Sign in

Career Guide

Career Development 15 Types of Business Letters (With Purposes and Components)

15 Types of Business Letters (With

Purposes and Components)
By Indeed Editorial Team
Published 16 August 2021
The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter
experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

Many people in different professional industries write and receive business letters at some
point in their careers. People write letters when applying for jobs, communicating updates
to team members and providing feedback to other companies. Learning the different
business letters can help you know which variation is most appropriate for your needs. In
this article, we discuss the 15 different types of business letters and explore the common
components of such letters.

Related: Business Letter: Format and Example

Top job searches near you

Part time jobs

Full time jobs

Work from home jobs

 Hiring immediately jobs

View more jobs on Indeed

Types of business letters

Here are some of the most common types of business letters and when to use them:

1. Cover letters
A cover letter is a business letter typically sent with your resume when applying to a job.
While not all employers require a cover letter, it is a great opportunity to explain your
professional experience, qualifications and interest in the company and job. Cover letters
are often one page and include:

Contact information

Salutation

Purpose of the letter

A brief overview of your skills and experience

Conclusion

Related: How To Format a Cover Letter (With Example)

2. Letters of recommendation
You might write a letter of recommendation on behalf of another professional to verify their
qualifications and work ethic. A letter of recommendation can strengthen an application for
employment, higher education or another professional opportunity. Some jobs require
recommendation letters from two to three people who can discuss your qualifications for
potential roles. Letters of recommendation include:

Relationship of the recommendation

Evaluation of the candidate's qualifications

Examples

Closing statement
3. Interview follow-up letters
An interview follow-up letter is a message you send to interviewers to thank them for their
time. This shows hiring managers you are respectful and grateful for their consideration for
a position. Be sure to send this follow-up letter within a day of the interview to express your
thanks and to reiterate your interest in the position. Include key details from the interview
that show how you were actively listening. Components of an interview follow-up letter
include:

Interview overview

Expression of thanks

Your skills and qualifications

4. Offer letters
An offer letter is one that employers send to inform a jobseeker that they want to hire them.
These letters often accompany a verbal offer. Within the letter, you find key details about the
position, including salary, start date, benefits and other employment terms. Candidates
respond and choose to accept the offer, negotiate terms or decline. Parts of an offer letter
include:

Job description

Job title

Projected start date

Salary

Benefits

Requested acceptance timeline

5. Sales letters
The purpose of a sales letter is to introduce a service or product to a client or customer.
Sales professionals often use these letters when contacting prospective buyers or
strengthening relationships with longtime clients. Sales letters help you personally connect
to clients. Components of a sales letter include:

Product description

Cost
 Invitation to purchase or try a product

6. Letters of commendation
Employers write letters of commendation to express pride and gratitude for exceptional
performance. These show employee appreciation, and managers might send them out to
the entire staff to congratulate an employee for successfully completing a project. This can
boost an employee's morale and encourage other employees to excel. Parts of a
commendation letter include:

Purpose of letter

Details of success

Invitation to congratulate

Related: How To Write an Appreciation Letter (With Example)

7. Letters of resignation
A letter of resignation informs your employer of your intent to resign. While you may
verbally notify your coworkers and employer of your plans to leave, many organisations
prefer an official letter to file. Employers may request multiple copies of this letter to file
with managers and human resources. Components of a resignation letter include:

Declaration of resignation

Reason for resigning

Last day

Thank you note

8. Thank you letters

A professional thank you letter is an important way to let colleagues, employers, vendors or
other business contacts know you value their time or efforts. Sending a professional thank
you letter can build rapport with the recipient and communicate your intentions for the
future. It might be appropriate to send one after someone helps you with a job search when
a customer makes a purchase, or if a business awards you a contract. You can also send a
formal version letter to express your general appreciation for someone.

