Google “business letter templates” and you’ll find either dry Microsoft Word clones or text templates you have to copy and paste and then format yourself. Creating a business letter? Venngage has brought together professionally designed business letter templates with wording based on proven examples. Click any template to get started.
While a formal business letter can have many uses, including those we’ve discussed above, typically the format is the same. The Purdue Writing Lab recommends you include the following sections, in this order:
An official letter requires more than attention to structure, though. You need to know how to write to your audience and get your message across simply and clearly. This U.S. government agency has excellent tips on how to do just that:
Want to write a memo that actually gets read? Use headings and lists to make your business memo as accessible as possible, says Purdue OWL. Headings should be short but descriptive–think “Team Meeting Moving From Monthly to Weekly” instead of “Team Meeting Update.” All important points should be in a list format; either bullet points or a numbered list. Here’s what should be included in an office memo:
It’s never easy to terminate a contract, especially with a beloved supplier, contract employee etc. But, with the economic downturn, it’s become increasingly necessary. Just be aware that lack of business due to the COVID-19 pandemic may not be enough to get you (legally) out of a contract, according to Crowell & Moring LLP. Review your contract and when if/when it allows for termination–and get legal advice.
A former employee reaches out to you. It’s a request for another recommendation letter. As much as you’re looking forward to helping your former report, it’s just another task to add to your plate. Get a head start with a letter of recommendation template–it already has the right formatting, with wording you can make your own. The University of Missouri-Columbia has a short and sweet guide on what to include in your letter of recommendation, including:
Recommendation letters are also called reference letters. Reference letters focus on an employee’s past work performance, as well as any experience or skills that you believe would qualify them for a new position. A reference letter should be more than two paragraphs, but no more than one page. Ask the applicant what the letter should include before you start writing. The Muse lists sample questions you should ask, such as:
You’re excited about your new hire. It’s time to draft the letter that officially welcomes them to your company. But wait–don’t dash off that employment offer letter. You want to make sure you’re not using language that makes it seem like the offer letter is an employment contract or agreement. Here’s how to avoid this, according to the SHRM:
A job offer letter can be as short as two pages, depending on the complexity of the arrangement. We recommend saving a few basic job offer templates that you can reuse again and again to cover full-time, part-time and other situations. You save all of our templates as your own template. You can then make copies without changing the original text.
SHRM again has a no-nonsense guide to what exactly an offer letter should contain, with specific requirements for U.S. companies, such as:
A termination letter can be incredibly difficult for managers to write–whether the reason is layoffs or poor performance. That said, a well-worded termination letter lets you be direct but fair. It will also help shield your company from future legal action. Please note: the termination letter should go hand-in-hand with a private meeting, with an HR rep present says Monster. Here’s what to include in a termination letter:
Unfortunately, many businesses are being forced to layoff employees due to the current economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. To ease the pain of termination, here are some points to include in your termination letter due to COVID-19:
Always check for the reason for the employment verification letter first. A current employee may need one in order to get a mortgage, a new apartment, a loan for their child’s education etc. A former employee or one who’s departing is a different issue and there could be legal consequences, says Upcounsel, so run your letter by HR before you send it. The employee verification letter should include:
It’s the eternal question: how do I write a sales letter that’s effective but doesn’t come off as cheesy or too “salesy.” Here’s the secret: answer the question “what’s in it for me,” says Entrepreneur. By focusing on the benefits you’ll provide the customer (not what your business is and what it does), it’s much more likely the customer will take advantage of your offer. Here are some other sales letter best practices:
A grant proposal cover letter is the perfect place to draw connections between your initiative and the reader’s mission. Be sure to also include the population you’ll serve and the need your project will meet. Engage the reader with past successes and by illustrating the depth of the need you will serve. According to Candid, your grant proposal cover letter should include:
You’ll need to create a free account first. Then, you can access free and paid letterhead templates. Customize them in our simple online editor. You’ll need to upgrade to our Premium or Business plan to download your letter as a PDF (and then print it, if you like). We offer monthly, quarterly or yearly subscriptions.
You have two options:
Yes, you can. Convert your letterhead Word file (just the header and/or footer) into a JPG or PNG file format. You can then import this file into a blank Venngage canvas, add a text box and write your letter.
Here’s how you upload an image from your hard drive to your Venngage letter or other project:
That said, you may want to consider using one of our letter templates or recreating your Microsoft Word letterhead in a blank canvas on Venngage. It’s easy to drop in your logo and add brand colors and fonts. You can copy and paste text from your existing letterhead into Venngage, too.
More information is in our How Do I Create From Blank? support article.
You can download your header as a PNG image file and add it to your Word documents, Google Docs or other programs to create letters. You can’t edit Venngage files in other programs such as Word.
Here’s our advice: it’s simpler to save your letterhead in Venngage, make a new copy, edit the new file in Venngage and then download it without fussing with other programs.
Here’s how you download in the Venngage editor:
Be sure to read our support article on Account Types and Download Options. Only paid plans like our popular Business Plan allow you to download your files from Venngage to your computer and then print it.
You can find all of our letterhead templates our templates library. We have templates for these industries:
For a helpful letterhead design guide, check out this article: How to Make a Letterhead in 5 Steps [+ Templates & Examples]
Sorry, we can’t offer specific design advice or make your letterhead for you. Still, you can access technical assistance anytime via our 24/7 customer support chat (see the button in the bottom right corner of this screen!). You should also read our guide to designing letterhead.
Our Business Plan does offer 1-on-1 consultations and live training workshops.
Venngage is a great tool for creating better business letters because it gives you access to stylish templates designed specifically for professional correspondence.
You can easily add your company’s logo and colors to maintain brand consistency, and customize the content and formatting to make your letters stand out. It’s a simple way to create visually appealing and impactful business communications without the hassle of starting from scratch.
Disclaimer: While our templates have good sample verbiage, you should always have legal counsel review any document presented to employees. None of the information provided herein constitutes legal advice on behalf of Venngage.
Bronwyn Kienapple is the Content Marketing Lead at Venngage. Her writing on design and business communications has been published in Foundr, 99 Designs, DIY Marketers and more. She was also an ESL teacher for 5 years, taught business English and designed her own courses and teaching materials.
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