First is the heading, also called letterhead or the return address. When companies are writing they use printed papers with the heading at the top of the sheet. It’s used to show the companies identity. It’s written on top central part of the letter.

The date is written right afterwards. If the letter doesn’t have a heading then the date is what it starts with. Then you write your own address and after that the recipients address. The inside address was designed to be seen through the window of the envelope when the paper is folded in thirds, that’s why it is placed on the left margin.

After the addresses is written the greeting. Usually, it’s formed of “Dear” and the last name of the recipient. It is strongly recommended to address to the recipient by his name; otherwise, instead of his last name write Sir/Madam or his title in the company. If it’s a US style of the letter, the greeting ends with common and if it’s a UK style, it ends with comma.

It is at your choice if you want to write the title of the letter afterwards. Its role is to help the receiver deal with the goals of the letter.

As parts of a business letter are the body paragraphs. It’s the main part of the letter as it states why you are writing. It would be fine to start it by presenting yourself. Leave a line between each paragraphs so that to make it pleasant to the eye. You should use simple sentences and simple words so that to make yourself clear to the reader. The body paragraphs are formed from the introduction, were is stated the purpose of the letter, the middle-part where are written details and the closing were you write what actions you expect from the recipient to make.

The complimentary close is the proper ending of the body paragraphs. It was stated that if the greeting is “Dear Sir/Madam” the complimentary close should be :”Yours faithfully”, and if it started with “Dear” it should end with :”Yours sincerely”.

The last part of the letter is your signature and your identification. If the letter does have a heading, the signature is written in the centre; if it doesn’t have a letterhead, the sign is on the left side.

In case if somebody else than the writer typed the letter initials should be included. As additional parts of a business letter there is cc – written when copies are sent and Enclosure – written if other materials are included. For additional info consult the following sites:

1. http://www.cyberbee.com/science/letpart.html
2. http://powayusd.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/projects/literacy/writingwithstyle/letter2.gif

Because it should have a pleasant look to the eye, most of business cover letters are structured in three paragraphs. The first one is the most general. Here you speak about your general qualities, abilities, experiences that are not necessarily related to the job you’re currently applying. Of course, you may start speaking about your qualities related to the job, but keeping the same general mode of speaking. This is the paragraph that should grasp the reader’s attention. Not only that you mention the purpose of writing this letter, you should convince the employer that you should be considered for a future interview:”I am a skilled (title) with an outstanding background in successful business operations; I am seeking to align myself with a progressive company.”

The second one is where you can finally mention details regarding your skills and experience. If you made the first one paragraph of your business letter good enough to attract the attention, the second one will be read in a grasp. The second paragraph of the business cover letter is the one that makes a clearer view about you. Be specific about your characteristics and don’t make the recipient guess what you are or what you want to say. Keep the sentences short so that not to make it too boring. Don’t complicate yourself with complex words, be simple and understood.

In the third paragraph, the last one, you mention when you’re able to contact the employer or when you are able to come at a future interview. You should let the recipient understand that you want to come at a future interview like ”I’d like the opportunity to share more of my passion” You don’t have the freedom to choose the time suited for you. Usually it’s written that within a week or a few days. If you want the interview to take place earlier, just mention that you’re ready and open for it. As it is the accompanying document to the resume, you make reference to the latter. Thank the reader for his time or finish the letter by an expression that underlines your readiness like “I look forward to following up soon”.

You may write more than three paragraphs but keep the content structured as mentioned above. The document that it’s read before the resume is the business cover letter, so make sure that the reader will make a clear and positive view through it. For more info, consider entering the following links: http://www.nothingbutcoverletters.com/sample-business-cover-letter.html  and http://jobsearch.about.com/od/coverlettersamples/a/samplebus.htm

It was estimated that nearly 15% of hiring managers would reject an applicant that haven’t sent a thank you note after an interview. Moreover, 32% of them will lose interest in those who haven’t written. The business thank you notes differ from the normal ones. It should be taped, not handwritten. As a thank you letter should be sent within 24 hours after an interview, and if speaking generally, should be sent promptly after the last visual contact with the receiver. You should keep the balance between being friendly and being professional.

You should include in it your address, recipients address and the date. Address the recipient with Dear (name) and keep the formality level when writing the name: Mr./Mrs., Dr. instead of just writing the name.

