steps of planning a business letter

Follow EnglishClub on X

Planning a Business Letter

A business letter is not a place for chit-chat. Unlike business conversations where a certain amount of small talk is used to break the ice, a business letter should be clear and concise. By taking time to plan your letter, you will save time in the writing and proofreading stages. During the planning stage, ask yourself a few simple questions. Jot down your answers to create an outline before you start writing.

Who am I writing this letter to?

Identifying your audience always comes first. Are you writing to more than one person, to someone you don't know, or to someone you have known for a long time? This will help you determine how formal the letter needs to be. You may need to introduce yourself briefly in the letter if the recipient does not know you. You may also need to find out the updated address and title of the recipient. This is a good time to confirm the correct spelling of first and last names.

Why am I writing this letter?

The main reason for the letter should be understood from the subject line and first few sentences. You may cover more than one thing in one business letter, but there will almost always be a general reason for the letter. Identify your main goal and what you hope to accomplish. Review some example reasons why people write business letters on the introductory page of this lesson.

Are there specific details I need to include?

Gather any dates, addresses, names, prices, times or other information that you may need to include before you write your letter. Double check details rather than relying on your memory.

Do I require a response?

Many types of business letter require a response. Others are written in response to a letter that has been received. Before you start writing, determine whether or not you require an action or response from the recipient. Your request or requirement should be very clear. In some cases you may even need to provide a deadline for a response. If you do require a response, how should the recipient contact you? Indicate this information clearly as well. You may want to provide more than one option, such as an email address and a phone number.

How can I organize my points logically?

Think about how you would organize your thoughts if you were speaking rather than writing to the recipient. First you would introduce yourself. Second you would state your concern or reason for writing. After the main content of your letter you would include information on how you can be contacted. The end of the letter is also a place to express gratitude, wish good-luck, or offer sympathy. Here is an example outline:

• Karen Jacobson
• Acquaintance (met twice before, briefly)
• Title: President, The Flying Club
• Address: 44 Windermere Drive, Waterloo, Ontario L1B 2C5
• To invite a board member to remain on the board for a second term.
• Other members suggested that she has enjoyed this position and has been thinking about staying on.
• No other volunteers have come forward to take over at the end of September.
• If she decides to stay on she will need to be available for the national meeting on 5 November.
• Board members who stay for two terms are sometimes asked to take on extra duties, such as taking minutes or hosting social events.
• She will need to respond by 1 September.
• She can contact me by email or phone.
• Return address of our institution
• Karen Jacobson's title and address
• Salutation: Dear Ms. Jacobson
• First paragraph: Introduce myself briefly--remind Karen where we met before. Provide my reason for writing: "I have heard from a number of board members that you may be interested in staying on for a second term. We would be very pleased to have you stay on for another year."
• Second paragraph: Explain what type of commitment this position will involve this year (once a month meetings, national meeting, plus possible extra duties)
• Third Paragraph: Provide deadline for response and how to contact me.
• Closing: Express thanks to Karen for volunteering her time this year

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

8 Essential Steps to Writing a Business Letter in English

Business letters are more formal than business emails . They communicate something more official in a business situation.

It is important to write business letters correctly, because the impression you create depends on how you write them.

In this guide, I will show you how to write business letters in English with fewer mistakes. Here is a list of eight steps to follow when writing a business letter, along with many valuable tips!

1. Decide What Type of Letter You Need to Write

2. write a short outline, 3. use the right layout and salutation, 4. use appropriate vocabulary for the type of letter you are writing.

• 5. Check Your Spelling

6. Check Your Grammar

7. check your punctuation, 8. format your letter.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Business letters have a sender and a recipient (person who receives the letter). The sender can be a person or a group (like a company) and the recipient can be another person or group.

