Effectively Writing and Formatting a Professional Business Letter

When it comes to business letters, it may seem fairly simple and straightforward to go about writing one. However, it takes great proficiency for your letter to stand out in a professional manner. It is important that your letter be organized in a way that is both appealing and useful to your audience. Professional business letters are most successful, with both fellow business associates and consumers, when they are written and formatted properly.

In order to communicate effectively with your audience, your letter must be arranged in an appropriate format. Have you ever noticed how most business letters are set up in a similar way? That is because there is a certain standard criteria that many professionals follow in formatting business letters. If you want your letters to look professional, you should consider doing the same.

Here are some helpful tips to format your business letters correctly:

• If you use letterhead, always align everything to the left of the paper, because you don’t want the content to look squashed between the margins.
• Make sure to use at least 1-inch margins – both vertically and horizontally.
• In your heading and throughout the letter, spell out every word, with the exception of the standard Postal Service abbreviations, to keep everything clear and comprehendible.
• The body of the letter should be single-spaced with small paragraphs, so the audience can read it more easily.
• In closing, always use your best judgment in what you say. The word “Sincerely” is often a good choice because it is a standard and respectful way to end your letter.

Business letters are extremely influential objects that are often the basis of your audience’s first impression of you. This is why the appearance of the letter is crucial because the audience will often associate the organization and look of the letter with the writer’s personality. For example, if it is obvious that your letter was carelessly thrown together, especially as a marketing professional, it is likely that your audience will not consider working with you. Effectively writing and formatting your business letters will not only improve your communication with others, it will also help show off your true professionalism.