Letter of Introduction: How to Write a Letter of Introduction

A letter of introduction is a business-related note (typically in the form of an email) that introduces one person to another with the intent of forming a professional relationship. A letter of introduction provides the recipient with relevant professional background information on behalf of the writer, or a writer’s acquaintance, to kick off a mutually beneficial connection.

One of the most common reasons to write a letter of introduction is to initiate a conversation between an acquaintance and a professional connection. A person can also write a letter of introduction on their own behalf to investigate job opportunities, inquire about career advice, connect with new clients, or introduce new coworkers.

Although these three types of business letters may include similar content, their respective objectives differentiate them from one another.

• Cover letter: A cover letter is a brief summary of a job seeker’s work experience, relevant skills, and personal interest in a specific job opening. Similar to a letter of introduction, a cover letter introduces the job seeker. Unlike a letter of introduction, it is a formal part of a job application and serves as a personal supplement to a resumé.
• Letter of introduction: The objective of a letter of recommendation is to provide background information on a peer or acquaintance, sometimes with the intent of presenting an individual for a job opportunity. You can also write a letter of introduction for a mentee to help expand their professional network.
• Recommendation letter: During your search for a new job, a hiring manager or recruiter might ask for a letter of recommendation as part of the reference process. The applicant’s professional acquaintances or former coworkers will write a reference letter describing their positive experiences working with this person. Unlike a letter of introduction, a job applicant can’t write their own letter of recommendation.

Whether you're a freelancer seeking out new job opportunities or helping a friend by connecting them with one of your colleagues, follow these useful introductory letter-writing tips.

1. 1. Keep it brief. Assume that the recipient of your letter is a busy person and only has time to read the information that’s vital to your request. Before sending your introductory email, read it through to make sure you're not being repetitive or overexplaining your reason for writing.
2. 2. Personalize your greeting. The recipient of your letter is more likely to respond if you greet them by name rather than their job title. For example, if you’re reaching out to a prospective employer to inquire about job openings, find out the person’s name instead of addressing them as “hiring manager.”
3. 3. Stick to one subject. While you may have multiple questions for the letter’s recipient, hone your primary ask so that you don’t overwhelm the person. For example, if you’re asking a business contact if they’d be willing to have an informational interview with one of your friends, refrain from also asking your contact if they also want to discuss a business deal with you over lunch.
4. 4. Use the appropriate attitude. Stick to a formal tone when writing a letter of recommendation. Being too casual in your verbiage or tone could potentially rub them the wrong way. However, informal language is more acceptable when introducing an acquaintance to a close friend of yours.

Follow this step-by-step guide to writing a great letter of introduction.

1. 1. CC the person you're introducing. When you're introducing an acquaintance to a professional contact via email, make sure to CC them on the message. This makes it easy for the recipient to see the person's contact information while enabling your acquaintance to follow up on the same email thread. Make sure to call out the fact that you’ve CC-ed your acquaintance so that the recipient knows where to find the person’s email address. Consider providing their phone number in case the recipient prefers to communicate that way.
2. 2. Choose a proper greeting. When introducing yourself to a stranger, use a more formal salutation like “Dear” or “Hello.” Contacting a friend on behalf of someone else allows you to use a more informal greeting as you would for any other email.
3. 3. State the main purpose of the letter. Explain your purpose for writing in the first paragraph of your email. Provide the minimum amount of background required for the recipient to understand why you’re reaching out to them.
4. 4. Provide relevant background info on the subject of the letter. In a maximum of a few sentences, introduce yourself or your acquaintance by stating a job title, a brief summary of work experience as it relates to the recipient, and any praise or accolades that could impress the recipient. When you first mention your acquaintance, always use their full name.
5. 5. State how this introduction could benefit the recipient. Explain how this introduction could be mutually beneficial to both parties to increase the likelihood of the recipient responding favorably. For example, a freelance website developer looking for work from a restaurant could say something like: “I noticed that your restaurant’s current website doesn’t support online orders. I have over ten years of experience building online ordering platforms and can add this feature to the site to help increase your profits.”
6. 6. Sign-off respectfully. Choose a tonally appropriate sign-off for your letter, based on your relationship to the recipient. When writing to a stranger, use a more formal sign-off like “Sincerely” or “Thank you for your time.”
7. 7. Proofread your letter. A letter filled with spelling or grammar errors makes a poor first impression. Thoroughly proofread your email at least twice to ensure clarity and accuracy before sending your note.

Consult the following example letters of introduction, based on whether you’re writing the letter on your own behalf, or that of an acquaintance.

For yourself:

Hello Mindy,

My name is John Doe, and I got your contact information from our college alumni directory. I’m a recently licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in working with children.

I’m reaching out because I’m looking to start my own therapy practice in the near future and would love to talk with you about your own experience doing so. If you’re ever looking to increase your revenue by adding a second therapist at your own practice, that’s something I'd be interested in as well.

If you have time to chat, you can shoot me an email at this address or call me at 555-555-5555. You can also check out my website at www.johnswebsite.com.

Thanks so much for your time,
John

For an acquaintance:

Hi Mindy!

Reaching out because I want to introduce you to my good friend, John Doe. John’s a recently licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in working with children. He graduated summa cum laude at the top of his program.

John is interested in working under the supervision of an experienced therapist before he starts his own practice. I know you were thinking about adding another therapist to your practice to increase your revenue and lighten your workload, so I thought you both should meet.

I’ve CC’d his email address here, and you can also reach him on his cell at 555-555-5555.

Best,
Sarah

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