Depending on the sender’s reason for writing, there are several types of letters. Have a look at the main types of business letters:

• Letter of complaint : A business letter written by someone (a person or a company) who is dissatisfied with the products or services offered by a company.
• Letter of inquiry : This type of letter is written by someone who has questions about the activity of another company.
• Cover letters : These are written by people who are applying for jobs. They are usually sent together with a resume.
• Adjustment letters : These letters are sent as replies to letters of complaint .
• Order letters : This type of business letter is sent to place an order with a company. Order letters need to include correct information, so you need to double-check all figures before sending them.
• Other letters : There may be all sorts of other business situations in which people may be writing letters. For example, a person might write a letter to convince others to buy their products or services, recommend employees for jobs , or announce their resignation.

Write an outline before you start typing. If you have a good plan, you won’t need to make a lot of time-consuming changes.

So first of all, start gathering all the information you can on the situation you are writing about. If you are writing a letter of complaint, you should know exactly what the problem was and what you hope to achieve as a result of your letter. If you are writing an order letter, remember to gather all the information about the product you need.

Next, write down the main ideas you want to include. For example, if you are writing a cover letter, your main ideas could look like this:

• What job you are applying for.
• Why you think you would be good for the job/why the company should hire you.
• Why the job would be good for you.
• When you are available for an interview.

If you know the main ideas, you know how many paragraphs you are going to write. Remember to have only one main idea in a paragraph. Also, use connectors to make transitions within and between paragraphs.

Business letters have quite strict rules when it comes to layout (format and order). You need to include the sender’s and the recipient’s addresses and follow some simple rules:

• Start with the sender’s address. You can write it in the top right or left corner. Don’t include your name or title because these will appear at the end of your letter.
• Leave an empty line and write the date just below the sender’s address. If you are writing to a company in the United States, remember to use the American date format: month, date, year.
• Leave another empty line and write the recipient’s title, name, position and address. Make sure to pay attention to titles. Here is an example:

14 Bridge Street Baviera, California 92908

March 11, 2016

Ms. Jane Smith Customer Care Manager Chapman and Litt 711-2980 Nulla Street Mankato, Mississippi 96522

• Start the letter with the right salutation , depending on whether you know the recipient and how well you know them. In American English, we use a colon after salutations in formal business letters. In British English, we use a comma. Here are some examples:

Dear Ms. Smith: (If you know the recipient’s name.)

Dear Jane: (If you know the recipient quite well and call each other by your first names.)

Dear Sir or Madam: (If you don’t know the recipient’s name.)

To Whom It May Concern: (If you don’t have a specific person to whom you are writing. It is a bit more general than “Dear Sir or Madam.” It is best to try to find a contact person when writing a business letter.)

• Close the letter appropriately , depending on the salutation you used at the beginning:

(Dear Ms. Smith:) Yours sincerely / Sincerely / Sincerely yours,

(Dear Jane:) Best / Best regards / Kind regards,

(Dear Sir or Madam: / To Whom It May Concern:) Yours faithfully / Faithfully / Faithfully yours,

• Sign your name if you are sending a hard copy and then write your name (your title is optional) and your position:

[Signature]

[Ms.] Rebecca Smith Director of Acquisitions

Depending on the type of business letter you are writing, you can choose to use some of the sentences and phrases suggested below.

• Letters of complaint:

I am writing to complain about…

I am writing to draw your attention to…

I recently purchased … from your company.

Not only…(did the product arrive late), but…(it was faulty as well)

As you can imagine, I was quite disappointed/upset when…

I suggest that I get a full refund.

I feel entitled to a refund.

I would be grateful if you could give me a refund.

I would appreciate it if you could replace the product.

I look forward to receiving a prompt reply.

• Letters of inquiry:

I am writing to inquire about…

Would you be kind enough to provide me with some information about …

I would be appreciative if you could help me find out…

Could you tell me whether…

I would also be interested in…

• Cover letters:

I am writing to apply for the position of…

I am writing in response to your advertisement…

I would like to apply for the position of…

I am particularly interested in this job because…

As you can see from my resume,…

As you will notice in my resume,…

I am currently employed by…

I am keen to pursue a career in…, because…

My main strengths are…

I would be available for an interview starting…

Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

• Adjustment letters:

Please accept our apologies for…

We sincerely apologize for…

The mistake was apparently due to…

We are currently working on…

To prevent this from happening again,…

We understand how upset you must have been when…, but unfortunately…

• Order letters:

We would like to place an order for…

We look forward to receiving your offer for…

Could you please confirm the prices for…

We are looking forward to your confirmation.