The content should start by thanking for the event, like a promotion or interview: “We’d like to express our gratitude for…”, “Thank you for meeting with me yesterday to discuss the (job title) at (companies name)” Then continue writing about how the event helped you or how you have enjoyed it:”I was impressed by the team spirit among the employees.”, ”Your explanation of the position made my interest in working with you even bigger”. Depending on what exactly you want to express your gratitude, there are different thank you samples. You can also express your desire of seeing again the recipient “we look forward to doing business with you again“. In case you’re writing after an interview, you may thank the recipient for his time: ” Your time and consideration are greatly appreciated”.  It’s important not to act as you have been accepted.

In case you’re writing to somebody you don’t know well, end the note with “Yours sincerely”, and if you’re writing to a boss or manager, write “best wishes” or “many thanks”.  It would be normal to end it with the regular “thanks again”.

The thank you note should be short and comprise just the gratitude you want to express. It would be a bad idea to remind of your skills and competences, because there is the resume and the interview for this. That’s why it’s called a note: you have the chance to be specific about your gratitude and underline your respect. Sometimes it’s a better choice instead of the thank you letter, as the recipient will appreciate the writer’s consideration to his time. Different thank you samples express positive attitudes towards a recent event.

Your name;

Address;

City, state, zip code;

Phone number;

Email address.

Receivers info is almost the same :

Name;

Title;

Company;

Address;

City; state; zip code.

Next follows the regular formal salutation: Dear Mr. /Mrs. Last Name, 2 lines below recipient’s address.

The letter starts with specifying the purpose of it, the context in which it should be placed. There are lots of purposes of a business letter, and doesn’t matter which is, it should be informed from the first paragraph: “Following up on our phone conversation, I look forward to be meeting with you and your strategic planning stuff on… at your office. I’d appreciate you arranging to have a screen in the conference room.”

In the next paragraph you start mentioning details and providing more information. It is the most important part of the letter as you achieve you purpose here. The following example of the business letter template may help you: “I’d like to ship an introductory assortment of 100 frames as soon as I get a purchase order from you. Once you’ve looked at the photographs, you might find you prefer particular sizes. We’ll be glad to put up a shipment that includes exactly the mix you want.”

In the last paragraph mention what future actions you would like the reader to do. It’s important to make this clear and simple, just like the upper part of the letter: “During the month of March we’re offering an extra 10% of any travel you book with us. Simply bring this letter with you when you stop by our … street location, and we’ll show you what (Company’s Name) can do for you.” Another variant of a conclusion is to repeat the purpose of the letter and thank the reader for his time or action previously made:” You are an inspiring speaker. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and talents with us “.

Considering the structure of the letter, the paragraphs should be single spaced and justified to the left. If you’re not sure how formal you should be, choose a more formal variant.

Next follows the complementary close, like “Respectfully yours,” or “Sincerely,” . Afterwards you write your name, your position and leave your signature. Hope, you find this business letter template writing guide helpful. Remember that there are lots of types of business letters and each o them has certain formulas that are to be written accordingly.

For detailed info, consult the following sites:
1.http://esl.about.com/cs/onthejobenglish/a/a_basbletter.htm
2. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT010146787.aspx

All the specifications you mention apart from the main content are to be placed on the top left side of the letter, written from top to bottom, alongside with the margin.

First is the return address which is to be written in two lines. Right afterwards is the date the letter was written (month-written in letters, day, year). Leave some space and write the full name of the recipient, his position, companies name and the address, also written in two lines. Then again, leave some space and write the salutation: Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms last name. The subject of the letter which is written afterwards may not be included; it depends on the complexity of the letter.

After these specifications follows the very content of the letter. Just like the specifications, the content should be written according to the business letter format. It should be written in paragraphs so that to make it easier to read. Leave double space between the paragraphs.

The letter should be set up properly, this means to pay attention to the margins: on sides should be as equal as possible, on top and bottom may differ. The purpose is not to make the letter perfect, just more pleasant to the eye.

The content may start with a friendly introduction and afterwards underline the purpose of the letter. It should keep the reader’s attention and this means avoid writing too many details. Of course, you may write details as they have the role of supporting the information, but keep them for the next paragraphs, and not include in the first one. There is no requirement or limitation in the amount of paragraphs. You may write as many of them as you want, but just make sure to keep close to the main point. Moreover, the amount of paragraphs won’t be noticed once the sentences won’t be too long.

