Business
Letter Styles
The
following pictures show what a one-page business letter should look like. There
are three accepted styles. The horizontal lines represent lines of type. Click
your mouse pointer on any part of the picture for a description and example of
that part.
Business Letter Formats
Professional correspondence
should always have a clean, crisp appearance, and Ginger’s business letter
templates will help you achieve the look you want.
Ø Full
Block Format
Full block style business letters
have a formal appearance, however they can be used in informal business
situations as well as formal ones. If you are looking for a single format that
will work well in every situation, this is a good one to use.
Notice that the following business letter format is laid out so that it is easy to read. It is also a template that is very easy to type, as there are no indents to worry about.
Notice that the following business letter format is laid out so that it is easy to read. It is also a template that is very easy to type, as there are no indents to worry about.
Full Block Format Business Letter Template
Your Name
Address
Address
Phone
Today’s Date
Address
Address
Phone
Today’s Date
Recipient’s Name
Company
Address
Address
Address
Dear (Recipient’s Name),
Company
Address
Address
Address
Dear (Recipient’s Name),
This block format business letter
template illustrates how quick and easy communications can be to type. Notice
that it looks very much like the semi-block letter format, except the
paragraphs are not indented. This is a format you can use for all business
occasions.
Notice that all elements in this letter are left justified. This formatting provides a crisp, modern look that many people prefer.
If you have any enclosures to include in this letter, make a note at the bottom left, a few spaces below the signature block. Just write “enclosures:” and follow up with the names of any items inside the envelope. A brochure, an application, or a copy of an invoice are some of the things you might think about including.
Notice that all elements in this letter are left justified. This formatting provides a crisp, modern look that many people prefer.
If you have any enclosures to include in this letter, make a note at the bottom left, a few spaces below the signature block. Just write “enclosures:” and follow up with the names of any items inside the envelope. A brochure, an application, or a copy of an invoice are some of the things you might think about including.
Sincerely,
Your First name, Last name, and
Title
1. Return
Address: If your stationery has a letterhead, skip this. Otherwise, type
your name, address and optionally, phone number. These days, it’s common to
also include an email address. 2. Date: Type the date of your
letter two to six lines below the letterhead. Three are standard. If there is
no letterhead, type it where shown.
3.
Reference Line: If the
recipient specifically requests information, such as a job reference or invoice
number, type it on one or two lines, immediately below the Date.
4.
Special Mailing Notations: Type
in all uppercase characters, if appropriate.
5.
On-Arrival Notations: Type
in all uppercase characters, if appropriate. You might want to include a
notation on private correspondence.
6.
Inside Address:
Type the name and address of the person and/or company to whom you’re sending
the letter, three to eight lines below the last component you typed. Four lines
are standard.
7.
Attention Line: Type
the name of the person to whom you’re sending the letter.
8.
Salutation: Type the
recipient’s name here. Type Mr. or Ms. [Last Name] to show respect, but don’t
guess spelling or gender.
9.
Subject Line: Type
the gist of your letter in all uppercase characters, either flush left or
centered. Be concise on one line.
10.
Body: Type
two spaces between sentences. Keep it brief and to the point.
11.
Complimentary Close: What
you type here depends on the tone and degree of formality.
12.
Signature Block: Leave
four blank lines after the Complimentary Close to sign your name. Sign your
name exactly as you type it below your signature. Title is optional depending
on relevancy and degree of formality.
13.
Identification Initials: If
someone typed the letter for you, he or she would typically include three of
your initials in all uppercase characters, then two of his or hers in all
lowercase characters.
14.
Enclosure Notation: This
line tells the reader to look in the envelope for more. Type the singular for
only one enclosure, plural for more.
15. cc: Stands for courtesy copies (formerly carbon
copies). List the names of people to whom you distribute copies, in
alphabetical order.
Ø Modified
Block Format
Modified block style business
letters are less formal than full block style letters. If you are corresponding
with someone you already have a good working relationship with, the modified
block style letter is a good one to use.
Notice that the following business letter format is written without indents. If you prefer to use indents, try using the semi-block or modified semi-block format instead.