Greeting
 Reason for writing

Details of the interaction

Closing

Read more: How To Write a Professional Thank You Letter

9. Complaint letters
Consumers most often send complaint letters to businesses when they are unhappy with a
service or product. Businesses may also occasionally need to write a complaint letter if a
vendor or service failed to meet their expectations. For example, if a company sold new
database software that frequently closed without saving work, an employee may write a
complaint on behalf of the company. Components of a complaint letter include:

Formal greeting

Expectations at the time of purchase

Description of the issue

Expected resolution

10. Apology letters

An apology letter is an important tool in the workplace that acknowledges a mistake,
expresses regret and asks for the recipient's forgiveness or patience. Apology letters create
a formal record of your admitting to and attempting to rectify a mistake or failure. Parts of
an apology letter include:

Acknowledgement of the mistake

Apology

Remediation plan

11. Office memorandum

An office memorandum or business memo is a short yet formal document used for
communication between the business and its employees. Effective memos are brief and
easy to navigate. The document is primarily for internal use, such as an announcement
regarding changes to personnel within an organisation or updates on company gatherings.
Parts of this letter include:
 Clear subject

Memo objective

Breakdown of key points

12. Welcome letters

A welcome letter is a formal way of introducing a company or employee and provides basic
information to the recipient. For example, while a new employee welcome letter provides
employees with the information to help them better prepare for their first day of work, a
new customer welcome letter thanks the customer for their business and summarises the
company. Overall, these letters use a welcoming tone to help establish a greater working
relationship. Parts of a welcome letter include:

Greeting

Personalised note

Company overview

13. Request letters

A request letter is a way to formally ask for something in the workplace. You can use this
letter to request a raise, a training class, a recommendation or even a meeting to ask for a
promotion. Letters of request can also be a beneficial way to gain specific information. Parts
of a request letter can include:

Explanation of the request

Supporting documents

Timeline expectations

14. Announcement letters

A business announcement letter is a letter sent out to employees, vendors, customers or
the press to declare something of note for the company, such as a change of policy, an
employee or management change, a merger, a takeover, a product release or an event. The
letter is typically short and written as a formal note. Components of announcement letters
include:

The announcement
 Additional details

How the announcement affects the recipient

15. Termination letters

Employers write termination letters to document the reason and terms for a terminated
employee. These typically follow verbal notice that a person's employment will end. Human
resources departments or managers might write these for terminated employees.
Components of a termination letter include:

Employee information (name, position)

Termination date

Reason for termination

Additional terms or details

Next steps

Read more: How To Write a Termination Letter (With Template and Sample)

Upload your resume on Indeed

Let employers find you when you create an Indeed Resume

12 parts of a business letter

Standard across most types, here are the main parts of a business letter:

Heading: Include your name and contact information, such as an address, phone number
and email address. You might also include a company logo in the header.

Date: the date you send the letter

Reference: Applicants may reference a job position or customers may refer to the order
information when filing a complaint.

Recipient's address: the details of the recipient including their address and contact
information

Subject: Include the topic of the letter. If you are writing a complaint letter, the subject
can be the order number
 Salutation: the formal greeting directly addressing the recipient

Body Paragraphs: the full text with details of the letter and relevant information

Closing: the last paragraph in a business letter that includes what the writer expects from
the recipient

Signature: Some letters require a handwritten signature in addition to a typed signature.

Enclosures: Consider including your contact information. You may not need to include
this if you have shared your contact details in the heading.

Copy Circulation: the additional recipients for a letter

PostScript: You can include an additional message after the writer finishes an article. You
can note this with P.S. and your text after your signature.

Explore your next job opportunity on Indeed

Find jobs

Explore more articles

How To Calculate MTTR In 4 Easy Steps (Tips To Reduce It)

What Is Web Hosting? (Definition, Benefits And Types)

Importance Of Developing Skills And Tips For Development

What Is Web Scraping? Definition, Uses And Techniques

Finance Manager Skills: How To Improve And Highlight Them

6 Capacity Planning Best Practices (With Benefits And Tools)

Tips for a Successful Skype Interview