Formal Letter Format Sample

A business letter, as the name suggests is a letter which has a formal tone and is used for business purposes. Apart from this, business letters are also written for conveying messages to people who we do not know personally. This makes the business letter different from the usual casual or informal letter. While writing a business letter, a person has to follow certain rules. One of the most important rule is that it should be short and concise. Business men do not have the time to read long letters and hence, one's letter should not be more than a page i.e. minimum 2-3 paragraphs. Apart from this, one has to follow a unique format for business letters, which differs to a large extent from informal letters. So, if you are about to write a business letter, this article will give you a format which you can use as guide.

Formal Letter Writing Tips

Before you take a look at the example, it will be a good idea to gather some crucial information on the things that you have to keep in mind while writing a business letter. Here, you will find some important tips for the same.

• According to the rules, it is important to begin the letter with the name, address and other contact details of the sender. However, this can be avoided, if the letter is typed on the letterhead. Followed by this, one has to mention the date on which the letter is written.
• After you have written the date, you have to mention the recipient's name and full address. This should come 4-6 lines after the date.
• Once you are done with the address of the recipient, you have to begin the letter with a salutation. The salutation should have a greeting word or phrase followed by a personal title Mr./Ms. and full name of the person. Some of the letter salutations that you can use for business letters include Dear (full name), Dear Sir/Madam, etc. If you do not know the name of the recipient, it would be best to begin with To Whomsoever It May Concern.
• Followed by the salutation comes the subject line where you have to mention the purpose of the letter in short. Make sure that the subject line is in uppercase characters and is aligned either to the left or to the center.
• The body of the letter can have 2-3 paragraphs. In the introduction, talk about the reason of writing the letter and in the following paragraphs, you can give the necessary details. It is important to maintain two spaces between paragraphs when you are writing a business letter.
• Once you finish writing the letter, you have to end it with the complimentary close. Some of the closings include Respectfully Yours, Sincerely, etc. Leave 4 blank spaces after the complimentary close and then, write your full name. The blank space should be used to sign your name.

If you have enclosed some document with your letter, it is important for you to mention it just below your name. Leave two spaces and write 'Enclosure' or 'Enclosures' below it. If you have attached more than 1 enclosure, do not forget to mention the correct number in brackets.

Formal Letter Proforma

Although the information given above will help you in understanding the business letter format correctly, looking at a sample will make it very clear. Hence, let us take a look at the template which you can consider as a guideline to write a business letter.

Sender's Name Address Telephone Number Email Address Date Recipient's Name Address Dear Mr./Ms. (Recipient's Full Name): Subject: (PURPOSE OF THE LETTER) In the first paragraph, you can introduce yourself, if the recipient does not know you. After this, mention the purpose of the letter. In the next paragraph, give out the details i.e. the facts that support the statement you made in the first paragraph. You can end the letter with this paragraph or you can have another one, if the information you want to convey does not fit in this paragraph. Complete the letter by thanking the recipient for taking out time to read the letter. Respectfully Yours, (Your Signature) (Your Name) (Enclosures)

Before you send the letter, proofread thoroughly to avoid the occurrence of grammatical as well as spelling mistakes. Following the proper letter format helps in setting the tone of the letter and makes the recipient realize the seriousness of the letter and also helps in getting a quick reply.