5 .  Check Your Spelling

When writing a business letter, perfect spelling is essential. If possible, use spell check to make sure your spelling is correct.

If you are writing a business letter as part of an exam, try to avoid spelling mistakes. You can simply replace words that you are not confident about with other words. For example, if you are not sure how to spell occur , you can use happen instead.

Another useful thing to do, especially if you are writing a cover letter or if you are trying to impress your reader, is to consider whether they use American or British spelling.

Grammar mistakes are a bit trickier. Of course, the safest route is to learn the rules and practice them as much as possible. You can use grammar books or online exercises or both, depending on what you find more convenient.

Another thing you can do is to know your grammar weak spots. For instance, do you tend to forget adding s  for the third-person singular when using the present simple? Or do you overuse the ? Then it is time to double-check for these mistakes.

Finally, here is a list of common mistakes people make in English writing. Make sure you understand why they are mistakes, so that you don’t make them yourself

To ensure that your business writing is free from grammar mistakes, you may want to use. This is a grammar-checking tool that will highlight mistakes and suggest corrections for you.

Try to make time to proofread your letter a separate time for punctuation mistakes.

Here are some of the most frequent punctuation mistakes to watch out for:

• Forgetting commas

Mistake: We tried emailing them but there was no reply.

Correct: We tried emailing them , but there was no reply.

Explanation: If you are not sure whether to use a comma or not, try saying the sentence out loud. If you are pausing a little, you should probably use a comma.

• Using exclamation marks or emoticons

Mistake: I was extremely upset when I received a faulty product !  🙁

Correct: I was extremely upset when I received a faulty product.

Explanation: Exclamation marks and emoticons make your writing rather informal, so you should avoid them when writing business letters.

• Using too many or not enough spaces

Mistake: I haven’t applied for a job before , but I’ll give it a try now .  I’m not sure if I’m qualified,  though.

Correct: I haven’t applied for a job before, but I’ll give it a try now. I’m not sure if I’m qualified, though.

Explanation: When typing, we only use one space after commas or periods and no space before them.

Leave formatting for the end; it is less time consuming. Most business letters use a block format, and are left-justified and single-spaced.

You should use double spacing between paragraphs to make it clear where a paragraph ends and where another one begins. The most common font is Times New Roman 12, but Arial also works just fine.

That’s it! Now you know how to write business letters in English.

Remember that, whether you know your reader or not, writing business letters in a “friendly” way means writing them in a “professional” way.

Whenever you are in doubt, have another look at the eight steps above, and keep on writing!

Enter your e-mail address to get your free PDF!

We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe

Business Communication

• Introduction
• Types of Business Communication
• Oral Communication
• Non-Verbal Communication
• Internal Communication
• Business Report Writing
• Types of Company Meeting
• Business Letter Writing
• Employment Communication
• Importance of Secretarial Functions in Business

Wednesday, 1 June 2011

The steps in planning of a business letter, planning business letter,business communication, 2 comments:.

Helpful post.

just amazing post its about Planning of business letter,. I believe anyone following your guidelines will get high reward as presenter. I also have been in academic writing and know what is helpful and research report presentation this is what your post perfectly stated.

Post a Comment

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

↑ Grab this Headline Animator

Search This Blog

How to Write a Business Letter That Won’t Get Ignored

Updated: July 24, 2019

Published: November 01, 2018

Nowadays, writing a letter can seem completely archaic. I mean, do people even send mail anymore? Or do they only communicate through email and messaging?

In the business world, though, letters are actually still crucial for collaboration. To convince someone to offer you a job, you need to write them a compelling cover letter. And to persuade someone to speak at your company’s event, you need to write a gripping pitch.

A lot of professionals overlook the importance of writing high-quality business letters because they seem outdated. As a result, most people don’t actually know how to write one.

Fortunately,  if you're in the same boat, we've got you covered . Below, we'll teach you how to craft a persuasive business letter for any purpose and situation.

