The use of social business letters has become increasingly important in today's business world．No longer do people think that social life should be distinctly separated from business life．In fact，many times the social lives of business and professional people closely involved their customers，vendors1，associates，and even competitors．Social relations contribute to the success of a business by fostering a warm friendship and developing goodwill between the company and its public．Social Business letters are frequently the means by which friendship and goodwill are created．

The occasions that call for social business letters are many;such letters may express congratulations，sympathy，or thanks，or may convey an invitation or announcement．These messages may be extended to friends and personal acquaintances，to co-workers and employees，and to business associates．They may even be sent to persons who are unknown to the writer but who represent potential customers．

While the tone of a social business letter will vary with the relationship between the correspondents，all such letters must sound sincere．And，with the possible exception of an announcement，they should avoid any hint of a sales pitch2．

Writing a social business letter should always be a purely voluntary action．Never write out of a sense of duty or obligation，as doing so would defeat the purpose of such correspondence．When you are writing:

(1)Give attention to your relationship to the person whom you are writing，and adjust the tone of your message accordingly．If you are a supervisor or manager writing to someone who reports to you，you most likely would write a different letter than you would if your role and the reader's role were reversed，for example．

(2)Consider the circumstances of the occasion that prompts you to write，and limit your comments accordingly．If it is an occasion that evokes regrets or sadness，express your thoughts sincerely and briefly．

(3)Choose the most appropriate stationery．In many instances，plain paper is the best choice and it is never inappropriate．Be discreet in using company stationery3．