Business Letters
Mrs. Tanner
Why do we need to write business
letters?
• The key to communication
• Business to Business
• Individual to Business
• Business to Individual
• Accomplish a goal
• Earn a business’ respect
• Get what we want!
Reasons for writing letters
• I am writing to…
• inquire about …
• apologize for …
Reasons for writing letters
Requests
• Could you possibly?
• I would be grateful if
you could…
Reasons for writing letters
Agreeing to Requests
• I would be delighted
to …
Reasons for writing letters
Giving Bad News
• Unfortunately …
• I am afraid that …
Step 1 – Letterhead or
Typed Heading
Company Letterhead
Typed Heading
• Includes logo, slogan, or
other identifying items
• Address, phone number,
and other contact
information
• Use a 2 inch top margin
and 1 inch side margins
• Consists of a typed
return address
• Should also include the
name of the sender
• Email, phone, etc.
• Use a 1 inch top margin
and 1 inch side margins
Open a new document and create a typed
heading now.
Step 1 - Typed Heading
• Type your name and press Enter
• Type the address below
(Notice the format of the address. You
should ALWAYS format addresses like this.)
• Press Enter
Student Name
Ken's Cheese House
34 Chatley Avenue
Seattle, WA 98765
Step 2 - Date
• Immediately
under the heading
• Type today’s date
• Then press Enter
4 times (QS) - 3
blank lines
Student Name¶
Ken's Cheese House ¶
34 Chatley Avenue ¶
Seattle, WA 98765 ¶
February 30, 2020 ¶
¶
¶
¶
Step 3 – Inside Address
• Inside Address is who
the letter is TO
• Type the name and
address of the person
the letter is to
• Include position and
company name
• Press Enter twice (DS)
– 1 blank line
February 30, 2020 ¶
¶
¶
¶
Fred Flintstone ¶
Sales Manager ¶
Cheese Specialists Inc. ¶
456 Rubble Road ¶
Rockville, IL ¶
¶
Step 4 – Salutation or Greeting
• After the Inside
Address and a
double space (DS)
• Type the Salutation
or Greeting
• Press Enter 2 times
(DS) – 1 blank line
Fred Flintstone¶
Sales Manager ¶
Cheese Specialists Inc. ¶
456 Rubble Road ¶
Rockville, IL ¶
¶
Dear Mr. Flintstone: ¶
¶
Step 5 - Body
• After the Salutation
and a double space
• Type the body of the
letter
• Double Space (DS)
between paragraphs
• Double Space at the
end (DS)
Dear Mr. Flintstone:¶
¶
With reference to our telephone
conversation today, I am writing to
confirm your order for: 120 x Cheddar
Deluxe Ref. No. 856 ¶
¶
The order will be shipped within three
days via UPS and should arrive at your
store in about 10 days. ¶
¶
Please contact us again if we can help
in any way. ¶
¶
Dear Mr. Flintstone:¶
¶
With reference to our telephone conversation today, I am
writing to confirm your order for: 120 x Cheddar Deluxe
Ref. No. 856. ¶
¶
The order will be shipped within three days via UPS and
should arrive at your store in about 10 days. ¶
¶
Please contact us again if we can help in any way. ¶
¶
Part 6 – Complimentary Close
• Type the
Complimentary
Close
• Press Enter 4 times
(QS) – 3 blank lines
• The writer’s
signature goes here
Please contact us again if
we can help in any way. ¶
¶
Yours Sincerely, ¶
¶
¶
¶
Part 7 – Writer’s Identification
• Make sure there are
3 spaces after the
Complimentary
Close
• Type the Writer’s
Identification
including position
• Press Enter twice
(DS)
Yours sincerely, ¶
¶
¶
¶
Student Name¶
Director of Ken's Cheese
House ¶
¶
Part 8 – Reference Initials
• Type reference
initials
• Reference initials
are the initials of
the person typing
the letter.
• They are always
lower case
Kenneth Beare ¶
Director of Ken's
Cheese House ¶
¶
si¶
¶
Part 9 – Notation (optional)
• Notations include who
copies are being sent
to or other items
enclosed in the letter.
