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How to start a formal letter. How to write a letter to an organization. business writing style

According to the British Direct Marketing Association, every pound invested in email marketing in 2015 generated a return of 38 pounds. Want to achieve the same results, but do not know how to write a letter to a client?Then use the bestsamples letters to clients, which we have collected for you in this review.

How to write a letter to a client

You think about customers all the time, but it's not mutual. To capture their attention and get ahead of your competitors, you need to regularly remind yourself of yourself. Emails are great for this. According to the authors of the Pipedrive blog, there are a few tricks that can work in your favor:

  1. Patience and more patience. Bring the potential buyer to the deal gradually by regularly sending him .
  2. Agree on a strategy in sending letters to clients with the marketing department, so as not to be too intrusive and not clog the client's mailbox with repeated information.
  3. Use a CRM system. It will simplify the technical side of communication with clients and speed up the work with mail.

A CRM system is a handy program that helps keep records of clients and transactions, records all calls, and also helps to conveniently organize correspondence with a client. For example, the program integrates with the mail service (you can connect an unlimited number of mailboxes) and allows you to save the history of correspondence directly in the counterparty card. If you wrote new client, then you can create a deal card directly from the incoming letter.

And now the most interesting thing: to send a letter to a client from CRM, you don't even have to type text. With the help of the document designer, you can create a set of letters for all occasions and send them to clients in two clicks. SalesapCRM itself will substitute the name and other data of the client in the letter. Want to know the details? Then press .

Letters to clients: examples and ready-made samples

We have compiled a selectionbusiness letters to clientswhich you can take as a sample. All you have to do is fill in the details.

1. Are you writing to a potential client for the first time? Send this short message:

Letter subject: Perhaps you are our new client

Hello, [Name].

We [brief information about company].

If you are interested, I am ready to discuss the possibility of cooperation. Let us know what time it would be convenient for you to call.

[Signature]

2. Tell the potential client about successful experience cooperation with its competitors:

Letter subject: Keep up with competitors

Hello, [Name].

We have been successfully working with [competitor X and Y] v [field of activity] already [so much time] and together we achieved good results. Acquainted with detailed information about them you can here [link to case/review].

We will be glad if you join us.

[Signature]

3. If you received contacts of potential clients at a business event, send themoffer lettersuchsample:

Letter subject: More about our company

Hello, [Name].

I hope you liked it too [event] and would like to thank you for your interest in [Company name].

I am attaching more detailed information about our company. I will be glad to discuss all your questions by phone.

[Signature]

Reminder letters

4. Some time after sending letters to the client offering services or more information remind about yourself:

Letter subject: Do you want to discuss something?

Hello, [Name].

I hope you have had the opportunity to read my previous letter and learn more about [additional information].

Do you have any questions or thoughts on my proposal? I would be happy to discuss them by phone or in person. When will you have time for this?

[Signature]

5. If you can show the effectiveness of your proposal in numbers, then share them in letters to company clients. Facts convince better.

Letter subject: A few facts you might not know about [Company name]

Hello, [Name].

I recently sent you an email about [Company name] and I think we could be useful [your company].

Our clients are seeing growth [specify indicators] when used [name of product and service]. We also offer [tell about promotions] and [mention other great deals].

If you want to know the details, please let us know, and we will agree on negotiations by phone or at a meeting.

I look forward to an answer.

[Signature]

6. Offer to customers trial period or free samples. Buyers are more willing to make a deal if they test the product first.

Letter subject: Gift for your company

Hello, [Name].

A few days ago I sent you information about [the product's name] and now I propose to try it in action.

I have created/attached some guest logins/free samples/vouchers that can be used to access/receive [product or service]. Share them with your colleagues. It would be interesting to hear their opinion.

I would be happy to discuss everything in more detail by phone or in person. I'm sure we can really be of service to you in [field of activity].

[Signature]

7. If you are not sure that you are in correspondence with an employee authorized to negotiate, ask him to help get through to the decision maker:

Letter subject: I hope you can direct me to the right person

Hello, [Name].

A few days ago I sent you an email about [company or product] and now I doubt that I turned to the address.

Are you the one who decides on the issue that interests me? If not, could you help me get in touch with the right person in your company?

Waiting for your reply.

8. Use this text of the letter to the client if, after meeting with him, you want to ask him about his future plans:

Letter subject: your plans

Hello, [Name].

Thank you for your time. Now I would like to know how you see the further discussion of our issue.

If you are still interested, please let us know about your plans.

Waiting for your reply.

[Signature]

9. After meeting with the client, remind him of the following negotiation steps:

Letter subject: Action plan for the near future

Hello, [Name].

Thank you for taking the time - today's meeting was very productive. Let me briefly remind you how we will proceed:

[Date]: I will send you [contract/full set of documents].

[Date]: You will give me comments and wishes.

[Date]: We will make all final changes and sign the agreement.

If you need to discuss anything before that date, let me know.

10. Make upsuchletter to the clientif at the meeting he wanted to receive Additional information:

Letter subject: Information on your request

Hello, [Name].

We were glad to meet personally with representatives of your organization. I promised to send you additional information about [question]- they are in the attached file.

Ready to answer any questions. Feel free to call me at [number] at any time or write to this address.

V Lately E-mail is taking an increasing place in business correspondence. Its advantages are obvious: efficiency, availability and ease of use. It should be remembered that electronic correspondence has its own nuances.

Receiving letters

  1. check your mail at least 2 times a day - in the morning and in the afternoon. Otherwise, you can stop the work of other people and delay the resolution of issues;
  2. if you received a letter, it means that someone sent it and for some reason did it. Therefore, the received letters must be read. Of course, spam is not considered here;
  3. if you are a manager, your working day should start with the launch of an email client that does not unload all day and automatically checks mail. Set up automatic delivery / receipt of mail at least every 10 (and preferably 2 - 3) minutes;
  4. if you are very busy and you have received a letter, evaluate who it is from, the subject and run through it with your eyes - this will help you quickly understand whether the letter requires an urgent response or can wait a little;
  5. the simplest and effective method to move things forward and not to collect blockages of mail - to immediately respond to letters. Therefore, if you are not carrying on a conversation or other activity that does not tolerate interruption, respond to the letter immediately.

To, Cc, Bcc fields

You should understand, remember and correctly use the "To", "Cc" and "Bcc" fields. Your actions on receiving the letter or the actions of the recipient depend on this.

  1. "To whom". If you send a question, you are waiting for a response from the addressee specified in the "To" field. If you are the recipient, you must answer. That is, the letter and the information or questions contained in it are addressed directly to the recipient indicated in this field.
  2. "Copy". Recipients in this box are receiving a letter for information or are "invited witnesses". The recipient in the copies must not general case answer a letter. Moreover, it is considered polite, if necessary, to begin with the phrase “sorry to interfere.”
  3. "Hidden copy". The fact that the letter was sent to the person specified in the "Bcc" field will not be known by the main recipient or those in the copies. This field is also used for mass mailing so that all recipients do not know your address book.

When answering, do not forget about the "Reply to all" button - this will save the recipients of the initial letter in copies and your answer will not pass by them. You can always remove unwanted recipients or add others.

