Thursday, November 11, 2010

Basic Letter Formatting Etiquette

Are you interested in writing a letter? Before you begin writing your letter you need a few essentials, such as a writing utensil, envelopes, proper stationery and stamps. Additionally all letters need to have the proper formatting. This is the proper format for a written letter.

AddressDateSalutation / GreetingMain body with necessary headingsClosingSignature

You would be surprised at how many business professionals do not follow these basic guidelines when writing a letter, not to mention how many college students graduate without this necessary knowledge in letter etiquette. With the formatting down, it is not time for your to write your letter with the correct spelling and punctuation. Always show consideration for the other party, such as thanking them for the time they are taking to read your letter. If you stop and think about how and when the receiver will be reading your letter you might get some ideas on how to show the greatest amount of consideration.

Using proper grammar and spelling is easier then ever with the use of spell check and grammar check. Use these tools liberally to correct any simple mistakes. However, do not think that they are perfect. Have somebody you know and trust read over every important correspondence before you mail it. The importance of having a second set of eyes on your letter cannot be expressed enough. Just because a letter looks perfect to you does not mean that it does not contain errors. Simple mistakes will reflect very poorly in the eyes of your receiver especially if you are trying to impress them. Messing up words such as where and were will destroy your chances of creating a positive impression. When in doubt have multiple people review your letter.

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