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Crafting an
Effective Letter of Introduction In
these days of e-mail, voice mail, cell phones and pagers, some may say that the
art of letter writing is lost. However, in business, a well-crafted letter of
introduction, whether it be on fine stationery or sent via e-mail can still go a
long way. When
you write your letter, remember what your goal is. You want to introduce
yourself so that the prospect will accept your phone call or visit in the
future. The goal is not to sell your product, explain your new service, or
provide the history of your company. You simply want to get permission to get
your foot in the door. Since
you have just one purpose, your letter should be succinct and to the point–in
a word, brief. If you sit down to write your letter and it goes to two pages, go
through and eliminate any unnecessary information. Unnecessary information
includes any words that don’t move you toward you goal of getting the prospect
to accept your call. While
you are cutting out unnecessary information, be sure you are including certain
data. You want to let the prospect know how you obtained his name and address,
what you can do for him and when he can expect your call. This is where you can
slip in your referral and let them know this is not a cold call. You can tie
this in with another important piece of information, such as how you have helped
other merchants with similar services. For example, “John Smith at ABC Tile
recommended I give you a call. I was able to reduce the losses his business
experienced by 15% and I believe I can do the same for your carpet business. I
will call you Friday afternoon to arrange a meeting.” |
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© Copyright 2001 · The Green Sheet, Inc. |