If there are more than two recipients in the received letter in the "To" field, this means that both of these correspondents or any of them must answer. Decide who should answer. However, be careful when sending letters containing more than two recipients in the "To" field: for a letter sent to everyone, you run the risk of not receiving a response from anyone.

Subject field

You should not leave this field empty. The people you correspond with may receive hundreds of emails a day and use this field to quickly assess the importance of email content.

The subject of the letter should briefly reflect the subject of the letter. Headlines like "Question", "Hello!" or empty headlines betray you as a beginner, or lack of basic business writing skills.

"The Importance of Writing"

If the letter contains information about urgent changes, the text of any contract or other information that you need to pay attention to first of all, use the "high" importance, this will highlight the letter in the Inbox folder.

  • Don't use "high" importance in vain!
  • A personal letter to a business correspondent or a letter with a funny and not businesslike picture or link, mark the importance as “low”.

Writing a response

  1. Start with a greeting, it's polite.
  2. Speak the same language with the person. This applies not only to the Russian/English language, but also to the form of the text. An informal response to a formal letter is disrespectful to the respondent and a demonstration of one's own low culture.
  3. Do not use transliteration, except when sending emails from mobile devices. If your mail client does not support Russian or corrupts encodings, please attach the reply text in the attachment.
  4. A business letter should be precise, specific and concise.
    • Accuracy- Specify the exact data you are referring to (for example, meeting date, meeting agenda item, date and subject of another email, or file name).
    • concreteness- it should be clear from the letter exactly WHAT EXACTLY is required from the recipient.
    • Conciseness. Who thinks clearly, he clearly states, and your addressee sees it. Therefore, it is not necessary to state on three pages what could be written in three sentences. A concise business text is not dryness, but time saving and thought accuracy.
  5. If the letter contains several questions, topics or tasks, structure them and separate them. A continuous “stream of washing” is difficult to read and you can skip, in fact, the main question of the letter.
  6. Respond to the requests in the letter as accurately as possible. The answer to a request or task "Let's do it!" incomplete “We will do it by such and such a date”, “in such and such days”, “after such and such an event” is a more specific and accurate answer.
  7. The text must not contain errors! Misprints are not terrible, but if you write words incorrectly in each letter, it becomes noticeable very quickly and leaves a negative imprint on your image of a business partner.
  8. Never send a letter without reading what you have written! Read your answer and make sure everything is concise, precise, understandable, specific and free of grammatical errors. Check if all the necessary recipients are specified, if they are correctly placed in the "To" and "Cc" fields. Check for grammatical errors.
  9. Quote the text of the original letter.
  10. When fully quoting (if your answer to the whole letter) write the text of the answer at the BEGINNING of the letter, not at the end!
  11. If your answers are point by point, separate the quote with blank lines above and below.

Attachments

  1. Do not attach files in EXE, PIF, BAT, COM, CMD, SCR formats to emails - many email clients or servers block such attachments tightly, and the recipient will never read them. Pack them into an archive (zip, rar) as in a shell and put them in this form.
  2. It is considered normal to send attachments up to 2-3 megabytes without warning. If you would like to send an attachment bigger size, check with the correspondent whether such a file will pass through his server or whether it will fit in the mailbox.
  3. Refrain from attachments of dubious content: firstly, your correspondent may not share your tastes, and secondly, you can cause trouble to a person working in an organization where mail perusal is used.

Electronic signature

  1. Its presence is useful (there is your contact information) and this good tone showing your professionalism.
  2. The signature should not exceed 5-6 lines. It must include at least your first and last name. In addition, it is desirable to indicate your phone number, e-mail address, the name and physical address of the company, as well as the address of its website.
  3. Have two options electronic signature: for initiative (own) letters with full support

A business letter should have a clear structure, the advantages of which are:

  • saving your time and time of the addressee;
  • guarantee of reading the letter by the addressee and a correct understanding of its essence;
  • getting a clear, concise answer.

Structure of a business letter

Appeal

It is located in the "header" of the letter and contains the position and full name of the addressee. For official business correspondence, the standard treatment is “Dear”, which is written with capital letter and in the center of the sheet. And then a lot of options, depending on what they write and to whom. So, in Russia it is customary to address by name and patronymic, in companies with a Western corporate culture - just by name. If you know your partner personally, you can address it like this: "Dear Andrey Petrovich", if you don't know - "Dear Mr. Smirnov". By the way, when addressing a person, the word "mister" cannot be shortened to "mr." And in no case should you write “Dear Mr. Smirnov A.P.”. Either "Andrei Petrovich" or "Mr. Smirnov."

If you do not write to royalty, representatives of religious denominations, presidents and members of parliaments various countries consider yourself lucky. For them, there are official conversion formulas, and for each rank there are special ones. Before sending such a letter, carefully check whether the selected appeal matches the status of the addressee. It is much easier to remember how to write to military personnel: “Dear Comrade Colonel,” even if this colonel is a woman. But the appeal “Ladies and gentlemen” is secular, and it is better to use it, say, for an invitation to the opening of a salon fashion clothes. If you are inviting to a business presentation, for example, new drilling rigs, then according to established practice, the common address for everyone is “Dear Sirs”. V this case It doesn't matter that women work in this organization.

Example:

to CEO
LLC "Concord"
Dobrovolsky P.I.

Dear Pavel Ilyich!
or
Dear Mr. Dobrovolsky!

Preamble

Composes the first paragraph of the letter, which sets out its purpose, the reason that prompted you to write it. After reading the preamble, the addressee should understand the essence of the letter. Example: I am writing to you to express my dissatisfaction with the quality of raw materials for the production of furniture that your company supplies to us, and I count on your actions aimed at quickly changing the situation for the better and compensating for the losses caused to us.

Example: For last month, starting from June 2 of the current year, 10-15% of each batch of your raw materials is defective. These facts were properly documented by our company's specialists. Copies of documents are attached to this letter. The losses of our company in connection with the receipt of defective raw materials amount to about 1 million rubles. We have been cooperating with Concord LLC for five years now, and so far we have had no reason to complain. In this situation, we insist on full compensation for our losses. If necessary, we are ready to conduct a joint examination of the rejected raw materials.

Conclusion

It is necessary for a brief summing up of the entire written and logical conclusion of the letter.

Example: I am sure that you will understand this situation, and in the near future our cooperation will return to normal.

Signature

The letter ends with the signature (position + full name) of the sender, which is preceded by the standard polite form "Respectfully". Options are also possible: “Sincerely yours”, “With hope for productive cooperation”, “With gratitude for cooperation”, etc. When signing a letter, it is important to take into account the rank of the addressee and addressee. A letter addressed to the CEO must also be signed general manager Or at least his deputy. At the same time, the signature must correspond to its transcript: the situation when the deputy director puts a slash next to the director's surname and signs with his own name is unacceptable.

Example: Sincerely yours, A.D. Kiselyov, General Director of the Zarya furniture factory

P.S

Postscript (P.S.) - postscript at the end of the letter after the signature - is rarely used in business correspondence. It serves to inform the addressee about important event, which happened after the writing of the letter, or to give him information that is indirectly related to the subject of the letter.

