How to Write a Request Letter

A formal request letter can come in handy anytime for businesses. They might need to consult a lawyer over a legal issue or write to a supplier requesting a quote. This letter has many applications. Thus, all firms must know how to write a request letter and have some samples ready.

Below, we discuss why to write this letter and how. You can also find some tips and tricks to draft and customize your request messages!

An official letter requesting something must have all the necessary information, like the writer’s and receiver’s addresses. It must be formal and professional to convey the message and get responses.

Here is what you write in a letter of request:

Sender’s Address

Mention the correct recipient’s name and mailing address in your letter. If you aren’t sure, use PostGrid’s address verification services.

You can type your street address, city, and zip code, and optionally, include the phone number and email address. However, if you use stationery with a letterhead, you can omit this step.

Now, let us talk about the alignment. You must align all elements toward the left side of the letter to make it appear more professional.

Date

Insert the date a few lines below the letterhead or return address. The conventional spacing is 2 to 3 lines in a sample letter of requesting something (although one to four lines are also acceptable).

Reference Line (optional)

Always add references when your letter is a reply to an invoice or task reference. Also, add the date, like when the ad appeared in a newspaper or you saw it on television. Commercially, you might mention events, like an executive speaking to you on call.

For instance,

Re: Your letter dated 01/03/2025

Re: Invoice #28910

On-Arrival Notices (optional)

You can type it below the reference line in uppercase letters (whenever applicable) to indicate a notation on private or confidential correspondence. For instance, PERSONAL or CONFIDENTIAL.

Mailing Address

It denotes the address of the recipient of your formal request letter, whether an individual or a company. It is advisable to address the letter to a specific person within the company you are corresponding with. The customary placement is two lines below the preceding item you typed, although one to six lines are deemed acceptable.

Attention Line (optional)

Enter the name of the individual you are attempting to contact. If you have already included the person’s name in the Inside Address, there is no need for an Attention Line.

Salutation

Employ the identical name provided in the inside address with the appropriate title. If you are familiar with the recipient and typically address them by their first name, you may type the first name in the salutation, such as: “Dear Jane.”

If you lack knowledge of the recipient’s name or are uncertain about its spelling, utilize one of the subsequent salutations:

• Dear Sir
• Dear Sir or Madam
• Ladies
• Gentlemen
• To Whom It May Concern

However, in most instances, it is customary to address individuals using their title and last name followed by a comma or colon, for instance

• Mr. Wallace
• Dear Dr. Wallace
• Dear Ms. Wallace

Subject Line (optional)

After the salutation, leave two or three blank lines and type the primary content of your formal request letter in uppercase letters, either aligned left or centered. If you have included the Reference Line (3), the Subject line may be unnecessary. Below are some examples:

• Cover letter
• Letter requesting a donation
• Product replacement request
• Letter of reference

Body

This section constitutes the core content of your letter, typically comprising 2 to 5 paragraphs, each separated by a blank line. In the initial paragraph, offer a friendly introduction with a concise presentation of your main point.

Subsequent paragraphs should furnish background information and supporting details. Conclude with a closing paragraph where you reiterate the formal request letter’s purpose and, if relevant, request a specific action.

Closing

As you are aware, there are several commonly accepted complimentary closings. The choice among them is contingent upon the tone of your letter. For instance:

– “Respectfully yours” (very formal)

– “Sincerely,” “Kind regards,” or “Yours truly” (most commonly used closings in business letters)

– “Best regards,” “Cordially yours” (slightly more personal and friendly)

While learning how to write a request letter, the closing should generally align vertically with the date and appear one line below the final body paragraph. Capitalize only the first word, leaving three or four lines between the closing and the signature block. If a colon succeeds the salutation, include a comma after the closing; otherwise, no punctuation is necessary following the closing.

Signature

Typically- senders must position a signature four blank lines below the Complimentary Close. Below the signature, type your name and include a title, if necessary.

Enclosures

This line informs the recipient about the additional documents, such as a resume enclosed with your letter. The typical formats are as follows:

• Enclosures: 8
• Encl
• Attach
• Enclosures (4)

Typist Initials (optional)

This section serves to identify the individual who typed the samples of a request letter on your behalf. If you typed the letter, you can omit this section. Typically, the identification initials consist of three uppercase initials representing your name, followed by two or three lowercase initials representing the typist’s name. For instance, “JAM/dmc” or “JAM:cm.” However, this component is seldom necessary in contemporary business correspondence, primarily in formal contexts.

Here are the best strategies to craft your request letters effectively, compelling your reader to respond or take action.

Make Your Letters Simple to Read and Understand

Begin a new paragraph whenever introducing a new thought or idea. It simplifies the letter’s purpose and meaning for people, helping you get positive responses. Also, avoid commanding the readers to do something for you. Instead, place a request and say that you look forward to getting a response. 

Please note that a formal request letter that appears easy to read stands a higher chance of being thoroughly reviewed!

When composing a sample requesting letter, refrain from confusing your reader with irrelevant details. Don’t use lengthy, complicated sentences and paragraphs because they can be overwhelming and hard to comprehend. 

