Types of Business Letters

Business letter is an old form of official correspondence. A business letter is written by an individual to an organization or an organization to another organization or to their clients. It is written for diverse reasons. One writes a letter to inquire information, apply for a job, acknowledge someone's work, and appreciate one's job done, etc.

As the motive of writing the letter is different, the style of the letter changes and you get different types of business letters. No matter what is the motive of writing the letter, accuracy is essential. If you are able to achieve it, you can surely receive a timely response from the people the letter is sent to.

Let's have a look at the most common types of business letters:

1. Acknowledgement Letter: This type of letter is written when you want to acknowledge someone for his or her help or support. It can be used to express your gratitude towards someone for being with you in the time of trouble, or the financial, emotional and moral support you received from them.
2. Apology Letter: An apology letter is written for a failure in delivering the desired results, and any mistake that has caused trouble for others. With the letter, you can confess your wrong doings and put your stand in a firmer manner on rectifying them.
3. Appreciation Letter: An appreciation letter is written to appreciate some one's work in the organization. This type of letter is written by a superior to his junior. An organization can also write it to other organization, thanking the client for doing business with them.
4. Complaint Letter: A complaint letter is written to express you displeasure against some product or service delivered to you by others. You can also use it to show that you are not happy for the price charged to you on the invoice, or the service quality.
5. Inquiry Letter: It is clear from the title itself that the letter of inquiry is written to make an inquiry. The inquiry could be about a product or service, renting an office or a residential place, business terms, etc. If you have ordered a product and yet not received it then you can write a letter to inquire when you will be receiving it.
6. Order Letter: This letter as the name suggests is used for ordering products and services. It should contain correct information about the thing you are ordering with the desired quantity and expected price. It is used as a legal document to guarantee the transaction between customers and businesses.
7. Letter of Recommendation: This type of letter is written to recommend a person for a job position. It states positive aspects of the applicant's personality and how he/she would be an asset for the organization. It is also used for promoting a person in the organization, recommending a supplier, vendor or a contractor to a company.

These are the common types of a business letter. The number may even increase since there are several reason a company or an individual would need to write it.