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Writing a business letter is considered a serious matter in Germany where formal rules are considered important. They have developed the industrial norm DiN 5008, which prescribes how to write German business letters in every detail from letterhead to closing.

A business letter is a letter written in formal language, usually used when writing from one business organization to another, or for correspondence between such organizations and their customers, clients and other external parties.

The overall style of the letter will depend on the relationship between the parties concerned; however, there is a consensus on style that has developed naturally over time. Business letters usually follow a left-blocked format.

Business Letters in the United States usually contain the following information (in this order):

1. Letterhead or sender's address
2. Date
3. Inside address
4. Salutation or Greeting
5. Letter body
6. Complimentary closing
7. Signature, printed name, and position of sender

In some situations, a business letter may also include the following optional information:

8. Reference (RE:)
9. Carbon Copy Recipients (CC:)
10. Enclosures(ENC:)
11. Reference Initials

The address:

The address is usually written from the most specific information (i.e. the recipient's name) to the most general (i.e. the city, state, ZIP Code or country). If the writer knows the recipient's gender, a courtesy title (Mr. or Ms.) should be included. Please note that the sender's name should not be included with the address. Example of an Address Line:

Johnny B. Goode
LINQWEB
Philippines, Inc.
Saysaymag Ave.
Sangen City, WS 30000

Dates:

The date usually goes between your address and the recipients address. In formal business writing, it is best to completely write out the date to avoid confusion. The writer should write April 8th 2007, instead of 4/8/07. One reason for writing out the date is date-formats. In the US, 4/8/07 is April 8th 2007, but most of the world would read this as 4th August 2007.

Body:

The body of your letter... Continued
Making Freelance Writing Work for You Part 2

Writing A Business Letter Part 2
Continued.. Writing A Business Letter Part 2 Body:The body of your letter should be written clearly and concisely. It includes as many paragraphs as are necessary to communicate the information. Paragrap...
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