• Notations are a double
space (DS) below the
reference initials
Cheese House ¶
¶
si¶
¶
Enclosure: Invoice
Review
Fill out the worksheet to help you remember the previous information
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Typed heading
Date
(QS) – 3 blank lines
Inside Address
(DS) – 1 blank line
Student Name¶
Ken's Cheese House¶
34 Chatley Avenue¶
Seattle, WA 98765 ¶
February 30, 2020 ¶
¶
¶
¶
Fred Flintstone¶
Sales Manager¶
Cheese Specialists Inc.¶
456 Rubble Road¶
Rockville, IL¶
¶
Review
Fill out the worksheet to help you remember the previous information
6. Salutation
7. (DS) – 1 blank line
8. Body
9. (DS) – 1 blank line
10.Body
11.(DS) – 1 blank line
12.Body
13.(DS) – 1 blank line
¶
Dear Mr Flintstone:¶
¶
With reference to our telephone conversation
today, I am writing to confirm your order for:
120 x Cheddar Deluxe Ref. No. 856.¶
¶
The order will be shipped within three days
via UPS and should arrive at your store in
about 10 days.¶
¶
Please contact us again if we can help in any
way.¶
¶
Review
Fill out the worksheet to help you remember the previous information
14. Complimentary Close
15. (QS) – 3 blank lines
16. Writers Signature
17. Writers Identification
18. (DS) – 1 blank line
19. Reference Initials
20. (DS) – 1 blank line
21. Notation
¶
Yours sincerely,¶
¶
¶
¶
Kenneth Beare¶
Director of Ken's Cheese House¶
¶
si¶
¶
Enclosure: Invoice¶
Styles of Letters
• Block Style
• Modified Block Style
• Modified Block with Indented Paragraph
Punctuation Styles
• Open Punctuation – NO punctuation after the
salutation or complimentary close
• Mixed Punctuation - has a colon after the
salutation (never a comma) and a comma after the
complementary close.
• These are the only two parts of a letter that are affected
by the punctuation styles.
• Commas after the salutation are used only in strictly
personal letters.
Block Style
• Block Style with mixed
punctuation
• Block Style:
• All letter parts are aligned
on the left margin
• Mixed Punctuation:
• Colon follows the salutation
• Comma follows the
Complimentary close
Student Name
Ken's Cheese House
34 Chatley Avenue
Seattle, WA 98765
February 30, 2020
Fred Flintstone
Sales Manager
Cheese Specialists Inc.
456 Rubble Road
Rockville, IL
Dear Mr. Flintstone:
With reference to our telephone conversation today, I am writing to
confirm your order for: 120 x Cheddar Deluxe Ref. No. 856
The order will be shipped within three days via UPS and should arrive
at your store in about 10 days.
Please contact us again if we can help in any way.
Yours sincerely,
Kenneth Beare
Director of Ken's Cheese House
si
Modified Block
Style
• Modified Block Style with
Open Punctuation
• Modified Block Style:
• Date, complimentary close,
and signature block start at
the center of the page
• All other parts are aligned
on the left margin
Student Name
Ken's Cheese House
34 Chatley Avenue
Seattle, WA 98765
February 30, 2020
Fred Flintstone
Sales Manager
Cheese Specialists Inc.
456 Rubble Road
Rockville, IL
Dear Mr. Flintstone
With reference to our telephone conversation today, I am writing to
confirm your order for: 120 x Cheddar Deluxe Ref. No. 856
The order will be shipped within three days via UPS and should arrive
at your store in about 10 days.
Please contact us again if we can help in any way.
Yours sincerely
• Open Punctuation:
• NO punctuation after the
salutation or the
complimentary close
Kenneth Beare
Director of Ken's Cheese House
si
Modified Block with
Indented Paragraphs
• Modified Block Style with
Indented Paragraphs and
Mixed Punctuation
• Modified Block Style:
• Date and complimentary
close, and signature block
start at center of the page
• All other parts are aligned
on the left margin
Student Name
Ken's Cheese House
34 Chatley Avenue
Seattle, WA 98765
February 30, 2020
Fred Flintstone
Sales Manager
Cheese Specialists Inc.
456 Rubble Road
Rockville, IL
Dear Mr. Flintstone
With reference to our telephone conversation today, I am writing to
confirm your order for: 120 x Cheddar Deluxe Ref. No. 856
The order will be shipped within three days via UPS and should
arrive at your store in about 10 days.
Please contact us again if we can help in any way.
