Formal business letters have multiple requirements, all designed to ensure consistency and that necessary information appears in the letter. From the return address to the closing, proper business letter formatting is specific, and failing to adhere to the guidelines can make your communication appear unprofessional. In some cases, an executive will draft a letter and ask an assistant or colleague to type it. When that happens, some companies require that the typist include his or her initials in the letter so that person can be held accountable should mistakes or typos be found in the letter later.
Write the letter according to proper business formatting. Include the closing and signature block.
Add two blank lines underneath the signature block. Begin the typist’s initials line flush left.
Type the initials of the letter writer in capital letters, followed by a slash or colon. Add the typist’s initials in lowercase letters. For example, if the letter writer's name is Andrew Benson, and the typist's name is Carrie Dale, the typist line should appear as follows: AB/cd, or AB:cd.
Note
If you type your own letter, you do not need to include the typist’s initials line, as it is assumed that you typed the letter yourself. Some companies only require the initials of the typist, and not the letter writer, as that is implied by the signature. Adding the typist’s initials is not mandatory in most cases. Follow your company procedure; it may only be necessary to include this information on a copy of the letter for the company files.