1. Personal Business Letters Complimentary Complaint Informative

2. Complimentary Be clear Be concise Be honest

3. Complaint Be clear Give example(s) Give solutions End on a positive note Be honest Choose vocabulary carefully

4. Informative Be clear Be concise Be honest Be complete Give pertinent information Do not become emotional regarding information

5. Format All three letters have the same basic format Be clear in language Be neat and professional in appearance in the letter Open punctuation Block style format

6. Date Line Date Line: ALWAYS spell out the month. After the date line press enter four times!

7. Inside Address Title (Include proper title: Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss, Dr., Rev.) first and last name! Position (supervisor, president, etc.) Company name Street address City,state (two letter abbreviation capitalized) one space and then the zip code! Enter two times!

8. Salutation Dear Title (Mr., Ms., Dr.) and last name (reminder: open punctuation letters have no punctuation after the salutation and complimentary close!) Enter two times.

9. Body Consist of three paragraphs First introduce yourself and topic Second discuss topic Third close and thank the reader. Provide a way to get in touch with you to discuss further options. Enter two times.

10. Complimentary Close Sincerely is one option. Be careful not to make your close too casual. No punctuation after your close. Enter four times.

11. Signature Line Your name typed Address If you are representing a business you will include your title and company name.

12. Effective Letters Include…. Personality Honesty Concise information Alternatives Professional appearance