Instead, leverage straightforward, declarative sentences, and punctuation such as commas, colons, and semicolons to break up lengthy sentences. 

Do Not Stuff Your Letters With Unnecessary Words

Please ensure clarity, brevity, and directness in your communication. As a rule of thumb- avoid using unnecessary words; strive for conciseness. Recall the renowned quote attributed to Mark Twain: “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” While Twain, in his position, could afford such lengthy messages, it’s worth noting he wasn’t making a request.

You can use a single page to draft your letters. Otherwise, the first impression on the readers is that it is a junk message. Limiting the words you use can decide whether the recipient reads the message or considers it spam and throws it in the bin. 

Do Not Burden Readers

Give readers all the required information and tell them what you want them to do. Simplify the request for the person to respond – include contact information, direct phone numbers, give links or attach files, whatever is appropriate.

Place these elements in a visible spot, so readers don’t need to make an effort to search for your contact details. They can quickly pick up their phones and contact you. 

Some senders include the Business Reply Mail (BRM) envelopes with the formal request letter to encourage readers to write back. It is a prepaid mailer to help people draft a message and send it to your return address. Besides getting high responses, BRM also helps you express that your letter is legitimate and from an authentic source.

Use Friendly Language to Appeal to the Readers

While crafting a formal request letter, avoid unnecessary formality. Friendly correspondence fosters connections, so infuse your request letters with a warm tone, as if conversing with a close friend or acquaintance. Remember, we are all human, and appealing to the recipient’s humanity, generosity, or empathy can be advantageous.

Remain Professional and Polite

Maintain a courteous tone when drafting an order cancellation request or complaint formal request letter. Clearly state the issue(s), furnish all details, and avoid making threats or engaging in defamation.

Although the presentation of a letter is important, its content and tone decide whether people pay attention to it. Please take the time to review current policies and focus on providing the decision-maker with the necessary information to evaluate an appeal or request. This information should be the focal point of your letter.

Keep Your Grammar In Check 

Rephrasing a well-known saying: “Good grammar is crucial for making a first impression.” Just as poor manners can ruin a situation, poor grammar can have a similar effect. Therefore, always remember to proofread all your business letters before sending them.

Review Everything Before Sending

Read out the example of a request letter once you finish writing. If your main message isn’t unmistakably clear, rewrite it. Try spending some extra time refining your message to ensure a response rather than rushing and risking having your letter discarded immediately. 

You can show the letter to a colleague to gather feedback about whether the letter is open for misinterpretation. 

Lastly, once you receive a response to your formal request letter or the desired action is taken, remember to express gratitude to the individual.

Opening Statement

The initial one or two sentences should summarize the letter’s intent.

“I am writing to appeal my current disciplinary status and to express my sincere apologies for my participation in a recent office incident, which resulted in my placement on notice. I recognize that my actions, though seemingly harmless at the time, posed a risk to my health and others. I deeply regret my behavior on that occasion.”

The above is an example of a request letter from an employee to their manager. They have mentioned all significant details in the opening. You must follow the same rule when writing a letter to suppliers, customers, or others. 

Be Factual and Specific 

Incorporate factual details while refraining from exaggerating or dramatizing the situation. Provide precise information if an appeal or request hinges on specific facts the decision-maker must verify. 

For example, write

We only received 50 sacks of whole wheat flour for our restaurant in Nebraska City, dated March 2, 2025. Our staff reviewed the order immediately after the shipment arrived and it was not as per our agreed contract for which we have already paid.

Please send the remaining 25 sacks on priority or refund us for the said quantity.

Documentation

Include any documentation required by policy or necessary to support your assertions. Indicate whether a third party is providing the documentation with relevant details.

“Mr. Well, our banking representative, has consented to correspond with you regarding this issue.”

Stick to the Point

Don’t clutter your formal request letter with information or requests that have no essential connection to the main message.

Crafting a concise and efficient letter requires more effort than composing a lengthy one. Busy decision-makers value the additional effort put into brevity.

Do Not Try to Manipulate the Reader

Using threats, coercion, begging, pleading, flattery, or making extravagant promises are manipulative tactics that are typically ineffective.

For example: “If you give us the contract, we will ensure that we treat you as one of our top customers and be available all day, 365 days a year at your service.”

It can be tempting to exaggerate when something holds great significance to us. However, when emotions are genuinely involved in a message, acknowledging and expressing them as facts is crucial.

For example: “Your business matters to us, and we will do our best to serve your needs. We have an excellent customer service team, and your representative will contact you shortly with more details.”

Avoid Errors

A formal request letter leaves a stronger impression when it is devoid of factual mistakes, free from slang, and appropriately placed in the correct-sized envelope. However, meeting deadlines and clearly stating the purpose is more significant than submitting an entirely error-free letter.

Know Who Your Addressees Are

You must learn who the letter is going to be before picking your pen to draft it. It helps tailor the message in a way to motivates the reader to take action. 

