Business letter format (with examples)

Numerous situations arise in professional business settings that necessitate formal correspondence. You might need to send a letter to an executive in the company requesting their presence at an event, or you might be tasked with reaching out to a contact at another business in the hope of creating a new partnership.

Regardless of who you are writing to, or the circumstance behind the letter, you will want to ensure that your letter follows a formal business letter format. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the format for a business letter and what you need to include, complete with professional examples.

Finally, we’ll provide you with insider tips on how to create business correspondence that is confident, compelling, and polished.

If you mean business, write formal business letters.

Format of a formal business letter

While you can use a business letter for a variety of purposes, each letter should be formatted in the same way.

The letter can be broken down into a few key sections:

• Your contact information
• The date
• The recipient’s contact information
• A salutation
• The body of the letter
• A closing salutation
• Your signature

Below you will see a few different examples of how these segments should be laid out.

Examples of business letters

The content of your business letter will depend a lot on the purpose behind the letter. The examples below showcase a few different ways you might use this type of correspondence. Keep in mind that if you plan to adopt any of these for your own use, you’ll want to ensure that you write your own original copy for the body of the letter, focused on the exact purpose of your message.

Example 1: A formal business letter sent via mail

Ben Thompson
Director of Marketing
B&B Industries
7777 Juniper Way
Denver, CO 80114
222-222-2222
[email protected]

February 9, 2022

Leah Baker
Director of Marketing
InnovateToday
2121 Flatiron Lane
Boulder, CO 80301

Dear Ms. Baker,

I would like to extend to you an invitation to our upcoming Pikes Peak Marketing Summit. The event is focused on connecting marketing professionals across Colorado to promote innovation and collaboration. Additionally, the event will showcase keynote speakers specializing in digital marketing, product marketing, and creating an AGILE environment.

Due to our ongoing partnership with InnovateToday, we are offering you two free tickets to the three-day event. The event will take place on October 18-21, 2022, in Colorado Springs at the Broadmoor. The Broadmoor, as well as a few neighboring hotels, will offer discounted lodging rates. If you, and a colleague, are interested in attending, please let me know at your earliest convenience. Additionally, if you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to give me a call.

Thank you for considering attending our event. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Cordially,

(Signature)

Ben Thompson

Example 2: A formal business letter sent via email

Subject Line: Leadership for Our United Way Campaign

Dear Mr. Frank,

As you know, here at B&B Industries, we are proud to be a United Way corporate sponsor. Each year, this partnership requires the hard work of volunteers across the organization. This year, I would like to invite you to serve on our board of directors for the annual United Way Campaign as Vice President.

As Vice President of the 2022 United Way Campaign, you’d be instrumental in leading the year’s fundraising efforts and encouraging volunteer events across the organization. In this role, you’d be volunteering alongside Greg Chems, President of the B&B Industries United Way Chapter. Your role would begin March 1 and carry through until February 1 of 2023.

I appreciate your consideration for this role and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Ben Thompson
Director of Marketing
B&B Industries
7777 Juniper Way
Denver, CO 80114
222-222-2222
[email protected]

Tips for writing business correspondence

Business correspondence should be a professional expression of your thoughts, in the context of your position as a representative of your company. You should write this letter carefully, paying close attention to the format of the letter and the content.

Use the following checklist to ensure you write your business letter to the highest standards:

• Use single-spaced lines: When formatting your letter, set your processor to single spacing between lines. Additionally, after each sentence, use a single space before starting the next sentence.
• Left justify the letter: Business letters should always utilize left justification and alignment.
• Keep the font simple: Opt for a font that is easy to read, such as Arial or Calibri – avoid overly decorative fonts.
• Think through your purpose: Before writing your letter, take the time to think through the purpose of the letter. Ask yourself:

1. Who is my audience? Do as much research as possible into your letter’s recipient. This can help you better understand what will compel them to action.
2. What action do I want them to take? Make sure it is clear to the reader what you are asking. Whether that is to attend an event, donate money to a cause, or partner with your team on a project, always state this purpose clearly.
3. What’s in it for them? People are moved to take action when they see a benefit. Include the reasons why the letter’s recipient should follow up.

• Keep the letter concise: While you do want to be sure to include relevant information in your letter, you also want to keep the attention of the reader. Stick to two simple paragraphs of content, with a quick closing. If you find that your letter has become too lengthy, go back and take out any redundancies or excessive information. You can always follow up later with more details.
• Use spell check: Whether you run your letter through a program like Microsoft Word, or you use an online spelling and grammar check, such as Grammarly, take the time to ensure that you have not included any spelling or grammar errors. Nothing ruins the professionalism of a correspondence as quickly as glaring errors.
• Never use slang: A business letter should never include slang or informal language. The goal is to write a letter that is straightforward and compelling.
• Re-read your letter before sending: Not only do you want to catch any mistakes in your letter, but a quick re-read will allow you to gauge the readability of the letter. It is a good idea to write your letter, set it down, and re-read it at least an hour later. This will help you see what you wrote through fresh eyes.
• Use formal salutations: To open your letter, choose a formal greeting, such as “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. [Last Name].” To close the letter, opt for a professional closing salutation such as Respectfully, Yours Sincerely, All the Best, Thank You, or Regards.

When to use a business letter

You can use a business letter in many settings. The following are a few examples of when formatting your correspondence to meet business letter requirements is ideal:

• When addressing someone in the business of higher rank
• When creating a cover letter to accompany a resume
• When submitting a formal request
• When welcoming a new employee
• When authoring a letter of recommendation
• When lodging a formal complaint
• When creating a business-wide announcement
• When submitting your resignation with a company

In most cases, if you are not certain whether to format a letter as a business letter, it is best to err on the side of caution and adhere to business guidelines. The formatting used in a business letter is acceptable in almost any setting. Not only that, but the best practices for a business letter are good guidelines for any professional correspondence. By sticking to professional formatting and language, your communications will reflect well on you and paint your business in a good light.