I love writing letters. In a society where information is shared instantaneously, people have done away with letters. Even emails are quickly becoming a thing of the past with text messages, where emojis often take the place of even misspelled or shortened words. Those little yellow heads are rather obnoxious and childish.
Recently, I have been asked to write letters for people. A task I much love to do. If you are considering writing a letter, I have just a few suggestions: know your audience, format it correctly, and always write from the heart. Honest sincerity wins hearts and minds every time.
Common, friendly letters are often formatted…
February 18, 2016
Dear Ms. Smith,
And so on and so forth.
Sincerely,
Ryon
This is a good format to use when you are not writing to anyone of an official nature, but you desire to gain their attention for your purposes. Such is what I had done in the following letter for some friends of my wife and I who were wanting to purchase a home.
February 12, 2017
To the sellers of the gorgeous house on Naples;
It was an honor to view your home. The house and the yard were beautiful and it is quite apparent much love and care was taken over the years. I fell in love with it as soon as I stepped in.
I felt as if I was home. I could see myself there with my family, my young son running the length of the hallway, to the backyard. It is perfect. This home is the very sanctuary where I want to raise my family.
As a public educator for a local school district, it is important to me that I find a permanent place to call home here in the heart of Corpus Christi. I have been a teacher for eleven years and I have another child on the way. My first child is already three years old and very energetic. The close proximity of this house to the park and the waterfront adds so much more to the perpetuity of living there.
Again, I thank you and sincerely hope you take our offer into great consideration.
Most Sincerely,
Simple, succinct, and to the point.
If you are to write a letter to an organization or a business, be sure to use their official title in the greeting. Abbreviations or shortened variations of their name can go into the body of the letter thereafter. Do not forget, if you are writing your letter from your own company or organization to be sure that you are using the official letter head. Most companies will have letter heads available on their respective intranet pages.
The following is a letter of recommendation for one of my employees who sought acceptance for grad school at UT.
October 26, 2016
To the UT Health School of Biomedical Informatics Admissions Committee:
I recommend to you, with great pleasure, XXXXXX XXXXXXXXX for acceptance into the School of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Texas Health. For nearly two years, XXXXXX has been an integral part of our biomedical team with Hill-Rom, performing highly skilled tasks, always in a timely manner, and distinguishing himself among his peers for his courteous punctuality and unwavering attention to detail. He is a highly respected colleague who has garnered for himself the attention of our company’s corporate staff for his dedication to quality and exceptional professionalism.
XXXXXX is responsible for maintaining over 1,000 rental units that are used throughout Houston and the Southeast Texas area. Many of our customers rent these units solely from our company, knowing they can trust the quality of XXXXXX’s work, especially for critical and lifesaving products. He has maintained the highest of standards for our maintenance program and has been pivotal to our overall success. In a recent audit, XXXXXX’s work was found to be accurate, meticulous, and without error. In his work, he has also become a recognized leader in the staff, communicating via email, phone call, and face to face with the other technicians to ensure that rental units are delivered to hospitals with special and particular care.
Personally, XXXXXX possesses the archetypal characteristic of one who pursues the American Dream. Having emigrated from Peru as a young man, he arrived here in the Houston area, seeking employment with a company to foster his work ethic, skill, and professional ambition, as well as higher education to develop his profound intellectual capacity. Every day, he inspires people through his persistence and energy.
XXXXXX is, above and beyond, the most exceptional candidate for the School of Biomedical Informatics. He is an excellent employee and he will be a brilliant student for your program.
Most Respectfully,
Ryon J. Grant, Operations Supervisor