Business Letter

Parts of a

Business Letter

• Business letter is a letter which is used by

organizations to communicate in a
professional way with customers, other
companies, clients, shareholders and
investors, etc.

• Business letter use formal language and a

specific format. Companies use it to convey
important information and messages.

• An individual can also use it while writing an

application for a job, cover letters, or and
formal document.

What is a business letter?

The major parts of a business
letter includes:

1. The Letterhead/ Return Address
2.Reference Line (not mandatory)
3. Date
4.Inside Address
5. Greeting/Salutation
6.Body
7. Complimentary Close
8.Signature Block
9.Enclosure (not mandatory)

Parts of a business letter:

Letterhead or Return Address: A letterhead
contains the company name, address and
contact information. An individual may also
create a letterhead that contains his name
and personal contact information; it is always
necessary to the sender’s information.
Reference Line: If the recipient specifically
requests information, such as a job o

reference or invoice number, type it on one line.

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Date: The date is the day the letter is sent. The most
commonly used date format is: August 6, 2018. Do not
abbreviate the month and always include all four digits
of the year.

Inside Address. This is the address of the recipient or
who the letter is going too. The first line in the should
include the recipient’s name and title, and the second
line should state the recipient’s company or business.
The third and fourth lines are designated for the actual
address.

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Greetings or Salutation: Different circumstances
determine which salutation or greeting is most
appropriate. Use “Dear” when the recipient’s
name or title is known. Examples include “Dear
Mr. Doe” or “Dear Sales Director.” When the
name or title is unknown, use “Dear Sir/Madam”
or “To Whom It May Concern.”

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Body: The body is the longest part of a letter and is
usually divided into three subcategories:
• Introduction, main content and summary. The

introductory paragraph states the purpose of the
letter.

• The main content conveys all necessary detailed

information and has no set length requirements.

• The last paragraph summarizes the information

provided, restates the letter intent and offers either
instructions or an inquiry regarding follow-up
correspondence.

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Complimentary Close: The complimentary close
is a word or short phrase that basically means
“goodbye.” “Sincerely” is the most common
closing remark. Others include “cordially,” “best
wishes,” and “best regards.” The complimentary
close can vary in degrees of formality and is
dependent upon the relationship between the
sender and recipient.

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Signature Block: In letters, the signature block is
simply the sender’s name and title; typed on the
fourth line below the complimentary close for the
sender to provide his/ her written signature.

Enclosures Notation: Show the documents attached
to the letter. The documents can be anything like
cheque, draft, bills, receipts, invoices, etc.

Format

• One (1) blank space between each letter

part except for the complimentary close
(which has 3 to 4 blank space)

• The body is single space and one (1) blank

space between each paragraph.
o All margins (top, bottom, left and right)

are 1 inch

o When typing the date, the month

should be spell-out and the year with 4
digits.