WRITING A BUSINESS LETTER

Why? Suggestions/Requests Compliments Complaints Rebates/Offers Subscriptions/Cancellations Questions/Comments

FORMATTING Business letters should be typed They should not include a postscript. All typing begins at the left margin Write on fronts only; include more pages if necessary.

HEADING Begin typing the heading on the first line of the page Begin at the margin The heading includes your address and the date.

Heading 34 Willow Way Lincoln, RI 02865 October 1, 2002

INSIDE ADDRESS Assures that your letter is delivered within the business without an envelope 4 returns after the heading Honorific and full name, comma, title of recipient Company name Mailing address

Inside Address 34 Willow Way Lincoln, RI 02865 October 1, 2002 Mr. Bart Simpson, President Crank Calls, Inc. 1313 Evergreen Terrace Springfield, NJ 07733 Inside Address

SALUTATION Hit “Enter” twice after the inside address. Type the salutation at the left-hand margin. Begins with the word “Dear” and is followed by “Mr.” or “Mrs.” and last name. Place a colon after the person’s name.

Salutation 34 Willow Way Lincoln, RI 02865 October 1, 2002 Bart Simpson, President Crank Calls, Inc. 1313 Evergreen Terrace Springfield, NJ 07733 Salutation Dear Mr. Simpson:

BODY - Format Skip one line after the salutation. DO NOT indent each new paragraph. Double space between paragraphs. Keep paragraphs short for easy reading. The body of a business letter has a specific order

BODY – 1st Paragraph May only be two sentences long: Who you are (in relation to the company – make them understand why they should listen to you) Reason(s) you are writing (complaint, compliment, request information, etc.)

1st Paragraph 34 Willow Way Lincoln, RI 02865 October 1, 2002 Bart Simpson, President Crank Calls, Inc. 1313 Evergreen Terrace Springfield, NJ 07733 Dear Mr. Simpson: I am a victim of your business’s services. I am writing to both you and the Better Business Bureau to complain about your company. 1st Paragraph

BODY – Middle Paragraphs Middle Body Paragraphs: Thoughts, suggestions, compliments, or complaints about the topic – ONE IDEA per paragraph

Middle Paragraphs 34 Willow Way Lincoln, RI 02865 October 1, 2002 Bart Simpson, President Crank Calls, Inc. 1313 Evergreen Terrace Springfield, NJ 07733 Dear Mr. Simpson: I am a victim of your business’s services. I am writing to both you and the Better Business Bureau to complain about your company. I am a teacher who is constantly harassed over the phone by my students, who are using your services. I would like to request that you stop dealing with my students. By using your services, my students are losing the chance to use their minds to come up with their own put-downs, insults, and jokes. I don’t want to be crank-called, but if I must be, I’d prefer my students learn something from it. Middle Paragraphs

BODY – Last Paragraph Last paragraph: Thanks for time & consideration Request for acknowledgement Necessary contact information

Last Paragraph 34 Willow Way Lincoln, RI 02865 October 1, 2002 Bart Simpson, President Crank Calls, Inc. 1313 Evergreen Terrace Springfield, NJ 07733 Dear Mr. Simpson: I am a victim of your business’s services. I am writing to both you and the Better Business Bureau to complain about your company. I am a teacher who is constantly harassed over the phone by my students, who are using your services. I would like to request that you stop dealing with my students. By using your services, my students are losing the chance to use their minds to come up with their own put-downs, insults, and jokes. I don’t want to be crank-called, but if I must be, I’d prefer my students learn something from it. Last Paragraph Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter. I am certain you will see the importance of letting children make their own crank calls. I look forward to hearing your response. In lieu of writing, feel free to call me at 732-855-5397.

Closing Skip one line after the body. Capitalize only the first word. Follow with a comma Business letter closing words: Sincerely, Respectfully, Yours Sincerely, Yours Truly

Closing 34 Willow Way Lincoln, RI 02865 October 1, 2002 Bart Simpson, President Crank Calls, Inc. 1313 Evergreen Terrace Springfield, NJ 07733 Dear Mr. Simpson: I am a victim of your business’s services. I am writing to both you and the Better Business Bureau to complain about your company. I am a teacher who is constantly harassed over the phone by my students, who are using your services. I would like to request that you stop dealing with my students. By using your services, my students are losing the chance to use their minds to come up with their own put-downs, insults, and jokes. I don’t want to be crank-called, but if I must be, I’d prefer my students learn something from it. Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter. I am certain you will see the importance of letting children make their own crank calls. I look forward to hearing your response. In lieu of writing, feel free to call me at 732-855-5397. Closing Sincerely,

Signature “RETURN” four times. Type your full name. Between your closing and your typed name, sign your full name, preferably with blue ink.

Signature Typed Name Amanda Hugginkiss 34 Willow Way Lincoln, RI 02865 October 1, 2002 Bart Simpson, President Crank Calls, Inc. 1313 Evergreen Terrace Springfield, NJ 07733 Dear Mr. Simpson: I am a victim of your business’s services. I am writing to both you and the Better Business Bureau to complain about your company. I am a teacher who is constantly harassed over the phone by my students, who are using your services. I would like to request that you stop dealing with my students. By using your services, my students are losing the chance to use their minds to come up with their own put-downs, insults, and jokes. I don’t want to be crank-called, but if I must be, I’d prefer my students learn something from it. Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter. I am certain you will see the importance of letting children make their own crank calls. I look forward to hearing your response. In lieu of writing, feel free to call me at 732-855-5397. Sincerely, Signature Amanda Hugginkiss Mrs. Amanda Hugginkiss Typed Name

Be sure to always make a copy for your records! Once you have revised, edited, and re-drafted your letter several times, you are ready to mail it. Be sure to always make a copy for your records!

Margin Planner My Street Address My City, ST Zip Today’s Date (Skip 4 Lines) Their Name Their Organization Their Street Address Their City, ST Zip (Skip 2 Lines) Dear Their Name: Body Paragraph 1 – Address/State Problem Body Paragraph 2 – Finish Stating Problem and present solution wanted and reasons Body Paragraph 3 – Sum up problem briefly again and solution wanted Sincerely, Print My Name

Business Letter Reminder Write your response to the writing prompt below. You may not use a dictionary. If you do not know how to spell a word, sound the word out and do the best you can. You may either print or write in cursive. Write clearly! Any erasures or strike-throughs should be as clean as possible.

Business Letter Writing the Letter As of January 1, 2012 the Yucaipa-Calimesa J.U.S.D board of trustees has determined that there should be a ban placed on the possession or use of electronic devices on all YCJUSD campuses. Write a business letter to the YCJUSD board addressing your concerns or support of the new policy. *Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District 12797 Third Street Yucaipa, CA 92399

Checklist for Your Writing Business Letter Checklist for Your Writing The following checklist will help you to do your best work. Make sure you: Read the description of the task carefully. Organize your writing with a statement of purpose, body and conclusion. Use correct business letter format. Make sure your writing is clear, concise and focused. Use precise language that is appropriate for your audience and purpose. Vary your sentences to make your writing interesting to read. Check for mistakes in grammar, spelling and punctuation, capitalization and sentence formation.