What is a Business Letter? Communications 11 and 12 Lesson 39 What is a Business Letter? Overview of Letter Parts Dateline and Letter Address Salutation Closing Letter Parts Letter Format Letter Placement

Overview of Letter Parts Letterhead Dateline Letter Address Salutation Body Complimentary Closing Writer’s Name and Title Reference Initials

Dateline and Letter Address Date letter is mailed QS (4 spaces below dateline) Include personal title Letter address Person who receives the letter Include personal title One space before Postal Code One space before Postal Code

Salutation Salutation Salutation is the greeting Open punctuation requires no mark following the salutation No punctuation following the salutation

Proper Salutations Ladies and Gentlemen Dear title and surname Appropriate when the letter is addressed to a company Dear title and surname Standard letter address Use professional titles (Dr., Rev.) or personal titles (generally Mr. or Ms.) Example: Dear Mr. McDonald

Letter Parts Body Complimentary closing Writer’s name and title Body is the message Complimentary closing The complimentary closing is the farewell Writer’s name and title QS (4 spaces)below complimentary close

Block Letter Style All lines begin at left margin Default side margins Vertical position: Center the page vertically or Position dateline 2.3” to 3” from the top of the page, depending on length of the letter

Letter Placement Table Length Margins Position on Page Short (1-2 Para) Default Center page Average (3-4 Para) Default Center page or Dateline 2.7” from top Long (4 or more Para) Default Center page or Dateline 2.3” from top

Centering Letter on Page File Page setup Layout tab Vertical alignment Center

Print Preview Shows how a document will look when it is printed. Use it to check the placement and format of the letter before printing.

Steps to Creating a Letter Key the letter Use correct spacing between parts Correct errors Check the spelling Delete extra hard returns (¶) above date or below initials Center letter on page Use Print Preview to check placement Position date manually if necessary Print, proofread, edit if necessary

Sample Letter Click letter to see sample business letter with proper formatting