Example 1: P.S. I inform you that the percentage of defects in the batch of raw materials received 3 hours ago has increased to 17%!

Example 2: P.S. The head of our department for the reception of raw materials will meet with your specialists at your enterprise tomorrow at 14:00.

Applications

Annexes are an optional addition to the body of the letter and therefore are drawn up on separate sheets- each application on its own sheet. There are no rules for writing them.

Standard phrases for business correspondence

Notices

  • We inform you that the delay in shipment ... occurred due to ...
  • We would like to inform you that the management of the plant has decided…
  • We inform you that your proposal has been accepted.
  • We inform you that we…
  • We would like to inform you that…
  • We would like to inform you that unfortunately we cannot…

Models of expressions explaining motives (The most common phrases at the beginning of a standard business letter)

    According to the protocol...
  • In order to enhance the security of property…
  • In response to your request...
  • In confirmation of our telephone conversation...
  • In confirmation of our agreement…
  • In order to provide technical assistance…
  • Due to the difficult situation...
  • In connection with the joint work…
  • According to the client's letter...

If the author is a legal entity, then the actions are transferred:

  1. From the third person singular, for example:
    • The Zarya plant does not object ...
    • The joint Russian-English venture "Soyuz K" offers ...
    • The Naiv cooperative guarantees…
  2. From the third person plural, for example: The management and the trade union committee of the Zarya plant earnestly ask ...
  3. First person plural:
    • Please…
    • Confirming...
    • We inform…

If the author is a natural person, then the actions are transferred:

  1. First person singular, for example:
    • For your information…
    • I beg…
    • I am informing you...
  2. First person plural, for example:
    • We approve...
    • We have received your telegram...
    • Congratulations...
    • We support…

Request

  • Please check the progress of the work...
  • Please take action…
  • Please provide performance data...

Sending documents or material values

  • Sending machine assembly drawings…
  • We send the documents you are interested in by registered post...
  • We send the contract signed on our part ...

Confirmation

  • With gratitude we acknowledge receipt of your order and proceed to its implementation ...
  • We confirm receipt of specifications for…
  • The Zarya plant confirms the terms of equipment delivery…

Sentence

  • We can offer you …
  • We invite you to purchase…
  • We can recommend you…

Invitation

  • We invite you to take part in the discussion of the project ...
  • Please join the discussion...
  • We invite a representative of your company to visit…

Refusal and rejection of the proposal (project)

  • The draft title list sent by you for construction projects in the amount of ... cannot be approved by us for the following reasons.
  • Your proposal (project) was rejected for the following reasons…

Reminder

  • We remind you that according to the joint work plan, you must ...
  • We remind you that in accordance with… You must…
  • We remind you that your payment arrears amount to…
  • We remind you that the deadline for submission of the manuscript expires ...

Guarantees

  • We guarantee payment.
  • We guarantee deadlines.
  • We guarantee the quality of products.

Interpretation of one's own position

  • Our appeals on this issue did not lead to positive results.
  • We have no objections to the design.
  • We cannot deliver the goods to you… for the following reasons:…

Interpretation of the actions of the other party

  • This delay can lead to...
  • It is completely inexplicable why your factory is delaying the dispatch of molds ...
  • Your promises are not kept.

Final words

  • We hope that our request will be fulfilled.
  • We look forward to further cooperation.
  • With wishes of success.
  • We kindly ask you not to delay the answer.
  • Please excuse us for the delay in responding (for a mistake).

Ethical standards of business correspondence

Business correspondence, like any other form of human interaction, is based on a set of ethical rules and norms, the main of which is "CORRECTNESS AND RESPECT FOR THE PARTNER". Even if the purpose of the letter is to express a claim, its text should not contain rude words and incorrect expressions that may offend your counterparty. By taking care of maintaining the dignity of your addressee, you thus preserve your own.

  • start the message with a statement of refusal. First of all, you should state the motivation decision and make it clear that under certain circumstances the issue can be revisited;
  • impose on the addressee the expected outcome of the question, for example: “I ask you to study and resolve the issue positively” or “I ask you to approve this candidacy”
  • encourage the addressee to rush when making a decision with the words “urgently”, “immediately”, “more short time". It is better to use the etiquette formulas “I ask you to answer by such and such a date”, “I earnestly ask you to immediately inform about your decision”
  • hint to the addressee at his imaginary inattention, incompetence, introducing into the text of the letter wording like “I suggest that you carefully study ...”.

For the recipient of business letters, the mandatory requirements, from the point of view of ethical standards, are:

  • rejection of the response form, in which the letter of inquiry or letter of offer is returned to the author with the response information posted on them;
  • prompt and clear response to the sending organization. Delay or lack of response may be seen as uncooperative.

Following the ethical standards of business correspondence listed above will not require you to perform a feat and will eventually become easy and familiar. Moreover, it will provide you with a reputation as a tactful person and even teach you how to turn opponents into allies.

General rules for writing business letters

In addition to structure, another important component of a competent business letter is its neat design.

Information mail

Information mail- This is a business letter that informs the addressee of information of an official nature.

The length of an information letter ranges from one paragraph to several pages.

As a rule, newsletters are signed by the head of the organization, and in the case of mass mailing (for example, to all customers of the company), they may not contain a manual signature at all. Often, newsletters are of a typical nature.

An inquiry- a business letter sent to obtain any official information or documents.

In general, letters of inquiry are composed in the same way as letters of request. Letters of inquiry, as a rule, are signed by the head of the organization or an officially authorized official.

The text of the request letter must contain the justification for the need to provide materials or information and the actual statement of the request.

A letter of inquiry requires a letter of response.

Response letter

A response letter is a service letter that is written as a response to a letter of inquiry or a letter of request.

The answer can be negative (letter of refusal) or positive.

In the text of the response letter, the same language phrases and vocabulary that the author used in the initiative letter should be used, provided that the request letter was written correctly in linguistic terms.

You should not include in the text of the response letter a link to the received letter (“To your letter dated _______ No. ___”).

Information about the initiative letter is included in the registration number of the response letter. It is advisable to start the refusal letter with the rationale for the refusal: “In connection with ...”, since a negative answer must be justified, you cannot simply refuse the request without explanation.

Confirmation letter

A confirmation letter is a service letter in which the addressee confirms previously reached agreements, intentions, receipt of information, documents or other materials, etc.

The key language formula of this type of letters is: “We confirm (receipt of documents, preliminary agreement, consent to ...)”.

When confirming a preliminary agreement in the text of the letter, it is necessary to briefly state its essence.

If the receipt of documents is confirmed, they should be named, etc. The confirmation letter may end with a request, wish, offer.

Claim letter

A complaint letter is an initiative business letter, the purpose of which is to express a claim or dissatisfaction to the addressee.

In the conclusion, specific wishes or proposals for correcting the situation should be expressed.

Letter of guarantee

Letters of guarantee are intended to provide the addressee with written guarantees in order to confirm certain promises or conditions, intentions or actions of the author (the sending organization), one way or another affecting the interests of the addressee.

Letters of guarantee are addressed to an organization or an individual. The word "guarantee" may not be mentioned at all in the text of the letter, however, the letter will remain a document containing a guarantee.

