Looking for ways to ramp up your network?
A letter of introduction can be a super helpful resource to level up your job-seeking, establish new connections, or make an onboarding process smoother.
And easy, right? All you have to do is introduce yourself!
Ha – easier said than done. How do you introduce yourself without starting your letter with the typical “My name is…”?
That’s why we’ve created this guide to help you write a compelling and professional letter of introduction that gets results, with customizable templates you can copy and paste!
We’ll be covering:
- What Is A Letter Of Introduction?
- When To Write A Letter Of Introduction
- How To Write A Letter Of Introduction
- Letter Of Introduction Examples
- Letter Of Introduction vs. Cover Letter: What’s The Difference?
Let’s get started!
What Is A Letter Of Introduction?
A letter of introduction is a message you send to people you want to connect with. The purpose of the letter is to introduce yourself and highlight your availability for either a job position, a partnership, or even just a cup of coffee.
Basically, it’s a form of networking!
While formal introduction letters can be printed and delivered by hand, most letters these days include a simple email, text, or DM.
When To Write A Letter Of Introduction
There are plenty of reasons you might want to write a letter of introduction. For example:
- Making new connections with people in companies you, as a job seeker, have been eyeing
- Expanding your network for future opportunities
- Make your onboarding process in your new role smoother by reaching out to the people you’ll be working with (and also showing some initiative, which gives you big points when starting out on a new role!)
- Connecting with potential business partners
- And much more!
When writing a letter of introduction, you can either introduce yourself or someone else – like a colleague, a new team member, an acquaintance, and so on.
In the next section, we’ll be covering how to write a letter of introduction for both yourself and others in different situations, with copy & paste templates you can use.
How To Write A Letter Of Introduction
You’re probably well aware of the importance of giving a good first impression, right?
And the truth is, you don’t have to wait to meet face-to-face to give a great first impression. You can start with your introduction letter.
There are a few things you should keep in mind when writing yours:
- Keep your introduction short and to the point
- Be friendly!
- Explain the purpose of your message
- Use 2-4 sentences to make a statement
- Wrap up with a call to action
- Check your letter for grammar and spelling before hitting send
Let’s dive deeper into each topic.
1. Keep your introduction short and to the point
There’s no need to write a long letter of introduction – after all, you’re just getting to know each other.
A short message of 10 sentences or less is all you need. This keeps things short but also makes room for a few substantial remarks!
2. Be friendly!
I don’t care what people say about us millennials. Sure, we may go a little overboard with the emojis and exclamation points, but we definitely know how to write the nicest cold emails and messages out there.
Now, I’m not saying you should pack your message with emojis and exclamation points, but sending some positive vibes is always a good idea.
If you don’t want to start with the usual “I hope this email finds you well”, you can go with something simple like “I hope you are having a great week so far!”.
That’s enough to convey a positive, friendly approach!
3. Explain the purpose of your message
It’s really effective to begin your message by explaining why you’re reaching out in the first place as opposed to making the first sentence only about you.
For example, let’s say a graphic designer is looking to connect with someone from a mobile app company offering free and paid online workout sessions:
They could go with:
❌ My name is Julia and I am a Graphic Designer with over 10 years of experience.
OR…
✅ I noticed you have an opening for a Graphic Designer in your team. As a seasoned designer with 10+ years of experience, this position grabbed my attention.
Better, right?
Go ahead and skip the “My name is” – your name appears in the sign-off, so there’s no need to start your message by stating your name.
You also want to make sure to mention something that sounds more like you are catering to their needs. When you start with something like “I noticed you have an opening”, the message is not about you; instead, it’s about them and what they are looking for.
4. Use 2-4 sentences to make a statement
This is when you can demonstrate why this connection can be mutually beneficial. You can casually mention an idea you have to improve their results through your work.
For our graphic designer example, it could look something like:
✅ I was impressed to learn that WeFit has achieved over 5M downloads since its launch. I tried it out myself and really enjoyed the workout programs (especially the MaxiBurn sessions)! There's definitely some room to expand the app's reach through targeted Instagram ads using innovative graphic design pieces. One way is by providing step-by-step illustrations to teach users specific exercises.
In the example above, we used 4 sentences to:
- a) show them you’re up to date with their business performance
- b) express your familiarity with the product
- c) show them your vision
- d) provide them with a specific, actionable strategy to help them reach their business goals
5. Wrap up with a call to action
You can end your message with something simple, like:
✅ I’d love to discuss this further on a quick call!
After that, sign off with a friendly sentence, like “I hope you have a lovely day!”.
But before you hit “Send”, make sure you…
6. Check your letter for grammar and spelling
Last but not least, run your message through a spell checker to make sure your letter is clean and professional.
My suggestion? Go to Grammarly and add their extension to your browser – it’s awesome for proofreading anything from long emails to short messages
Once you have gone through all of these steps, your letter of introduction should look something like this:
Letter Of Introduction Examples
Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time we get into some specific examples. We’ve crafted a template for several different scenarios. Feel free to copy, customize, and edit them. Just fill in the placeholders for the proper names and circumstances and you’ll be good to go!
Example #1: Letter Of Introduction For A Job
Let’s take the example we covered above and turn it into a customizable template:
Hi, [Name]!
I hope you [had/are having] a great week! I noticed you have an opening for a [Job Title] in your team. As a [your job title and experience and/or relevant skills], this position grabbed my attention.
