Introduction 1

1. Formatting Your Letters 3

2. Addressing Your Letters and Writing Your Salutation 6

3. Letters of Appeal (also see Letters of Complaint) 11
A. Appeal of a court action 12
B. Appeal of a dismissal from a job 13
C. Appeal to a corporation from a franchisee challenging a fine and employment policies 14
D. Appeal of a supervisor’s rating 16
E. Appeal of a company’s failure to pay retirement funds 18
F. Appeal to a teacher about a child’s grade 19
G. Appeal to the housing board 20
H. Appeal of a transfer 21
I. Appeal of a military medical board decision 22
J. Appeal of a supervisor’s rating 24
K. Appeal of a suspension 26
L. Appeal of a false accusation 28

4. Letters of Application, Personal Statements, & Essays 29
A. Letter of application for admission to medical school 30
B. Letter of application for admission to physician’s assistant program 32
C. Letter of application for dental school 34
D. Essay “My Greatest Personal Failure” 36
E. Essay “My Greatest Professional Risk” 37
F. Letter of application for the Peace Corps 38
G. Letter of application to medical school 40
H. Letter of application to law school 42
I. Letter of application for a superintendent of schools position 44

5. Business Marketing Letters and Press Releases 45
A. Business estimate used by a cleaning company in marketing its services 46
B. Business proposal by a resume-writing and outplacement service 47
C. Letter of introduction used by a specialty steel company 48
D. Letter expressing “thank you” to existing customers 49
E. Letter of welcome to new customers 50
F. Letter used in a chain letter mailing 51
G. Press release for an art gallery 52
H. Press release for a new book 53
I. Letter marketing a courier service 54
J. Letter following up on an initial verbal proposal 55
K. Letter used to accompany a business resume 56
L. Business resume 57
M. Letter used to market a landscaping service 58

6. Career-Changing Letters 59
A. From dental assisting to flight attendant (see also p. 83) 60
B. The direct approach 61
C1. Answering blind ads 62
C2. Answering ads with names and addresses 63
D. All-purpose cover letters, seeking management trainee position 64
E. Responding to recruiters 65
F1. All-purpose cover letters, background in criminal justice 66
F2. All-purpose cover letters, entering pharmaceutical sales field 67
F3. All-purpose cover letters, sales and accounting skills 68
F4. All-purpose cover letters, communication and customer service skills 69
F5. All-purpose cover letters, sales skills and versatility 70
F6. All-purpose cover letters, military professional in transition 71
G. Young professional emphasizing strong personal qualities 72
H. College graduate seeks her first professional job 73
I. From profit making to human services 74
J. From commercial sales to health care 75
K. From government to academia 76
L. From aviation to sales 77
M. From food industry to accounting and finance 78
N. From private to public sector 79
O. From retail to retail-related 80
P. From managing people to managing money 81
Q. From the grocery industry to a career in human resources 82
R. From small business management to flight attendant (see also page 60) 83
S. From social services to academic administration 84
T. From store manager to fireman 85
U1. Entrepreneur seeking a new industry 86
U2. Entrepreneur seeking a new challenge in automotive industry 87
U3. Entrepreneur returning to previous field 88
V1. Seeking first job in chemistry field 89
V2. Seeking first job in computer science 90
V3. Seeking first job in publishing or advertising 91
V4 Seeking first job utilizing history degree 92
V5. Seeking first job in media journalism and English 93
V6. Seeking first job in nursing field 94
V7. Seeking first job in social services field 95
W1. Seeking to advance in retail 96
W2. Seeking a career change from retail 97
X. Seeking to return to public health field or to university teaching 98

7. Collections Letters 99
A. Collections letter #1 100
B. Collections letter #2 101
C. Collections letter #3 102
D. Collections letter #4 103
E. Collections letter #5 104
F. Collections letter #6 105

8. Letters of Complaint (also see Letters of Appeal) 106
A. Letter seeking ownership of insurance agency 107
B. Letter complaining about unprofessional legal representation and refusing to pay in full 108
C. Letter to Senator Jesse Helms about a father’s medical benefits 112
D. Letter to Department of Transportation with copy to Attorney General 114

9. Letters in Confidence 115
A. Letter #1 expressing interest in employment 116
B. Letter #2 expressing interest in employment 117
C. When they ask for salary requirements 118
D. When they ask for salary history 119
E. Letter expressing interest in a competitor 120

10. Letters as Bids 121
A. Bid from a building subcontractor 122
B. Bid from a professional sign company 123

11. Letters related to Consumer Credit and Finance 124
A. Letter to credit bureaus requesting fraud alert on your credit file after a robbery 125
B. Letter to Trans Union Credit Bureau 126

12. Follow-up Letters 127
A. Follow-up letter #1 from retailer 128
B. Follow-up letter #2 from retailer 129
C. Follow-up letter #3 from restaurateur seeking accounting job 130
D. Follow-up letter #4 from MIS manager 131
E. Follow-up letter #5 to pharmaceutical company 132
F. Follow-up letter #6 from MIS manager 133
G. Follow-up letter #7 from a retail executive seeking internal promotion 134
H. Follow-up letter #8 from retailer 135
I. Follow-up letter #9 to consumer products company 136

13. Last Will and Testament 137
Letter expressing the final wishes of Chandler McDoogal, Jr. 138

14. Legal Letters and Notices 139
A. Child custody proposal 140
B. Letter of support and affidavit 141
C. Legal financial agreement in a divorce settlement 142
D. Letter of notice regarding an option agreement 143

15. Letters of Apology 144
Letter of apology from one business to another 145

16. Letters of Appreciation 146
Letter of praise for an employee and a company 147