The business-letter format is very important for communicating formally with a company. You shouldn’t write in the same voice as when you write family or friends, a business letter needs to be more formal. These steps describe the full block format to write a formal business letter, in which all lines start at the left.

Quick Tips:

# Some people prefer to center the date and closing section instead of aligning them at the left.

# Try to keep the letter to one page. Generally, a short letter will get a quicker response than a long, rambling composition that takes several pages to come to the point.

# Make certain your punctuation, spelling and grammar are letter-perfect. Use your computer’s spell-checking program or have someone proofread the letter before you send it.

Here is step by step To write a Formal Business Letter :

1. >> Type the letter using a word processor. Formal letters should not be written by hand.

2. >> Use your own letterhead. If you don’t have letterhead, use formal, 8 1/2-inch-by-11-inch stationery with a matching envelope. Avoid store-bought note cards.

3. >> If you don’t have pre-printed letterhead, type your name, title and return address four to six lines down from the top of the page.

4. >> Type the date two to six lines down from the letterhead or return address. Three lines below is the standard.

5. >> Choose your alignment: left aligned or justified on both sides.

6. >> Skip two lines and type the recipient’s full name, business title and address, aligned at the left margin. Precede the name with Mr., Ms. or Dr. as appropriate.

7. >> Skip two to four lines and follow with your greeting, again using the formal name and closing with a colon “Dear Mrs. Marie:” for example.

8. >> Skip two more lines and begin your letter. Introduce yourself in the first paragraph, if the recipient does not already know you. Examples: ‘We recently met at a seminar at the Biltmore’ or ‘I recently purchased an insurance plan from your company.’

9. >> Continue with the body of the letter, stating your main purpose for writing. This may be to lodge a complaint, compliment the business on its products or services, or request information. Be as brief and concise as possible.

10. >> Skip two lines and conclude the letter with ‘Sincerely,’ ‘Thank you’ or ‘Best wishes,’ followed by a comma.

11. >> Leave at least four blank lines for your signature, then type your name and title. Sign the letter in ink in the space created.

Source : ehow