Business Letter Style

Business letter style is a more formal style than that used when writing a personal letter -- and should never be hand written.

Business Letter Styles

No matter which business letter style you choose to use in your correspondence, it should be written on 8 ½ x 11 letterhead or stationery. The three styles of business letters are:

• Modified Block Style - Heading, close and signature are centered
• Block Style – Every part of the letter begins at the left margin
• Semi-block Style - The heading, close and signature are centered and paragraphs within the body of the letter are indented

Six Parts of a Business Letter

Learning to write a business letter properly allows you to make a good professional impression through written correspondence. A business letter is composed of six parts:

Heading

The heading of a business letter contains the return address and is followed by the date. Be sure to skip a line between the heading and the date. If return address information is printed at the top of your business letterhead omit the heading except for the date. If it is applicable, include an e-mail address, a phone or fax number in the return address information.

Inside Address

The inside address is the address to which the letter is being sent and includes the titles and names of the person(s) to receive the letter. Type the inside address along the left margin after skipping a line following the date. This situates the address so that it will appear in the window of a number 9 business envelop when it is folded into thirds. Skip another line between the inside address and the salutation.

Salutation

When following proper business letter style, the salutation should be formal. Usually it starts with "Dear" and includes the last name of the recipient and most often a title. The name is followed by a colon. Skip a line between the salutation and the body of the business letter.

Body

How the text of the body of a business letter is typed will depend on the business letter style you choose to use. If you choose to use a semi-block style, paragraphs should be indented. When using block or modified-block styles, paragraphs are not indented but are flush to the left margin. Skip a line between paragraphs and between the body and the close.

Close

The close of a business letter is short, polite and ends with a comma. Again, placement will depend on the business letter style you choose. If you use block style, the close will be flush with the left margin while modified-block and semi-block the closing is in the center and lines up with the heading. Skip two lines between the close and the signature line.

Signature Line

The signature line contains the name to be signed. Often, people use their middle initial but this is not mandatory. If the sender is a woman, they may specify the title by which they wish to be addressed. To do this, place Miss, Mrs., Ms. in parentheses before their name.

To list a professional title, a second line is included in the signature line. When signing the letter, the signature begins immediately above the first letter of the signature line within the blank space between the close and signature line using blue or black ink.

Proofread

Once you've chosen the business letter style you plan to use and have written your letter, be sure to proofread and edit the entire letter. A sloppy business letter can make a wrong impression. As you read through the letter check for:

• Unnecessary words
• Typos
• Double check the address and zip code
• Factual errors

Sending a well-written business letter lets the recipient know that you are informed and take care in your work. Today the block style is most widely used because there is no indenting to bother with in the entire letter. However, check to see if there is a standard used within your company to be sure your business letters fall within company guidelines.

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