There are pieces of information that should never be omitted in a professional letter. One of these is your contact information and the other your closing, such as "Best regards," "Yours truly" and others. Contact information is usually included at the top of a physical letter and the bottom of a professional email. While the locations are different in each form of a letter, the format of the contact information remains the same.

While it's simple to add contact information, it’s crucial that it's done properly, or else your letter will look unprofessional. Your contact information is the last thing you want to be creative with. The best thing to do is use a template to keep your communications consistent.

Ways to End a Letter

It really doesn’t matter what kind of contact information you include in the letter. It could be your email, phone number or street address. The point is to tell the recipient of the letter the best and fastest way to contact you. This information is typically written on the cover letter for a physical letter where you may also add that the recipient can contact you during business hours.

For an email message, you could say you’re looking forward to hearing from the recipient, and to reference your contact information below. Pointing out your contact information and the best ways to reach you could make the difference between getting a quick response and never hearing from the person again.

The Case for Cover Letters in Physical Letters

Whenever you’re writing a professional letter, it is good practice to include a cover letter. The first section in the top left corner of the cover letter will contain your contact information. It should feature a single font and single spacing. It should also be formatted as a left-aligned block. The contact information should include your full physical mailing address, your email address and your phone number – you should leave a space before the date.

The next block of your letter is the recipient’s name followed by title, the name of the organization and the address.

Example:

Name

Address

City, State, Zip Code

Phone Number

Email Address

Date

The Case for Email Messages

In an email, your contact information is inserted at the bottom of the email after your message, closing and signature. Your contact information should include your physical mailing address, your email address and your phone number. You can also include links to your social media pages like LinkedIn or to a professional website if you have one. Make sure to only include links to the relevant social media pages. Don’t include a link to your Instagram, for example, unless it’s relevant to the email.

Example:

First Name Last Name

Street

City, State, Zip Code

Email Address

Phone

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