In the final paragraph you may highlight specific action to be made from the behalf of the reader. Make reference to the contact info you have provided and make a positive closing: “Sincerely,”.

Leave a four line space after the complimentary close and write down your full name, your position and the company you’re activating in, also on the left side. The last elements of the letter are the typist initials and the enclosures.
When writing a business letter you should be precise of what you’re looking for. The reader expects not just a proper content, but also a business letter format applied.

For further info, consider entering the following links:
http://www.letterwritingguide.com/businessletterformat.htm
www.isenberg.umass.edu/businessco
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/specific-writing-assignments/business-letters

If possible, direct the letter in the salutation to an exact recipient. In this way the letter won’t be delivered to persons that won’t respond to it. Moreover, by writing it, you will demonstrate that you care who will read your letter.

The body of the letter is divided in three: introduction where is stated the purpose of the letter; the middle part where are given details and that convince the recipient to act; the closing that underlines what actions are expected from them to make.

You should write the content in such a manner that the recipient will clearly understand it. Use simple language and don’t strive for big words, this may make the content less understood. Nor should you use too many words in your correspondence. Get to the point as fast as you can, there’s a big chance that the reader has another 100 letters to get through or that he’s about to finish his working day.

Using a simple language you should demonstrate that you’re confident and sincere of what you’re writing. Keep in mind that the level of subordination towards the reader should be also kept accordingly.

Another reason of why you should know how to write a business letter is that you should make the recipient interested in reading it. If you’re planning to write a long letter, you should plan to organize specific information in specific paragraphs. In this way, everything will be at its right place and the recipient will read it entirely.
Right from the beginning, you should establish a positive connection with the reader. If you’re writing to an acquaintance or someone you’ve just met before, mention it in the introductory part. It’s useful to have a common background doesn’t matter what the response will be.

Finally, you should remember that a business letter shouldn’t have any mistakes at all. This is your first chance to make an impression, probably the last one. As mentioned before, be simple, don’t complicate yourself. Don’t use abbreviations, don’t use long sentences, and don’t use complicated words. Make yourself clear and state what actions you’re expecting from the behalf of the reader. Keep on mind that you don’t have to demonstrate how well you can write a letter or how good your language is; your purpose is to make yourself understood. Knowing how to write a business letter will assure you with a response from the recipient.
For additional info, consult the following sites:
http://esl.about.com/cs/englishworkplace/ht/ht_bletter.htm and http://www.office.xerox.com/small-business/tips/business-letter/enus.html

Writing such kind of business letters doesn’t mean to write thank you at the beginning of each sentence. You have at your will several paragraphs in which you can tell what you haven’t had previously the chance to.  In the first paragraph you thank for the latest activity you had the chance to do with the receiver of the letter. Instead of writing “thank you” from the very first sentence you may say that you have enjoyed what you had previously done, like for instance “I just want to state again what a pleasure it was to talk with you about the position off …” In the first paragraph, you’ll have to use this expression anyway.

In the second paragraph of the thank you letter you may start mentioning details of the last activity you have enjoyed and in what manner they helped you. The second paragraph is a great chance to mention about the things you haven’t done when you had the chance to. This is more common after interviews when the applicants wish to mention important things about which they forgot or haven’t thought of to say: “I forgot to mention at the interview that in the past I have been hired by …”

Second paragraph may be also used for clarifying specific things, like:”You mentioned that you have an acquaintance that works in … May I call you during the next week to get her contact information?” As you can see, the content of a thank you letter may also consist of details that could be written in a regular letter. Only that it also has the shape of a grateful attitude towards a recent activity held related to the person reading the letter.

The last paragraph is usually used to specify future contacting the writer wishes to make with the reader. For a more unofficial letter you may come up with a friendly joke so that to strengthen a bit your relationship with the reader.

