Your organization

Your address

Your city, state, zip code

Today’s date

Recipient’s name

Recipient’s address

centered, while the rest of the letter is left-justified.

For the salutation, “Dear [name]:” is most common, although some writers choose to omit

“Dear.” Do your best to identify the name of the person to whom you’re sending the letter; “To

Whom It May Concern” is outdated. If you don’t know the name, you can use the person’s title

(e.g., “Dear Hiring Manager”). If the recipient has an academic or professional title, such as

professor or doctor, be sure to use the appropriate honorific, such as Prof. or Dr.; if there is no

honorific, use “Dear [first name, last name].” If the recipient identifies as a woman, avoid using

“Mrs.” or “Miss.” Unless you know the recipient personally, avoid using only a first name.

• Do include a name in the recipient’s address.

• Use a colon, not a comma, after the salutation.

The first paragraph of a business letter should state the letter’s purpose. While a first sentence

may establish goodwill – e.g., “I hope this letter finds you well” – you should arrive quickly at

the reason you’re writing. Don’t be impolite but do be concise and professional in tone. Maintain

your professional and courteous tone throughout the letter, showing you have respect for the

reader and their time. While you should ensure you include all the information your audience

needs, strive for concise and clear writing. Frontload information, write in short sentences and

paragraphs, and use bulleted or numbered lists if applicable. These techniques will make your

however, each paragraph should be relatively short, usually around 100 words. Begin with a

strong topic sentence that conveys the paragraph’s main point; the second sentence explains why

that point is important. Subsequent sentences all relate to that same topic. If there is a particular

action the recipient should take after reading the letter, or any deadlines to be aware of, make

those clear.

Business letters typically include a short conclusion in which the writer again expresses goodwill

to the recipient and again references any future action to be taken. Examples of this type of

conclusion include, “Thank you for your time,” “I look forward to hearing from you,” or “Please

reach out with questions or concerns.” This sentence is followed by a complimentary closing,

• If there are any enclosures, list them at the very bottom.

• Be sure to center the letter on the page. Look at “print preview” to check the layout.

• Check there are no stranded sentences on a page, or single words on a line.

Lastly, always review and proofread your letter!

Closing,

{YOUR SIGNATURE}