What Is a Letter Of Introduction?

Are you writing a letter of introduction to introduce your two colleagues? Or maybe you need one for yourself when applying for a new job? A well-written introduction letter can help you advance in your career, build a strong partnership, help out an acquaintance out with a valuable contact and more.

In today’s article, we are looking into:

  • What a letter of introduction is
  • What types of introduction letters are most commonly used
  • How to properly structure a letter of introduction
  • Tips for writing a good introduction letter and more
What Is a Letter Of Introduction?

What is a letter of introduction?

A letter of introduction, true to its name, is a letter the purpose of which is to introduce yourself to the recipient or to introduce two or more people to one another.

If you are introducing yourself, it is usually your first point of contact with this person and may be used as a base to build a professional relationship, apply for a job and so on. For instance, you may write a letter of introduction when submitting your resume.

If you are introducing your contacts to one another, then this will be the first point of contact for the people you are introducing. You will need to provide sufficient information in your email so that they can further develop their professional relationship.

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Letter of introduction: types

There are many different types of letters of introduction. However, they are mainly classified into two key categories:

A letter of introduction to introduce yourself to someone you haven’t met. You could be writing to ask them for a job referral, to request assistance, apply for a job, etc.

A letter of introduction to introduce someone else to someone you already know. You could be writing to introduce:

  • One colleague to another
  • A client to a customer
  • A contractor and a freelancer
  • An applicant to a potential employer and so on

A professional and well-written introduction letter will provide the needed context for meeting someone new. The goal of an introduction letter is to create new connections, build new relationships, form teams, move projects forward and more.

Letter of introduction: structure

Letters of introduction differ depending on who you are writing to and for what purpose. However, they often have something in common — and that common element is their structure. Most letters of introduction include the following parts:

Greeting

Start off with a short greeting. Here, include the name of the person you are writing to and a friendly opener. For instance:

Hi Jessica,

Hope you are having a great week!

Why you are writing

Next, explain the purpose of your email. In a letter of introduction, this purpose is to introduce someone to someone or to introduce yourself. You will also need to provide sufficient context for why you are making this introduction and how both parties will benefit from it.

Who you are introducing

Include the first and last name of the person you are introducing. Add any important titles and credentials that might provide further context on who they are.

Why you are introducing them

Next, explain the role of the person you are introducing and how this introduction would benefit the reader. For instance:

Jena is the freelance designer I’ve talked to you about. She has taken on several projects for my company and has done a remarkable job bringing our vision to life.

Explain in what way they can cooperate

Elaborate on why you are making the introduction and how the person you are introducing may be useful to the recipient of the email. If you are introducing yourself, explain what you can offer to the person reading your email. Here’s an example:

I’ve spoken to Jena about your project. She mentioned that she may have time this month to start working on the mock-up. She will also be available to meet you this or next week.

Add contact information

If you are introducing two people, one of the goals of your email is to invite them to communicate with each other. One of the best ways of doing so is to “CC” the email to the person you are introducing. This will provide a base for these two people to start talking to each other without getting you anymore involved. You can also add contact details for your introduction:

Jena will be awaiting your call at (111) 222-3333 or you can email her at jena.hannon@email.com. I’ve also CCed her in this email.

Close with a call to action or more details

Complete your introduction letter by suggesting the next step. Or, provide any other details that may be needed for your two contacts to cooperate. For example:

I’ve taken the liberty of sending the details of the project to Jena so she could estimate her time and costs.

End your emails with a sign-off. For instance:

  • Best regards,
  • Thank you,
  • Sincerely,
  • With appreciation,
  • Cordially yours,
  • Etc.

If your letter is less formal, consider:

  • Regards,
  • Thanks,
  • Best,
  • Cheers,
  • Warmly,
  • Take care,
  • Etc.

If you are expecting feedback:

  • Looking forward to hearing from you,
  • Keep me posted,
  • Let me know if you have any questions,
  • Let me know if this helps,
  • Keep in touch,
  • Etc.

Add your full name and title (if applicable) at the end.

Best wishes,

George Rivers

Letter of introduction: example

Here’s a sample letter of introduction based on our structural points above. Feel free to use it as base if you need to introduce someone for a work project.

Dear John,

How are you?

I am writing this email to introduce you to Jena, as per our earlier discussion.

Jena is the freelance designer I’ve talked to you about. She has taken on several projects for my company and has done a remarkable job of bringing our vision to life.

I’ve spoken to Jena about your project. She mentioned that she may have time this month to start working on the mock-up. She will also be available to meet you this or next week.

Jena will be awaiting your call at (111) 222-3333 or you can email her at jena.hannon@email.com. I’ve also CCed her in this email.

I’ve taken the liberty of sending the details of the project to Jena so she could estimate her time and costs.

Best wishes,

George Rivers

Tips for writing a letter of introduction

  • Customize your letter. When writing your letter of introduction, do your best to tailor it to the situation and the two people you are introducing. If you are introducing yourself, tune the tone of your email to the formality of the situation.
  • Make the goal clear. Keep your email simple and to the point. Make sure that after residing your email both parties will have sufficient information to continue the conversation without you. If you are introducing yourself, include a call to action for what you would like the recipient of the email to do next.
  • Be concise. Be mindful of the recipient’s time. Keep your email short and make sure both parties know how to proceed. Don’t add too many details to your email, these can be discussed by both parties at a later stage.
  • Consider following up. In most cases, an introduction email should be enough to get both parties to communicate with each other directly. However, sometimes you may feel that a follow-up may be beneficial. For instance, you may write a follow-up email to inquire about the progress of the project you’ve introduced your contacts for. If you are writing a letter of introduction for yourself, make sure you mention that you will be expecting feedback from the recipient.

Summing things up

We hope that now, when you need to write a letter of introduction, you have a place to start from and a structure to follow. Let’s sum things up:

  • A letter of introduction is the letter you write to introduce yourself or two (or more) of your contacts to each other.
  • Here’s a sample structure for your letter of introduction: greeting, why you are writing, who you are introducing, why you are introducing them, how they can cooperate, call to action/closing, sign-off.
  • A good letter of introduction should have a clear structure, be concise, clearly state its purpose and be tailored to the situation.

For more information on letter writing, check out our posts on how to write a cover letter and letter of interest vs cover letter.

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