If you ever feel like you still have something to speak of and you need to express your gratitude, this is what the thank you letter is for. For additional info, consider accessing the following links:
1. http://jobsearch.about.com/od/thankyouletters/a/samplethankyou.htm
2. http://thankyouletters.org/

The basics you should know about cover letters is that you should follow a specific structure. There are three paragraphs: in the first one you should mention the purpose of your writing, the job you’re applying for and in the mean time convince the reader that you’re the right person to be called for an interview. Here are some sentences normally met in this paragraph: “I’m writing to express my interest in securing an (job you’re applying) in your firm”, “My relevant experience is divert and establishes a first class candidate for the vacancy provided.” For another approach, first paragraph is also used to grasp the reader’s attention like, for instance, to your skills: “The requirements I have encountered in the post regarding the vacancy of … have matched most of my characteristics”. By reading some cover letter examples you may find other kinds of introduction.

In the second paragraph you should mention the skills you’re offering to the employer, mostly the ones related to the job you’re applying. It’s like an interpretation of your resume. For more comfortable reading, it should be structured in short statements followed by some evidence : “I have participated at…”, “I was given the responsibility of…”,  “My (job applying for) skills are excellent and I’m aware of meeting deadlines”, “If given the opportunity to …, I can”. You may structure it in paragraphs rather than leaving it in a dull block of text.

In the last paragraph you mention how and in what period of time you’re able to meet or contact for further discussions. You thank the reader for the attention provided and you make a reference to the resume attached: “Thank you for your time and consideration”, “I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you and discuss further details…”, “Please find attached the resume”.

The main idea of the cover letter is to be specific: what job you’re applying and what skills you have to offer. It is the document that is seen first, before the resume, so it’s your first chance to make an impression. Consider reading cover letter examples so that to have a cleaner view of what you should write about.

You may find additional info by entering the following links:

http://jobstar.org/tools/resume/cletters.php and http://jobsearch.about.com/od/coverlettersamples/a/coverlettsample.htm

The persons that are to write recommendations are to be chosen carefully. There should be the ones that have succeeded to get acquainted properly with the applicant (the person is written about) and that had enough time to see him working/studying so that to be able to make conclusions towards different characteristics of him. Of course, the writer of the recommendation letter should have a positive attitude towards the one he’s writing about. A prior thing may be considered the relationship established between the writer and the applicant.

Sometimes a letter of recommendation is the only document that convinced the employer or the principal to accept the application of the person being recommended. It is a trustworthy document that may be written by persons with an important hierarchical position, this being an important detail for the one reading it. Also, the writer could be in such a position that his words would be trusted with no hesitation; therefore, if the person that is written about manifested himself as a good worker/student, the recommendation would become the best argument in convincing the reader. That’s why, the applicant should pay attention on the impressions people around him make, and not be ignorant to whatever conclusions may come out about him.

Before asking somebody to write the letter of recommendation, it would be a constructive decision to discuss about the aspirations of the one written about and the work/faculty his trying to apply using the letter. This would help the writer to be more specific in the letter about the characteristics that the employer/principal would pay considerable attention to.

Writing a business letter you must start with the address of the sender only if you are not using a letterhead. In the sender’s address you have to mention only the street address, town and index at the letter top one line over the datum, which must be placed 5 centimeters from the top of the page. In the recipient’s address it is better to use personal titles (Ms., Mrs., Mr., or Dr.) and it must be written one line below the address of the sender or 2, 5 centimeters below the datum. In the salutation the personal title of the person, to whom you are writing, must be repeated. In the body a blank line has to be left between each paragraph of the letter and your ideas are to be written without any digressions, because according to Leo Tolstoy “Brevity is the Soul of Wit”. In the first paragraph you have to mention the main point. In the next paragraphs you are to bolster the main point with the examples. And in the last paragraph you should remind the main point with the irrefutable arguments. After the last paragraph you have to write the closing, where you have to thank the reader for his attention to your letter. It should be placed one line below the last paragraph of the body. In the end you are to sign your letter and to write your name, title or the name of your firm.

In a condensed form an average business letter looks the following way:

· sender’s address with the title or name of the company;
· datum;
· recipient’s address with the title or the name of the company;
· salutation;
· body;
· closing;
· sender’s signature;
· Sender’s name with the title or the name of the company.

The most used types of the business letters are the following:

· apology letter is used in order to express regret for a failure in the achievement of the desired aim;
· inquiry letter is written when a person wants to find out about a special service or product;
· letter of recommendation is send to recommend a person for a special job position;
· acknowledgment letter is used to thank someone for the help or to support a person in trouble;
· appreciation letter is written to thank an employee for his or her work in a firm or organization;
· order letter is used to order some products.