There are many types of letters and one of them is the letter of intent. A letter of intent could be seen as a kind of sales pitch. In this type of letter, the sender is trying to sell his capabilities or skills. Another way to look at it is that this letter is similar to the cover letter attached to your resume. So how do you write a letter of intent?
The first thing you need to do is to find out the name and address of the person to whom you will send the letter. Don’t attempt to send the letter with such a vague salutation like ‘To Whom it May Concern’ or Dear Mr./Ms. You’re not going to give a first impression if you do this, and with such a vague address, there’s a strong likelihood that the person who will be able to assist you may not even get to read it. Finding out who to address the letter to is as easy as calling the institution and asking for the information you need.
Use a business format when writing the letter. Don’t use a casual format because this is not a letter you’re going to send to your friend. You’re a professional so your letter should also look professional. Don’t play around with fonts either, use Arial or Times New Roman and none of those fancy fonts.
The first paragraph should be your introduction to yourself. Introduce yourself and give the information that you think is needed. Make sure that the information is also relevant to the purpose of the letter. There’s no point sharing information that is not even going to matter. Share the information that will help both you and the recipient of the letter. For example, if you’re writing about a literary scholarship, do mention that you’re member of your school’s literary journal. Saying you’re the captain of the football team is a complete waste of time.
After introducing yourself, you should now indicate the purpose of your letter. Tell them why you are writing the letter. Citing the aforementioned example, say that you have found out about the literary scholarship and you are very interested in applying for it.
After indicating your intent, you should now show them why they should consider you. Tell them all about your credentials and any particular skills or experience that should be considered and you think will make them take notice. You can do this either in paragraph form or in bullet form, whichever you prefer. Do state credentials that you really possess. Don’t try to make things up because that’s fraud and it can ruin you completely if people find out that you’ve lied about your credentials.
Finally, request for a response to your letter. You can do this by saying that you are available for an interview so that they will really be compelled to write you back. Make sure that your contact information is indicated in the letter.
The letter of intent may give you the chance to meet with the client and present your ideas in greater detail. Here are tips on how to prepare for an important business presentation.
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