Creating a Business Letter

Computer Applications

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What is a Business Letter? Why write one? To Whom is one written? What should be in one? What is proper format?

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What are the types of Business Letters?

Personal Business Not on Letterhead Contains your typed Return Address

Formal Business Typed on Letterhead Letterhead

• Already contains your return address • You don’t retype it

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What are the Required Parts of a Business Letter?

Heading Inside Address Salutation Body Complimentary Closing Signature Optional:

Enclosure Typists Initials

Let’s look at a sample

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What’s in The Heading (your information)

Single Spaced – followed by four lines Always includes the date

As the last entry Personal Business Letter (no letterhead)

Your return address• Only abbreviation is Postal Code - NJ

May include Phone#, Fax#, Email@ Date

Formal Business Letter (on letterhead) Date only

The Sample

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What is the Inside Address (addressee’s information)

Person’s Name, Title Company Name/Department Company Address Single Spaced

Followed by one blank lines (Enter Key twice)

The Sample

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What is the Salutation? (a greeting)

Dear Mr. Soandso Dear Dr. Smith Dear Ms. Jones To Whom it May Concern Dear Sir or Madam

The Sample

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What is the Body? (The actual letter)

Brief and to the point! Strictly Business

Guideline – 3 paragraphs Brief Introduction Contents - What I want Conclusion and Thank you

Each paragraph: Single Spaced Followed by one blank lines (Enter Key twice)

The Sample

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Complimentary Close Sincerely, Yours truly, Respectfully yours, Followed by three lines (Enter Key 4 times)

After printing you will sign the letter here

The Sample

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Signature Your Full Name

Mrs. Regina Sikorski Your Title (if appropriate)

Computer Club Moderator Followed by one lines (Enter Key twice)

If optional parts are required

The Sample

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Optional Parts

Typist Initials If your secretary typed this for you RES/js

Enclosure If something else is in the letter or

package Followed by one lines (Enter Key twice)

The Sample

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What is the spacing for aBusiness Letter?

All Parts are Single Spaced Skip a line (Enter key twice)

after most Parts and Paragraphs Skip 3 Lines (Enter key 4 times) after:

Heading Complimentary Closing

The Sample

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What are acceptable formats for a Business Letter?

Block All parts are Left Justified to the margin

Modified Block All parts Left Justified Heading, Close, Signature at

tab position 3 Indentation – choose either

• No paragraph indentation• All paragraphs first line indent .5

Different Samples

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What are acceptable punctuation styles for a Business Letter?

Open No punctuation after

• Salutation or Complimentary Closing• Dear Mrs. Smith• Respectfully yours

Mixed Punctuation after

• Colon (:) after Salutation• Dear Sir:

• Comma (,) after Complimentary Closing• Sincerely,

Different Samples

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Understand that parameters can be mixed and matched –8 Possibilities

Personal vs. Formal Format Style Punctuation Style

MixedBlock

OpenPersonal Business

MixedModified

OpenLetter

MixedBlock

OpenFormal Business

MixedModified

Open

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Let’s Do It?

Letter to Ms. Wong Modified Letter to Ms. Wong Your Corporate Letter to SendDifferent Samples