Write a Confirmation Letter

A confirmation letter is a correspondence sent to confirm details, like oral agreements, appointments, and job interviews. The letter can also confirm a reservation, a response to an invitation, receipt of a various items or services, or travel arrangements. Confirmation letters are brief and can be easily written by following a simple format.

Steps

Sample Letters

Doc:Informal Confirmation Letter,Formal Confirmation Letter,Business Confirmation Letter

Writing a Confirmation Letter

  1. Use a letterhead. Confirmation letters should be written on letterhead if the confirmation letter deals with business matters. This makes the letter a formal and official company document. Right above the salutation, include the full name and address of the recipient of the letter. This includes the name of the person you are writing the letter to, their proper title, the department they are in or the company they work for (if applicable), and the address for the company.
    • If it is a personal matter, or you are personally responding to a company, then set the paper up with the proper business format. Place your return address and the date in the left hand margin, or you can align it along the right hand margin. Skip a line, then include the address of the letter's recipient along the left hand margin. [1]
  2. Begin with the appropriate salutation. When sending a confirmation letter, you should use the proper salutation and the person's name and title. The generally accepted format is Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. followed by the person's last name.
    • Don't refer to someone as Mrs. unless you know she is married.
    • If you are writing a more informal, personal confirmation letter, you can use the person's first name.
  3. Confirm details of the arrangement made in the first paragraph. Get straight to the point in a confirmation letter. There is no need for any introductory information or pleasantries. Instead, use the first paragraph to outline specifically the details of what you are confirming. This might include dates, times, and location. Be specific.
    • Some common ways to start these paragraphs are: I am writing to confirm…., I would like to confirm…., or This letter is to confirm...,[2]
    • If you are sending a confirmation of items received, state that in the first paragraph. Be specific by stating exactly what the item is, the number of items, and the order number. Start the paragraph with the following: I am happy to confirm or I was pleased to receive.
  4. Address other details. Either in the same paragraph or a brief second paragraph, mention any other details that might be relevant. This can include monetary agreements, terms and conditions, or anything else that might need to be confirmed. These details can also be responsibilities for specific tasks or remaining tasks to be completed.
    • You should always restate the agreed terms and conditions to make sure there are no misunderstandings with what has been agreed upon. Repeating the agreed upon terms also helps you clarify what is expected of you.
    • If you are requesting someone take responsibility for a task, suggest that they confirm with you whether that arrangement is agreeable. You could indicate that you require this in writing, through a phone call, or email.
    • Confirmation letters are not only to confirm an appointment, agreement, or receipt of items for both sides, but they also serve as a paper trail. Confirmation letters are documents for both parties that serve as proof of the correspondence. This helps cover both sides in case a problem or misunderstanding arises.[3]
  5. Ask for a follow up if needed. The last paragraph should include a line that encourages the recipient to contact you if they need to. Tell them to let you know if there are any issues, like clarification, misunderstandings, or problems.
    • These sentences can read as follows: Please inform me if you need additional information... or Please respond if you need to add...[4]
  6. Close the letter with a thank you to the recipient. Make sure to close the letter properly. Use a term such as Sincerely, Thank you, Regards, or Respectfully. Include your name typed and place your signature above that. Use your full name for business letters.

Proofreading the Confirmation Letter

  1. Proofread the confirmation letter. Before sending any formal document, even about a personal matter, you should proofread the letter. This is especially important if the letter is related to a business arrangement. Look for spelling errors, missing words, incorrect grammar, punctuation errors, or other surface problems.
    • Sending a polished letter makes you look responsible and professional with an eye for detail.
  2. Use appropriate paper on a quality printer. When printing out a letter from a business, use company stationary that includes the letterhead. If you are not affiliated with a business and have no stationary, print out the letter on high quality paper. Make sure to print the letter from a good printer that isn't running out of ink or toner.
    • Always print out confirmation letters if you are not e-mailing them. You should never hand write a business letter.
  3. Use a standard font and margins. When writing any formal letter, use a standard font like Times New Roman or Arial. The font should be size 12 and not bold, italicized, or underlined. The margins should be 1 inch on each side.
    • For formal letters like a confirmation letter, you should use block formatting. This means the letter is single-spaced, you skip a line between paragraphs, and do not indent.
  4. Be brief and to the point. Confirmation letters are short letters. You want to keep them short and eliminate any unneeded words, phrases, and information.[3] Keep the content of the letter strictly about the details you are confirming.
  5. Keep the tone business-like. Because most confirmation letters are brief in nature, their tone is very formal and impersonal. This helps keep the focus on the details being confirmed and lessens unnecessary pleasantries.[5]
    • If you are writing a personal confirmation letter, a letter to an acquaintance, or someone who you have a slightly more informal relationship with, you can be a bit more personable. However, if you are unsure, keep it formal.
    • Although you want to keep it formal, it is okay to show your gratitude or enthusiasm. For example, if you have been scheduled for a job interview, you can reply back and say, I appreciate this opportunity to interview for the position... or I am really looking forward to interviewing for the position...
  6. Know when to send a confirmation letter. There are multiple reasons why you would send a confirmation letter. Confirming the dates of appointments, meetings, interviews, conferences, or other events are common reasons people send confirmation meetings. Other common situations where you might send a confirmation letter include:
    • Offer of employment
    • Job acceptance
    • Receipt of an order
    • Employment status
    • Travel arrangements
    • Authorization of another person
    • Attendance[6]

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.uwgb.edu/careers/pdf-files/professional-letters-guide.pdf
  2. ↑ http://www.nlc.cl/estr-downloads/Phrases%20to%20use%20in%20business%20letters%20and%20emails.pdf
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://howtowritealetter.net/letter-of-confirmation.html
  4. ↑ http://www.writeexpress.com/confirmation.htm
  5. ↑ http://www.letters.org/confirmation-letter/confirmation-letter.html
  6. ↑ http://www.letters.org/category/confirmation-letter
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