Every individual has at one or the other point of time felt the need for writing a formal business letter. For professionals especially, writing a formal business letter is an inescapable part of their lives. A formal business letter can be in many forms like; it may be a complaint letter, a job application, a recommendation letter or so on.
Tips For Writing An Ideal Formal Business Letter
- As far as possible, a Formal Business Letter should always be typed. When typing out a business letter, it is recommended that you use simple font e.g. Times New Roman. The contents of the letter should be justified. Use a company letterhead, if possible, especially if you are writing on behalf of an organization.
- Be clear about what you want to say. Rather than beating around the bush, there should be one line introduction of the subject. After which, you can elaborate about the same in the following lines. Give the facts and outline of your case in a precise manner.
- Another important mantra to be followed when writing a business letter is to make sure that the letter does not exceed a page. Be as concise as possible without missing out on the relevant details. A short and to-the-point letter has better chances of evoking a response than a long, drawn out one.
- While composing a formal business letter, it is standard practice to use an active voice.
- When writing the salutation, use Respected Sir/Madam if you are unaware of whom you are addressing the letter to. Else use the title with the recipient’s surname e.g. Ms Jones/ Mr. Jones.
- Thank the recipient for the time taken, in the concluding lines. Also mention if you have sent any attachments along with the letter.
- There is no scope for any typos, grammatical or spelling errors in a Formal Business Letter, if you want the recipient to take you seriously. In some business letters like a job application especially, making such silly blunders could have a devastating effect on your chances of landing a job. After all which company would want a candidate who is not even capable of submitting a well-written job application? Get your formal business letters proof read, just to be sure.
- Always give your complete contact details so that the recipients can get in touch with you as soon as possible.
Keeping these do’s and don’ts in mind while writing a Formal Business Letter will ensure that your letter is effective for its purpose.
