You may send most of your business correspondence by email, but there may be times when you send an official letter as well. If you have other documents that you need to include with this one, you will need to indicate them in the body of the letter and with a note at the end. This way, the recipient can make sure they receive everything you send them.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Create the attachment annotation
Step 1. Complete the letter
The attachment annotation is placed after you have completed and signed the letter. Use a courtesy phrase such as Please accept, Sir or Madam, the best regards or Sincerely, leave room for the signature and then write your name.
In general, the end word might be more familiar if you have a more personal relationship with the recipient. For example, if you are writing to your best friend's dad, you can use a more informal closing phrase such as My Best Wishes or Yours truly
Step 2. Write Attachment at the bottom of your name
If you added a document in addition to the letter you sent, double space after writing your name for the signature and write the attachment annotation.
If you included more than one document, use the plural Attachments, then indicate the number of attached documents. You must mention the number of files after a colon or in parentheses. For example, if you have attached three documents, you can write Attachments: 3 or Attachments (3)
Step 3. Use an abbreviation
You do not necessarily need to write the entire word attachment to refer to additional documents in an official letter. The abbreviation PJ is acceptable to indicate an attachment annotation.
- In fact, PJ is the abbreviation for the word attachment.
- If you want to attach more than one document, you can indicate the number of attached files after the abbreviation, without adding the plural mark s to it.
Step 4. Indicate the titles of the documents
Sometimes if you have multiple documents attached, just mentioning the number of files will not give enough information. If you deem it necessary, you can also include the titles of the documents after the word Attachments.
- Make sure all documents have an easily recognizable title if you want to indicate them in this way. You still wouldn't like the recipient to try to decipher if the correct documents are present.
- If you choose to list titles, avoid including the number of attached documents.
Step 5. Include all relevant descriptions
In some cases, it may be more important to tell the recipient what type of documents you are attaching. In general, you will need to do this if you are including both original documents and copies.
- Simply provide the title of the document, then include the description in parentheses. For example, you can write Attachments: birth certificate (original and two copies).
- If you have attached the original documents that you would like returned to you, be sure to mention this in the body of the letter.
Method 2 of 3: Format the letter
Step 1. Choose the best font and margin
The official business letter should be written in an easy-to-read standard font, such as Times New Roman or Helvetica. Usually this will be the default font in your word processing software.
- The default margins should also be fine. There should be at least 2.5cm on each side. If you want to fill the page with a shorter letter, you can increase the margins slightly if that helps balance the page.
- In the case of particularly short letters, you can also try a slightly larger and more extended font, for example Verdana. Be careful, however, that the font is not too intrusive. If in doubt, print the letter and give it to a friend. Tell him to look at it for a few seconds, then take that off and ask him to tell you about it. If the police are in the way, he'll tell you.
Step 2. Include your address
Unless you are writing on letterhead, the address will usually be the first thing that appears at the top of the page in a formal letter. You will not need to include your name because you will be signing the letter.
- In general, the letter should be left aligned and single spaced. The word processing application that you are using may have a business letter template that you can use so that you do not have to manually correct the layout.
- In addition to your mailing address, you can also include your phone number, email address, or both.
Step 3. Write the date of the day you finish writing the letter
If you want to do the formatting of the letter manually, tab (to the right) from the first line of your address. Write the full version of the date here in a style used by the recipient.
- For example, if you are addressing your letter to someone residing in Africa or Europe, you will need to enter the city, day and month first, then the year, Paris, July 16, 2018.
- Don't try to guess the date in advance in an official letter. If the recipient receives the letter before the date, it will look bad. Try to send it as soon as possible after you print and sign it.
Step 4. Identify the recipient
Double space below the date and write the name or title of the person you are writing to, as well as their mailing address. Depending on what you are writing for, you can also include their position or the name of their company.
- After the address, leave two more lines and write the subject line on the left. You also have the option of adding a reference to your correspondence.
- After that, write your word of greeting. Use your discretion to determine whether to include the person's first name. If this person occupies a position of responsibility, it is generally preferable to use Mr. or Mrs., followed by their last name.
Step 5. Write the body of the message
There are several styles of paragraphs for writing professional letters. However, the paragraph style is the simplest and most widely used. To do this, you will have a single space in the text, except for the double space between paragraphs.
Here you have to make an indent for the new paragraphs. The text will generally be left aligned, although you can choose the justified alignment. It will have spaces so that it is uniform on both sides of the page. The justified text may be more difficult to read in some contexts. However, in a short letter it can make the text look sharper. It’s mostly a matter of personal choice
Step 6. Use the correct paper to print your letter
Once you have solved the problem of writing and formatting a formal letter, you need to make sure that the paper you choose for its printing reflects the formalism of the letter itself.
- The paper you choose can determine whether the recipient will take the letter seriously. This is especially important if you are writing an official letter to apply for a job or to be accepted into a school.
- As a general rule, you will need to use a slightly thicker paper that is white or off-white in color. Using colored paper may be appropriate for personal letters, but for official correspondence it will make you appear less serious.
Method 3 of 3: Talk about attachments in the body of the letter
Step 1. Indicate the reason why you are writing
A professional letter should be short and to the point. Once you introduce yourself, immediately state why you are writing the letter and what you hope for as a result.
If for example you are writing to apply for a job, you can put, My name is Véronique Dubois and I recently graduated from Ritz-Escoffier school. I saw that you were looking for a pastry chef and I think my skills would meet your expectations
Step 2. Mention the attachments in the body
You will need to mention any attached documents in the body of the letter and include an annotation after the closing form. This will give the recipient an overview of the files and how they relate to the reason you are writing.
- You can write for example As you can see in my CV (attached document), I graduated from the Ritz-Escoffier school with the best marks in my class and a commendation from the dean.
- This method of indicating attachments in the body of the letter is more appropriate when there are not many.
Step 3. Describe any documents you have attached
If you have attached multiple documents, this might be more efficient than simply listing them in the letter, with a brief explanation of what they are.
- Suppose you write a business letter requesting a refund for a defective product. You can write I have attached the receipt of the goods with two photos that show the apparent defect when I first took it out of the box.
- In the annotation at the bottom of the letter, you can express it this way Attachments (3) or Attachments: Receipt dated July 11, 2017, photos (2).
Step 4. Explain the relevance of the attached documents
If you made reference to the attached documents in the body of the letter, you may need to include a sentence or two telling the recipient why and how these documents relate to the original reason you are writing.