Business Letter Format Tips and Examples
We’ll help you get your business letter format right with our tips and examples, whether you’re writing a printed letter or an email.
We’ll help you get your business letter format right with our tips and examples, whether you’re writing a printed letter or an email.
Professional letters are important in business life, and understanding letter format is crucial for making a long-lasting impact in your professional career. Whether you’re writing a business letter, communicating a job offer, putting together a resignation letter or formatting a reference letter, it’s important to know how to organize your letter so that it reflects your professionalism.
To help you navigate the world of letter formats, this page will provide you with:
Here’s how to organize and what to include in any formal letter. The exact contents will depend on the type of letter you’re writing but generally, every professional and formal document should include the following:
A CV is usually much longer than a resume. Here are some of the standard sections you can expect to include as part of your CV format:
Patricia Smith
Copywriter
23 Blossom St.
Tampa, FL 00112
555-555-5555
patsmith@email.com
August 15, 2024
Likewise, you should include the recipient’s contact information with the company name. The only difference is that instead of including their personal physical address, you should write the company’s address.
Joe Thompson
Creative Director
Thompson & Jones Agency
44 Lily St.
Tampa, FL 00112
555-555-5555
joethompson@email.com
Your greeting should be addressed using the recipient’s formal title. Avoid using the term “To Whom It May Concern,” as it can come across as unprofessional. If you couldn’t find the recipient’s name, address the letter to the department.
Dear Mr. Thompson,
Dear Creative Department,
Dear Human Resources,
The body of every polished business letter will typically be divided into three sections:
Here’s what these paragraphs would look like on a simple resignation letter:
Dear Mr. Thompson,
I am writing to formally resign from my position as a copywriter at Thompson & Jones Agency, effective August 31, 2024.
As you know, journalism has always been my passion. I was offered an opportunity that better aligns with my career goals and couldn’t turn it down. I’m submitting my resignation letter now in the hopes that I can be as helpful as possible during the transition process.
My three years of employment at Thompson & Jones Agency have taught me valuable skills and lessons that I will take with me as I continue growing as a professional. I’m grateful for your mentorship, guidance and support.
Thank you again for the opportunity to work with such a great team.
After the closing paragraph comes the signature. Leave a blank line between the closing salutation and your typed name for your handwritten signature. This should be signed using a black or blue ink pen. Some appropriate closing salutations include:
We suggest going for “Cordially,” if you don’t know the person and a closing salutation like “Sincerely,” or “All the best,” if you have a good professional relationship with the recipient.
Build my cover letterEvery professional document should be formatted in a way that makes it easy to read. Here are some key points to remember:
Your approach to writing an email letter will be slightly different from writing a printed letter.
Using the same example from before, here’s how Patricia Smith’s email to Mr. Thompson would look like:
Subject: Patricia Smith – Resignation
Dear Mr. Thompson,
I am writing to formally resign from my position as a copywriter at Thompson & Jones Agency, effective August 31, 2024. I was offered an opportunity that better aligns with my career goals and I am submitting my resignation letter now in the hopes that I can be as helpful as possible during the transition process.
I’m grateful for your mentorship, guidance and valuable lessons.
Thank you again for the opportunity to work with such a great team.
All the best,
Patricia Smith
patsmith@email.com
555-555-5555
Make sure to proofread your email letter before pressing send.
Build my cover letterTo wrap up, let’s go over the most important tips to remember about the letter address format:
At ResumeHelp, we have dozens of additional resources to help you shine. Check our other articles and expert advice all geared towards helping you give the best professional impression.
A printed business letter should be formatted with one-inch margins on all four sides of the page, and written with single-line spacing and an appropriate font (like Times New Roman or Arial) using the 12-point size. Additionally, your letter should be only a page long.
You have the option of aligning all of the text to the left (block format) or aligning your contact information, date, closing salutation and signature to the right while the rest of the text stays to the left (indented format).
These rules change if you’re writing an email letter. Because this is an informal letter, you should include why you’re writing in the subject line and keep the body text concise. Everything will be aligned to the left and your contact details (email address and email) should go under your typed signature.
To write a simple letter, you should stick to the basics of formal letter writing:
Be straightforward, get straight to the point and keep everything on a single page. For more letter-writing tips, see our How to Write a Cover Letter page.
Start your letter by addressing the recipient by the last name. There’s no need to get poetic when writing a business letter, so your first paragraph should get straight to the point by explaining to the receipient why you’re writing to them.
Resignation letters should start with: “I am writing to inform you that I will be resigning from my position…”
Cover letters can start with: “Your job videographer job opening caught my attention…”
Email letters should be even more straightforward: “I appreciated your feedback on my presentation…”
Express yourself clearly and confidently state why you’re writing them that letter.
The most commonly seen formatting of a business letter is the block format. This is when all the text is aligned to the left, including the contact information and signature.
The other type of letter formatting you might see around is the indented format, where the contact information and signature are right-aligned while the rest of the text is aligned to the left. The indented format isn’t as common as the block format but it’s an option if it looks good with the letter template you use.
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