How to Format a Business Letter

• Write the date and your recipient's name, company, and address.
• Choose a professional greeting, like “Dear,”.
• Craft a compelling introduction.
• State your intent in the letter’s body text.
• End your letter with a strong call-to-action.
• Choose a professional closing, like “Sincerely,”.
• Physically sign the letter with your signature.
• Type your name, address, phone number, and email address.

To teach you how to write a business letter in more detail than the snippet above, let's take a look at a letter I wrote to Dharmesh Shah, HubSpot’s CTO, when I was a wide-eyed college student trying to convince him to speak at my school.

I’ll analyze the most important parts of my letter -- the introduction, body text, and call-to-action -- and explain how and why they can strengthen your own business letters.

Business Letter Example

October 1, 2016

Dharmesh Shah

25 First Street,

Cambridge, MA 02141

Dear Mr. Shah,

When my freshman year of college ended, I was fortunate enough to work as a digital marketing intern at a startup called SlideBatch. They were introducing a new content marketing tool to the market, and my job was to apply that tool to their clients’ social media marketing campaigns and prove that SlideBatch was an effective marketing solution. I was so excited to get to work, but I had one small problem. I didn’t know what content marketing was. So, I did some research on the Internet and discovered HubSpot’s Marketing blog.

Fast forward a year and half, and I’m still reading HubSpot’s Marketing blog and leveraging its insights at my third digital marketing internship. Reading your blogs changed my life. I entered college believing financial advising was my destiny. But, after learning about HubSpot’s inbound marketing philosophy -- how helping people is the ultimate way to increase brand trust and engagement -- I was hooked. Shortly after my internship with SlideBatch ended, I decided to pursue digital marketing instead of financial advising. I’ve haven’t looked back since.

HubSpot’s influence on my life is the reason I’m writing to you today. I’m certain if you spoke at my school, DePauw University, about your life, HubSpot, and the inbound marketing philosophy, there would be hundreds of undecided students who start pursuing digital marketing. I know this because DePauw’s McDermond Speaker Series is one of the best platforms for business leaders to showcase their passion for their industry, company, and work. Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics, Angie Hicks of Angie’s List, and Bill Rasmussen of ESPN have all successfully used the McDermond Speaker Series to inspire the world’s next generation of business leaders, and I know you could, too.

We would be honored if you spoke at our school. Thank you for your time and consideration, and we look forward to hearing from you!

Clifford Chi

313 South Locust St.

Greencastle, IN 46136

555-555-5555

[email protected]

Introduction (first and second paragraphs)

To instantly grab Dharmesh’s attention and entice him to read the rest of my letter, you'll notice I didn’t lead with the standard "I’m writing to you today because…” introduction.  Instead, I engaged him with a story about how I discovered HubSpot and how his company changed my life. I thought this would strongly resonate with him because I assumed, as a co-founder of HubSpot, he would love to see how his life’s work has benefited others.

In your own business letters, you don’t necessarily need to tell a story to immediately hook your reader and persuade her to read on. But you should definitely describe how she’s made an impact on your life. This is what will truly grab and hold her attention.

Body text (third paragraph)

After my introduction, I swiftly segued into why I was writing to Dharmesh -- to ask him to speak at my school. Personal anecdotes are an effective way to engage readers, but I’d lose Dharmesh’s attention if I didn’t cut to the chase.

Once I stated my letter’s intent, I quickly pitched the benefits of speaking at my school and bolstered the reputation of my school’s speaker series. By emphasizing how speaking at my school could inspire hundreds of students to pursue digital marketing and highlighting the group of impressive speakers Dharmesh could join, I focused on the dividends he would reap from being a McDermond Series Speaker, rather than how my school would benefit from his guest appearance.

So whether you’re trying to convince someone to hire you or speak at your school, you must first persuade your reader that doing what you ask of them will ultimately benefit them and be in their best interest.

Call-to-action (fourth paragraph)

In my last paragraph, I politely ask Dharmesh to speak at my school again.  Even though I already asked him this earlier, it's important I end my letter with a clear next step. It packs more of a punch and crystalizes the desired action in his mind.

