The Salutation

IMMERSION HANDOUTS
 Use "To Whom It May Concern," if you’re unsure
Letter writing
specifically whom you’re addressing.
 Use the formal salutation “Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. [Last
Business Letter Format With Examples
Name],” if you do not know the recipient.
A business letter is a formal document often sent from one  Use “Dear [First Name],” only if you have an informal
company to another or from a company to its clients, relationship with the recipient.
employees, and stakeholders, for example. Business letters are
used for professional correspondence between individuals, as The Body
well.
 Use single-spaced lines with an added space between
Although email has taken over as the most common form of each paragraph, after the salutation, and above the
correspondence, printed-out business letters are still used for closing.
many important, serious types of  Left justify your letter (against the left margin).
correspondence, including reference letters, employment
verification, job offers, and more. Closing Salutation
Keep your closing paragraph to two sentences. Simply
What to Include in the Letter reiterate your reason for writing and thank the reader for
Make the purpose of your letter clear through simple and considering your request. Some good options for your closing
targeted language, keeping the opening paragraph brief. You include:
can start with, “I am writing in reference to…” and from there,
communicate only what you need to say.  Respectfully yours
 Yours sincerely
The subsequent paragraphs should include information that
 Cordially
gives your reader a full understanding of your objective(s) but
 Respectfully
avoid meandering sentences and needlessly long words.
Again, keep it concise to sustain their attention.
If your letter is less formal, consider using:
Sections of a Business Letter
Each section of your letter should adhere to the appropriate  All the best
format, starting with your contact information and that of  Best
your recipient’s; salutation; the body of the letter; closing;  Thank you
and finally, your signature.  Regards

Your Contact Information Your Signature

Write your signature just beneath your closing and leave four
 Your Name single spaces between your closing and your typed full name,
 Your Job Title title, phone number, email address, and any other contact
 Your Company information you want to include. Use the format below:
 Your Address
 City, State Zip Code Your handwritten signature
 Your Phone Number
 Your Email Address Typed full name
Title
The Date
Business Letter Layout Example
 The date you're penning the correspondence Letter Font and Spacing

Recipient’s Contact Information  Properly space the layout of the business letters you
write, with space between the heading, the greeting,
 Their Name
each paragraph, the closing, and your signature.
 Their Title
 Single-space your letter and leave a space between
 Their Company
each paragraph. When sending typed letters, leave
 The Company’s Address
two spaces before and after your written signature.
 City, State Zip Code
Left-justify your letter, so that your contact information, Your Contact Information
the date, the letter, and your signature are all aligned to the Your Name
left. Your Address
Your City, State Zip Code
Use a plain font like Arial, Times New Roman, Courier Your Phone Number
New, Calibri, or Verdana. Make sure that the font size you Your Email Address
use is large enough that your reader won’t need to reach
for their glasses—the standard font size for these fonts is Date
10-point or 12-point.
Recipient's Contact Information
Business Letter Etiquette and Tone Name
Title
Company
If you’re used to writing more informal correspondence, it’s a Address
good idea to refresh your memory about the required City, State Zip Code
sections (e.g., salutation) and tone (professional) of a business
letter before composing your own. Salutation
Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name:
Salutation
It is still standard to use the recipient’s title (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Body of Letter
The first paragraph of your business letter should introduce

DO NOT RETURN
Dr., Professor, Judge) before their last names in why you are writing.
the salutation of formal business correspondence (example:
“Dear Mr. Smith”). The word “Dear” should always precede Then, in the following paragraphs provide more information
the recipient’s name; don’t simply use their name by itself as and details about your request.

THIS HANDOUTS
you might do in casual correspondence.

By the same token, avoid beginning business correspondence

The final paragraph should reiterate the reason you are writing
and thank the reader for reviewing your request.
with openings like “Hello,” “Hi,” or “Good morning.” Business
Closing
letters should always begin with “Dear [recipient’s title and
Respectfully yours,
name].” The exception is if you use the salutation “To Whom
It May Concern” when you do not know the name of the Signature
recipient. Handwritten Signature (for a hard copy letter)

Closing Typed Signature

Your closing needs to err on the side of the conservative.
Acceptable closings to use include: “Sincerely,” “Sincerely
yours,” “Best regards,” “Regards,” “Thank you,” “Thank you
for your consideration,” “Respectfully,” and “Very
respectfully” (this is often abbreviated “V/R” in military
business correspondence). 2 spaces

Do not use casual closings like: “Later,” “Cheers,” “Cordially,”

“Thanks!,” “TTYL,” or “Warmly.”
2 spaces

Word Choice and Grammar 2 spaces

Although your word choice for business letters should not be

too stilted, flowery, or ornate, you should also avoid using
slang, abbreviations/acronyms, emojis, or text-speak. Don’t 2 spaces

use the sentence fragments that are commonly used when

texting. Instead, use complete sentences and watch out for
comma splices (where two complete sentences are joined by
a comma). Proofread carefully for spelling errors and
grammatical mistakes.
2 spaces

Business Letter Layout Example 4 spaces

Here's an example of each component of a business letter and

how to format them.