A business letter is essentially a formal letter from one business to another, either between such companies and their respective clients, customers, or others, or between these companies and other third parties. The format of such letter varies with the relationship between these parties. It is informal, informative, and business-style letter. But business letter format has some common aspects, which should be followed for good result. Below is a short list of things to be kept in mind in order to create a business letter.
Dear Sir: It is very important to write a business letter format that is clear and simple. Block formats make the process of understanding difficult. In block formats, the sender of the letter needs to put some minor details such as name of the company, date, address, contact numbers, and so on. However, it is better to use the separate areas for inserting all the major information of the customer.
Content: Always put the content in the initial line. This is the first thing that the reader will see. If you want your letter to be read, then always provide interesting information that makes the reader to glance on the next line or pages. You can also add some closing statements along with your contact information in the first line of the content. Block formats often leave such vital information blank, thus creating a dull read.
Title: Always include the name of the sender in the title of the business letter. Even if the recipient is not aware of the company, the title will help him/her to recognize the sender. However, do not use the same name repeatedly, as this may lead to confusion. Always use the name of the customer or business organization at the beginning of the letter so that the recipient can quickly identify it from any of the other sender.
Contents: The contents are the important part of any formal business letter format. Here you need to include all information regarding the matter for which you are writing. It should contain the full name of the sender, date and address of the sender, the introduction of the matter and closing of the same. In addition to this, you can also include a preface, body and signature, if you wish to.
Bibliography: Before commencing the section of the business letter format, it is important to include the names or references of the people who have had an impact on your life. It is true that we receive many such kinds of letters from our near and dear ones. Therefore, it is important to note down their names, addresses and contact details in the bibliography section. In case if you are unable to locate any such information, then you can include a short quote in your bibliography section. A detailed biographical sketch of the person concerned should also be included in this section.