Strong call-to-actions are a crucial element of a persuasive business letter. Because i f you don't tell your reader what to do next, you might as well have never written your letter in the first place.

Don't forget to share this post!

Related articles.

How to Write a Memo [Template & Examples]

9 Simple Ways to Write a Good Introduction Sentence

Comma Rules for Clear Writing (with Examples)

How to Write an Introduction: A Simplified Guide

How to Become a (Better) Editor: 13 Editorial Tips

How Long Should Blog Posts Be in 2021? [New Data]

How to Improve Your Writing Skills and Escape Content Mediocrity (Infographic)

How The Flesch Reading Ease Test Can Help You Write Clear and Concise Copy

HubSpot's Guide to Becoming a Better Writer

Templates for an organizational change, financial update, problem-solving, or general business memorandum.

100% Free CRM

Nurture and grow your business with customer relationship management software.

Step in Writing an Effective Business Letter in Communication

Effective Business letter is an important medium of exchanging business information among the business people. But writing an effective business letter is not so easy. It requires proper planning, imagination, approach, layout and after all skill of the writer. The following steps are to be followed in drafting an effective business letter:

Effective Business letter

Proper Planning: Proper planning is the first and foremost important step in drafting an effective commercial letter. At the first phase of writing a letter, the writer must have a sell thought plan of what to write, when to write, whom to write, how to write and where to write. A well thought planning will lead the writer to complete the letter successfully and a well planned letter best serves the purpose of the writer.

Determining the Objectives: Identifying the purpose of writing a letter is an important matter because the objectives will tell the writer what he will write, to whom he will write and how he will write. Business letters are written for different purposes and the purpose determines the type of letter. So, a business letter must have a distinct prime objective along with some secondary objectives. Thus, the writer of a letter must determine why he wants to write it before writing.

Identifying the Audiences: The third step of writing a business letter is to identify the target audiences or probable readers of the letter. Identifying the audiences helps the writer of the letter to assess the level of knowledge and understanding of the readers, their positions, educational status, psychological set up, their probable action or reaction, etc. it also helps the writer select proper writing style, language and other elements. The best approach of assessing the reader is to put the writer in the reader’s position and read the message from reader’s viewpoint.

Gathering information: The writer of a letter is to collect necessary information that is accurate and relevant. Since letter contains purposive information, the facts and figures are to the collected from reliable source and should be correct and genuine. Generally, for letter message information are collected from office, concerned persons, files, documents, events and writer’s won experience.

Organizing the Information: After gathering necessary information for the letter, it is important to decide how the information is to be arranged in the letter. There are two approaches for organizing the information in the letter – Direct Approach and Indirect Approach. The subject matter and the objective of the letter will determine which approach should be applied in a business letter.

• Direct Approach: In direct approach, the main point or the main news comes first at the beginning of the letter and other information come letter. This approach is use when the message caries good news, requires less or no persuasion and direct presentation. Letter of inquiry, quotation, order, appointment, notice, tender, invitation etc. are written by using direct approach.
• Indirect Approach: Indirect approach is used when it requires presenting unfavorable or unpleasant news in the letter. In this approach, some pleasant, amiable and humorous statement come first and the bad news is then introduced with necessary explanation. Indirect approach is also used in case of persuading the readers.

Selecting the Letter Format: Selecting the letter format is an important decision in writing a business letter. Letter format refers to the way of arranging different paragraphs or elements in the letter . There are five distinct styles of writing letter-

• Indented Style: In indented style each element of a letter is written leaving two to four spaces from the left margin.
• Block Style: In block style, the date, complementary close and the signature are aligned with the right margin and all other parts except the letterhead are set flush left.
• Completed Block Style: In this style, all the parts except the letterhead are aligned with the left margin. Open punctuations followed in this form.
• Semi Block Style: The semi block form is the combination of block and indented forms. In this style, block form is used for the inside address and for the complementary close while indented form is used for the body of the letter.
• Hanging Indented Style: This style is like that block style except that the first line of each paragraph is aligned with the left margin but all other lines in each paragraph are indented form is used for the body of the letter.