Notice that the following business letter format is written without indents. If you prefer to use indents, try using the semi-block or modified semi-block format instead.
Modified Block Format Business Letter Template
Your Name
Address
Address
Phone
Today’s Date
Address
Phone
Today’s Date
Recipient’s Name
Company Name
Address
Address
Address
Company Name
Address
Address
Address
Dear (Recipient’s Name):
This modified block business
letter format looks very much like the modified semi-block letter format,
except the paragraphs are not indented. Modified block letters are just a
little less formal than full block letters.
Notice that the sender’s address, the closing, the signature, and the signature block all start near the center of the page. In some cases, people who prefer to use this format begin these elements five spaces to the right of the center of the page.
If you have any enclosures to include in this letter, make a note at the bottom left, a few spaces below the signature block. Just write “enclosures:” and follow up with the names of any items inside the envelope. A brochure, an application, or a copy of an invoice are some of the things you might think about including.
Notice that the sender’s address, the closing, the signature, and the signature block all start near the center of the page. In some cases, people who prefer to use this format begin these elements five spaces to the right of the center of the page.
If you have any enclosures to include in this letter, make a note at the bottom left, a few spaces below the signature block. Just write “enclosures:” and follow up with the names of any items inside the envelope. A brochure, an application, or a copy of an invoice are some of the things you might think about including.
Sincerely,
Your First name, Last name, and
Title
Ø Standard
Format
Standard format business letters
are quite formal. Because they include an optional subject line, they are ideal
for situations in which you need to create a formal response or communicate
about an account number or case number.
At the bottom of this template, you’ll see something the other business letter templates don’t contain. Below the signature block are three lines of text indicating that a secretary or assistant typed the letter for the sender, that a copy was sent to another recipient, and that there are enclosures. In other business letter formats, “enclosures” is written out. In standard format, the word is abbreviated.
At the bottom of this template, you’ll see something the other business letter templates don’t contain. Below the signature block are three lines of text indicating that a secretary or assistant typed the letter for the sender, that a copy was sent to another recipient, and that there are enclosures. In other business letter formats, “enclosures” is written out. In standard format, the word is abbreviated.
Standard Format Business Letter Template
Your Name
Address
Address
Phone
Today’s Date
Address
Address
Phone
Today’s Date
Recipient’s Name
Company Name
Address
Address
Address
Company Name
Address
Address
Address
SUBJECT: Type the subject here
and underline it.
Dear (Recipient’s Name),
This standard business letter
format looks very much like the block letter format. Notice that everything is
left justified.
You will notice that this template contains some elements that are different from those in the other business letter formats on this page. First, there is a subject line. This element is optional, and can be replaced with a “RE:” line that is used to reference something specific like a previous communication or an account number. Be sure to underline this so that it stands out.
Additionally, this template has three other elements. On the line located beneath the signature block, you will notice my initials in upper case letters. A colon separates them from my assistant’s initials, which are written in lower case letters. This indicates that my assistant typed the letter for me. If you type a standard business letter yourself, you do not need to include this element.
Beneath the initials, you will see “cc:” followed by my business partner’s name. This indicates that I have sent a copy of this letter to my partner. If you write a letter like this one but don’t cc anyone, there’s no need to include this element.
Finally, you will notice the letters “encl” followed by a colon. This indicates that there are enclosures. Interestingly, the standard business letter is the only one in which you use “encl” instead of writing “enclosure” to show that a brochure, application, invoice, or other item(s) are enclosed. As you may have already guessed, you can skip the “encl” if you haven’t included anything with the letter in the envelope.
You will notice that this template contains some elements that are different from those in the other business letter formats on this page. First, there is a subject line. This element is optional, and can be replaced with a “RE:” line that is used to reference something specific like a previous communication or an account number. Be sure to underline this so that it stands out.
Additionally, this template has three other elements. On the line located beneath the signature block, you will notice my initials in upper case letters. A colon separates them from my assistant’s initials, which are written in lower case letters. This indicates that my assistant typed the letter for me. If you type a standard business letter yourself, you do not need to include this element.
