Mastering the Art of the Business Letter: A Comprehensive Guide for Students
In the realm of professional communication, the business letter remains a cornerstone of formal correspondence. Like any piece of business correspondence, a business letter should be direct, concise, and professional. Whether you're a student reaching out to a potential employer, requesting information, or expressing gratitude, understanding the nuances of a well-crafted business letter is essential. This article provides a comprehensive guide for students, encompassing the key elements, organizational strategies, and stylistic considerations necessary to create effective and impactful business letters.
Essential Elements of a Business Letter
In general, business letters contain the following three elements:
- Opening: The letter’s purpose should be readily apparent, and the language and content should be tailored to the specific needs of the recipient. Your reason for writing, whether it’s delivering important news or requesting an interview, should be in the first paragraph.
- Body: The body of the letter develops the information presented in the opening. It may be one paragraph or several and may include evidence, details, or reasons the reader should act.
- Closing: The end of the letter should lead the reader to a specific course of action. This section might include suggestions or statements leading the reader to a certain attitude or response.
Tailoring Your Message: Different Types of Business Letters
The structure and tone of your business letter will vary depending on its purpose. Here's a breakdown of how to organize different types of letters:
Letters Containing Good News
A letter containing good news (acceptance, announcements, reminders, etc.) should present the news first. Next, include necessary details or background information, followed by a positive, friendly conclusion. Express your appreciation and clearly state any required action.
Direct Request Letters
For a direct request letter, state your purpose first. This request may be making a claim, asking a favor, requesting information, or placing an order. Ask any questions or give reasons for your request, and provide details that may coax your reader to answer positively. End with a courteous closure or a call to action. Make clear what action you want the recipient to take and provide information to make that action easier.
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Letters Containing Bad News
A letter containing bad news, like a refusal, should begin with a buffer-a pleasant and neutral statement about the situation. Follow the buffer with explanation, beginning with more favorable details and ending with unpleasant ones. Next, state the negative decision or news succinctly. The conclusion should be positive, emphasize good will, and express desired action.
Persuasive Requests
Persuasive requests, such as sales, should begin by catching the reader’s attention. To do so, highlight possible benefits. Next, give descriptive details and further explanation of your request, followed by a clear statement to convince the reader to fulfill your request. Conclude by expressing the desired action clearly and encouraging the reader to realize the benefits of fulfilling your request.
Crafting a Compelling Narrative: The OABC Approach
A common organizational pattern used across genres in business writing is OABC: Opening, Agenda, Body, and Closing.
- Opening: This section introduces the reader to the purpose of your document or the subject matter you’ll be discussing.
- Agenda: In an optional second paragraph, you might include a summary of the information you are sending as an agenda for your reader. This section lets the reader know, more or less, what to expect from the rest of the message.
- Body: This section is where you make your main points and communicate your overall message to the reader. Use the body paragraphs to justify the purpose of your letter. The support you use could take the form of background information, statistics, first-hand accounts, or other relevant data.
- Closing: Here, you reiterate the main points for the reader and include any follow-up actions or recommendations as necessary. Use the closing paragraph to restate your purpose and the importance of your letter for your audience. If the purpose of sending your letter is to establish a new relationship with a person or company, consider including your contact information in the concluding paragraph.
Style and Tone: Projecting Professionalism
Like all business writing, business letters should be concise, maintain a formal tone, and use professional diction. Don’t make yourself the focus of the letter. Reword sentences to avoid too much “I” and “my” emphasis. Instead, focus on what you can offer the reader. While business writing should be clear and concise, “concise” does not necessarily mean “blunt.” As you write, think about how your relationship to the reader and about how your audience may interpret your tone.
Active Voice
One skill in business writing is how to tactfully take ownership or distribute blame for certain actions. Active voice refers to a sentence structure that places the actor of the sentence as its grammatical subject. In general, active voice comes across as clearer, more direct, and more concise than passive voice, which are all elements of good business writing.
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Avoiding Jargon
Generally, your audience will prefer plain, straightforward language over jargon, because it allows them to read your writing quickly without misunderstandings. However, you may encounter what looks like jargon. Ask yourself if this language may be functioning as shorthand or whether it’s helping establish expectations or norms in business relationships.
