How to Write a Business Letter

A business letter is a kind of letter. People write it to communicate with businesses. You can also use it to communicate with people in a professional setting. That means you are contacting them about work stuff, not personal stuff.

Business letters are more formal than emails or text messages. You want to use fancy, polite language when you write one. You also want to make sure your spelling and grammar are all correct.

A business letter has a few main parts. It’s got the addresses of who’s sending and receiving it right at the top. Then there’s the date. You have to include a polite greeting like “Dear Mr. Smith”. The letter itself has an intro, a main message, and a closing. And at the very end, you sign your name.

When should you send a business letter?

There are lots of reasons why you might need to send a business letter. Maybe you’re applying for a job and need to introduce yourself. Or maybe you have a complaint about a product or service and want to tell the company about it.

You can also send business letters to:

Ask for more information about something
Place an order for something
Recommend someone for a job
Say thank you
Apologize for a mistake
Follow up on something
Share important news

Any time you’re contacting a person or company and you want to look professional, sending a business letter is a good idea. It shows you’re serious and respectful.

Steps for writing a business letter

Formatting the letter

Before you start writing, you need to format your letter properly. Business letters have their own special look.

Put your address at the very top of the page, on the left side. Skip a line, then put the date. Skip another line and write the address of the person you’re sending the letter to.

If you don’t know the person’s name, try to find it out. It’s better to address your letter to a specific person. If you really can’t find a name, you can write something general like “To Whom It May Concern”.

Leave an extra space between the addresses and greeting. And between each paragraph in the letter. You want it to look neat and easy to read.

Start with a greeting

Your letter should start with “Dear” and the person’s title (Mr., Ms., Dr., etc.) and last name, followed by a comma. If you don’t know their gender, just use their full name. And remember, if you don’t have a specific name, use a general greeting.

Introduce yourself

If the person doesn’t know you, the first paragraph should introduce who you are. Give your full name and explain why you’re writing. What’s your purpose for contacting them? You might write something like: “My name is Sarah Smith and I am writing to inquire about the open sales manager position at XYZ Company.”

Give details

In the main part of your letter, you want to provide more details. Explain your reason for writing as clearly as you can. Be straightforward and get right to the point.

Let’s say you’re writing to complain about a faulty product. You’d say what you bought, when and where you bought it. Explain the problem with it. And say what you want the company to do about it (give you a refund, send a replacement, whatever it is.)

If your letter is a job application, highlight your most relevant skills and experience. Talk about why you’re a great fit for the role. Mention why you want to work at that specific company.

If you’re placing an order for something, be sure to include all the key details like item name, size, quantity, color, and so on.

Closing the letter

End your letter by restating your reason for writing. Summarize what you need or expect from them. Something like: “Again, I’m very excited about the sales manager role and believe I’m an ideal candidate. I look forward to discussing my qualifications further in an interview.”

Then add a polite closing phrase like “Sincerely,” “Thank you,” “Best regards,” or “All the best,”. Follow that with a comma, a few line breaks, then type your name. Leave space for your signature just above your typed name.

Proofread!

After you finish writing, read over your letter a couple times. Fix any spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes. Make sure everything is worded clearly. It can help to read it out loud.

You want your letter to look and sound professional. Little errors make you seem sloppy. Reading it out loud also helps you hear if the tone sounds right.

Use nice stationery

The paper and envelope you use matter too. Don’t send a business letter on notebook paper or something with cute cartoons. Pick a nice, good quality paper in a neutral color like white, cream, or light gray.

Make sure to fold it neatly to fit in the envelope. You can look up how to do a proper letter fold if you’re not sure.

Sending your letter in a matching envelope looks extra professional. But a plain envelope is fine too. Just make sure you write the addresses neatly. Use pen (not pencil) and print clearly. Include your return address on the envelope.

Sending emails

Sometimes nowadays people send “business letters” by email. The format is a bit different but a lot of the same rules apply.

Start with a clear, professional subject line. It should mention your reason for writing. Something like “Job Application – Sales Manager Position”.

For emails, you put your contact info after your signature instead of at the top. And you don’t need the other person’s address at all.

You still want a polite greeting and closing. And the body of the email should be clear and error-free like a regular letter. Don’t use emojis, abbreviations, or super casual language even though it’s an email.

Emails are great because they’re fast. But if you’re applying for an important job or writing about a serious issue, a paper letter might seem more professional.

Writing tips

Here are some final tips to help you write a great business letter:

Be concise. Don’t ramble on and on. Respect the other person’s time by keeping your letter brief and to-the-point.
But include all the key details. Make sure you provide enough info for the person to understand your reason for writing and what you need from them.
Use a polite, professional tone. No slang, jokes, text speak, etc. Sound confident and mature.
Avoid generic phrases like “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Sir or Madam” if you can. It’s not the end of the world, but your letter will seem more personal if you use a real name and title.
Format your letter correctly. Follow standard business letter style for the addresses, date, greeting, paragraphs, and closing.
Choose the right send method. Most everyday business letters are fine to email. But for really important ones (like job applications), use nice paper and send it in the mail. It seems more serious and official.
Keep a copy for yourself. Before you send your letter, make a copy (or save the email file). That way you have a record of what you wrote in case you need to refer back to it later.

Writing a business letter doesn’t have to be scary. Yes, it’s formal. But it’s just another way of communicating. If you organize your thoughts and use a polite tone, your letter will get your message across well. The person reading it will appreciate your professionalism.