How to start a letter

Businesses correspond using letters, email, reports and website pages.

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A business letter is an important form of communication for a small business. Whether you are sending out emails or letters, it is vital to make sure they are crafted properly to achieve the desired result. If you want a business letter to grab the attention of readers to convince them of something, you need to include a few key elements. Following some basic rules about the beginning of the letter can help your letters succeed from the outset.

1.

Put yourself in your reader's shoes. One of the keys to writing a great business letter is the ability to relate directly to the reader. By taking the time to think about who your reader is, what his interests are, and how he is likely to feel about the subject, you will gain insight into his psyche and how best to reach him at a level that will get his attention.

2.

The first part of the letter should contain a "hook" that will keep readers reading. A hook mentions something readers care about, need to know about, or will benefit from in some way. It works as a hint or a "tease" about the information to come later in the letter. Often it's in the form of a question or a startling fact.

3.

Start on a positive note. Never begin a letter with a negative premise. Even if you are imparting bad news, it is important to find the positive. The vast majority of people will not keep reading a letter if it starts with a negative premise. For example, if your letter is talking about a drop in sales, start with some good news about the company. "While sales this quarter were down, we did see strong growth in a key demographic that should impact sales positively in the next quarter."

4.

Acknowledge the reader's expertise, accomplishments, or position. Everyone likes to feel appreciated, and great business letters start by acknowledging the importance of the reader. This is true of sales letters as well as basic communication.

5.

End the first paragraph with the main point of your letter. You should be able to encapsulate the information you are imparting in the rest of your letter in one sentence, referencing how the reader will benefit from this information. Going back to the example of a letter reporting a downward trend in sales, the last sentence could read, "Let's take a look at the current sales figures and how we expect them to change over this next quarter to increase our profit margin."

]]> About the Author

Kate McFarlin is a licensed insurance agent with extensive experience in covering topics related to marketing, small business, personal finance and home improvement. She began her career as a Web designer and also specializes in audio/video mixing and design.

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McFarlin, Kate. "How to Start a Business Letter to Grab Attention." Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/start-business-letter-grab-attention-10934.html. Accessed 06 February 2019.

McFarlin, Kate. (n.d.). How to Start a Business Letter to Grab Attention. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/start-business-letter-grab-attention-10934.html

McFarlin, Kate. "How to Start a Business Letter to Grab Attention" accessed February 06, 2019. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/start-business-letter-grab-attention-10934.html

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