COMPONENTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER

COMPONENTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER

A letter should be a sum of the following parts that make it an effective form of communication:

 Letterhead
 Reference number
 Date
 Special markings
 Inside address
 Attention line
 Salutation
 Subject heading
 Main body
 Complementary close
 Signatory of letter
 Enclosures
 Copies circulated
 Initials markings for identification
 Postscript

These have been described in some details:

(1) Letter head
Since it is the first contact with the recipient, letterhead should make a favourable impression. It is done on printed stationery, usually on a bond paper that has a fine texture. It should not smudge and should withstand piercing and punching for filing work. Modern letter heads occupy about 2” of the top of the page with following information neatly printed / embossed:
 Full name of the firm
 Postal address
 Pin code
 Telephone no(s)
 Fax no(s)
 Email ID etc
In the modern age of Internet, website details are also given. It must contain the registered address of the firm which is often written at the bottom of the first page.

(2) Reference Number of the letter
A reference number is essential for large firms as it facilitates connecting up the next correspondence. Usually, offices have a comprehensive system of filing and associated file nos. The last numerals are unique serial numbers given centrally by the department or even dispatch office. In such cases, it is useful to have a master file containing all the letters issued by a firm or department serially. It can also be organized on a computerized system.

(3) Date of letter
Every letter must have a date of issue that is written in two ways:
 Dd/mm/yyyy or 1 January 2018
 Mm/dd/yyyy or January 1, 2018
The practice followed in the country should be adopted – no other form of writing the date should be used viz., 1st January 2018  or January 1st,2018 . First form of writing date is becoming popular universally.

(4) Special markings
Many letters need to be given special markings:
 Confidential
 Airmail
 Registered post
 Speed post
 Courier etc
These markings carry special meaning and are also put on the envelope.

(5) Inside address
Next, complete name and address of the recipient is written. This should be the same as required to be written on the envelope. These days, comma is not put at the end of each line nor a full stop at the end of the complete address. However, pin code must be written properly and prominently to help postal persons en route.

(6) Attention line
Different types of letters follow different ways:
Official letter : Attention line is formal; usually, designation of the person is used.
DO letter : Mr SHARMA
Form letter : Designation is followed by name in parentheses
e.g., Vice President (Mr Sharma)
Internal letter : Memos use a direct approach viz.
To From

(7) Salutation
It is a formal greeting to the recipient of the letter message. Its choice is directly dependent upon the extent of formality one wishes to observe:
 Official letters : Dear Sir / Madam
 DO Letters : Dear Mr Dhingra / Ms Gautam
Here recipients are not addressed by their first name. Please remember, „Respected Sir‟ is wrong English!

(8) Subject heading
Appropriate heading denoting the subject of the letter being written is usually given e.g., Application for loan, Bill No -------- for ------- dated ------

(9) Main body
Main body comprises of three parts:
(i) First part
It is devoted to a brief introduction and stating the purpose of the letter.
(ii) Second part
It is longer and presents the relevant facts in a logical sequence. It may be extend over several paragraphs. Each paragraph should deal with a separate point and written as clearly as possible.
(iii) Third part
It is related to „conclusion‟ that sums up and rounds up the letter politely, usually soliciting a reply. A few standard forms of concluding phrases are:
 Thanking you
 We thank you in anticipation
 Looking forward to a positive response
 We would be glad to furnish any further information

(10) Complimentary close
It is an important part of the letter and should match the form of salutation used in the beginning of the letter. The usually pairing is as under:
Salutation Complimentary close
(i) Sir Yours truly
(ii) Dear Sir / Madam Yours faithfully
(iii) Dear Mr / Ms Yours sincerely
Please note that memos, being internal communication, have neither the salutation nor the complimentary close.

(11) Signatory of letter
A letter without signatures and signatory is not well received. A recent trend is that computer generated correspondence is being sent without signatures. In coming years when every mail will be sent electronically, it is understandable. However, in these letters, the name and official designation of the sender should be clearly stated. (A number of offices especially from government and public sector undertakings do not seem to follow this practice religiously).

(12) Enclosures
These must be stated clearly after the signature of the sender. Any document sent must be stated clearly for future reference.

(13) Copies distributed
Usually, copies of the letter are sent to persons for the following reasons:
 For information only
 For complementary action(s) as appropriate
Also copies of letters may either contain the enclosures or may be sent without the enclosures. The fact should be clearly stated against each copy distributed.

(14) Markings of initials for quick reference
It is a good practice to put the initials of person who has dictated / directed the letter to be sent under his signature. Also, the initials of the person who has transcribed / word-processed is stated. This is done just below the typed name of the signatory. This can be done in the following ways:
 JNK: ar
 JNK: AR
 JNK/AR
 JNK-AR
Of the above alternatives, first one is preferred.

(15) Post script
People write postscript as a last minute addition to what has been said in the letter. Such addictions must be avoided in commercial correspondence. There is no place for such after-thoughts in the electronic age of word-processing.