I. Formats of Business Letters
A letter that is neat, easy to read and presents a professional image will leave a good impression on your reader. When writing business letters, you must pay special attention to the format used. Keep in mind that different organizations have different format requirements for their professional communication.
Indented Format Following traditional British practice, the indented format takes in five or six spaces in the first line of each paragraph in the body of the letter, though deeper indentations than these are sometimes preferred. However, Consistency in use is, the important point.
Blocked Format Blocked Format is the easiest style to use because every letter begins at the left margin. Because of this, itu2019s also one of the most widely used styles. However, in some cases, blocked format can give the letter a left-heavy appearance. You may want to avoid this minor flaw by using modified blocked format.
Modified Blocked Format The modified blocked format uses the basic blocked format. However, the following parts of the letter begin at the horizontal center of the page: the return address, the date, the complimentary close, the signature, the senderu2019s typed name, and the senderu2019s official title. Using the center at a left margin for these elements gives the letter a more balanced look. Writers can also use blocked paragraphs, as in blocked format ted-letters.
II. Principles of Business Letter-Writing
Clearness In order to achieve clearness, you should not convey more than one idea in a sentence. Youu2019d better not introduce more than one topic in a paragraph and not deal with more than one matter in a letter.
Conciseness Try to make your message brief and straight to the point. Avoid using long words or sentences. Use daily expressions to replace jargons. Express yourself in an orderly and logical way. A good business letter should be natural, human and easy to read.
Correctness You have to make sure that both the language and facts are correct. In terms of language, you should make sure that you make no grammatical mistakes. Pay attention to punctuation for it will effect the meaning of the sentence.
Courtesy This is more than politeness. A good business letter should be positive, friendly and sincere.