Business Recommendation Letter

When and Why do You Need a Business Reference Letter?

A business reference letter is also referred to as a business recommendation letter, company recommendation letter, vendor or client recommendation letter, or even a business referral letter. However, the first option is the most commonly used.

As introduced in a brief overview of this form, the reference letter is applicable for the recommendation of the business to some customer, or vice versa. In other words, any business entity can be discussed within a business reference letter.

Let us provide you with some examples of the utilization of such a record:

• One may use it as an addition (or, in some companies, it is an obligatory requirement to bring such a letter) to the application for any job
• One may utilize it as an endorsement of the characteristics and working qualifications
• One may use this letter to give an idea of the reputation of the client or organization mentioned in this legal document.

Who Should Write a Business Reference Letter?

The critical thing about a business reference letter is that the letter will include information about yourself—regardless of whether you are a regular employee or a chief of some department, but you are not the one who is going to write this letter.

Instead, the document is written by some person related to you in your working relations, someone who is reliable, and probably someone who takes a position senior to you. Their support to you is going to make a huge difference, as they are the ones responsible for the final result that will determine your skills and qualifications. Thus, the person who writes the letter on your behalf must say something great about you. So, make sure to ask for this letter only if you believe that your “reviewer” is on good terms with you.

If you want to receive a worthy letter, you should pay special attention to the process of asking for that letter. People tend to be busy with their own lives and working on their business, and the process of writing such a letter may sometimes take more time than expected. Therefore, the person should be willing to write a business reference letter for you.

So, the best strategy to use is to write a business reference letter depicting all of your best skills and qualities you think you possess. Usually, it will work out pretty well, and the person who is supposed to do the letter for you will just sign up the document or correct the letter. This way, the responsible person would not have to spend much time, and you will be assured that the letter is made in an appropriate structure and format.

What to Include in a Business Reference Letter?

Let’s start with a very beginning and discuss what should be included in a general business reference letter:

• Writer’s and recipient’s contact data, the date of the letter
• The formal salutations
• The purpose of the reference letter
• The name of the organization where the writer, the subject, and the recipient work
• A claim why the writer is the one who is in a correct position to write the letter
• The main body with a description of the general impression of the subject: skills, characteristics, qualifications, and personal traits
• The relationship with the subject for whom you are writing the recommendation letter;
• Some kind of proof (the amount of work done, successful projects) of the subject.

How to Write a Business Reference Letter

There are two options for compiling business reference letters, to begin with: printed version and online (email) version. Each of them has certain specifications that go as follows:

• If you are going to print out the letter template, the filer’s contact information should be placed at the beginning of the document (in the top part of the page);
• If the letter is presented in an email format, the writer’s contact data should be placed at the bottom of the page.

How to Start a Business Reference Letter

A great way to start is to give formal salutation in an appropriate format. Then, the writer should explain their relation toward the subject (we remind you that it can be any entity: person, business corporation, group of workers, and so forth). Do not forget to mention if you work or interact with the subject currently.

What to Include in the Main Body of the Business Reference Letter

The main body of the letter should include a detailed description with examples of the subject. It is crucial to mention all of the skills, personal characteristics, and traits of the subject. Do not forget that the description should be positive.

Your primary aim is to show the reader why the subject is a great employee, so be specific in your arguments and mention that you were pleased to work or interact with the subject specifically—a good thing to add some additional note or elaboration on the subject’s reference letter.

How to Finish a Company Recommendation Letter

A professional closing would suit perfectly, do not forget to stay formal. If your letter is in a printed version, leave some space for the writer’s signature near the typed-out name. If your letter is presented in an email format, just include your brief contact data in the conclusion.

Dos and Don’ts

In the following part, we would like to share some suggestions on reference letters for business.

Firstly, we would like to recommend one doing certain things, such as:

• Decide upon the format of the recommendation letter. The paper format can vary depending on the subject and area that is being discussed. For example, a letter for recommending a service provider merchant or business differs from letters about employees because they consist of diverse elements in scope. If the recommendation is detailed and very personalized, indicate the willingness to work or interact with the subject again.
• Style of the letter. A recommendation letter should have a professional appearance, an appropriate tone and format: for example, do not forget to include a formal salutation and professional closing. It is better to write out the letter planning the contents in advance so that it would be written and formatted correctly and thoughtfully to make the best impression.

Secondly, there is something we would definitely not recommend doing in your reference letter:

• Do not lie about your skills and qualities. Imagine a case in which you as an employee lie about your skills in the reference letter or somehow enhance them. Then, you give the letter to a recipient, for example, an employer. If they would like to check your skills, would you do everything you have mentioned in the letter? So, it would be better to write about all of your skills sincerely.
• Do not ask the person who is not on good terms with you to write such a form. A reference letter for business is supposed to be written only positively, so be careful in choosing a writer.

Samples for Business Reference Letters

Straightforwardly writing the letter might be quite challenging, so we think it would be a great idea to provide you with some sample business reference letters.

The first case is about the recommendation letter on the services provided; the second case is a reference letter from a client to a contractor.

Sample 1. A Form for Services Provided: Printed out Version

____________

(Your name and company)

____________

(Your address)

____________

(Your cell number)

____________

(Your email)

____________

(Current date)

____________

(Recipient’s name)

____________

(Recipient’s company)

____________

(Recipient’s address)

Dear _____ (write the recipient’s name),

I am writing to recommend the services provided by the _______ (write down the name of the organization that provided the services).

I have been using _______ (write the name of the organization that provided the services) to ______ (describe the activity that was done, the amount of time, and so on) and have been fully satisfied with their work. The organization does a perfect job; they have always been completing all of their work in time, and _______ (here you can write any qualities of the service provided, describe the work done, and rate it).

We have also cooperated with ______ (write the name of the organization that provided the services) on occasion for additional work tasks such as _____ (describe any additional services the company provided, assuming there are any). The company offers reasonable prices for their services, and they always do what we demand of them precisely and accurately.

I’m sincerely recommending the services of ______ (write the name of the organization that provided the services). In case you have any questions or points to clarify, please feel free to reach me.

Sincerely,

_______ (leave your signature here)

_______ (write your name here)

Sample 2. A Form From a Client to Contractor: E-mail version

Subject: A reference letter for _______ (write about the subject of the company reference letter here)

Dear ______ (write the name of the recipient),

I would like to recommend ______ (write the name of the subject being recommended)  as an applicant for a job in your company (or indicate any other purpose for the recommendation). In their position as ______ (indicate what the subject did as part of their occupation), they have worked for ______ (indicate the period during which the subject worked at the company or under your guidance). Throughout their time with our company, ______ (write the name of the subject being recommended) showed crucial skills that make them an excellent worker at your corporation.

______ (write the name of the subject being recommended) did a large amount of work in the position and was a very active person in our organization, participating in all working events and extracurricular activities. ______ (write the name of the subject being recommended) has exceptional soft skills and is remarkably organized, efficiently working in a multi-task mode to ensure that all of the work is done within the deadline time.

______ would be a wise and actively working person in any company, and I sincerely recommend them for any job position of their choice. In case you have any questions or you need any clarifications, let me know.

Best regards,

________

(Your name)

________

(Your Email address)

________

(Your cell-phone number)