Business Correspondence:

1. Business Correspondence: Professional Business Letters

2. In a business environment, people use documents to communicate with others! Business Documents include… • Memos • Letters • Newsletters • Resumes • Proposals

3. Essential Letter Elements • Date Line • Month, Date, Year • Inside Address • 3 to 8 lines below the date line • Addressee's courtesy title plus full name • Job title • Business affiliation • Full geographical address • Example: Mr. Paul Smith Personnel Director Juniper Culinary Academy 202 Park Boulevard Juniper, NV 89268

4. Essential Letter Elements • Salutation • Two lines below inside address • The line at the start of a letter including the greeting and the recipient’s name • If you do not know the name, avoid using “To whom it may concern” – Impersonal • Instead use recipient's title • Example: Dear Personnel Director • Message • Two lines below salutation • Body of the letter • Single spaced with one blank line between paragraphs

5. Essential Letter Elements • Complimentary Close • Two lines below the last line of message • Capitalize only the first word • Example: Sincerely yours, • Signature Block • At least four blank lines below • Leave room to sign name

6. Reference Initials • If someone other than the writer keys the letter, place their initials (lower case) a double space below the writer’s name • ss

7. Attachment/Enclosure • If there are attachments or enclosures, double space and indicate this under the initials. • If multiple enclosures are referred to in the letter , follow the word “Enclosures” with a colon and two spaces and list each enclosure Enclosures: Brochure Membership

8. Copy Notation • A copy notation indicates that a copy of a letter is being sent to someone other than the addressee • Use “c” followed by the name of the person(s) to receive a copy. • Place a copy notation a double space below the last line of the enclosure notation or the reference line if there is no enclosure: c Robert Anderson Maria Sanchez

9. Postscript • A postscript is additional text that may be added after a letter has been completed. • It is the last item in the letter. Key it a DS below the last letter part. • The postscript is used to place additional emphasis on the text or to reemphasize a part of the text included in the body. Remember to RSVP by May 15, 2011 for the annual crawfish boil.

10. Margins • TOP 2” • LEFT 1” • RIGHT 1” • BOTTOM 1”

11. Three Types of Letters: • Block Business Letter • Modified Block Business Letter • Personal Business Letter

12. Block Letter Style Block • All components of letter begin flush with the left margin

13. Modified Block Letter Style Modified Block • Date, complimentary close, and signature block are positioned approximately one-half inch to the right of center or at the right margin • All other components begin flush with left margin

14. Differences in Personal Business Letters & Business Letters • Personal Business Letters • Your street address is typed two inches down • Next line has the city, state, and zip • The dateline is on the line following the city, state, and zip • Business Letters • Companies use letterhead which includes their street address, city, state, zip, and phone number • Therefore, business letters from companies do not need to have this information keyed in.

15. Personal Business Letter • Personal Business Letter Modified Block Style • Your street address is typed two inches down • Next line has the city, state, and zip • The dateline is on the line following the city, state, and zip

16. ASSIGNMENT ON BLOG • You need to write a professional thank you letter to one of your teachers in the MODIFIED BLOCK LETTER STYLE • Handwrite your first draft – then switch with a partner and use the proofreading symbols to check each other’s letters • Person proofreading needs to sign the bottom of first draft • The body must be three paragraphs: • Let the teacher know why you are writing to them • Why you chose that teacher • Closing paragraph- thanking the teacher for the hard work they do!