Beneath the initials, you will see “cc:” followed by my business partner’s name. This indicates that I have sent a copy of this letter to my partner. If you write a letter like this one but don’t cc anyone, there’s no need to include this element.
Finally, you will notice the letters “encl” followed by a colon. This indicates that there are enclosures. Interestingly, the standard business letter is the only one in which you use “encl” instead of writing “enclosure” to show that a brochure, application, invoice, or other item(s) are enclosed. As you may have already guessed, you can skip the “encl” if you haven’t included anything with the letter in the envelope.
Sincerely,
Your First name, Last name, and
Title
YN:an
cc: Business Partner, Other entity
encl: Business letter template
YN:an
cc: Business Partner, Other entity
encl: Business letter template
Open Format
The open format business letter
has a clean, formal look just as the block format letter does. It is suitable
for all business communications.
There is one major difference between this format and the other business letter formats on this page: It contains no punctuation after the greeting, and no punctuation after the closing.
There is one major difference between this format and the other business letter formats on this page: It contains no punctuation after the greeting, and no punctuation after the closing.
Ø Semi-Block
Format
The semi-block format business
letter is a little less formal than the block format letter and slightly more
formal than the modified block format letter. It works well in almost all
situations and is a good choice if you find yourself on the fence about which
format to use.
Semi-block business letters differ from most others in that the first line of each paragraph is indented. Look at the modified semi-block business letter template if you’d like to try another format with indentations. It is the least formal of all the formats shown on this page.
Semi-block business letters differ from most others in that the first line of each paragraph is indented. Look at the modified semi-block business letter template if you’d like to try another format with indentations. It is the least formal of all the formats shown on this page.
Semi-Block Format Business Letter Template
Your Name
Address
Address
Phone
Today’s Date
Address
Address
Phone
Today’s Date
Recipient’s Name
Company
Address
Address
Address
Company
Address
Address
Address
Dear (Recipient’s Name),
This semi-block business letter
format looks very much like the block letter format, except the
paragraphs have been indented.
Semi-block format letters are just a little more formal than modified
semi-block business letters.
Notice that the sender’s address,
the closing, the signature, and the signature block are left justified.
The only elements of this
business letter format that are not left justified are the first lines of each
of the paragraphs.
If you have any enclosures to
include in this letter, make a note at the bottom left, a few spaces below
the signature block. Just write
“enclosures:” and follow up with the names of any items inside the envelope. A
brochure, an application, or a copy of an invoice are some of the things you
might think about including.
Sincerely,
Your First name, Last name, and
Title
Embed code:
Description:
1.Kop Letter
2. Date of preparation of letters
3. Letter No.
4. attachment
5. case
6. The letter addressed
7. a word of salutation
8a. Introduction letter
8b. Explanation letter
8c. The cover letter
9. Greetings Closing
10. Name of office
11. signature
12. Names to approach
13. copy
14. Attachment page letter /
initials
Ø Hanging-Indented Style
This very
useful style places the first words of each paragraph prominently on the page.
It is useful for letters that deal with a variety of different topics. However,
for normal business communications, this style is very rarely used. The first
line of the paragraph begins at the left-hand margin. And the other lines of
the same paragraph are indented three to four spaces. This is the reversal of
semi-indented style discussed in other page
Ø Simplified-style
Simplified-style
business letters contain all the same elements as the full-block and semi-block
letters. Like the full-block format, the simplified format left-justifies every
line except for the company logo or letterhead. The date line is either slightly
right of center or flush with the center of the page. Letters written in the
simplified format have fewer internal sections, such as the body, salutation
and date line.
Using the
simplified style is the most useful at times when you don’t have a recipient’s
contact name. Because the simplified style does not require a salutation, you
don’t need the person’s name. The simplified format does away with unneeded
formality while maintaining a professional approach.
REFERENCE:
http://www.effective-business-letters.com/Hanging-Indented-Style.html
http://yodi-adhari.blogspot.com/
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/simplified-style-business-letter-10318.html
http://yodi-adhari.blogspot.com/
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/simplified-style-business-letter-10318.html