The payment for the work performed, the timing of its completion, the quality of the work, the quality of the goods, the timing of its delivery, payment for the products received, etc. can be guaranteed. These aspects can make up the content of the whole letter or enter the text of the letter as its component.

Letters of guarantee are emphatically legal in nature, corresponding in status to documents of a contractual nature. Most often, letters of guarantee are issued to confirm payment.

In this case, it is obligatory to indicate the number of the contract and the invoice according to which the payment must be made.

Letters of guarantee are distinguished by clarity, accuracy and unambiguity of wording - since we are talking about providing guarantees to the addressee on behalf of and on behalf of the organization or official. It must indicate the type of operation to be performed.

Such letters may begin with a statement of the essence of the guarantees provided to the addressee, for example: “I guarantee with this letter ...”.

In other cases, a letter of guarantee may contain a statement of the reasons that caused the intention of the author to declare his readiness to provide certain guarantees to the addressee. In this case, the corresponding statement is formulated in the final sentence, for example: "We guarantee payment" or "I guarantee timely and full payment."

A feature of this type of letter is the presence, along with the signature of the author (for example, the director of the organization), the signature of an official who is directly in charge of financial or other issues. If a letter of guarantee is sent as an obligation to pay for a purchase, service rendered, etc., then it must contain the bank details of the paying organization.

The key phrase of a letter of guarantee may include the words and expressions:

  • We guarantee…
  • We guarantee that…
  • The Partner company guarantees…
  • Please send cash on delivery (type of guarantee) to our address ...
  • Guaranteed payment...
  • We hereby guarantee…

Summary

A resume is a type of business letter aimed at the most complete and profitable presentation of a specialist to an employer.

When compiling a resume, you should strictly follow a number of rules:

  1. introduce yourself
  2. Education
  3. experience
  4. Do I need to specify the desired salary level?
  5. Should I indicate additional information About Me?
  6. Are personal details required?
  7. Tailor your resume to the requirements of the employer
  8. Attitude towards travel
  9. Availability of recommendations
  10. Transmittal letter

There is not and cannot be a single resume for all occasions, which could be sent to all firms without changes.

Each time, you should first think about what qualities will be valued on new job, and in accordance with them modify the resume. The information provided in the resume must be reliable. Don't leave blank spots on your resume.

And most importantly - the summary should be short: no more than one - one and a half pages. Your ability to articulate, concisely, is an indicator high level general culture.

The presence of a photo on the resume is welcome.

  1. Confirmation of the fact and terms of work in the organization, brief information about the positions held and duties performed (for a letter of recommendation from a private person, this paragraph indicates during what period of time and in what capacity the author of the letter knows the recommended person). From the list of duties, the qualifications of the recommended person should be visible. If the recommended person occupied various positions, then data on the positions held and performed official duties indicated for each time interval. Example: Sidorov Vladimir Alexandrovich worked in the company "Vector" from March 12, 1998 to March 16, 2002, including from March 12, 1998 to March 16, 2002 - as a manager of the trade and purchasing department, from March 17 to November 25, 2002 - in the position of senior manager of the same department. His duties as a manager were to organize the supply of components, as a senior manager - to organize the interaction between suppliers of components and production.
  2. A brief description of the professional, business and personal qualities of the recommended and the successes he has achieved during his work in the organization. You should abandon such general words as reliable, competent, conscientious, etc., and focus on concrete facts characterizing the recommended in terms of its professional qualities, the ability to cope with the performance of certain tasks. Here you can focus on such categories as the level of knowledge and diligence in the performance of basic duties, the ability to cope with non-standard tasks, ingenuity, initiative, learning, ability to adapt to different situations, emotional stability, leadership qualities. Here you can also give an approximate comparison of the recommended work with the work of his colleagues, indicate the most significant achievements, projects developed and implemented by him personally. Example: Independently mastered the software, independently and successfully conducted business negotiations, effectively managed subordinates, etc.
  3. Reasons for changing the place of work (leaving the organization, moving to another place). This may be a change in the profile of the organization, the closure of a unit, personnel changes in the organization, a change of residence, etc.
  4. Conclusions. Brief and specific assessment of competence, business qualities recommended, his creativity and opportunities career development. Recommendations for taking a specific position or positions (in some cases it is desirable to indicate here the degree to which you recommend a person for the position you are looking for: unconditionally, strongly, with some reservations, do not recommend). Example: Sidorov Vladimir Aleksandrovich is fluent in technology… (has extensive experience in working with server software… or… can independently work with corporate clients… etc.). I believe that Mr. Sidorov can effectively fulfill the duties of the head of the department, working as the head of the department, deputy head of the computer department of a medium-sized enterprise.
  5. Contact details of the person signing the letter. This point is especially relevant for letters of recommendation written by individuals, since it is quite possible that a new employer, having read letter of recommendation wants to clarify some details.

Press release

A press release is an informational message for the media, the task of which is to draw attention to a certain event (has happened or is to come) in order to maximize coverage of this event in the media.

Press releases are compiled and distributed by the press services of companies and organizations and have certain writing rules:

  • the heading of the document should contain the word "Press release" and the date of its distribution;
  • the title of the press release should clearly reflect its theme, the message of the informational message;
  • in more detail, the essence of the heading of the press release can be disclosed in the subheading (at the same time, its presence is optional);
  • the first paragraph of the press release must contain the following information: what, where and when it happened (will happen);
  • The volume of the press release should not exceed one and a half pages of typewritten text. In this case, it is desirable to limit one page, including the signature and headers and footers of the organization's letterhead;
  • the press release may include quotes from news makers - responsible speakers of the organization;
  • a press release is written on the organization's letterhead;
  • The signature to the press release should contain the full name of the contact person who can provide additional information on the topic of the press release, and his contact details: telephone (preferably mobile), e-mail, ICQ number.

Letter of congratulation

The "Congratulations" format belongs to the category of personal business correspondence.

It is drawn up on a greeting letterhead or postcard, and when it is drawn up, it can and should prevail creativity. This applies to both the text of the letter and its design.

Congratulations can be personal (happy birthday) or mass (for example, Happy New Year).

In the first case, the address to the addressee should be personal - by name and patronymic; in the second case, it can be general, for example, "Dear friends!".

Moreover, in both cases, the sender must personally sign the congratulations (when sending mass congratulations, a facsimile is used).

Personal congratulations

Mass congratulations

Invitation letter

The "Invitation" format belongs to the category of personal business correspondence.

It is issued on an official letterhead or postcard and is intended to notify the addressee of some solemn event which he is invited to visit.

The invitation must contain information about the place and time of the event, as well as its name.

The invitation must indicate the acceptable dress code (for example, black and tie), as well as the number of people covered by the invitation.

As a rule, the invitation is nominal, but during mass events it can be depersonalized.

Personal invitation

Bulk Invite

Thank you letter

The "Thanks" format belongs to the category of personal business correspondence and aims to express gratitude to the addressee.

As a rule, thanks are issued on the official letterhead of the organization, but can be issued as a postcard.

The text of the letter of thanks is written in a concise, friendly-formal style with reference to the event that prompted the sender to express his gratitude to the addressee. If desired, other merits of the addressee can also be listed. Gratitude is certified by the sender's personal signature and, in some cases, by the seal of the organization.