Deciding on the Contents: In this stage, the writer of a letter should decide what elements he will include in the letter. A business letter has different elements or parts depending on the style of the letter. The contents of a letter help the writer to present the message logically and conveniently.

Drafting the Letter Primarily: After completing all the above mentioned stages, the writer of a letter is to draft the letter for the first time as a rough. In primary drafting the writer can start writing his letter from any part or point and can rub or rewrite as many times as he wishes.

Reviewing or Editing: This is the last step of writing a letter before it is produced finally. In this stage, the primary draft is reviewed and revised several times so that it can be modified or developed further. The writer must read the letter as many times as required to be sure that it is free from all types of errors. The style, format, tone, language, paragraphs, spelling, accuracy, brevity and grammar should be checked or verified duly before sending the letter.

Writing the Final Letter : This is the last step of writing a good business letter where the letter is written or drafted finally for distribution. The final letter must be reproduced on quality paper either in printed form or by hand written. It should be neat and tidy, accurate and free from defects.

From the above discussion, we find that writing and effective business letter is really difficult. One can be apt in writing a good letter if he follows the above stated process or steps minutely. Above all, writing is an art and one should articulate it.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

• Website Heatmap Tool
• Pop-Up Software
• SEO Checker
• SERP Checker
• UX Assistant
• Session Replay Software
• Event Tracking Tools
• Ecommerce Analytics
• Funnel Analysis
• A/B Testing Tool
• Net Promoter Score (NPS)
• Digital marketing Blog
• Content Marketing
• SEO Analytics
• Technical SEO
• On-page SEO
• User Experience (UX)
• All Articles
• Usability Testing Checklist
• Shopify Launch Checklist
• SEO Checklist
• Ecommerce Checklist
• Fears of SEO specialist
• Marketing Glossary
• Take a Full-Page Screenshot in Chrome
• Free Chrome Extensions for SEO
• Book a Demo

How to Write a Business Letter: 9 Steps

• Post author By Andrew Chornyy
• Post date Apr 01, 2022
• No Comments on How to Write a Business Letter: 9 Steps

Business letters are the starting point of all formal communication. They are necessary to connect with partners, clients, and investors. It is the leading path of exchanging information between businesspeople, and the way you do it is crucial.

Business letters can have various purposes. The main point is communicating with partners and making a good impression on them from the first word. The second is attracting your clients through writing and showing your trustworthiness. The third is maintaining working relationships and improving them. Finally, letters provide evidence of legal actions and transactions.

To achieve all these goals, you must create messages with strong text, logical composition, and a suitable design in each case. Keep reading to write a business letter in different formal situations.

Parts of a Business Letter

Each formal text has unchangeable structure parts. Don’t change them while thinking of how to write a business letter .

Sender’s Address

Place an address of a mailer in the heading. The best way to show it is through the printed company letterhead. You should just put an address on the top without a letterhead.

The date usually stands under the address and contact information. Even if the return address is imprinted automatically, you should put a date manually. This opening part must stay on the left margin.

Recipient’s Address

A recipient’s address helps a letter not get lost in the office with tons of mail correspondence. Write on the left margin to fit in the envelope window. Include the following data:

• the full name;
• receiver’s job title and position;
• the company title;
• house and office number, street name, city, state;

It is a formal part that includes “Dear *recipient’s name*.” It always consists of a title and ends with a colon.

Here, you place everything you want to say. Watch the format, and don’t forget to skip the line between paragraphs, the previous and the following parts.

Closing/Signature

End with a short “Sincerely” or “Thank you.” After that, leave space for a personal stamp and signature.

Write the heading “Enclosures” and write the names of attached documents if you have some.

How to Write a Business Letter

The purpose of a letter is to deliver the information most efficiently. There are some rules on how to write a business letter to keep in mind. Follow them, and your mails won’t gather dust in an inbox.

