Business letter can be written with different styles, such as:
Full block style is a letter format in which all text is justified to the left margin. In block letter style, standard punctuation is placed after salutations and in other headings. Open punctuation, however, refers to a modification of style where all nonessential punctuation is omitted. A few key factors will help you understand block style format and the difference that open punctuation makes.
1. Return Address: If your stationery has a letterhead, skip this. Otherwise, type your name, address and optionally, phone number. These days, it's common to also include an email address.
2. Date: Type the date of your letter two to six lines below the letterhead. Three are standard. If there is no letterhead, type it where shown.
3. Reference Line: If the recipient specifically requests information, such as a job reference or invoice number, type it on one or two lines, immediately below the Date.
4. Special Mailing Notations: Type in all uppercase characters, if appropriate.
5. On-Arrival Notations: Type in all uppercase characters, if appropriate. You might want to include a notation on private correspondence.
6. Inside Address: Type the name and address of the person and/or company to whom you're sending the letter, three to eight lines below the last component you typed. Four lines are standard.
7. Attention Line: Type the name of the person to whom you're sending the letter.
8. Salutation: Type the recipient's name here. Type Mr. or Ms. [Last Name] to show respect, but don't guess spelling or gender.
9. Subject Line: Type the gist of your letter in all uppercase characters, either flush left or centered. Be concise on one line.
10. Body: Type two spaces between sentences. Keep it brief and to the point.
11. Complimentary Close: What you type here depends on the tone and degree of formality.
12. Signature Block: Leave four blank lines after the Complimentary Close to sign your name. Sign your name exactly as you type it below your signature. Title is optional depending on relevancy and degree of formality.
13. Identification Initials: If someone typed the letter for you, he or she would typically include three of your initials in all uppercase characters, then two of his or hers in all lowercase characters.
14. Enclosure Notation: This line tells the reader to look in the envelope for more. Type the singular for only one enclosure, plural for more.
15. cc: Stands for courtesy copies (formerly carbon copies). List the names of people to whom you distribute copies, in alphabetical order.
When writing business letters, you must pay special attention to the format and font used. The most common layout of a business letter is known as block format. Using this format, the entire letter is left justified and single spaced except for a double space between paragraphs.
1. Block Format HeadingsIn block letter format, all text is flush with the left margin. The sender's address is written at the top of the page, unless the letter is written on letterhead. After the sender's address or logo, a space is entered, followed by the date. After the date, another space is entered, and the recipient's full name and address are typed.
2. SalutationIn block letter style, the salutation should begin with "Dear" and should be followed with the proper prefix and last name of the recipient. Although many letter writers are used to following a salutation with a comma, the salutation is followed by a colon in block letter format.
3. Letter BodyThe body of a block letter is written in single-spaced paragraphs aligned to the left margin. A single space is placed between paragraphs. Even in open punctuation, periods and commas are still necessary within paragraphs to separate sentences. However, if you include a list of bullet points in the letter, omit the punctuation.
4. Closing
In the closing of a block style letter, a formal salutation is again aligned against the left margin. In regular block format, a comma is placed after the closing.
The final, and least used, style is semi-block. It is much like the modified block style except that each paragraph is indented instead of left justified. Keep in mind that different organizations have different format requirements for their professional communication. While the examples provided by the OWL contain common elements for the basic business letter (genre expectations), the format of your business letter may need to be flexible to reflect variables like letterheads and templates. Our examples are merely guides.
1. Font
Another important factor in the readability of a letter is the font. The generally accepted font is Times New Roman, size 12, although other fonts such as Arial may be used. When choosing a font, always consider your audience. If you are writing to a conservative company, you may want to use Times New Roman. However, if you are writing to a more liberal company, you have a little more freedom when choosing fonts.
2. Punctuation
Punctuation after the salutation and closing - use a colon (:) after the salutation (never a comma) and a comma (,) after the closing. In some circumstances, you may also use a less common format, known as open punctuation. For this style, punctuation is excluded after the salutation and the closing.
The indented layout of business letters is what people are most used to because this is how letters were written before PCs which really has been a long time, come to think of it.
In a lot of countries indenting paragraphs in a business letter is still a must, and Dixie would like to remind you again that on this website she mostly focuses on the US ways. And in the US the indented letter does look a little outdated. On the other hand, a lot of companies still use it even in the US. Well, there are three layouts to choose from. And if you justify to yourself using this one, go for it.
Simplified-style business letters contain all the same elements as the full-block and semi-block letters. Like the full-block format, the simplified format left-justifies every line except for the company logo or letterhead. The date line is either slightly right of center or flush with the center of the page. Letters written in the simplified format have fewer internal sections, such as the body, salutation and date line.
Using the simplified style is the most useful at times when you don't have a recipient's contact name. Because the simplified style does not require a salutation, you don't need the person's name. The simplified format does away with unneeded formality while maintaining a professional approach.
This very useful style places the first words of each paragraph prominently on the page. It is useful for letters that deal with a variety of different topics. However, for normal business communications, this style is very rarely used. The first line of the paragraph begins at the left-hand margin. And the other lines of the same paragraph are indented three to four spaces. This is the reversal of semi-indented style discussed in other page.
Sumber :
http://www.effective-business-letters.com/Hanging-Indented-Style.html
http://yodi-adhari.blogspot.com/
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/simplified-style-business-letter-10318.html
