The art of the winning business letter Types

The art of the winning business letter

Types of Business Letters • • Fan Compliment Suggestion Information Problem – solution Request Complaint

Six Parts • • • Return Address Inside Address Greeting Body Complimentary Close Signature Line

Heading – return address Inside Address Greeting Body Complimentary Close Signature line

Style: Block

Style: Modified Block

Style: Semi-Block

No lin N e b am ef e; or ed at ip Sk Benicia High School 1101 Military West Benicia, CA 94510 ¶ January X, 20 XX ¶ e Heading

wa Al Christopher Nolan Film Director c/o Cheshire Agency 231 Movieland Drive Hollywood, CA, 94510 ¶ ys Us The begi ec ng nw /o ive it wh th h n se e e am co n s ad e nd en dr & pa din ess tit le rty g. to a Inside Address

Dear Mr. Nolan: ¶ Gr ee Ge t st nd art er s w en tit it Om ds le h D a w i An t g ith nd ear d u end a las , in se er col t na clu (i. fi if on m de e. rst un : e s , Le n su sli am re e) e. Greeting

Body I am a high school student who has seen Dark Knight four times, and bought it for my collection. I wanted to write and tell you how much I enjoy your work. I have seen all your movies. My favorites are Dark Knight, Batman Begins, and Memento. I like how you make surreal situations look real and believable. Batman seems like a real person. Memento is very twisted and fun to watch. I hope you make another strange, entertaining movie soon, and I hope Batman returns once again with you in charge. Concrete, specific details; 100+ words ¶ If you have a poster or pictures of yourself that you send out to fans, I would be honored to hang it in my bedroom and keep it forever. ¶

Sincerely, ¶ ¶ “S inc Yo e Or u m rely ot ay , ” he u is r, se go bu “Y od t d ou en on rs ou ’t tru gh be ly. wi ” tty Complimentary Close

[Your Name] [Title] U en su ou all gh y y wr. O our iti nly na n Ca g i use me pa n t ti is cit ha tle y. t if Signature Line

[Street Address] ¶ [City, ST ZIP Code] ¶ [Date] ¶ ¶ [Recipient Name] ¶ [Title] ¶ [Company Name] ¶ [Street Address] ¶ [City, ST ZIP Code] ¶ ¶ Dear [Recipient Name]: ¶ ¶ Introduce yourself and summarize why you are writing. New ¶ Go into detail (100+ words) about why you are writing - compliment? suggestion? request? complaint? ¶ Close with clear solution, follow-up expectations, or simply a fond farewell. ¶ ¶ Sincerely, ¶ ¶ ¶ [Your Name] [Title]

1101 Military West Benicia, CA 94510 January X, 20 XX Christopher Nolan Film Director c/o Cheshire Agency 231 Movieland Drive Hollywood, CA, 94510 Dear Mr. Nolan: I am a high school student who has seen Dark Knight four times, and bought it for my collection. I wanted to write and tell you how much I enjoy your work. I have seen all your movies. My favorites are Dark Knight, Batman Begins, and Memento. I like how you make surreal situations look real and believable. Batman seems like a real person. Memento is very twisted and fun to watch. I hope you make another strange, entertaining movie soon, and I hope Batman returns once again with you in charge. If you have a poster or pictures of yourself that you send out to fans, I would be honored to hang it in my bedroom and keep it forever. Sincerely, [Your Name] [Title]

1101 Military West Benicia, CA 94510 January X, 20 XX Dean Chambers, CEO Chambers Choice Chili 999 Hot Tongue Blvd Slagway, Alaska, 94510 Dear Mr. Chambers: I just ate a can of your great chili and liked it so much I am taking the time to write you a letter of compliment. I hate it when my mother buys canned chili because it always tastes nasty. I like chili, but I only like it homemade. My mother makes great chili and so does my Uncle Bobby Watson. He’s won two 1 st Place Prizes in the Elko, Nevada, Annual Chili Cook-Off Competition. I must admit, when I found your can of chili in our kitchen last Saturday, I almost skipped over it, but I was starving and there was nothing else to eat. From the first bite, I knew I would be eating your chili for the rest of my life – if you’re around that long. It tasted delicious. I couldn’t believe how many ingredients were in it. You had three kinds of beans, and big chunks of tomato. It was just hot enough, not too hot. I ended up eating two cans of it. I am going to ask my parents to buy more cans of Chambers Choice Chili. I am only writing to thank you for making your excellent chili. Of course, if you have coupons or discounts or information on your other products that you send to devoted fans, I promise to use them wisely. However, I only wrote to say “Great chili!” Keep up the good work. Sincerely, [Your Name] [Title]

Design & Spacing Rules • Letter should be positioned just above the center of your paper.

Too High

Too Low

Steps • Decide who you are writing to and find the address • Write the body without formatting until you get the language perfect • Handwrite the letter • Once approved, type the letter • Fold properly • Address envelope

Body Details • You must have a real, sincere, concrete reason for writing the letter. • The letter must give precise details at every step. • If a compliment, it cannot be just general adulation. • If a problem, offer a detailed solution. • If a complaint, extra effort must be taken to give every piece of pertinent information.

Complaint letters • Tone must always be courteous and professional – no anger or insults • Must, of course, be real and not exaggerated • Must give story line of exactly when, where product was purchased • Must tell exactly what the defect is and how it was discovered or how it occurred • Must tell all steps taken to remedy problem – did you go back to the store? When? Why didn’t that resolve the problem?

When requesting something • Don’t be blatant or greedy or needy. • Don’t ask for too much or for something big. • Ask sincerely, humbly, and only as an afterthought. • If you write a good letter and ask politely for a token of thanks, you are far more likely to get something in return. You have to make the reader WANT to reward you by being a sincere, devoted, polite customer or fan.

Extras • If you enclose something else in the envelope, then below your signature line you type: • Enclosure: (1) receipt • If you send your letter to two people, then below your signature line you type: • cc. Other Name