Limit Them To One Page

Your presentation should be concise. Practical experience shows that a busy person probably won’t go beyond the first page. Put everything you want to say on one sheet to receive the answer faster.

Keep The Tone Formal And Factual

It will make you look professional and self-ensure. Avoid uncertain phrases like “we think,” “we believe,” etc. Leave facts and polite delivery instead.

Goal of Messages

What do you want to achieve with your business letters? Write it clearly and logically, and show your will to the reader straightforwardly.

Carefully Plan Your Letter

Before you start writing the body, create a list of points to mention. It helps to reduce ambiguities and avoid misinterpretations.

Active Voice

It sounds more precise and direct than the passive voice. Passive verbs express impersonal and long, making your letter hard-hitting. If you think about how to write a business letter to a company, sound self-ensure first.

Call To Action

Tell your addresser what you want them to do. End a letter with a suggestion of the next step in your communication.

Relegate Technical Details To Attachments

When you attach technical information and documents, your main letter must briefly explain the contents and work as a cover.

Eliminate Redundant Words And Phrases

Many complicated and wordy constructions can look shorter and simplify delivery. Sometimes you cut down the third part of a text ! For example, write “although” instead of “even though.”

Show Your Expertise

Show that you know what you are talking about and sound self-ensure to every reader. Create easy-to-get messages with simple language and short sentences.

There are many business letters, from quotations to complaints. Mentioned rules fit messages with any purpose. Use our tips on how to write a business letter template , and you will be surprised by the effect you’ll receive.

CEO Plerdy — expert in SEO&CRO with over 11 years of experience.

Leave a reply for "How to Write a Business Letter: 9 Steps"

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Track, analyze, and convert your visitors into buyers

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content

The Business Communication

Empowering Connections for Success

Steps in Writing an Effective Business Letter

Posted By The Business Communication Leave a Comment

Letters are the most widely used media of written communication in business. But writing an effective letter is not easy matter. It requires well planning, imagination, linguistic knowledge, careful and systematic analysis of situations and above all, writer’s writing skills. However, the following are the various steps through which an effective business letter can be drafted.

• Proper planning : Effective business letter is the product of good thinking and careful planning. In writing business letter , the writer should go through the proper planning regarding what, when, whom and how to write. A well planned letter is likely to best serve the purpose of the organization.
• Identifying and setting purpose: Before writing, the writer should know, identify and select the purpose of the letter. In business letters are written for different purpose. Therefore, every business letter must be stated in one or two sentences in the letter.
• Knowing the audience: In this step, the writer should guess the readers level of understanding and knowledge about the message to the inserted in the letter. Here the writer evaluates what the readers knew and what will they do after reading the message. In this connection, the writer should put himself in the readers place and look at the message from the reader’s perspective.

• Determining the scope of subject : Here the writer should determine the scope of the message. The scope of message should be determined by considering two points, one is what the reader wants to know and another is what the writer has to convey.
• Gathering information : After setting the purpose and scope of the letter, the writer needs to collect necessary information. Generally, information is collected form libraries, taking interview of concerned persons, writers own experience, knowledge and education office file, documents and from other convenient sources. Information should be accurate, relevant and reliable so that these can support the message.
• Organizing the information : In this stage, the writer decides how the information will be arranged in the letter. It depends on the subject and purpose of the letter. There are basically two approaches for presenting information in the letter. These are direct approach and indirect approach.
• Selecting the format: In this stage the format of letter is selected. Format of letter is a way or means of presenting various paragraphs in the letter. There are some recognized formats of letter.
• Outlining the contents : After selecting the format, the next step is to outline the message of the letter. It breaks down a large topic into some convenient parts and paragraphs logically.
• Writing the first draft : After outlining the contents the next step is writing the first draft. While writing the first draft the writer should keep in mind that it is a working draft. The writer can start wherever he wishes he can start from the middle or even near to end. Any weakness in logic or lack of information or any point that is out of place can be corrected in the final revision.

At last it can be said that when the above-stated steps are followed in writing letter, one can expect a good and effective business letter.

LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

You're on the list!! Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Reader Interactions

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 Yes, add me to your mailing list

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .