LETTERS OFFERING CONGRATULATIONS

Definition Letter of Congratulations

A letter of congratulations, or congratulations letter, is used in both personal and business situations. Their primary purpose is to formally congratulate a person or an organization for an outstanding achievement.

How to write an effective congratulation letter that people will remember

Write the congratulation letter as soon as possible

This is your chance to notice their special occasion. People love to receive a letter after a fortunate event takes place.

State the specific occasion

At the beginning, express what motivated you to write your letter.

Express praise and approval

Outline the reader's accomplishments and the good it has or will do.

Keep your congratulation letter simple and concise

Usually under one page in length is enough—You want them to read it!

Be positive

Don't include any negative comments or unhappy news.

Don't suggest that the fortunate event should benefit the letter-writer

Even if your motive is to win a customer, don't let them know.

Don't exaggerate your congratulatory words

Your letter may seem sarcastic or mocking.

Edit your letter

Check for correct spelling, structure, grammar, and punctuation.

Wait some time and proof-read your letter again before sending it

Most writers find errors or better way to express their thoughts.

Letters of Congratulation

Offering congratulations

1. Your appointment gave me great pleasure.

- I was very glad to hear about ……

2. I offer you my sincere congratulations.

- Congratulations

3. I am delighted that your talent and hard work have been rewarded.

- I know now hard you have worked and you certainly deserve it

4. I had hoped that I might be able to congratulate you in person.

- It is a great pity that we can’t get together soon.

5. When I return in September will contact you.

- I’ll give you a ring when I get back

6. In the meantime, I wish you every success.

- Meanwhile, all the very best for the future

Sample Congratulations Letters
The following letter of congratulations templates are real-life examples of the types of congratulations letters typically written in personal and business situations.

Letter of Congratulations - to a friend or colleague (personal).

Letter of Congratulations

495 West Village Way Suite 975 New York, New York 10023-6825 January 15, 2007 Mavis Jamieson 880 West 60th Street Suite 1850 New York, New York 10025-5745 Dear Mavis: Please accept my heartiest congratulations on your recent selection for inclusion on the short-list for the NY City Writers Prize. I just heard the news today from Francis Goodspeed when she dropped into my office with the marked up proofs for her latest collection of stories. As you can imagine, Fran was very excited too! I am so proud of you. As you know, I have been a longtime promoter of your work, and in my mind it's about time they finally recognized your talent. In fact, I believe that your selection for the NYCWP short-list is long overdue. I have already read two of the other books that are short-listed and in my opinion they don't hold a candle to your "No Turning Back". I will read the other three books nominated and let you know what I think. Although, I could hardly be considered an objective reviewer on this one. Once again Mavis, my sincere congratulations on your nomination. Just being nominated for the NYCWP is an honor in itself. I will be keeping my fingers crossed for you until they announce the winner on March 1st. Sincere best wishes, Brad Merchant

Congratulations Letter - to a former employee (business).

Congratulations Letter

(print Congratulations Letter on business or personal stationery, as appropriate) June 25, 2006 Belinda Asher 620 Mayview Ave. Pineville, WV 24874 Dear Belinda: On behalf of everyone here at Deerwood Resorts Ltd., I would like to sincerely congratulate you on your recent graduation from Mountain State University with your M.B.A. (Marketing). I must say that I was not surprised to read of your success in the newspaper. During your first of four summers as an employee at our Lakeland Family Resort I noted how bright you are and how you have a very quick mind for business. Combine those attributes with your relentless work ethic and commitment to quality customer service, and it is obvious that you have a wide-open future ahead of you. I can only hope that your experience working with us contributed in some small way to your success. On behalf of the management and staff at Deerwood Resorts I wish you all the best in your future career and life endeavors, whatever they may be. Yours sincerely, Bruce Atkinson President and CEO

With these guidelines, you may find it easy to write a letter of congratulations. However, if you are still confused, here is a sample congratulatory letter for you where the person sends the letter to congratulate her friends on the arrival of their newly born baby.

Real-Life Congratulations Letter Templates
The thing that makes the above two congratulations letter examples different from what you will typically find online is that they are "real-life templates". In other words, they are complete, fully-formatted letters, written by professionals for actual real-life personal situations.

These are NOT your typical fill-in-the-blanks templates. They are complete letters that one can quickly learn from and adapt to fit one's own situation.

When you need to write a letter of congratulations, or congratulations letter, it is always helpful to have some real-life samples that show you exactly how a professional writes a letter for a similar real-world situation.