Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Introduction
Writing good business letters is an art that
all technical people should master.
when writing a business letter, the writer
produces a one-sided conversation with
the reader in the sense that he/she has to
anticipate the reader's questions and
provide answers to those questions.
Letter of Transmittal
Letter of Thanking
Letter of Complaint
Response to a Letter of Complaint
Letter of Request
Response to a Letter of Request
Business letters usually contain the following information (in this order):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Note: The last four components are not always included. For more information read
P. 217.
Forms of Address
Letters normally begin with some sort of salutation (except
for the AMS simplified letter style).
In formal correspondence, it is customary to use the
recipient's title and last name: Dear Dr. Smith.
If the person does not have a title, use Mr. or Ms.
In the American business world, it is becoming increasingly
common to address people by their first name as a sign of
goodwill. However, sometimes it is seen as disrespectful.
So, try to make sure whether it is acceptable or not.
If you do not know whether the reader is male or female,
do one of the following:
Use the complete name: Dear J.L Williams.
Use both titles: Dear Mr. or Ms. Williams.
Use a memo format: To: J.L Williams.