References
These are optional, although you should quote your own (‘Our ref:’) if you handle a large volume of letters, and/or the recipient’s (‘Your ref:’) if this has been stated in earlier correspondence. Usually, references comprise the initials of the writer followed by those of the typist. Thus, a letter from Peter Abbot typed by Sarah James might have the reference PA/SJ. Alternatively, each subject and/or person in the firm can be given his or her own reference; SAL for Sales, 32 for Janet Baker, and so on. Place references three to five lines beneath the letterhead and one line space apart.
Date
Your letter must be dated – an obvious point perhaps, but one which often seems to be overlooked none the less. Put 3 (not 3rd) January 1996, 11 (not 11th) August 1996 or 2 (not 2nd) December 1996. Never abbreviate to ‘Jan’, ‘Aug’ or ‘Dec’. Also avoid ‘3/1/96’, ‘11-8-96’ or ‘December 2 1996’ (unless of course this is the accepted style in your country, as would be the case in the U.S.). Type or write the date in full, some two or three lines below the previous entry.
Name and Address
Always incorporate the recipient’s name, job title (if appropriate), address and postcode in the letter. Check spellings if necessary by referring to earlier letters or telephoning his or her company for guidance. Be especially careful with the person’s name – it is irritating to be addressed as Miss when it is Mrs, Jonathan instead of Jonathon or Plumley rather than Plumleigh. It looks careless too. Place the name and other details two or three lines under the date.
Greeting
Try to avoid using ‘Dear Sir’, ‘Dear Madam’ or (even worse) ‘Dear Sir or Madam’ as a greeting because they all sound vague and half interested – even the most modest effort would enable you to discover the name of the sales director, accounts manager or whomever you are writing to. Using the person’s first name or surname depends upon how well you know him or her and the relationship that exists between you. It may be wise to put ‘Dear Mrs Patel’ when congratulating a managing director on her success, whereas ‘Dear Sam’ could be used when thanking a colleague for a favour. Put the greeting some two to three lines beneath the name and address.
Subject Matter
This is an optional entry but can be included to identify quickly the subject of the letter and concentrate the reader’s mind upon it. Typically incorporated when the letter deals with one subject only, sometimes preceded by ‘Re:’ and in capitals, ordinary type or underlined as preferred, it should be placed one line below the greeting.
Message
Your message must be spread out over the required number of paragraphs. Each of these should deal with one main point and be of approximately equal length. Do attempt to create a well-balanced look if you can. The first paragraph should commence one line under the preceding entry, with one-line gaps separating subsequent paragraphs.
Continuation Sheets
Some lengthier letters will have to be written over two or more sheets. Use letterheaded paper for the first page, with subsequent ones being typed (or handwritten, as required) on plain paper. Leaving about six lines from the top of the page, put the page number, date and the recipient’s name, on three separate lines, down the left-hand side of the page. Then leave a further two or three lines before continuing with the letter.
Complimentary Close
End your letter with a complimentary close – ‘Yours sincerely’ if you began with ‘Dear Tom’ or ‘Dear Mrs Barham’, ‘Yours faithfully’ if you started (perhaps unwisely) with ‘Dear Sir’ or ‘Dear Madam’. Alternatively, use a less formal ending such as ‘Yours’, ‘Best regards’, or ‘Kind regards’ if you feel it is appropriate to the situation. These are being used more frequently nowadays. Place the complimentary close one line beneath your final paragraph.
Signature
Make sure your signature is legible – a squiggle or scrawl creates the impression that you are too busy to be interested in the letter, and therefore its recipient. Allow approximately five or six lines for the signature, and then type or write your name, followed by your job title if appropriate, one line beneath that.
Enclosures
You may wish to indicate that an item (or items) is attached to the letter, or enclosed in the envelope – a sales catalogue, a draft contract or an invoice, as examples. If so, put ‘Enclosure’, ‘Enc’, ‘Enclosures’ or ‘Encs’, as appropriate, two lines below the last entry.
Copies
Should you want to inform the reader of the recipient(s) of a copy (or copies) of the letter, you can put ‘Copy: John Brownlow’, ‘Copy: John Brownlow, accountant’ or ‘Copies: John Brownlow, accountant, Sophie Henderson, solicitor’, as relevant. Place this two lines beneath the previous entry.
The Style of a Letter
Familiar with the planning, appearance and layout of a letter, you can then set about polishing that draft in order to produce a final version of the letter, ready for posting. You should consider these areas:
• format
• language
• tone
• accuracy.
Format
Your letter can be laid out in one of three basic formats: blocked, semi-blocked and indented. The blocked format has all entries tight against the left-hand margin, as shown in Letter 1.2. The semi-blocked format sets the references and date to the right margin for filing and retrieval purposes, with the remaining entries placed against the left margin. Letter 1.3 illustrates this. The indented format follows the same layout as either of the other two, but indents each paragraph by five or six spaces. This can be seen in Letter 1.4 . Not surprisingly, the format you choose depends upon your firm’s preference – these days, companies often blend them together to develop an individual house style.
Language
As a general rule, the letter must be clear and easy to understand. Use language to suit the recipient. Obviously, it is inappropriate to include technical expressions when writing to a member of the public. Similarly, it is unwise to incorporate simplified language when addressing a specialist in the field. In both instances, the recipients will feel alienated. Try to use short words, phrases and sentences whenever you can, as these tend to be unambiguous and are less likely to be misinterpreted. Steer away from in-house jargon, slang and local or regional expressions, which increase the risks of misunderstandings.
Your letter should also be concise, regardless of the subject. For example, the reader wants a straightforward apology, not a rambling explanation of the complexities of the matter. He or she requires an acceptance or a rejection of a request for a cash discount, not an aimless discussion on the respective pros and cons of such a policy. Keep that letter short and direct. Check through your draft, constantly asking yourself whether the statements are all relevant to the recipient. If not, eliminate them. Set out the rest of the points as crisply