The Basic Parts of a Business Letter We Need to Learn 

Writing a business letter is a vital skill everyone should learn, one way or another. Business letters can be used in many ways. Applying for a job requires a cover letter or letter of intent. Same goes for applying for a higher position. Universities even require application letters for scholarship grants. All these are common examples of a business letter.

If you don’t know a thing or two in writing a business letter, for sure, you will be in a big trouble. You cannot just copy and paste someone else’s work. You have to build and create your own or else you will face an even more difficult situation like plagiarism.

So, to give you a teeny idea how to start writing a business letter, we will begin with the basic parts. Hopefully, you will find this article very useful.  So, let’s get into it.

Heading

The heading contains important information of the letter. It should have the return address (usually two or three lines) with the date on the last line. There are times that you may include another line for the contact information. Take note, this is optional.

Inside Address

An inside address holds the address of who or what company will receive the letter. Make sure that the names and the title of the receiver must be written correctly and completely. If you are not sure who to address it to, another option is to put which department or office will receive it.

Since there is a left margin of 8½” x 11″ paper is folded in thirds to fit in a standard 9″ business envelope, the inside address can appear through the window in the envelope.

Greeting

The greeting or salutation is greeting your receiver by using the word “Dear” and with the receiver’s title and last name.  However, if the title is unclear, use the first name only. The greetings always ends in a colon.

The Body of the Letter 

The body of the letter contains the message of the sender. These are are usually printed, and not handwritten.  It minimizes misunderstanding and projects professionalism. Before sending the business letter, review the letter, check for grammatical errors, spelling, and any missing information.

The Complimentary Close

The complimentary close is a short, polite closing which ends with a comma. It is placed on either the left or right side depending on the layout (which we will discuss in another blog).

The Signature 

Leave two spaces below the complimentary close before typing the sender’s full name.  Once the letter is printed, space is allotted for the senders signature. Make sure you use a pen with black or blue ink.

Now, did we cover the basic parts you need to start writing a business letter? Great, feel free to ask anything in the comments below. Check out our social media accounts for updates and new lessons.

More blogs:5 Resume Writing Tips to Help You Ace the Job You Want