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A letter of introduction states who you are, why you are writing, and what you would like to happen next, all in the first few lines. Readers should never have to guess the purpose. Keep it to one page, give one clear next step, and let the other person decide freely.
Most introduction letters do one of two jobs. In the first, you introduce yourself: you are writing to someone you have not met, to open a conversation about a job, a project, a service, or a shared interest. In the second, you introduce two other people to each other, usually because you think they should meet. The two kinds share a structure but differ in one key way: when you introduce yourself, you carry the burden of proving you are worth a reply; when you introduce others, your reputation is on the line for both of them, so you should only make the introduction if you genuinely believe it helps both sides. Never introduce two people without checking with at least one of them first, and ideally both.
| Kind | Opening line pattern | Must include |
|---|---|---|
| Introducing yourself | Your name, role, and reason for writing | One relevant credential or shared connection |
| Introducing two people | Why each person matters to the other | Permission from both sides, stated plainly |
| Introducing a business | What the business does, in one sentence | What you offer the reader, not just yourself |
Everything the reader needs to decide whether to keep reading. Name yourself, name any mutual connection, and name the purpose in the first three sentences. "I am Maya Chen, a bookkeeper in Hamilton, and Sarah Okafor suggested I write to you about your shop's accounts" beats a paragraph of background about your career, because the reader can place you at once. If there is no mutual connection, say so honestly and give a different reason the letter landed on their desk: an article they wrote, a project you admire, a specific need you can meet. Vague openings ("I am writing to introduce myself and explore synergies") say nothing and get filed away. Specificity is politeness here: it respects the reader's time.
One page, three short parts: who you are and why you write, one paragraph of relevant detail, and a close with a single next step. The next step should be small and easy to decline: a short call, a reply by email, a meeting at their convenience. Give your contact details in the close, not buried in the middle, and give a time frame that leaves them room ("in the next few weeks" rather than "by Friday"). Do not attach a resume, a brochure, or a long proposal to a first introduction letter unless the reader asked for it; an unsolicited bundle reads as a sales push. If you are introducing two people by letter, close by stepping back: say you will leave them to connect directly, and do not insert yourself as a go-between afterward.
Match the tone to the relationship. A letter to a future employer or a senior official should be formal: full names, proper titles, no slang. A letter to a fellow artist or a community contact can be warmer, but still professional. Three mistakes sink more introductions than any others: flattery with no substance ("I have long admired your incredible work" with no detail), a letter that is really a sales pitch wearing an introduction's clothes, and a letter that never states what the writer wants. Readers forgive a short, plain letter; they rarely forgive a long, evasive one. Proofread names twice: misspelling the recipient's name in an introduction letter undoes the entire point. In Canada, French-language greetings may be expected in Quebec business correspondence; in the US, a plain "Dear Ms. Alvarez" is standard. When in doubt, use the form of address the person uses publicly.
For mailing, a typed introduction letter on plain paper in a standard envelope is the norm in both countries. LetterAgent can print and mail such a letter to a US or Canadian address from a chat with your AI assistant, with the price quoted up front and approved by you before anything is sent.
Ready to mail it? Send your letter with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it is printed and mailed.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
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