We often wonder if writing business letters correctly is as important as it seems. Communication, written or verbal, has always been important to civilization. The method of communication is often dictated by several factors, such as who is addressing whom, why, and when.

Business letters are generally used to formally communicate with various players regarding business matters. Unlike informal letters, these must meet certain rules so that they can be read and processed quickly while still providing you with the relief you are seeking. Fortunately, the basics of writing business letters are easy to master.

1. The Beginning: Begin with the name, designation, and address of the person you want to communicate with. In case you don’t know the name, the designation is usually enough, although personalization always works best.

2. The topic: You should keep in mind that the person who will be reading your letter has limited time and therefore needs to know what the letter is about at a glance. The subject line serves this purpose.

3. Reference – below is your reference. This refers to the source that influenced you to write this letter. For example, the ad in the newspaper if you are applying for a job; a previous letter, a recent development, your own previous letters, etc.

4. The opening speech: Begin the letter with “Dear Sir or Madam,” depending on the person’s gender. It is important to address a woman as ma’am unless she makes it clear that she wants to be addressed as ma’am or miss.

5. Body of the letter: the matter you want to be said must be expressed in a clear and simple language, avoiding verbiage. The tone should be courteous, even when the letter is a complaint or negative feedback.

6. Closing Statement: Do your best to end the letter with an action point. This is what the person would read for the last time and therefore carry it in their mind. What do you want the person to do? What do you expect from him or her? What do you want them to remember from the letter?

7. Ending: The letter usually ends formally with “sincerely,” “sincerely,” “best regards,” or “best wishes,” depending on how well you know the person you’re writing to.

As you can see, writing business letters is not a difficult task. All you need is a little practice and the basic knowledge.