An Easy Way to Write a Friendly Business Letter

Friendly business letters strike a balance between professionalism and kindness. As a rule, business communications must be concise and properly written. However, friendly business writers can use a positive, friendly attitude that influences the reader and encourages prompt, cheerful responses. For example, rather than immediately condemning the reader for failures, friendly business writers present problems and possible solutions and offer the reader the benefit of the doubt. Visit my Sonico profile ( http://www.sonico.com/publico/Roger_Bakker ) as someone else.

1. Write the date (month, day and year) on the first line. Skip three to four lines.

2. List your name, address, phone number and email at the top of the page. Each piece of information should be on a single line. Skip one line. If you are using company letterhead that includes this information, skip this step.

3. Enter the contact's full name and title, company name and company address in that order. Skip one line.

4. Begin the letter with a salutation. If you know the specific person to whom you are writing, address that person by title (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., etc) and her last name. For example, write "Dear Professor Jones." If you are unsure of the person's gender or title, you may use his full name in the salutation. If you are not writing to a specific individual, use "To whom it may concern." Skip one line.

5. Write the body of the letter. This can cover several paragraphs but should be as concise as possible. Introduce yourself in the first paragraph. Follow that with the reason for your letter and any other relevant information. Skip one line between each paragraph.

6. Close the letter with a brief overview of what the reader needs to do and how you will follow up on the issue.

7. End with a single closing statement that leads to your signature. For example, "Thank you for your time," "Sincerely" or "I look forward to your response."

8. In the bottom-left corner, state "Enclosures" and list the number of documents you are enclosing, if any. Beneath that state "CC:" and list additional people to whom you are sending the same letter, if any. If you are not adding enclosures or sending copies to other people, skip this step.