Example: Message from the Prime Minister of Great Britain to the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR (April 25, 1942) “I am very grateful to you for your message of April 23. Of course, we will welcome the visit of Mr. Molotov, with whom, I am sure, we will be able to do a lot of useful work. I am very glad that you find it possible to allow this visit, which, I am sure, will be very valuable.

condolence letter

The “Condolences” format belongs to the category of personal business correspondence and aims to express empathy and support to the addressee about this or that sad event or loss.

When writing condolences, it is very important to choose the right sincere words, really capable of supporting the addressee in his grief.

At the same time, it is important to express your feelings and experiences regarding what happened.

Condolences are issued in a discreet, correct style on an official letterhead or a special postcard and certified by the sender's personal signature.

Business letter- a document used for communication, transmission of information over a distance between two correspondents, who can be both legal entities and individuals.

A manager or a management specialist by the nature of his activity needs to write a lot of business letters.

Business letters include testimonials, resumes, letters of recommendation, letters of reminder and thanks, letters - invitations to an interview or presentation, letters of refusal, statements of claim, complaints, etc.

How to write a business letter

  • paper for a business letter should be good quality, absolutely clean, neatly trimmed;
  • it is desirable that the form of a business letter be with the emblem of the organization, its full title, postal and telegraphic address, telephone, fax, e-mail and bank details;
  • official business letters are printed on front side sheet, without blots; all pages except the first are numbered with Arabic numerals;
  • the width of the margin on the left side of the sheet must be at least 2 cm, the paragraph begins with a red line with a five-spaced indent from the left edge of the line; the text is printed in one and a half - two intervals; it is desirable to avoid word wrapping;
  • in the upper right corner of a business letter, under the address of the sending organization, the date is put, preferably in full (for example, January 2, 2007);
  • the name of the organization or the surname and address of the person where the business letter is sent is put on the left side of the sheet;
  • below, from the edge of the line or in the center of the sheet, a polite appeal is written; for example, "Dear Ivan Ivanovich"; a comma is required after the conversion, but often put Exclamation point to start the next phrase with a red line and a capital letter;
  • the business letter ends with words of gratitude for cooperation and an expression of hope for its continuation;
  • the signature is placed in right side sheet, after the final phrase of courtesy, for example, "With respect ...", the name of the signer is printed under his handwritten signature;
  • resolutions on all types of incoming correspondence should be done in pencil or on separate sheets; a business letter is folded with the text inside, and the most important business letters are not folded, for which they are sent in large thick envelopes;
  • a telegraph request should be answered within 3 days, a business letter - 10; if the request requires detailed consideration, then within 3 days you should inform that the business letter has been taken into account and give a final answer within 30 days.
  • accuracy and clarity of presentation of thoughts - short words, short phrases, short paragraphs
  • maximum accessibility of the text for understanding, the use of simple phrases that accurately and unambiguously express the essence
  • literacy
  • correctness

A business letter is a document that is an integral part of business communication. Most often it is transmitted through the postal service and serves in a special way information exchange.

Basic concepts

Business correspondence is needed to solve various economic or production issues. With its help, enterprises and organizations communicate with the external environment: partners, customers or government agencies. Usually, a business letter is used for this.

This is how a written document is generally called, which can be:

  • response to previously received messages or requests;
  • accompanying paper sent to the addressee along with other documents or materials;
  • initiative letter, in the case when another way of communication is impossible.

Each of these options has its own characteristics. However, there are general rules, in accordance with which any official letter is usually drawn up. This is understandable, because it is with business correspondence, for example, that the conclusion of most transactions most often begins. And a properly executed document can create a favorable impression for the addressee about a future potential partner.

Types of business letters

Depending on the information that the official letter contains, it can be:

  1. Accompanying. In the case when it contains a message that there is an application package for it.
  2. Pretentious. That is, it expresses dissatisfaction with a particular situation (claim).
  3. Instructive. The text provides specific guidance.
  4. Warranty. The sender confirms the fulfillment of the obligations set forth in the document in the future.
  5. Informational. The letter contains information that may be of interest to the addressee.
  6. Advertising. Information is provided to attract cooperation.
  7. Notification letter. Information about holding public events.
  8. Confirmation letter. receipt of certain documents or materials.
  9. Request letter. The text contains an appeal to encourage the addressee to take action.
  10. Letter-message. In it, the sender provides specific information of mutual interest to the parties.

The purpose of these documents is to maintain links between organizations or its structural units.

Drafting a claim letter

In matters of cooperation, situations sometimes arise when one of the parties, for one reason or another, does not fulfill its obligations. In this case, the partner first sends a letter to his counterparty. In it, he, as a rule, sets out his proposals for eliminating violations of his legal rights. This is the official letter. A sample of such a document can be compiled arbitrarily. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account following points:

  1. should be formal and business-like with a partnership setting.
  2. The essence of the claim must be expressed very clearly.
  3. When presenting information, you need to convincingly operate with specific facts.

V claim letter must contain:

  • details of the sender (name, return address and phone numbers);
  • full information about the addressee;
  • a description of the circumstances under which the conflict situation occurred;
  • link to legal regulations which, for its part, was violated by the counterparty;
  • specific requirements to eliminate the violation with an indication of the deadlines for their implementation;
  • consequences that may occur if the opposing party evades their execution.

Particular attention should be paid to how the official letter is composed. The sample must be designed so that the intruder does not perceive it as a threat. It must be remembered that this is just a reminder with the requirement to comply with the law.

Design rules

Particular attention should be paid to the design of official letters. True, the law does not provide for this any strict rules and regulations.

Despite this, when compiling similar documents the following obligatory points must be taken into account:

1. Any business letter must be written on a letterhead. It is developed in advance by office management specialists and approved by order of the head of the enterprise.

2. The document must contain certain details:

2.1. Information about the recipient and sender.

2.2. Outgoing number and date of this letter. This is required for registration.

2.4. Title.

2.5. Information about the presence of any applications, indicating their names and numbers.

2.6. Information about the person signing this document(position and full name).

3. The letter should address only one issue. The presence of several topics will make it difficult to choose an artist.

4. Information must be stated as briefly as possible, but clearly. It is desirable that the text should take no more than two pages.

5. Correctly indicate the details of the recipient. In the case of an organization, the following sequence must be followed:

5.1. Company name (in the nominative case).

5.2. Structural subdivision(if necessary).

5.3. The position of the addressee (in the dative case).

5.4. His initials.

5.5. Company postal address.

6. If there are several recipients, then the main one is indicated first, and then all the others.

If you take into account all these points, then the design of official letters, in principle, will not be difficult.

Presentation order

In order for the document to be correctly drawn up, it is necessary to take into account a certain sequence of presentation of information in it. For example, you can consider the option of how to write a service letter-response. First you need to remember that, according to the rules of etiquette, you must respond to information within a day from the moment it is received. When it comes to email, then optimal time will not exceed two hours. In the case when it is not possible to adhere to such a rule, it is better to send a corresponding message to the partner.

