company letterhead, it is often placed at the very top of the letter. After the heading/letterhead, it is usually followed by the date when the letter was written. Skip two lines before the date.
• Inside address. This pertains to the address of your recipient. Include as much information as possible such as name, titles, and department. Skip two lines after the date before incorporating this section.
• Salutation. Two lines are skipped after the inside address. The salutation or the opening greeting is typically just a simple “Dear” followed by the title and last name of the recipient. For example, “Dear Dr. Jones:”. Instead of the usual comma, your salutation for business letters ends with a colon.
• The body. This is the text that will contain all the details about why the letter is being written. Always skip a line after every paragraph.
• Complimentary close. Two lines are skipped after the body before writing the complimentary close. This closing is usually short and polite. It ends with a comma.
• Signature. Another two lines are skipped before your typed name. Above your typed name, affix your handwritten signature. Use a black or blue sign pen to make it look professional.
• Enclosure(s). This is usually included in the letter if there are any attachments to the letter such as flyers, brochures, or other supplementary documents.

Sample Payment Request Business Letters

If you need to request for a payment from a client or customer, you can refer to this document. It will help you ask for a payment in a polite and professional manner.

Business Letter Block Style

The block style is the most common format for business letters as it does not bother with indentations as a majority of the sections are aligned to the left.

Example of Persuasive Business Letter

This document is a one good example of a persuasive business letter. In case you are aiming to convince your recipient to take action for your request, this is a good reference letter.

Letter Sample – Business

This is a simple outline of a business letter. It gives you an idea about where particular elements of a business letter are placed.

With the help of the samples and the information we have shared, you now have a good idea about how business letters are formatted. We are hoping that you will be able to come up with a professional and, at the same time, effective business letter.