1. Business Correspondence:
Professional Business Letters

2. Business Documents include…
In a business environment, people use documents to communicate with others!
Business Documents include…
Memos
Letters
Newsletters
Resumes
Proposals

3. Essential Letter Elements
Date Line
Month, Date, Year
Inside Address
3 to 8 lines below the date line
Addressee's courtesy title plus full name
Job title
Business affiliation
Full geographical address
Example: Mr. Paul Smith
Personnel Director
Juniper Culinary Academy
202 Park Boulevard
Juniper, NV 89268

4. Essential Letter Elements
Salutation
Two lines below inside address
The line at the start of a letter including the greeting and the recipient’s name
If you do not know the name, avoid using “To whom it may concern” – Impersonal
Instead use recipient's title
Example: Dear Personnel Director
Message
Two lines below salutation
Body of the letter
Single spaced with one blank line between paragraphs

5. Essential Letter Elements
Complimentary Close
Two lines below the last line of message
Capitalize only the first word
Example: Sincerely yours,
Signature Block
At least four blank lines below
Leave room to sign name

6. Reference Initials
If someone other than the writer keys the letter, place their initials (lower case) a double space below the writer’s name ss

7. Attachment/Enclosure
If there are attachments or enclosures, double space and indicate this under the initials.
If multiple enclosures are referred to in the letter , follow the word “Enclosures” with a colon and two spaces and list each enclosure
Enclosures: Brochure
Membership

8. Copy Notation
A copy notation indicates that a copy of a letter is being sent to someone other than the addressee
Use “c” followed by the name of the person(s) to receive a copy.
Place a copy notation a double space below the last line of the enclosure notation or the reference line if there is no enclosure:
c Robert Anderson
Maria Sanchez

9. Postscript
A postscript is additional text that may be added after a letter has been completed.
It is the last item in the letter. Key it a DS below the last letter part.
The postscript is used to place additional emphasis on the text or to reemphasize a part of the text included in the body.
Remember to RSVP by May 15, 2011 for the annual crawfish boil.

10. Margins
TOP 2”
LEFT 1”
RIGHT 1”
BOTTOM 1”

11. Three Types of Letters:
Block Business Letter
Modified Block Business Letter
Personal Business Letter

12. Block Letter Style Block
All components of letter begin flush with the left margin

13. Modified Block Letter Style
Date, complimentary close, and signature block are positioned approximately one-half inch to the right of center or at the right margin
All other components begin flush with left margin

14. Differences in Personal Business Letters & Business Letters
Your street address is typed two inches down
Next line has the city, state, and zip
The dateline is on the line following the city, state, and zip
Business Letters
Companies use letterhead which includes their street address, city, state, zip, and phone number
Therefore, business letters from companies do not need to have this information keyed in.

15. Personal Business Letter
Personal Business Letter Modified Block Style
Your street address is typed two inches down
Next line has the city, state, and zip
The dateline is on the line following the city, state, and zip

16. ASSIGNMENT ON BLOG
You need to write a professional thank you letter to one of your teachers in the MODIFIED BLOCK LETTER STYLE
Handwrite your first draft – then switch with a partner and use the proofreading symbols to check each other’s letters
Person proofreading needs to sign the bottom of first draft
The body must be three paragraphs:
Let the teacher know why you are writing to them
Why you chose that teacher
Closing paragraph- thanking the teacher for the hard work they do!