WHAT IS BUSSINESS

CORRESPONDENCE?
 Means the exchange of information in a written format for the
process of business activities.

 Can take place between organizations, within organizations or

between the customers and the organization.

 The correspondence is generally of widely accepted formats that

are followed universally.

PURPOSE:
 Requesting information
 Ordering Supplies
 Making & answering enquiries
 Making and responding to complaints
 Promoting product / service

7 Characteristics of an
Effective Business
Correspondence:

1. Clear 5. Complete
2. Concise 6. Concrete
 3. Correct 7. Courteous
4. Coherent

WHAT IS A BUSSINESS
LETTER?
 A business letter is a formal document often sent from one company
to another or from a company to its clients, employees, and
stakeholders, for example. Business letters are used for
professional correspondence between individuals, as well.

WHAT IS BUSINESS LETTER USED FOR?

 A business letter is used primarily to request or provide information,
to relate a deal, to bring or continue conversation, and/or to discuss
prior negotiations. A business letter can be classified as private,
however, it is typically not circulated to others, but rather meant for
the eyes of the participants involved.

WHAT ARE THE SEVEN BASIC PARTS OF A

BUSINESS LETTER?
1. Sender’s address. Optimally, you want to have printed company
letterhead. Letterhead, similar to having a company website, conveys
that your business is legit. But even if the address is simply typed at
the top, including your address plays a practical purpose, because
you don’t want the recipient to have to look up your address in order
to send a response.
2. Date. Whoever receives the letter needs to know when the letter was
written. It’s best to use a standard U.S. format. (Here’s an example:
September 20, 2018.)
3. Recipient’s address. Include the recipient’s address so that you
have the information readily available for printing out the envelope. A
full recipient address also helps ensure the letter doesn’t get lost in
the office shuffle wherever you are sending it. The first line should be
the name, including any honorifics such as Mr., Ms., Dr., etc. The
second line is the recipient’s job title. Their company’s name goes on
the third line. The remaining lines include street address, city, state,
and ZIP code.

4. Salutation. A “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir or Madam” is a

good way to ensure that your letter goes nowhere. Find out the name
of the person who should receive the letter, even if you have to do
some searching on Google or LinkedIn, or call the company.
5. Body. Time is money in the business world, so get down to business
and quickly make your case or communicate your message. Stay
professional, be clear and concise, and quickly convey the point of
the letter.
6. Closing/signature. Stick with a more formal closing such as
“Sincerely” or “Thank you.” You should only capitalize the first word of
the closing. Remember to follow the closing with four lines of space in
order to make room for your signature, which demonstrates your
personal stamp of approval of the letter’s contents.
7. Enclosures. If there are additional items to enclose with the letter, it’s
best to list them, so that the recipient remembers what was included
with the letter. Include enclosures three lines below your signature or
one line below the typist’s initials. Use this style if, for example, you
want to indicate that there are two enclosures: Enclosures (2). If you
want to list each separate item, use this style: Encl: product
brochures (2), product photos (3).
BUSINESS LETTER FORMATS
1. Full Block Form

Your Name
Address
Phone Number
E-mail (optional)

Date

Name of Receiver
Title
Company Name
Address

Dear __________:

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. You then
include the name and address of the person you are sending the letter to.

With new paragraphs, just skip a line instead of indenting.

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. Then give
him/her your number.
Sincerely,

Your Signature

Your Name
Your Title

2. Indented Paragraphs Form

Your Name
Address
Phone Number
E-mail (optional)

Date

Name of Receiver
Title
Company Name
Address

Dear __________:

 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. You then
include the name and address of the person to whom you are sending the letter.

At the end of the letter, place your signature on the right side of the page. Don't forget to
provide any relay information if necessary. 

Sincerely, 

Your Signature 

Your Name
Your Title 

3.  Blocked Paragraphs Form

Your Name
Address
Phone Number
E-mail (optional)

Date

Name of Receiver
Title
Company Name
Address

Dear __________:

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. You then
include the name and address of the person to whom you are sending the letter.

At the end of the letter, place your signature on the right side of the page. Don't forget to
provide any relay information if necessary.

Sincerely,

Your Signature

Your Name
Your Title
 4. Simplified Style Form

Your Name
Address
Phone Number
E-mail (optional)

Date

Name of Receiver
Title
Company Name
Address

SUBJECT LINE (use capital letters)

When writing a letter using simplified style form, put the date on the left. Then, put the
receiver's name, and his/her title, company name, and address.

Write a subject line instead of a salutation. The subject line must be in all capital letters.

At the end of the letter, put your name and title, all in capital letters.

YOUR NAME
YOUR TITLE