The letter itself, in fact, will consist of two parts:

  1. Introductory. The sender sets out the subject, reason, and reasons for writing it. Here you can refer to the regulations that, by law, serve as the basis for providing an answer. In addition, it is worth paying attention to some points regarding the situation under consideration. They will help to uncover the essence of the issue.
  2. Main. This part is aimed at clarification and persuasion. The text should be clear, concise and concise, and the facts presented should be verified and objective. If necessary, they can be confirmed with real numbers.

This text is usually followed by a list of attachments. The document ends with the signature of the sender. In addition, you need to know how to write a business letter so as not to offend the addressee. Firstly, it is advisable to start addressing him with the phrase “Dear”. Secondly, you can use in the text adverbial phrases such as "having carefully studied your proposals" or "carefully checking your comments." Such observance of etiquette will only benefit both parties.

Procedure

Compilation of official letters is the responsibility of clerks, secretaries or other employees who are assigned these duties. Getting to work, they must adhere to a certain sequence in their actions. The process of compiling such a document usually goes through the following steps:

  1. Careful examination of the circumstances this issue. It is necessary to have full control of the situation in order to correctly assess possible ways her decisions.
  2. Drafting a letter. Here it is necessary to take into account all the above requirements.
  3. Coordination of the prepared text. Sometimes it has to be edited taking into account the comments of the manager. He can make some clarifications or clarifications on the topic.
  4. approval by his manager.
  5. Finalization and signing of the document.
  6. Letter registration.
  7. Sending mail to the recipient.

Only after passing all these stages, the letter, having reached the addressee, will be able to fulfill the mission assigned to it.

Mandatory regulation

To issue a service letter, you must take into account that its first page must be printed on a special form. For the rest, you can use ordinary A4 blank sheets. Here you need to remember that the text field itself has its own borders: the top and bottom are 2 centimeters, the left is 3.5 centimeters, the right is 1 centimeter. Shouldn't be broken standard sizes to fit the information on one sheet. Better to follow all the rules and just add an extra page.

You must also type text according to all the rules:

1. Use the standard Times New Roman font for printing. It is better not to use other options.

2. Font sizes are also regulated:

  • for the main text - 14;
  • page arrangement and execution mark - 12.

3. Placement of details is also carried out in accordance with the rules:

  • line spacing - 1;
  • text alignment is performed "in width";
  • transfers are placed automatically;
  • the distance from the registration number to the title is 2 line spacing, and from it to the main text - 3.

Compliance with these rules is essential for correct design relevant letters.

Location of props

To correctly compose a standard business letter, you need to clearly know where its details and components should be located. The answers to these questions are contained in GOST R 6.30-2003. It outlines in detail the form of a business letter. In fact, this is a sample in which the totality of all the details of the document is located in a certain way. It is needed in order to:

  1. Unify the process of issuing official (business) letters.
  2. Be able to centrally prepare standard forms in advance, while reducing the need to do some of the work manually.
  3. Facilitate and reduce the time of visual search for information.
  4. Expand the possibilities of processing letters with the help of computer and other equipment.

So, for a regular business letter, 30 standard details are used, which are located in eleven mandatory zones:

  • emblems and emblems;
  • author;
  • initial data;
  • title;
  • assertions;
  • addressee;
  • resolutions;
  • text;
  • signatures and applications;
  • approvals and assurances;
  • marks.

Placing information in certain sectors allows specialists to better navigate the document, and ordinary users facilitate the process of compiling it.

Primary requirements

Some managers mistakenly believe that business correspondence can be conducted arbitrarily, without observing any rules and regulations. But the specialists who are responsible for this should know the basic requirements for official letters:

  1. The presence of a special (company) letterhead.
  2. Proper use and placement of props.
  3. The text should be readable and well edited. To state the essence of the issue, it is better to give preference to simple common sentences. It is necessary to explain briefly so that each word carries a maximum of information.
  4. Depending on the type, the document must be formatted accordingly. The letter may also contain several aspects. In this case, when presenting it is necessary to try to combine them.
  5. Correctly use the norms established for typing.
  6. Try not to be categorical in the content of the letter. The recipient may consider these phrases as threats. When constructing sentences, it is better to use introductory words like “apparently”, “as is known”, “possibly” and “as it should be”.

Fulfillment of these requirements in practice helps to properly manage the workflow at the enterprise.

Today, almost everyone actively uses the Internet. But business correspondence has not ceased to be relevant and important. It was simply transferred to other media. How to compose and format a business letter, the publication will tell.

What can a business message contain?

First of all, business correspondence provides an opportunity to exchange any opinions or suggestions with employees and business partners. The letter can contain requests, claims and other thoughts to eliminate misunderstandings between companies. In general, business correspondence is a kind of official correspondence.

Differences from other letters

The main differences can be summarized as follows.

  • Presentation style.
  • The presence of subordination.
  • Vocabulary without a strong expression of emotions.
  • As a rule, the letter takes no more than one page.
  • The font throughout the text is the same (not small and not large).
  • It is usually drawn up on the official letterhead of the organization.

Types of business letters

Letters to be answered:

  • Inquiry.
  • Petition.
  • Requirement.
  • Sentence.
  • Appeal.

Letters that do not require a response:

  • Informational.
  • Notifying.
  • Accompanying.
  • Warranty.
  • Warning.
  • Reminder.

Commercial letters. They are usually needed during the period of the contract or to conclude an agreement:

  • Request.
  • Response to a request.
  • Reminder.
  • Claim.
  • Offer. This is an offer to conclude a contract or make a deal.
  • Warning of the need to fulfill obligations, the termination of agreements, and so on.

Non-commercial letters:

  • Invitation.
  • Information about something.
  • Expression of gratitude.
  • Recommendations.
  • Request.
  • Instructions.
  • Transmittal letter.
  • An expression of condolence.
  • Congratulations on any occasion.
  • Letter of guarantee.
  • Confirmation of receipt of goods, provision of services, and so on.

Classification of business letters by structure:

  • Compiled according to a strict pattern.
  • Written in free form.

Types depending on the addressee:

  • Normal. Sent to one addressee.
  • Collective. Sent to one person, but from several persons.
  • Circular. Sent to multiple recipients.

The form of the letter is as follows:

  • Sent in regular postal envelopes.
  • Handed in person.
  • sent as a fax.
  • Aimed by e-mail.

As you can see, a business message can be framed in different ways and with different intentions. But it is worth noting that in some cases, for ethical reasons, it must be written by hand, and not typed on a computer. This applies to congratulations and condolences.

Parts of a letter

A good business letter is always divided into several parts. This is the introductory, main and final. And they are connected with each other logically.

As a rule, the introductory part contains information about the circumstances that led to the writing of the letter. The main text is the content itself, the essence of the message. In the final part, they summarize the results, which can express refusal, consent, request, and so on.

Writing principles

Any business message should be written like this.

  1. Impartially.
  2. Addressed (that is, intended for a specific person).
  3. Argued.
  4. Reliably.
  5. Most complete.
  6. All information in the text must be current at the time of writing.

Stylistic features

The rules for writing a business letter state that it is necessary to adhere to a strict style. It is necessary to use only those means of speech that are typical for official documents. That is, an official business style will be appropriate. The language must have the following features.

