Writing Business Letters

Six parts of the Business letter The heading The inside address The salutation The body The closing The signature

The Heading Your street address Your city, state, and ZIP code The date the letter was written

Example: 4561 Easy Street Agoura, CA 99303 April 15, 2008

The Inside Address Name of the person you are writing (Use a courtesy title such as Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss) or a professional title (such as Dr. or Professor) in front of the person’s name. After the person’s name include the person’s address.

Example: 4561 Easy Street Agoura, CA 99303 April 15, 2008 Dr. Christian 101 Memorial Pkwy. Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

The Salutation This is your greeting! If you are writing to a specific person, begin with dear followed by a courtesy title or a professional title and the person’s name. End the salutation with a colon. If you don’t have a specific name, you can use a general salutation such as Dear Sir or Madam.

Example: 4561 Easy Street Agoura, CA 99303 April 15, 2008 Dr. Christian 101 Memorial Pkwy. Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 Dear Dr. Christian:

The Body The main part of your letter contains your message. It begins beneath the salutation. If the body of your letter contains more than one paragraph, leave a blank line between paragraphs.

Example: 4561 Easy Street Agoura, CA 99303 April 15, 2008 Dr. Christian 101 Memorial Pkwy. Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 Dear Dr. Christian: I am submitting my resume to express my interest in the Marketing/Promotions Assistant position you posted with California Lutheran University. I was drawn to this position because it encompasses a blend of marketing and advertising, and public speaking which are all the areas I am most interested in. On your website, I was pleased to discover that the driving force of your company is your belief of getting inside the hearts and minds of consumers, retailers, and manufacturers. During my internship at an independent advertising firm, I have seen how important this principle is in the development of strategic marketing and advertising campaigns. While working on various campaigns, I have been able to sharpen my ability to integrate theory with creative solutions and have also learned to undertake the diverse challenges presented by marketing and advertising tasks. I have attached my resume, which details additional information regarding my experiences and abilities. I look forward to meeting with you to discuss my interest and qualifications at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your time and consideration.

The Closing The closing should end your letter courteously. There are several closings that are often used in business letters, such as Sincerely yours, Yours truly, or Regards. Capitalize only the first word.

Example: 4561 Easy Street Agoura, CA 99303 April 15, 2008 Dr. Christian 101 Memorial Pkwy. Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 Dear Dr. Christian: I am submitting my resume to express my interest in the Marketing/Promotions Assistant position you posted with California Lutheran University. I was drawn to this position because it encompasses a blend of marketing and advertising, and public speaking which are all the areas I am most interested in. On your website, I was pleased to discover that the driving force of your company is your belief of getting inside the hearts and minds of consumers, retailers, and manufacturers. During my internship at an independent advertising firm, I have seen how important this principle is in the development of strategic marketing and advertising campaigns. While working on various campaigns, I have been able to sharpen my ability to integrate theory with creative solutions and have also learned to undertake the diverse challenges presented by marketing and advertising tasks. I have attached my resume, which details additional information regarding my experiences and abilities. I look forward to meeting with you to discuss my interest and qualifications at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Natasha Bettingfield

The Signature Your signature should be written in ink, directly below the closing. Your name should be typed below your signature.

Example: 4561 Easy Street Agoura, CA 99303 April 15, 2008 Dr. Christian 101 Memorial Pkwy. Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 Dear Dr. Christian: I am submitting my resume to express my interest in the Marketing/Promotions Assistant position you posted with California Lutheran University. I was drawn to this position because it encompasses a blend of marketing and advertising, and public speaking which are all the areas I am most interested in. On your website, I was pleased to discover that the driving force of your company is your belief of getting inside the hearts and minds of consumers, retailers, and manufacturers. During my internship at an independent advertising firm, I have seen how important this principle is in the development of strategic marketing and advertising campaigns. While working on various campaigns, I have been able to sharpen my ability to integrate theory with creative solutions and have also learned to undertake the diverse challenges presented by marketing and advertising tasks. I have attached my resume, which details additional information regarding my experiences and abilities. I look forward to meeting with you to discuss my interest and qualifications at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Natasha Bettingfield

Letters of Application The purpose of a letter of application is to provide a selection committee or possible employers with enough information about you so that they can make a decision about whether you are a good choice for a position, such as a scholarship or summer job.

Writing Tips Use a polite, respectful, professional tone. Use formal, standard English. (avoid slang, contractions and abbreviations Conversational language is inappropriate!) Explain the purpose of your letter quickly and clearly.

Letter of Application Assignment: Following the block style business letter format, write a letter of application with two body paragraphs that address the following: Identify the job or position you are applying for and tell how you heard about it. Tell about yourself. Depending on the position you are applying for, you might include: Your age, grade in school, or grade-point average Your experience, or your activities, awards, and honors Personal qualities or characteristics that make you a good choice for the position.