Before drafting your formal request letter, consider the following inquiries: 

• Who is my intended audience, and what specific assistance can they provide? 
• Are they decision-makers, or will they forward my request to a higher authority? 

The style and content of your request letter will vary based on the recipient’s role and position.

Store Copies

Until you resolve a matter, retain duplicates of all correspondence sent or received, along with pertinent documents and forms. For example, when requesting Direct Mail Leads, ensure your letter is clear, concise, and includes all necessary contact information for a prompt response.

Listed below are several examples of an official letter requesting something for various occasions.

Sample Letter of Requesting Product Replacement or Repair

Here is a sample letter requesting a vendor to replace your item because it is different from what the company promised you.

I placed an order for the ABC item on March 2, 2025. It arrived at my warehouse after five business days, two days later than what I was promised. My staff is not happy with the quality you sent our way. 

The product provided does not meet satisfactory quality standards or is not suitable for its intended purpose. Hence, I am within my rights to request that you replace it. 

I kindly request confirmation within seven days regarding your intention to address this matter. Additionally, I seek clarification on whether you will collect the ABC item from my doorstep or reimburse me for the return shipping costs.

I anticipate receiving your proposed resolution to address my concerns within seven days of the date of this formal request letter.

Letter of Recommendation Request

I hope this letter finds you well. We have been working together for the past ten years and have many fond memories of this association. 

As you may know, the HGC Academy has nominated us for the Top 15 Founders Choice Awards in 2025. The event will happen in New York City on June 5, 2025. 

Founders like yourself can recommend nominated businesses, increasing their chances of winning the title. Hence, we request you to put our name forward for the same. 

We have attached all the details of how to sign up and recommend a name. Please write back or contact Jack for any concerns or questions. 

We look forward to your reply and hope you recommend us for the nomination.

Example of Request Letter for Information

We heard you provide construction materials aiding industries like ours to build projects. Kindly send us your price quote with information about the type of materials you deal with.

Along with the quote, please send us the terms and conditions of the sale to help us check our eligibility. 

Thank you for your time and assistance in advance. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Donation Request Letter

I am forwarding this to you as a fellow member of our community. I trust you also appreciate residing in a tranquil neighborhood like myself.

You see, maintaining tranquility and peace within one’s community sometimes necessitates taking action. Our local Community Committee has convened over the past two months to explore avenues for decreasing the incidence of break-ins in our vicinity. Just last week, they unveiled their recommendations for effectively addressing this issue.

Their main purpose is leveraging police and security patrols to support the local Neighborhood Watch program. Regrettably, the necessary funding is not part of this year’s municipal budget allocation. It will be great if you can help us out!

Formal Request Letter to Set Up a Business Meeting

We hope you are doing well! This formal request letter is to request a meeting on April 2, 2025, at 11 AM. As discussed on the call yesterday, we have introduced many new product lines this year and would love to share details and give demos. 

The meeting venue is St. Amsterdam Park in Brooklyn. One of our sales representatives will be available to answer your questions and provide in-depth details about our latest items. 

Also, we have already sent our updated brochure to you in the mail. You must be receiving it by tomorrow evening. 

PostGrid’s automated direct mail solutions help you send the formal request letter to your targeted audience. You can send one or a million mailers to any address in the US and internationally. Thus, you can set up a flexible mailing system, letting your team members contact relevant recipients whenever needed. 

You can use our solutions in three ways. Integrate our direct mail API into your CRM to auto-fetch the recipient’s details. It enables you to get offline mailing features within your favorite tools and platforms, like HubSpot, Salesforce, Magento, and more. 

These integrations simplify sending letters to clients because you don’t need to upload hefty files. Also, you may set up triggered campaigns based on specific client actions, like sending an email or posting a website inquiry. 

The best part is that PostGrid lets you manage user permissions. Hence, you can decide which of your team members can log in and send a formal request letter to recipients. 

Otherwise, you can download our automation software on your device. It also lets you streamline your letter print and mail activities. Anyone can log into the software and place an order. 

The third option is using our online dashboard. Once you sign up, you can use the features online through your web browser. You can save the login details, so you don’t need to enter the credentials whenever you want to use PostGrid. 

Apart from these capabilities, we offer many features, like

• List compilation: You can send marketing postcards, flyers, and other materials to targeted buyer personas. PostGrid allows you to create segmented mailing lists to ensure you contact people most likely to purchase your products or services.
• Address verification: Send a formal request letter or other transactional and compliance documents to the correct recipients. Our solutions cross-check all delivery addresses to ensure the mailers don’t fall into the wrong hands. You can also rely on them to update and cleanse your databases and make them mail-ready.
• Mailing options: Choose from different USPS shipping services, like First-Class Mail and Certified Mail. It lets you decide how much postage you want to pay and the mailing speed. 
• Real-time tracking: After senders learn how to write a request letter and send their envelopes via post, they can track them in real-time. PostGrid lets businesses be updated about their campaign’s progress from start to finish. The primary advantage of this feature is that senders can maintain accurate records and follow up with the recipients on time. 

Contact us for more details and to send a formal request letter via our online print and mail solutions!