  • Officiality.
  • The accuracy of the information provided.
  • Objectivity.
  • Structured.
  • Informative but concise.

The essence of the matter should be stated in simple short sentences, with emphasis on verbs. No need to overload the text with adjectives, use little-known and highly specialized terms that the addressee may not understand. This will only cause negativity and rejection. It is better to try to explain in simple, understandable words, more facts and specifics. Business style does not allow the presence of uninformative and “watery” texts.

The final part should not be summed up with unnecessary and long turns of speech. Also, illogical and inconsistent proposals will not work. Therefore, adverbial and participial phrases are best excluded. Each paragraph should contain only one specific thought. After completing the text, it is better to check it for errors several times by reading the letter aloud.


Form Requirements

According to the rules of a business letter, it is better to draw it up on the letterhead of the company. It has the following main requirements.

  • In the middle of the form, you need to insert the Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation if the enterprise is state-owned.
  • The letter should be placed on a sheet of A4 format.
  • On the left, leave the field empty (at least 3 centimeters). This is necessary because after some time the materials will be filed with the rest of the documents.
  • The most optimal font is the standard "Times New Roman", size 12 and line spacing 1.5-2. It is best understood when reading.
  • In the header of the letter, you must indicate the name of the organization, its actual and legal address, phone number and email.

Design features

If the design of a business letter took several pages, then you need to number, starting from the second. It is recommended to use Arabic numerals for this. Dots next to the numbers do not need to be put.

The letter must be divided into paragraphs and, if necessary, into subheadings. The text should not look like a continuous stream, as it will be poorly perceived. The paragraphs will show where other thoughts end and begin.

It is important to note that typos, erasures and any corrections are unacceptable for business correspondence. They will testify to the illiteracy and frivolity of the opponent.

Used details

The letter usually contains the following information.

  1. The full name of the company, not just the abbreviation.
  2. Phone number, fax number, bank account and e-mail.
  3. Addressee. Moreover, the name of the company should be used in the dative case. If you need to specify the last name and position, it is recommended to use the dative case. If the recipient has a title or academic degree, then this must be indicated before the name of the person.

It is important to note that each attribute should be written with a capital letter and with newline.

References in a business letter

A formal communication should always be in a neutral tone. Appeals to the addressee should have the same form. Phrases like "Good afternoon" would be inappropriate. If you want to say hello, it's better to use the formal "Hello". But the most competent option is considered to be an appeal by name and patronymic. And it does not matter how long the acquaintance with the addressee lasts. In a letter, you cannot use the short form of the name (for example, Petya, Anya, and so on).

To maintain an interpersonal distance, to show respect for a person older in age or higher in position, the appeal to “you” will help. However, it is worth noting that in some companies, on the contrary, it is customary to use “you” when communicating, even in a letter.

It is worth noting that the title "Dear Sir" cannot be used without the subsequent indication of the name of this person. The abbreviations "Mr", "Mrs" should also be avoided. If you need to address a group of people, then it is allowed not to indicate names. Then you can briefly write: “Dear Sirs!” According to the rules, after addressing by name, you should always put an exclamation point. For example, a similar phrase in a business letter would have next view. « Dear Alexander Sergeyevich!"


In the final part, you can use various options. "WITH Best wishes”,“ With respect ”,“ With the hope of cooperation ”and so on. Here, appeals should be formal but friendly.

Making the final part

It is also very important to finish the letter correctly. In the final part, you need to summarize what was said earlier. However, do not stretch the conclusions for 10 sentences. It should be remembered that conciseness and brevity are valued in a business style. It is better to limit yourself to simple phrases. For example, several constructions will be given that are appropriate in the final part of business correspondence. Business letters should be completed as correctly and politely as possible.

  • Thanks for your help or attention. "Let me thank you for..." "Thank you!"
  • Assurance of the addressee in something. "We'd love to work with you."
  • An expression of hope for the future. "We hope to hear from you as soon as possible."
  • Request for something. "We would be grateful if you report the results."
  • Apologies for any inconvenience caused. "We apologize for the delay in payment."

How to say goodbye to the addressee

Despite the fact that the correspondence is business, in a business letter you can say goodbye in different ways. To do this, use the so-called closing phrases.

The following options are examples:

  1. Yours sincerely.
  2. Sincerely.
  3. Best wishes.
  4. I wish you success in your work.
  5. We hope to continue cooperation.
  6. We were happy to be of service.

There may be other options. Here the choice of the final phrase is purely a matter of taste.

Signing

At the very bottom of the sheet, the sender must put his signature. But it is extremely important to do it right so that the document has an official look.

It is necessary to indicate the position, initials, surname, and opposite to put a signature. Additionally, you can specify contact information (personal email address or telephone). This will demonstrate to the recipient a willingness to communicate and cooperate.

Failure Features

It is also important to know how to write a business letter if you need to refuse something. After all, even a veiled negative or refusal will not go unnoticed and will entail unpleasant consequences. After this, it will not be possible to count on a positive or at least neutral attitude towards oneself. When writing a letter, you do not need to succumb to emotions. It is better to keep yourself within the limits, even if the addressee is very annoying. Rejection letters should always be read several times, Special attention referring to the tone of the message.


The message should not begin with a categorical "no", in whatever form it is expressed. Otherwise, the recipient will get the impression that he is uninteresting and does not matter. First, it is better to lay out non-contrived convincing explanations. When the reasons for the refusal are briefly listed, you can smoothly move on to stating the fact. At the same time, according to the etiquette of a business letter, it is recommended to use the following type of wording.

  • Unfortunately, we are unable to fulfill your request.
  • We are sincerely sorry, but we have to refuse your offer.
  • We are deeply sorry, but we cannot accommodate your request for the following reasons.

Ideally, at the beginning of the letter, you should briefly state the request of the addressee. So he will understand that they really got acquainted with his proposal, and for sure he will appreciate it.

Features of composing an email

Today, people are increasingly interested in how a business letter is written if it needs to be sent by e-mail. For such correspondence, all the same rules that were mentioned earlier apply. However, electronic business messages have their own characteristics.

  • The "subject" field is always important to fill out. It will make it clear what the message will be about. If the letter is intended for a stranger, then the headline should be interesting. But it's important not to overdo it. Topics like " Special offer only now”, “Urgent” will only cause rejection. The title should be composed of 3-5 words, putting the essence of the message into them.
  • If the correspondence is with a stranger, then first you need to tell him how they found out about him and what the company does. Without such an introduction, the message may be considered spam and immediately deleted.
  • Important points in the text are best highlighted in bold. In this case, it is unacceptable to use different colors.
  • Caps should not be used in a business email. Even in the subheadings and title of the topic should not be solid capital letters. The same goes for duplicate punctuation marks.
  • It is better to divide the text into paragraphs, leaving an empty line between them.
  • The shorter the message, the faster they will respond to it.
  • Signature is required. It in e-mails usually consists of several lines, includes the name and position of the sender, company name, phone number and website address.
  • Text files and images can be attached to the letter. It's very convenient, because Additional materials, comments, explanations and detailed descriptions distract from the essence. Therefore, it is better to place them not in the text of the letter, but in attached files.
  • If business correspondence has been going on for a long time and warm trusting relationship, then emoticons are allowed in the email. They will help to “revive” a little and defuse communication. But they should not be abused, but in paper letters they are not allowed at all.