Yours sincerely
• Open Punctuation:
• NO punctuation after the
salutation or the
complimentary close
Kenneth Beare
Director of Ken's Cheese House
si
QUIZ
1. What should be at the top of a
business letter, before the date?
a) Salutation
b) Greeting
c) Letterhead
d) Reference Initials
2. What is the main text of the
letter called?
a) Notation
b) Subject Line
c) Body
d) Writers Identification
3. The lower case initials at the end
of the letter are
a) An acronym
b) The initials of the person who the letter is from
c) The initials of the person the letter is to
d) The initials of the person who typed the letter
4. How many blank lines should be
after the Complimentary Close?
a) 2
b) 3
c) 4
d) 5
Student Name
Ken's Cheese House
34 Chatley Avenue
Seattle, WA 98765
February 30, 2020
Fred Flintstone
Sales Manager
Cheese Specialists Inc.
456 Rubble Road
Rockville, IL
Dear Mr Flintstone:
With reference to our telephone conversation today, I am writing to
confirm your order for: 120 x Cheddar Deluxe Ref. No. 856
The order will be shipped within three days via UPS and should arrive
at your store in about 10 days.
5. Which Style
of Letter
a) Block Style
b) Modified Block
Style
Please contact us again if we can help in any way.
Yours sincerely,
Kenneth Beare
Director of Ken's Cheese House
si
c) Modified Block
with Indented
Paragraphs
Student Name
Ken's Cheese House
34 Chatley Avenue
Seattle, WA 98765
February 30, 2020
Fred Flintstone
Sales Manager
Cheese Specialists Inc.
456 Rubble Road
Rockville, IL
6. Which Style
of Punctuation
a) Open Punctuation
Dear Mr. Flintstone:
With reference to our telephone conversation today, I am writing to
confirm your order for: 120 x Cheddar Deluxe Ref. No. 856
The order will be shipped within three days via UPS and should arrive
at your store in about 10 days.
Please contact us again if we can help in any way.
Yours sincerely,
Kenneth Beare
Director of Ken's Cheese House
si
b) Mixed
Punctuation
Student Name
Ken's Cheese House
34 Chatley Avenue
Seattle, WA 98765
February 30, 2020
Fred Flintstone
Sales Manager
Cheese Specialists Inc.
456 Rubble Road
Rockville, IL
7. Which Style
of Letter
a) Block Style
Dear Mr. Flintstone
With reference to our telephone conversation today, I am writing to
confirm your order for: 120 x Cheddar Deluxe Ref. No. 856
The order will be shipped within three days via UPS and should arrive
at your store in about 10 days.
b) Modified Block
Style
Please contact us again if we can help in any way.
Yours sincerely
Kenneth Beare
Director of Ken's Cheese House
si
c) Modified Block
with Indented
Paragraphs
Student Name
Ken's Cheese House
34 Chatley Avenue
Seattle, WA 98765
February 30, 2020
Fred Flintstone
Sales Manager
Cheese Specialists Inc.
456 Rubble Road
Rockville, IL
8. Which Style of
Punctuation
a) Open Punctuation
Dear Mr. Flintstone
With reference to our telephone conversation today, I am writing to
confirm your order for: 120 x Cheddar Deluxe Ref. No. 856
The order will be shipped within three days via UPS and should arrive
at your store in about 10 days.
Please contact us again if we can help in any way.
Yours sincerely
Kenneth Beare
Director of Ken's Cheese House
si
b) Mixed
Punctuation
Student Name
Ken's Cheese House
34 Chatley Avenue
Seattle, WA 98765
February 30, 2020
Fred Flintstone
Sales Manager
Cheese Specialists Inc.
456 Rubble Road
Rockville, IL
9. Which Style
of Letter
a) Block Style
Dear Mr. Flintstone
With reference to our telephone conversation today, I am writing to
confirm your order for: 120 x Cheddar Deluxe Ref. No. 856
The order will be shipped within three days via UPS and should
arrive at your store in about 10 days.
b) Modified Block
Style
Please contact us again if we can help in any way.
Yours sincerely
Kenneth Beare
Director of Ken's Cheese House
si
c) Modified Block
with Indented
Paragraphs
Student Name
Ken's Cheese House
34 Chatley Avenue
Seattle, WA 98765
February 30, 2020
Fred Flintstone
Sales Manager
Cheese Specialists Inc.
456 Rubble Road
Rockville, IL
10. Which Style
of Punctuation
a) Open Punctuation
Dear Mr. Flintstone
With reference to our telephone conversation today, I am writing to
confirm your order for: 120 x Cheddar Deluxe Ref. No. 856
The order will be shipped within three days via UPS and should
arrive at your store in about 10 days.
Please contact us again if we can help in any way.
Yours sincerely
Kenneth Beare
Director of Ken's Cheese House
si
b) Mixed
Punctuation