I was impressed to learn that [significant milestone from target company]. I [your experience with the company’s product or service] and really enjoyed [one specific aspect or feature from the company’s product or service]. There's definitely some room to [hit a specific goal] through [specific, actionable strategy that links to your work].
I’d love to discuss this further on a quick call!
I hope you have a lovely day!
[Your Name]
Example #2: Letter of Introduction for Networking
Our next template uses the same framework, but with slight adjustments that make it better suited to networking.
Hi, [Name]!
I hope you [had/are having] a good week so far! I came across your profile and was really impressed with [something notable about their career, expertise, or project].
As a [your job title and relevant experience], I’d love to connect and share insights on [specific area you both have in common]. It would be great to learn more about [something from their profile, experience, or work] and exchange thoughts on [industry trend or common interest].
Would you be open to a quick chat or a virtual coffee?
Wishing you a great rest of your week!
[Your Name]
Example #3: Letter of Introduction for a New Business Partnership
For this example, we’ll adjust our letter of introduction for someone looking to build new business partnerships.
Hi, [Name]!
I hope you [had/are having] a wonderful week! I noticed [their company’s recent achievement, project, or initiative] and was impressed by the impact it’s making in [relevant area].
As the [your job title] at [your company], I’m impressed by [something notable about their company or their work] and think there’s room for a collaboration, particularly in [specific area of potential collaboration]. With our combined efforts, I believe we could [hit a mutual goal, e.g., enhance a product/service, expand reach, etc.].
I’d love to set up a call to explore how we can work together.
Looking forward to connecting!
[Your Name]
Example #4: Letter of Introduction When Starting at a New Company (Introducing Yourself)
Starting a new job? Awesome! Make your onboarding process smoother by introducing yourself to key collaborators within your new company.
Hi, [Name]!
I hope you’re having a lovely week!
I’ve recently joined the [your department] team as [your job title]. I’ve heard great things about your work in [their department/area], and I wanted to introduce myself as I believe there may be opportunities for us to collaborate down the line.
I’m excited about [specific project or initiative relevant to your role] and would love to learn more about your work on [something they’re involved in that interests you]. It would be great to connect and see how we can support each other in achieving our goals.
I hope you have a great day!
[Your Name]
Example #5: Letter of Introduction When Introducing Someone Else
If you are the one making an introduction on someone else’s behalf, you can use the following model:
Hi, [Name]!
I hope you’re having a lovely week! I wanted to introduce you to [Person’s Name], who is [a brief description of the person’s role or expertise]. I think you two would benefit from connecting because [reason for introduction, such as common goals, areas of expertise, or collaboration opportunities].
[Person’s Name] has done some amazing work in [specific project or field] and could be a valuable resource for [specific reason or project that could benefit the recipient]. I’ll let you both take it from here, but I’m confident this connection will be valuable to both of you!
I hope you have a great day!
[Your Name]
Letter Of Introduction vs. Cover Letter: What’s The Difference?
Now you might be wondering: “Isn’t a letter of introduction basically the same as a cover letter”?
While they have some similarities, they have different purposes.
A letter of introduction has a more general approach. A cover letter, on the other hand, is tailored to a job description. With a cover letter, you can really delve into your previous experience and skills to demonstrate how you are a good match for a specific role.
Here’s an example of what a great cover letter looks like with a breakdown on the general format and flow:
💡 Pro Tip:
If you want to learn how to write a cover letter that gets results, check out our guide, How To Write A Job-Winning Cover Letter [Free Templates & Examples]!
If you want a killer cover letter, we recommend using an AI cover letter builder like CoverBuild.io. CoverBuild’s AI writing assistance tool will write you a cover letter in less than two minutes based on the information from your resume. Here’s a step-by-step to guide you through the process:
- Head to CoverBuild.io
- Select the “2 Minutes” option to have AI write your cover letter
- Select a template for your cover letter, then follow the 3 step process for sharing info about your experience and the target job with CoverBuild's AI
- Click “Generate My Cover Letter” and watch the tool write a unique cover letter that's personalized to your experience and your target job!
To make it even easier, you can select a cover letter template from the widget below to get started:
Free Job-Winning Cover Letter Templates, Have AI Write Yours in Less Than 2 Minutes.
Choose A Cover Letter Template Below To Get Started:
Great Choice! Now, how do you want to write your cover letter?
Final Notes
You made it! At this point, you should know everything about writing a letter of introduction. Here’s a recap of the process:
- Keep your introduction short and to the point: a little under 10 sentences should do the trick.
- Be friendly: Keep the tone casual, but not informal. One or two exclamation points will do!
- Explain the purpose of your message: Briefly explain why you are reaching out.
- Use 2-4 sentences to make a statement: Casually mention how your connection could be mutually beneficial (go back to step #4 to refresh).
- Wrap up with a call to action: Invite them for a quick face-to-face interaction (don’t worry, it can be virtual)!
- Check your letter for grammar and spelling: Run your message through a spell checker like Grammarly so it’s top-notch.
And remember, you can speed up this process by grabbing one of our templates above. You’ll just need to add a few personal touches to make the letter of introduction personal to you!
Now that you’re on your way to introducing yourself, how about stopping by our networking guide with 4+ proven strategies for connecting the right way?