Addressing Your Audience: A Personalized Approach
Details - If possible, address your letter to a specific person. You may need to investigate the company to find the name of the person you should be writing to. If you absolutely can’t find that person’s name, use the person’s title, such as “Dear Hiring Manager.” When the name of the person you’re writing to is unknown, then it is customary to address your letter “To Whom It May Concern.” But this may be impolite if the person’s name is known or easily discovered.
Consider your audience when composing a business letter, from the opening salutation, or greeting, through the closing lines: What information do you need to convey to the recipient of your letter?
To communicate effectively, it is critical to consider your audience, their needs, and how you can address all members of your audience effectively. How will you help your reader move through your document efficiently? What is your audience expecting? How will you communicate about setbacks? When is it appropriate to spin bad information with a positive outlook?
- Title: Is it appropriate to address your audience by their first name, or is a salutation needed? Are you addressing someone who prefers to be addressed by a formal title such as Dr. or Professor? If you are writing about a third party, do you know what title and pronouns to use?
- Language: If you’re writing in English, ask yourself: Is English the first language of all your audience members? Are you using idioms or other expressions that might not be clear to someone with a different background in English?
- Culture: Does your audience have different customs and cultural norms?
Formatting Your Letter: Making a Professional Impression
There are several acceptable ways to arrange the text, but the most common one is known as block format and has all the paragraphs justified to the left margin. The text should be single-spaced with double spaces between paragraphs, except between the closing and your name where you should leave four line spaces in which to write your signature by hand.
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Most business letters must include a return address (letterhead or your name and address), date, an inside address (receiver’s name and address), a salutation, body paragraphs, and a closing. However, there are several ways to format this information.
Common Letter Formats
- Full Block: All letter parts begin at the left margin.
- Modified Block: Date, signature, and closing begin at the horizontal center of the page. All body paragraphs begin at the left margin.
- Indented Paragraphs: Date, signature, and closing begin at the horizontal center of the page. All body paragraphs are indented.
- Simplified: All letter parts begin at the left margin. This format includes a subject line but omits the salutation and signature.
There are two basic styles of letters: block form and indented form. When writing a letter using block form, no lines are indented. Include your name, address, and phone number where you can be contacted, as well as the date. Add your phone number where you can be contacted in the last paragraph. If the receiver needs to use a relay service to call you, briefly explain that you are deaf/ hard of hearing and that s/he can call you through relay. Give the receiver his/her state relay number and explain that s/he will need to give the operator your number. When writing a letter using indented form, indent each paragraph. First include your name, address, phone number, and the date. This information should be located at the top of the page, either in the center, or indented on the right side of the paper. At the end of the letter, place your signature on the right side of the page. When writing a letter using blocked form, indent each paragraph. First include your name, address, phone number, and the date. This information should be located at the top of the page, either in the center, or indented on the right side of the paper. At the end of the letter, place your signature on the right side of the page. When writing a letter using simplified style form, put the date on the left. Write a subject line instead of a salutation. If you are using block format, you can place your address anywhere on the letter. If you are using block form, you can place the date on the left, in the center, or on the right. However, if you are using the indented form, it is usually better to place the date on the right or on the left. If you want to make your letter stand out, boldly type your name in a larger font at the top of the letter and type your address just below it in a smaller font. The word processing program on your computer might have some standard letter templates that can help you. These programs generally have many different style and format options. Check your template feature or the help desk on your word processing program to see your options.
The Final Polish: Reviewing and Proofreading
After writing your letter, review it carefully. Think about how your reader will react to what you’ve written. Have you made your purpose clear? Could you make the letter shorter? Remember, your reader is busy. After that, proofread. Check the spelling of any names and streets and the accuracy of phone numbers, prices, dates, etc. Make sure the information in the subject line is clear and proofread your message carefully.