Instructions for writing a letter

Writing a business letter can be divided into several stages.

1. First you need to specify the addressee. To do this, in the upper right corner of the form, you need to write the initials, surname and position of the recipient. If the addressee is an organization, then its legal address should be indicated.

2. Appeal to the recipient. It should be placed lower in the middle of the form. It has already been said what phrases can be used. Usually the appeal looks like: “Dear Igor Petrovich!”

3. Statement of purpose. Below, on a new line, you need to write the main thoughts, the whole point, mentioning the reasons for the appeal. If we are talking about some problems, then it is worth offering options for solving it. If this is a proposal for cooperation, then you need to explain how it will happen. If the letter reflects a complaint, then it is worth asking for specific action. In a word, the recipient from the text must understand what exactly they want from him.

4. Final part. And finally, from a new line, you need to insert the final phrase and signature.

Thank You Letter


This sample shows how a thank you letter can look. However, in this example there is one flaw. Instead of the line “To the Flagship Company”, a greeting phrase and the names of those to whom the letter was intended could be inserted.

An inquiry


This is a sample business letter of request. There are no shortcomings in it. All the rules for writing an official letter were followed. From the text it becomes clear what problem has arisen and what needs to be done to solve it. The message also contains all contact details, a welcome message, a closing phrase and a signature.

So, the publication has demonstrated how to compose letters intended for business partners. This should be done correctly and competently so as not to lose face. After all, the future of the company depends on it. It is also important to respond to a business message in a timely manner. This can be done within three to seven days from the receipt of the letter.

Nowadays everyone should be able to write letters. After all, this is inevitable for any person who has an education. Not everyone has the talent for writing letters. But, knowing the basic rules, you can develop the ability to compose good and interesting letters. Especially if these rules are quite simple. In this article, you will learn how to write business letters and personal ones. Let's take a look at the different types of letters important points in their design.

How to write business letters

A formal or business letter is usually intended to maintain a business relationship between firms and their employees or clients. Business writing has many varieties. For instance:

  • Thank You Letter
  • letter of recommendation
  • Transmittal letter
  • Letter of guarantee
  • Letter to the President
  • official letter
  • Information mail
  • congratulatory letter
  • letter of demand
  • Complaint letter
  • Invitation letter

We mainly send this or that business letter to the above-placed persons or with a request, i.e. These are clearly directed letters sent with a specific purpose in mind. The goal is for the letter to be understood appropriately. For example, we decide how to write correctly thank you letter to understand that we are grateful; we think about how to write correctly official letter so that they are useful, so that they are correctly understood by the addressee. Therefore, it is very important to know how to write a letter correctly. You can find a sample for writing business letters at the link Professional business letter templates.

Below we will look at the basic rules for writing business letters.

The letter should not be faceless

Have you ever wondered how to write emails correctly? Email box a business person is often overwhelmed with various spam. First of all, your task when writing a formal letter will be to be noticed and not sent to the Spam folder.

The first thing to do is to make inquiries about the company where you want to send your letter. You must have as much information as possible about your partner. After the details about the company are known, you can start writing a letter. Anyone business person it will be nice if in a letter they turn to him personally, and not to the commercial department of the company in which he works, for example. Addressing the addressee by name will demonstrate, first of all, your respect for the person and, of course, will make him positive emotions, which simply cannot fail to endear him to your person. After all, how can you start a conversation with a potential partner about business proposals if you have not taken the time to find out about his last name, first name and patronymic.

If you were unable to find out the name of the addressee, in no case write: “Uv. gene. director!”, “Uv. commercial dir. firms!" There is no place for such abbreviations in a business letter. Words such as "dear", "sir", "head of department", etc., must be written in full. Otherwise, there can be no talk of respect.

The letter must have a title

The title is needed in order to briefly reveal the content of the letter. So the recipient will be able to process and sort the letter without any problems. To any official organization Dozens of letters arrive every day on completely different issues. Therefore, there is no chance that your letter will be noticed. So if your header contains useful information, then it might be of interest potential partner. Now you understand why it is important to write official letters correctly?

How to make a good impression

Try to add an introduction to the letter that will express a compliment to the addressee. For example, how happy you would be to have the honor of working with such a good firm.

What to Avoid

Avoid directive phrases

Instead of the phrase "If you are interested in our offer, then you should contact me by phone ..." better write "To discuss the offer, you have the opportunity to contact us by phone ...". A directive phrase can psychologically turn a person against you. Such a phrase can show the addressee your self-doubt and arrogance. And if you write a letter of recommendation, it would be right to “offer”, and not to impose, so that you don’t get the impression that you are pushing, no one will like it.

Choose the right verbs

Use perfective verbs. For example, they created, completed, made, developed, increased, etc. But such verbs as we perform, we participate, we work, we produce, do not speak of achieving results. It is difficult to take this into account when writing letters in a foreign language, so ask in advance about the rules of a particular language in order to know, for example, how to write an English letter correctly.

Use letterhead

The use of letterhead is required even if you are sending an email. What is a letterhead? The letterhead must contain the name of your company, address, telephone, fax, company logo and signature of the head. This point is important in correct spelling letter of guarantee, because in this way you show that you are open and responsible for your company.

Send a letter by mail

When sending a business letter, it is better to refuse fax and e-mail. The ideal option will send a courier with a letter so that he personally handed it to the head in the hands. Therefore, be sure to take care of the corporate envelope. By the way, if you are sending documents to obtain any position, do not be too lazy to learn how to write a cover letter correctly, the employer will appreciate it.

How to write personal letters

A personal letter can be a letter to a friend or close person, letter to English language a pen pal abroad, love letter or email v social network. The addressee will always be delighted with your letter if it is written correctly and interestingly. When communicating by correspondence, you can use nice words who were often embarrassed to tell their loved ones when talking. Personal letters are much easier to write than formal ones, but that doesn't mean you don't need to know how to write a letter to a friend or loved one.

Respect the addressee

If you are sending a letter by mail, then do not use a piece of paper torn from a notebook for text. Choose good quality paper. And don't forget to write the address correctly!

Fundamental rules

The letter must begin with an appeal. Place the appeal in the middle of the line. The main text is written 2 cm below the appeal, indented the same distance from the left edge of the sheet. Try to maintain this distance throughout the letter. If the sheet is over, then take the second clear sheet paper. Do not write on both sides of the sheet!

Avoid fixes

Remember that crossed out lines or corrections can make your letter look extremely sloppy. Therefore, for starters, you should not be too lazy and write a draft.

Registration

The text of the letter should be legible and not very small. Use the same ink or ink throughout the entire letter. Be sure to leave your signature at the end. After the signature, if necessary, place a postscript (P.S.). Letters are folded text inside!

After writing a letter

Do not write a letter to bad mood. If negative emotions already on paper, do not send this letter. Better rewrite it the next day. After all, writing a love letter correctly means delivering pleasant positive emotions to the addressee, and not spoiling his mood with negative statements.