What is Mailing Notation in Business Letters?
Whether you’re writing a business letter or a letter to a friend, mailing notation will let the recipient know exactly what kind of mail you are sending. You can use capital letters and/or underlining to make your message clearer. There are a few different types of mailing notation to choose from, depending on the nature of your letter. Some examples include BCC, which stands for blind carbon copy, and postscript, which is a brief note to the recipient at the end of your letter.
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The first line in an inside address should include the full name of the recipient. This is usually done two spaces below the date line. It is also a good idea to put the city and state of the recipient, along with the street they live on, in the address. In the case of a business card, you may choose to include the recipient’s job title.
A salutation is the second line in an inside address and should be followed by a colon. If the recipient is a formal business, the salutation should be in the form of “Dear Sir or Madam.” For a less formal letter, the salutation can be in the form of “Dear Mr. or Mrs..” As with the inside address, the salutation should be placed on the left margin of the page.
The dateline should be at least one inch from the top of the page. Dates should be written in American format. An easy way to do this is to write the month before the day. When writing an American date, be sure to include the year.
The reference notation is a line of text that is typically the last line of a business letter. This tells the reader who created the letter, as well as its subject, and who will be receiving a copy of it. Reference notation is typically typed two lines below the signature block, but can be left justified or centered. It is usually a jumble of letters but can contain up to three sets of initials.
The reference notation can also have an enclosure notation, which is a block of text that includes information about the enclosed materials. Enclosure notation can indicate how many items are enclosed, whether a document is enclosed, and the title of the document. Alternatively, it can simply be a listing of the enclosed documents. However, the enclosure notation is rarely used in a business letter, so the reference notation isn’t as important as it once was.
Having a professional letter closing is often a good idea. In addition to a comma, closing phrases may include a complimentary phrase. Typically, these closings are accompanied by a paragraph describing your next steps.
Other elements of a business letter include the typist’s initials, the postscript, and the attention line. These are not always required but should be used to highlight important points in the letter. Depending on the type of letter, these are the least obvious elements.