A useful strategy for revising a piece of business writing is to use the acronym CLOUD: Coherence, Length, Organization, Unity, and Development. Does each component follow length guidelines (if provided) or otherwise convey your message concisely? As you answer these questions and start revising, revisiting your purpose, audience, style, and structure can help you address the concerns you’ve identified through CLOUD. Once you’ve considered these elements, soliciting feedback from another person can help you ensure your draft is clear and your ideas are fully-developed. If you are wondering how your audience will respond to your writing, it may also be helpful to have a disinterested reader provide you with their impression of your message and tone after reading the document. What is the take-home message? Does any language stand out as surprising, confusing, or inappropriate? Where is the writing more or less persuasive?
Business Letters as Archival Documents
Business letters should also be considered public documents; your letter of complaint could be forwarded from the manager of a company to the CEO. Typically, business letters establish relationships with individuals or companies outside of your company. In contrast, a memo is an internal document passed among individuals within one organization. Business letters allow the sender to put his or her best persona forward while maintaining a professional relationship with the recipient. Business letters can also be used to break existing relationships, between both individuals and companies. Business letters can also be sent within companies; these internal letters usually concern matters that require institutional recognition (letters of promotion or letters of dismissal). In many ways, business letters archive important interactions between individuals and companies as well as important events within companies.
Examples of Business Letters
Now that you’re ready to start writing, you may want to see some examples of business writing to guide your drafting process. Below, you can learn more about and see examples of two business writing contexts: cover letters for applications and cover letters for sending information.
Cover Letters for Applications
Maybe you have been asked to write an application cover letter for a job or a scholarship. This type of cover letter is used to introduce yourself and explain why you are qualified for a given opportunity, and your objective is to catch the reader’s attention and convince them that you are a qualified candidate for the job.
- Opening: In the opening section of your letter, indicate your reason for writing. This generally includes mentioning the job title (if applicable) and how you heard about the position.
- Agenda: In a cover letter, your agenda section sets the stage for a discussion of your qualifications by first summarizing your interest in the position, company, or organization. What sets you apart from your competitors? Why are you interested in working in this particular position or company?
- Body: This is where you highlight your qualifications for the job including your work experience, activities that show your leadership skills, and your educational background. If you are applying for a specific job, include any information pertinent to the position that is not included in your resume. You might also identify other ways you are a good fit for the company or position, such as specialized skills you have acquired.
- Closing: Now that you have demonstrated your interest and fit to the reader, it is time to request an interview and, if necessary, refer them to your resume. State how you can be reached and include your contact information for follow-up.
Sample Cover Letter
Vic Nabokov
Smaller University
123 Good Writing Road
Anywhere, TX 55555
M.L.E. Dickinson
Really Big University
#1 Effective Prose Lane
College Town, TX 55555
June 16, 2010
Dear Dr. Dickinson:
I’m a graduate student researching the writing habits of incoming freshmen, and I’d like to speak with you about your recent study of undergraduate writers at your university.
I’m particularly interested in your findings about how freshmen approach the process of topic selection. Your understanding of this issue has been very helpful to me in my own investigation of the topic, but I’d like to know more about the specific methods you used to conduct your research.
I plan to be in College Town on June 28 and wondered if we might meet. I’d be happy to come by your office any time that day that’s convenient for you.
Cover Letters for Sending Information
- Agenda: In an optional second paragraph, you might include a summary of the information you are sending as an agenda for your reader. The following are examples of these kinds of cover letters. The first letter (Sample #1) is brief and to the point.
Sample Cover Letter
Dear Mr. Enclosed is the final report, which we send with Eastern’s Permission, on our installment of pollution control equipment at Eastern Chemical Company,. Dear Mr. The report is the result of several meetings with Jamie Anson, Manager of Plant Operations, and her staff and an extensive survey of all our employees. The survey was delayed by the transfer of key staff in Building A. We would like to thank Billy Budd of ESI for his assistance in preparing the survey.
Resources
This handout explains principles in business writing that apply to many different situations, from applying for a job to communicating professionally within business relationships. Because business writing can take many forms, business writers often consider their purpose, audience, and relationship dynamics to help them make effective stylistic choices. If you have been assigned a genre of business writing for a class, it may help to think about the strategies business writers employ to both gather and produce knowledge. A business communicator or writer may use the following forms of evidence: statistics, exploration of past trends, examples, analogy, comparison, assessment of risk or consequences, or citation of authoritative figures or sources.
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