How to Start a Business Letter to Grab Attention

Mục Lục
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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.

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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.”